16 last week. 14 this week. With the outing of Chris (in the sense that he got kicked off, not in the sense that he is homosexual...although I mean, come on) and Chelsea (what will I do without her hair!?! It was the antithesis to Susy Mixy Hair's disaster!) we have our first new pair of the season: Comfort and Thayne. Let's see if they fire each other up. Although let's face it, we're all here to see what Mary will be wearing/shouting. It's time for "So You Think You Can What What?!"
8:00- Cat Deeley welcomes us in a glammed up version of the tuxedo shirt. Who knew that even existed?! It's a black and white dress, covered in bows, mixed with a bouffant flapper hairdo. Loving it? Or hating it? Two hours to live with it. I'll decide by then.
8:01- Am I the only one who feels bad for the dancers during the intros? Such a small amount of time to make an
impression. Mark's personality comes through well, but Joshua takes the cake dance wise with his gorgeous popping and charming personality.
8:02- Cat reveals they are all dancing twice tonight. MY HEAD EXPLODES.
8:03- Tabitha and Napoleon Beatrix and Gernoimo are on the judging panel tonight! Will be fabulous to see them sitting behind the desk for the first time.
8:04- I am really hoping they do a movie tie-in this week and Mary is dressed as the Joker from "The Dark Knight." She could rock that clown makeup.
8:05- Huge disappointment/joy-- Mary is continuing her disco ball theme from last week. Although it appears she has shelacked her face and cooked herself in a kiln tonight. Are we witnessing a painted pottery version of Mary Murphy? I want one on my shelf.
8:05- Wasting no time! Up first are Jessicar and Will dancing the jive by Tony Meridith and Melanie Lapatin. I wonder if Jessicar has a huge bruise from the drop last week?
8:06- I've never been a huge fan of her, but her bounciness seems appropriate for the jive tonight. Will always proves to be a capable partner; swirling around her with finesse and assurance. They both look nice in teal and black. I can't help but always feel that she looses energy halfway through. He seems to be lifting dead weight by the end. I feel for him.
8:07- Beatrix and Geronimo on the jidging panel means that we won't see another fantastic routine by them tonight. My shirt is covered in tears.
8:08- Mary calls them out on their missed connections in partnering work. You can't get anything by her frosted tips tonight. Seriously. Did she run some Tinkerbell dust through her weave or what?
8:12- Comfort and Thayne are up next with Andy Blankenbueler! Great to see the new pairing working with a new choreographer (Tony Award-winner for the FANTASTIC work on "In the Heights.") Doing a routine to "Cool" from West Side Story. Impossible to match Jerome Robbins' brilliant choreography from the original. They appear to be dancing two different routines. He in some sort of mechanic meets military outfit, she is in a red dress suited for working the corner. Comfort is really shaping up to be one of the weakest girls in the competition. Unable to bring any of her personal spark to the choreography of others.
8:18- Mary praises it as a great new partnership (as do Beatrix and Geronimo). Mary appears to be wearing diamond snakes from her ears tonight.
8:19- Nigel discusses how it should be a combination about pent up frustration that explodes all over the place. AMEN. Need to see a brilliant dance to this song? Watch the original. He tells them that they would have been booed off Broadway. Thayne's smile grows so large that it almost reaches the back of his head.
8:20- Kourtni and Matt are up next doing Sicily Lelisa (ummm...I'm confused) Hip-Hop routine. This program is going so fast tonight it is making my blogger head SPIN!
8:21- They are both dressed in white suits. Hip-Hop goes to Heaven? Another lyrical hip-hop routine, but without the spark that they need for the choreography. Some nice movement, but difficult for them to execute as two of the tallest dancers in the competition. Can't seem to get into the ground.
8:23- Everything seems UNDER REHEARSED tonight. Not feeling this rushed double-feature format.
8:24- Sometimes I get confused when Beatrix and Napoleon finish each other's sentence. "Do you want to hit him with the but?" she asks after complimenting them. Do they just ALWAYS have the same opinion?
8:25- "We've seen it slow, we've seen it fast, and at the end of the day it has to be entertaining, and even though it's slow, it still has to make us FEEL something" says Mary as she reminisces about her days at Studio 54.
