Hey all! Can you believe that the finale is already here? This season kind of feels like it flew by. I'm not sure if it'll be as memorable as say, seasons 2, 3, or 4, but overall, I think I enjoyed myself. Cat is wearing something that is a wee bit too baggy to be very flattering on her, but she's still pulling it off. The intros feature everyone doing their best moves. Kayla is impressive, but Brandon is banoodles. If we consider this round one, Brandon is most definitely ahead. Tonight features everyone dancing with everyone else, per the usual. Jidging tonight are Mary, Nigel, and Shankers! Yay Shankers!
Note: This, as always, is the abridged recap. For a fuller version, head to sytycd.ca. Oodles more finale goodness there...
The final four have a Wade and Amanda routine about two football jocks and two cheerleaders who are too much to handle. The video package makes it look awesome. It's too Lady GaGa, which takes it down a notch in my book. So, I don't want to bee too cheerful, but everyone is kind of NAILING this. Everyone is greatly in character. The choreography is fun fun fun. If anything, they all won this round. Maybe White Lightning by a nose, but a great start to the show.
Evan and Jeanine are the first couple to dance together, with a Sonja Tayeh contemporary. . The routine itself is pretty great, and they are both doing it well. Jeanine is a bit more in control in the routine so she's coming across a little bit better but this is still some of the best dancing we've seen from either of these two this season, at least in my opinion. I'm not sure how memorable this routine is going to be, but I certainly liked it as I watched it. Shankers thought Sonja's choreography was awesome too, because it showed both their strengths and was fun to watch too. Mary thought they would be a good partnership and she was right. Nigel tells Evan he has to be more in command of the stage in his upcoming routines.
Cat sits down with Brandon, who says the show is super-tough but he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. but the big revelation is that Brandon didn't think he'd make the show and he doesn't see it in himself some times. He's blind, maybe? Because the boy can DANCE. His final solo is to the bombastic Dies Irae, and he's just as crazy good as always. He may actually slip at one point but he covers it exceptionally well. He ends with such power and manages to get out of a split using only his legs. To quote my viewing partner, "Jesus." Shankers says “That is COMPETING!” Mary got goosebumps. Nigel thought he wiped out the competition.
Kayla and Brandon are up next, with a Tasty Oreo Broadway where he's putting his own spin on things. So it'll be kitschy, overly literal, and only meh? Despite the best efforts of the costume and lighting people to distract me, I'm actually watching the routine and they are dancing it fantastically. The routine itself could be better, but they are dancing it to the extreme and doing it fantastically well. They were awesome. The routine itself wasn't up to their level. Shankers loved it so much he has to stand up. Mary thought they were rockstars, dancestars, and frontrunners. I get the last two, but if they're such rockstars, why can't we have them performing instead of Kristinia DeBarge? Nigel thought they were strong together and fantastic.
Jeanine’s solo is next. . Jeanine started dancing at age 3 and faced challenges dancing when she was younger. Her favorite routine was Travis’ Top 10 Contemporary. Cat mentions the apparently unchoreographed "Full On Smoocharamaroony" That needs to become a part of the SYTYCD Vernacular. Lets make it happen folks. Anyhoo, Jeanine's actual solo is like tango-ed out or something and it's an interesting direction to take, and certainly one that makes me take more notice of her. She doesn't choreograph her ending well though, and the whole thing judged as an overall was a little lacking. Shankers is so happy for her and lavishes her with every compliment possible. He says she fought Brandon back. Mary thinks she's peaking at the right time and that she's elevated every partner she's been with. She’s in the final two, as far as Nigel is concerned.
Evan and Brandon are up next with a LaurieAnn Gibson Pop/Jazz routine. It's about two guys battling for a number one spot. I'm shocked. Because if there's anything that one could critique about LaurieAnn's previous number on the show it's that it wasn't literal enough. That being said, the routine itslef is... ok. It's ridiculously hyper-literal to the situation, which grates, at least for me. Brandon is also crushing Evan, this round clearly goes to him. I'm gonna say this one isn't gonna be particularly memorable as the night goes on. Shankers thinks Evan got dusted and gets booed. Why? Mary also thinks Brandon did a better job. Nigel thinks Brandon out-personalitied AND out-danced Evan.
Kayla and Jeanine have a Mia Michaels contemporary that takes place from Stage-Left to Stage-right. I find myself focusing on Kayla a lot more than Jeanine, but they're both doing a very good job. Jeanine's movements are bigger, but I'm not sure if that's what the number calls for so much as the slight bit of restraint Kayla is putting into it. Although for the last 10 seconds or so, Kayla falls apart a little bit. But it was a fantastic routine. Shankers just can't say enough about how much he loves them. Mary thinks they laid their heart and soul out there on stage. Nigel reiterates Mary’s comment regarding Jeanine peaking at the right time.
Evan's solo is up next, but first, he has a sit-down sesh with Cat. The brothers Kasprzak (no relation to the Brothers Karamazov) story is retold, especially when he mentions that being away from his family is the toughest thing. His favorite routine was the Butt routine. Evan, for as much fun as he's clearly having, is not dancing nearly big enough. It's all small little movements which just don't give a sense of greatness to his solo. It's exactly what they tore into Kupono and Lauren "Misha Chan" Gottlieb about when they danced this small. Shankers thought he took an interesting, calculated risk. The solo did enough for Mary. Nigel thinks he has something special, but he still hasn’t grown enough for Nigel’s liking and that solo wasn’t up to Jeanine and Brandon’s levels.
Kayla and Evan are the next routine. They've got a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Jive. m absolutely watching Kayla more than Evan in this routine, and, especially coming off Nigel's criticism that Evan needs to control the stage, he is almost a little bit of a disappointment here. He's not bad, he's just kind of... there. I mean, Kayla has some rough moments where Evan pulls her through, but she was the one this routine showed off, not him. Shankers loves Tony and Melanie but didn’t think that was a finale-level routine. Mary calls the routine phenomenal but tears into Evan on technique before telling Kayla she stole the show. Nigel thought Evan brought personality and wonders where this personality has been from Kayla all season.
Kayla’s the last soloist of the night. She wanted to start dancing because of Singin’ In The Rain, she likes the nickname “White Lightning”, and her favorite piece was Mia’s addiction piece, which was probably her best work all season. Um, when did Kayla finally learn how to chroegraph a solo? Because this is really frickin' good. Her best solo all season. I think she was better than Jeanine. Shankers didn’t think the solo showed off who she is, but dubs her one of the best dancers the show has ever had. Mary says she’s gifted and touched by angels. Nigel doesn’t want the audience to be fooled by ideas that she’s entitled or doesn’t need their votes.
Brandon and Jeanine wrap things up with a Louis Van Amstel Paso Doble. This is really really good. They’re nailing the intensity, dancing it to the hilt and without abandon (Jeanine is just throwing herself around the stage). I missed the judges comments for the most part, but they got a standing ovation and Nigel said they edged the other two out as front runners.
Shankers and Mary evade the question of who will win. Nigel says it should be Brandon or Jeanine.
ROUTINE RANKING:
1) Kayla and Jeanine
2) Kayla and Brandon
3) Brandon and Jeanine
4) Jeanine and Evan
5) Top 4
6) Evan and Kayla
7) Brandon and Evan
SOLO RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) VERY CLOSE- Jeanine
4) Evan
OVERALL RANKING FOR THE NIGHT:
1) Kayla
2) Brandon
3) Jeanine
4) Evan
OVERALL RANKING FOR THE SEASON:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) Jeanine
4) Evan
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
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