SYTYCD Top 8

If you are not up to the Top 8 yet, please be warned:

So Christmas came early for me this year because last week, Nathan & Noelle were voted off. WOOHOOOOO! CELEBRATIOOOOON!

I also want to complain loudly that the finale is going to be the top 6 instead of the usual 4. I’m sure this has to do with scheduling (the finale would fall on the week of Xmas if it goes another week), but it’s still annoying. The finale is usually jam-packed with dancing because everyone dances together. For those who don’t usually watch, the finale usually consists of a group dance, a dance w/the two women, a dance w/the two men, and then four couples dances so that each finalist is coupled with the other two finalists of the opposite sex. Everyone still with me? I hope so! My hope is that the finale will at least still have the same format, though I’m assuming it’ll have to be a longer show in order to do that. I’m curious to see how that’ll pan out.

The other news of the night: Ashleigh had an injury and couldn’t dance. More on that throughout my commentary. ON TO THE DANCING!

Kathryn & Ryan – They got disco first. I loooove disco. I think they did really well with this dance. I agree with Nigel’s comments about Ryan being stiff in some points, but Kathryn really shined. And I love wardrobe reveals!

Mollee & Jakob – They got Viennese waltz and I didn’t think I would like it, but I really did! The costumes were nice, their chemistry was cute, I liked their spins, especially the last one. I like the faster waltz rather than the usual slow one.

Ellenore & Legacy – They got contemporary by my fave Travis. I saw the table at first and was like oh not again, another Sabra/Neil dance. But it was completely different and freaking AWESOME. At first I cringed b/c I was like “do we really need another couple fighting?” but by the end of it I was turned on, so *shrug* I guess that fine line went the right way for me. Nigel said he think this might earn Travis an Emmy nomination – right on!

Ashleigh solo – (I can’t actually remember where her solo was supposed to go, but I’m sticking this here.) She has never been my favorite, but I was bummed that of all weeks, she’d be injured this week. I think she would’ve been really good with both dances they got and the clips from rehearsal looked good.

Jakob solo – He’s really talented, no denying that. It was good.

Ashleigh & Russell – A hip hop by Shane Sparks. Russell had to dance it w/Shane’s assistant who was, in my opinion, not that good lol. But whatever, she only just found out that morning. Russell was really good, and I like that Adam explained that just because he’s a krumper doesn’t mean he’d be a good hip hop dancer but he is. I was just annoyed that the camera kept showing him alone in some parts, I’m sure his partner wasn’t just standing there still. I get that we’re not voting for her, but that was awkward. I was disappointed that Ashleigh couldn’t dance this because I like her a lot in hip hop.

Mollee solo – Not as good as the last two she’s done. I was kinda bored.

Kathryn & Ryan – They got a cha cha, which was great for Ryan but potentially bad for Kathryn because it meant two ballroom styles in one night. But she pulled it off! She got into the character and even though I would have liked more dancing and less tricks, they danced it well. I would not have given it a standing o, not sure what that was about, but whatever. And Mary put them on the hot tamale train which she hasn’t done much of this season, so good for them I guess.

Legacy solo – My first thought was why on earth is he using a prop?? It’s a solo, you don’t need any gimmicks. He danced it okay.

Ellenore solo – I think she tried really hard to get rid of the quirkiness in the hopes that America wouldn’t find her too weird to vote for. But that’s what I love about her, so I didn’t like her solo as much as I have in the past. (I could write a whole post on Ellenore & her quirkiness… maybe I will.)

Russell solo – I was very disappointed in this solo. Talk about not needing gimmicks. The santa thing was weird. The teddy bear was weird. I guess he was trying to be memorable and that certainly is the solo I remember the most but he didn’t even dance much. He spent the first 5 seconds setting it up and the last 5 sitting down w/the teddy bear.

Mollee & Jakob – A Broadway routine. Again, I didn’t think it was as fantabulous as the judges thought, but I liked it. It was cute and the two of them together are good because their kicks and spins are matched.

Kathryn solo – I actually liked her solo. It wasn’t a great night for solos, but I think it was the best of the night.

Ellenore & Legacy – *sigh* A hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon. Poor them. I was excited at the build-up b/c it’d be hip hop, which they’re both good at, and quirky which Ellenore can certainly do. And the beginning w/the masks was cool. And then it was bad. I was not feeling it. Maybe they should have danced the whole thing backwards…

Ryan solo – I think he was the person who looked the most like he was dancing for his life. Ballroom solos are hard, of course, but it was entertaining. But then he made his appeal for Ashleigh telling people to vote for her and then he started crying and then I started crying. It was a mess! I just kept yelling “DAMN IT RYAN!”

Ashleigh & Russell – A Bollywood number! And I yelled a big fat “thank you!” when the choreographer said it’d be no gimmicks, no story, just dancing. I would have LOVED to see Ashleigh dance this! I think she does the high-energy dances really well. Russell dances those well too, and this was no exception. The dance was hot. My notes actually say “on fiyaaaah,” so there you go lol.

So based on overall competition, I’d like to see Ryan & Mollee leave tonight. But Ryan got really lucky in pulling out two ballroom dances and he had a good night. I think it might be Ellenore & Legacy (OMG I KNOW IT HURTS MY HEART JUST TO SAY THAT!) leaving tonight. Their first number was amazing (favorite of the night) but their solos weren’t up to par and that last number was the worst of the night. Ashleigh might go because she didn’t dance, but I think people might have voted for her because of Ryan’s plea. Oh, I just don’t know!

We’ll have to tune in tonight to find out! And did I hear right? Is tonight’s group dance choreographed by Sonya? I’m there!