8:25- "I liked it. I hate being just here in the middle of the road...I want to jump up and down and scream for the two of you...but I just cant...because Nigel put a tranquilizer down my throat before this taping." -Mary Murphy (with some possible alteration)
8:28- Chelsea and Mark are up doing Mandy Moore Jazzification next. They are wearing neon pink, purple and blue reminiscent of an 80's prom . The piece has a lot of grabbing and caressing to begin with (too much standing still), before breaking into some partnering work that tosses Chelsea around Mark like a rag doll (with bangles, of course...it's the 80's...the land where Mandy Moore seems to be stuck). The duo dances it nicely, but I haven't been crazy about any of Moore's work this season. She's not using the space very well. Too stationary...her work isn't grabbing me on a visceral level.
8:29- Beatrix and Geronimo praise the couple for always being able to tell a story.
8:30- "I hate to have taken be a downer(s) tonight," Mary says. It then becomes clear that this whole "tranquilized" routine was all a joke, as she screams "I JUST LOVED IT!" She then repeats the word "Towering" (as in Chelsea Hightower) 4 times, hypnotizing herself. Nigel will soon snap his fingers and she will cluck like a chicken while putting her legs behind her head. Watch for it.
8:32- Cat calls Mary "A Big Tease." But unlike a tease....the Murphinator always delivers.
8:33- Kherrington "Sunshine Hair" and Twitch are up next doing a Paso Doble by Tony and Melanie. They are playing a matador and a matadoress. He is wearing a vest tonight, and some freakish abs. I will try to look away and judge the routine. No promises. He also has some shoulder pads that look a bit like Shredder from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Go to Mexico" (a seldom seen musical). Who knew that his legs were this long, and flexible (as he effortlessly fan kicks over her head)? Why has no one sent us on a date yet? They do a nice series of sweeping lifts traveling cross the stage before finishing by slapping their own chests and growling in each other's faces. She looks a bit like Sharon Stone, and and one point the camera tried to give us a "Basic Instinct" moment. Ya'll know what I'm talking about.
8:35- The judges are talking and critiquing. I am watching Twitch's chest. Be back in a few.
8:36- "Well I will say one thing, it was full of passion, that's for sure," Mary notes of her affair with Adam Shankman.
8:37- What if Cat just ran her hands on Twitch's torso? Awkward? Maybe?
8:42- Katee and Joshua (my Golden couple) are up next doing a Mia Michaels routine. It is possible that Katee is storing Mia Michaels in her hair, which is wrapped in a bulb on top of her head. The dance is about two people on their journey and they are selfishly focused on their own lives. Leave it to Mia to start with a simple beginning that has the two of them walking slowly side by side toward the front of the stage. These two have an innate ability to tell the story unlike any other couple. They are emotionally bare. They look over at each other and rub their own hands before charging forward and beginning a BRILLIANT routine. The dancing demonstrates the idea that all the pain in their bodies can't find a way to escape. They look to each other for help, but can't open up enough to find release; they are together but apart. The choreography uses the stage in a way that devours it while staying true to to the story she is trying to tell. A beautiful moment when Katee hunches over and wraps an arm around Joshua's waist before gliding across the stage in a series of runs before he flips her up to his shoulder as she reaches out to the audience; stuck. Best Mia routine yet. BY FAR.
8:43- (Okay. I just watched it three times.) Joshua talks about how "it is so much more than dancing with Mia." YES. YES. YES. He contains so much power in his body, and he adds nuance by not pushing full-force all the time. The moments where he breaks out contain such truth that he personifies what dance is all about for me: the escape and channeling of emotion through movement.
8:48- Courtney "No Dress" and Gev are up next doing Hip-hop. They are wearing large jerseys and workman boots. Horrible camerawork that doesn't allow us to see both of them. Has a nice casual feel to it, almost like it's being performed in a subway station (and I mean that as a compliment). Courtney is getting into the ground more than I expected her to. Her best performance yet. Gev does well, as expected.
8:50- "Well I'm feeling it 50/50," says Mary of the last time she got botox. She goes on to say how she enjoyed Courtney much more than Gev. Cut to a shot of the two contestants. Courtney turns and shakes her head toward Gev as she says something we can't hear...probably "It sucks to be you."
8:57- Jessicar and Will are back for round two! They are doing lyrical jazz by Mandy Moore. They are going to use props (a shirt) for this routine. WHY ISN'T IT A HYPER-COLOR SHIRT! THIS IS MANDY MOORE! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 80's! I mean she is using "Alone," by Heart! COME ON!
8:58- Will starts it with a gorgeous sissone, demonstrating his technique. Jessicar appears to be wearing Will's shirt. Not a complaint, just a statement. The use of the prop seems a bit extraneous. Not as needed as the "table dance" last year that Mandy did. A lot of dragging her around the stage (she must be having flashbacks of last week).
