It’s gettin’ familiar time on So You Think You Can Dance. With the field whittled down to eight, we get to learn that Will’s first dance inspiration was Patrick Swayze, and that Comfort was "tricked" into attending performing arts school. With most of the wannabes already sent packing, we get to see what the best of these dancers can really do. It was as though the dance recital hopefuls grew up and joined the pros Wednesday, and the mostly superb choreography stepped up to meet them. Three of the four couples knocked at least one of their routines out of the park, and the best of the performances were so fine that, like guest judge Toni Basil, I mostly sat back mouth agape, set down the pen, and relished them. But this just means we get to raise the standards now—and though the judges went soft on everyone (save poor Comfort), every one of these dancers still has room for growth and improvement. My one serious lament: I wish Gev were still around to grow with them. We miss you, Gev.
The rundown:
-- Courtney Galiano and Will Wingfield in a samba. Choreography, 10. Performance, 8.
And in lyrical hip hop. Choreography, 8. Performance, 8.
Courtney and Will burst out of the gates with one of the most exciting performances of the evening in their sexy samba. The key is Courtney totally losing herself to the music and getting down and dirty, Brazilian style—I agree with Nigel that the dancing was best the less she focused on technique. Judging on enjoyment alone and overall admiration for these two dancers, I’d have to give this effort a 10, but I can’t turn a blind eye to Will’s inconsistency in the number. His hips would catch the groove and then lose it, and while Mary was watching his feet on those stage-crossing runs, I was looking at his arm, held out stiff and plastic. Will stepped it up in Tabitha and Napoleon’s ghostly hip hop routine, though, riding the waves of the music in his roiling body atop super-sharp feet, besting Courtney in the articulation of his torso during the side-to-side rolls. I didn’t feel the emotion as deeply as the judges, and I wouldn’t call the predictable feeling of this number "great art," as Toni did. The bottom line: Courtney and Will did well together, but they aren’t a dream team. I’m eager to see them each with other partners.
Courtney’s solo: Wow! Has she been hitting the studio after-hours over the last week? Her turns are suddenly swifter and more centered, her extension reaching further, her technique tuned-up. Prediction: in danger.
Will’s solo: Wow! It’s hard to shape a memorable statement in this super-short format, but Will pulls it off with clever costuming and a smart conceit, delivering the best moves from the King of Funk and adding his own inimitable smoothness. Prediction: safe.
-- Twitch Boss and Katee Shean in contemporary. Choreography, 10. Performance, 10.
And in a Broadway routine. Choreography, 7. Performance, 6.
All those shows I thought Twitch was holding Kherington back, and really it was the other way around. Paired with old pal Katee, his full theatricality is released. This Mia Michael’s "co-dependent girlfriend" number is my favorite Michaels choreography ever on this show—a bluesy, funky song, great props, great musicality—and together Katee and Twitch make it unforgettable. The show’s producers have finally learned not to reveal the choreography’s secrets during the pre-performance video clips, so that the face-sucking kiss and the slamming door both come as a surprise. But most surprising was how good Katee and Twitch are together with Katee throwing off all traces of cutesiness and Twitch—as Toni notes—getting to draw on his natural funkiness. Wish I could say I loved them as much in the Broadway. Has anyone else noticed that when it comes to the judges, Katee can now do no wrong? I thought she was prancing and smiling and entirely too girly—so I was relieved, after the heaps of praise, when Toni at last suggested Katee’s "personality problem." "I would have liked a deep, rough approach to the music to match that vocal," Toni says, finally speaking truth, while Nigel apologetically murmurs, "I can’t disagree." She’s still one of the top three dancers on the show, though, while Twitch is still one of the weaker and only lucked out technically on these routines.
Katee’s solo: Ho-hum. Flailing about unmusically doesn’t show us her real chops. Prediction: safe.
Twitch’s solo: Ho-hum. It’s like walking in on the middle of a party. He’s grooving, but other than those little kicks behind on the "zoom zoom," there’s no real choreography here. Prediction: safe.
-- Mark Kanemura and Comfort Fedoke in hip hop. Choreography, 10. Performance, 10.
And in a foxtrot. Choreography, 7. Performance, 5.
Queen of nine lives Comfort gets another break by drawing hip-hop—and we, the audience, are really the lucky ones. The pair in this "new kid at school" routine by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo instantly catapult into my favorite moments ever on this show. Comfort comes out fierce, tearing limb from limb when she throws an arm back, every jump like a jackhammer driving her full force into the ground. She’s scary, but then, so is Mark, and what a great surprise. The lift into the overheard somersault is swift and spectacular. But as Toni says, it’s not about the tricks, it’s about the ear and Mark and Comfort both have it. The other judges seem to be praising her half-begrudgingly, and, alas, when the foxtrot comes we’re reminded why. I actually liked Mark a lot in this—loved his old-school smooth lines, his controlled turns, his Fred Astaire gentleness, and does anyone else find this guy damn handsome when he cleans up that funky ‘do?
As for Comfort, do we really need to rehash the usual deficiencies? Toni says, "the turns were done like this," holding up scarecrow arms. Mary calls their embrace "one of the worst closed holds I’ve ever seen." So, thanks, Comfort, for an electrifying hip hop routine. And thanks for putting yourself out there and taking your hits with grace.
Comfort’s solo: Ho-hum. Nigel says exactly what I’d been thinking after the hip hop number: She’s such a great dancer when she’s got real choreography to deliver, and so surprisingly unimpressive in her solos, which have no real steps. Prediction: in danger.
Mark’s solo: Ho-hum. I want to credit him for being himself and staying clear of tricks, but what he’s doing doesn’t require much skill or training to deliver. Prediction: in danger.
-- Chelsie Hightower and Joshua Allen in tango. Choreography, 7. Performance, 8.
And in disco. Choreography, 8. Performance, 7.
Remember that I said three of the four couples knocked at least one of their routines out of the park? The one couple without a real hit was Chelsie and Joshua. Granted, their tango was good, but the choreography was a bit subtle by this show’s standards, especially after the night’s parade of super-theatrical, attention-grabbing numbers. Once again, old-pro Chelsie is carrying the partnership with those machete-sharp legs, though Joshua deserves the credit Mary grants him for committing to the foot-flicks and setting the mood. But Toni speaks gentle truth—"turns are not your forte"—and yes, his arms are a little "jazz 101." The judges go easy on Joshua again after the Dorianna Sanchez disco. Joshua’s brawn ends up being his cross to bear—but all those hard lifts look damn hard while he’s doing them. I was worried for this couple the whole time. And I can’t erase from my memory Joshua’s turns leading into a thudding bent-legged jete, right when the camera was on him from the least flattering angle. Chelsie looks to me like she’s leading him through most of the partnering, which is not surprising given the way this girl powers herself through any match-up. Joshua may have had to haul her into all those lifts, but Chelsie was doing the real heavy lifting.
Chelsie’s solo: Wow! This 19-year-old is all woman. Although trying to use ballroom dance steps in her solos remains a problem. Prediction: safe.
Joshua’s solo: Wow! Best solo of the night. Without any gimmicks or crazy costumes, Joshua manages to craft his solo into a real work of art, starting quietly with the robot-leg popping, building into that split, then letting loose, fully body, into what my TV viewing companion deemed some truly "sweet moves." Nevertheless, after the rest of his performances, my prediction is: in danger.
My leading dancers: Chelsie, Katee, and Will.
Best Technique: Ditto above.
Best Personalities: Chelsie.
Send Home: Comfort and Twitch.
Rachel Howard is the dance correspondent of the San Francisco Chronicle. Her website is www.rachelhoward.com.