8:59- Cat greets them by picking up the discarded shirt (which Will unfortunately puts back on) and saying "Why do boys' shirts smell so good?" Mary starts pouting in the corner...what about when Cat smelled HER shirt?!
9:00- "You know he can take that shirt back off, I like it that way," Beatrix says. Suddenly a voice is heard offscreen shrieking, "AMEN! AMEN!" It's Mary. She crawls over Geronimo and reaches to give Beatrix a high five. Beatrix looks over with caution, confused at this creature coming toward her that looks like the spawn of a Gremlin and a Powerpuff Girl wearing one of Beyonce's discarded wigs.
9:01- "Talent is flame, and genius is fire," Mary says. Is this her way of verbalizing the orgasm she just had? The world is confused. She promptly puts them on the Hot Tamale Express. What Will doesn't realize is that he will be required to join Mary in a private car. He will be forced to wear a mesh G-string while shackled to a bed as Mary sings "Lady Marmalade" for days on end.
9:02- Nigel asks for a show of hands to see who in the audience wants to dance with Will. Gay boys across American shriek and shimmy toward the TV screen. No, I did NOT just do that.
9:04- Comfort and Thayne are up doing a Smooth Waltz by Edward (missed his last name!). I sense impending disaster. Already they seem much more connected than in their first routine, even though they start apart. They are both bringing a nice unforced emotion to it, but Comfort's upper body seems a bit stiff. Thayne has to go from a shoulder sit to a press BEHIND him. My shoulders hurt just watching. I would love to see what Katee and Joshua would have done with that routine.
9:08- Mary Murphy introduces herself as a "waltzing expert." I will translate for you. Waltzing Expert=disco ball. She then says, "You're a waltzing queen right now! That's who she is!" This is what she used to scream to herself in the mirror before she participated in illegal street racing. Look for Mary Murphy in the upcoming feature film biopic "Way 2 Fast, Way 2 Furious: The Hot Tamale Train."
9:15- Kourtni and Matt are up doing the Mambo by Alex DeSilva. Matt begins it with a beautifully tight series of chaines toward his partner. They then go into a spinning lift that transitions from one position to the other... with a lot of effort. He appears to be having a tough time changing hand positions (which is extremely difficult while spinning). I still love his upper body. He manages to have a fluidity to it while bringing a sharper dynamic to his footwork.
9:17- Mary ends her critique by shifting into a deep devilish voice reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver being possessed by Zuul in "Ghostbusters."
9:20- Chelsea and Mark are up next doing the Foxtrot (Chelsea's home turf). Chelsea is wearing one of Jon Benet's old outfits. She also seems to be staring out at the audience more than usual for the first half of the routine. Mark is very attentive to her, staying connected even when her back is toward him. Even though it is Chelsea's home turf, she still hasn't quite mastered the way to point her foot despite wearing heels. Believe me, it's possible. I'm doing it right now. Just kidding. Or am I? You'll never know.
9:24- Nigel is the only one who isn't crazy about the routine, prompting Mary to say, "Let's just push him off into the audience and let them have their way with him!" Sometimes it's good to act on your thoughts Mary. DO IT! DO IT! He asks her to state her opinion three decibels lower, to which she shrieks, "Not in your life mister! That's what I have to say!" Before proceeding to cackle. I love how Mary is one of those people who just says horrible things and thinks that it's all okay if she just laughs afterwards. Can we have a Mary Murphy doll where you pull a string and she says things like "It's like that old Murphy proverb: You look so fat that I could kill you! Hahaha!" You know, self help stuff.
9:26- Kherrington and Twitch are up doing a Mia contemporary routine in silk pajamas from the latest Sky Mall catalog. They are doing a dance on a bed about the male side of going through a breakup...something Mia is all too familiar with?
9:29- Twitch is shirtless again. They really want to torture me tonight, don't they? Dancing to John Mayer's "Dreaming with Broken Heart." LOVE this song. Twitch is doing a lot of flexing on the bed. No complaints. Mia is going the painfully literal route with this routine. "Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hands," Mayer sings as Kherrington bounds over the bed spewing roses. This piece is a poor version of Larry Keigwin's brilliant bed duet ("Straight Duet") mixed with some Streb throwing. Probably the least original thing I've seen of Mia's on the program.
9:33- "Passion is a fever, and whooo I think mine just went up," Mary says. Seriously, WHAT is this woman smoking and WHERE can I get some?
9:40- Katee and Joshua are up doing a West Coast Swing by Benji Schwimmer next. Her outfit looks a bit like a "Wild West Barbie" I had as a kid...all pink fringe. (I'm dead serious.) All of this adds up to me thinking it could be the end of the Golden couple's reign.
9:42- Nevermind. Whatever style they do, it's clear that their connection will remain. They both exude such joy, I want to just give them the whole competition right now. The choreography is nice, some playful weight shifts with them leaning on each other in between the twists and turns. They both adapt so brilliantly.
9:45- Gev and Courtney are finishing with an Andy Blankenbuelher Broadway routine about coming to NYC for the first time. Using another classic song, "New York, New York," from On the Town. I feel like Blankenbuelher is setting himself up for disaster when toying with these classics.
9:47-Cute outfits, fitting into the 50's style. Courtney seems to be approaching this character as a caricature, which is ultimately what keeps her from entering the upper level of the competition. Gev is charming in the piece, but the number still doesn't make much of an impact. Better choreography than Blankenbuehler's first number, but still nowhere near the level of his "In the Heights."
9:50- Mary claims they could be "heading for the finals." Yes, and Mary Murphy could become sane tomorrow. BOTH: NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Thank god. I wouldn't have any blog material.
Overall a decent night that touched on brilliance (with Katee and Joshua).
My top three couples:
1. Katee and Joshua
2. Chelsie and Mark
3. Kherrington and Twitch
Who is going home?
1. Comfort and Thayne
zipping over here from the BSYTYCD live blogging to say "YES YES YES!" Cat's hair is adorable, Joshua and Katee are on the Mia planet (in a trance) and everyone is looking at Twitch's abs tonight, even though Will is giving him a run for his money.
Posted by: Joanna | July 02, 2008 at 09:16 PM
zipping over here from the BSYTYCD live blogging to say "YES YES YES!" Cat's hair is adorable, Joshua and Katee are on the Mia planet (in a trance) and everyone is looking at Twitch's abs tonight, even though Will is giving him a run for his money.
Posted by: Joanna | July 02, 2008 at 10:11 PM
My top three are the same as yours in the same order. I want to love Courney Galliano more, but she isn't dancing with enough emotion by any means.
I so hear you about Blankenbuelher's choreography. It was mostly disappointing in comparison to those classic, hard-hitting songs he chose. How can you even try to take on New York New York or anything from West Side Story (this just in: next week, the remaining cast will be doing Slaughter on Tenth Avenue).
That said, I am not a Jessica fan, and I've been rooting for her to go home for two weeks now, but now I want to see Comfort go home this week; Thayne's been on the edge for awhile now. His time has come.
Posted by: Michelle | July 02, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Youre awesome cause you actually did minutes of the show.....
I wish i had TV.
Posted by: Timur | July 02, 2008 at 10:34 PM
What Will doesn't realize is that he will be required join Mary in a private car.
That just made my night.
Posted by: jM | July 02, 2008 at 10:36 PM
wow. Thayne and Comfort just finished their judging here on the West Coast, and I agree with Nigel for the first time. I agree with you about Comfort, Thayne was pretty good (or maybe he was good compared to Comfort.)
I just switched to this channel, and flashbacks from SF Ballet singing "Cool" in WSS came over me. ...yeah. ;)
Posted by: jolene | July 02, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Gay boys across American shriek and shimmy toward the TV screen. No, I did NOT just do that.
That was one of the many parts that had me LOLing tonight.
keep it up!
Posted by: Brandon | July 02, 2008 at 11:27 PM
I find myself anticipating your SYTYCD commentary more than the actual show! You are so hilarious! You really had me laughing out loud tonight. One thing I find interesting about Twitch is they never mentioned the fact that he was a dancer in the Hairspray movie. It seems this would come up with Adam Shankman on the show. Twitch has been doing a lot more than hip hop since he auditioned last time. So far I don't like this season as much as last season. Look forward to your blog next week!
Posted by: Ashleigh | July 02, 2008 at 11:59 PM
You are the only commenter I have seen so far who appreciated that Josh and Katee were really dancing that West Coast Swing and not just faking it, even if it wasn't a showy routine.
I love me some Mark, but Joshua had me at his audition.
Posted by: Joanna | July 03, 2008 at 12:24 AM
amazing pic... love these!!!
Posted by: david Hallberg | July 03, 2008 at 08:23 AM