So You Think You Can Dance: Thoughts on the Top Eleven Showcase

On the Playlist: Paris is Burning - St. Vincent

Welcome to the first So You Think You Dance recap! From now until the finale, I will post my thoughts on each week’s performance and results show on this blog. I will rank (from worst to best) and comment on all the routines, as well as give out super prestigious awards for the best music, all-star, and dancer of the week.

So, let’s get started!

Season seven is different from all the other seasons, because instead of having the dancers partner each other, all-stars from previous seasons will partner them. Thursday night’s show was an introduction to the eleven finalists, and a re-introduction to the twelve all-stars. As excited as I was to see the likes of Mark and Allison on my television again, I wish the showcase would’ve just showed the new dancers, as it was hard to watch them and not the old favourites. However, the inclusion of the all-stars, the superb talent of the top eleven, and the incredible choreography made the showcase one of the most enjoyable hours of SYTYCD since season three. So, who knew I’d ever say this, props to Nigel. The all-stars twist is not without its flaws, but it’s nice to see that he realized SYTYCD needed a change after the failboat that was season six.

Now, the routines, dancers, and choreographers that made this such an incredible show:

6.Broadway– TASTY OREO a.k.a Tyce Diorio
Dancers: Alexie and Melinda / All-Stars: Lauren and Allison

How awesome is it to see Allison on stage again? She’s so fierce, and I can’t wait to see her in a contemporary piece. This routine, though not bad, was just a bit of a snore. And, I’m one of the few SYTYCD fans I know who loves Broadway numbers and Tyce’s choreography; it just didn’t do it for me this time. The dancers all did what they were supposed to do, and did it well, but the piece wasn’t memorable. I believe Melinda and Alexie are both capable of much better than this, and I look forward to seeing it.

5. Hip Hop – NappyTabs a.k.a Napoleon and Tabitha
Dancer: Jose (Full Deck)/ All-Stars: Comfort, Dominic (!!!), and Twitch

NappyTabs, unlike the other choreographers (with the possible exception of Mia), understand the point of this show: to showcase the finalist, and use the all-stars as supporting dancers. The all-stars killed this dance. I was especially impressed with Comfort; sometimes the awful memory of he contemporary routine with Thayne blocks out the amazing one of her hip-hop with Twitch. Jose, however, just couldn’t keep up with them. This is one of my fears about the all-stars twist: the all-stars may make the dancers look worse than they actually are. Keep in mind that most of these all-stars have been dancing professionally for a few years, and were not at the level they’re at now when they were on the show. Of course, this could work the other way and force the top eleven to raise the bar, but that’s now what I saw tonight. I always love the untrained b-boys (what’s up Dom, Gev, and Legacy), so I still have hope for Jose, but he’ll need to step it up. Also, I know that many find Dom to be annoying and obnoxious, but I absolutely love him, and loved seeing his bit with Cat again.

4. Ballroom – Jason Gilkinson
Dancers: Cristina / All Stars: Pasha (!!!) and Anya

From here on, I love all of the routines. How hot was this routine? It’s always a treat to see Pasha and Anya dance together; they have so much chemistry. Plus, Pasha took his shirt off! Always a good move, Pasha, always a good move. However, Pasha and Anya were Cristina’s downfall. It was hard to buy her chemistry with Pasha next to Anya’s chemistry with him, which is understandable as Pasha and Anya have danced together for years. Also, Cristina just doesn’t have the technique that Anya does, which Nigel pointed out (I need to stop giving Nigel props) in regards to their feet. That doesn’t mean that Cristina’s a bad dancer, but rather that Anya’s a fantastic one. If Cristina gets ballroom with Pasha alone, it may be more of a success. I also look forward to seeing her in different styles, as she proved in Vegas that she’s a pretty s-i-c-k (that means sick. I wish Chelsie could’ve gotten out of DWTS to be an all-star, she’s my favourite female to ever be on SYTYCD) contemporary dancer.

3. Jazz – Sonya Tayeh
Dancers: Adechike, Robert, and Ashley / All Stars: Neil (!!!) and Courtney

This routine was set to the SONG OF THE WEEK, which is Freak by Estelle and Kardinal Offishal. The song hasn’t left my head since the show. Plus, it’s so fun to dance to (after SYTYCD airs, I always go back and dance to the songs, because I’m just that much of a dance dork). As for the routine, I loved it. Sonya’s been boring me as I feel like her pieces all look the same, and though this was very clearly a Sonya routine, it still felt new. But, Sonya, why did you highlight Neil? We already know and love him. Highlight the newbies! The dancers werked this routine, both the finalists and all-stars. I feel bad for Ashley though, as it was hard to tell her and Courtney apart, and we don’t even know her from auditions. Hopefully she can prove to be more than fodder! You know who’s trying really (too) hard not to be fodder? Robert Roldan. I wish he wouldn’t have grabbed the microphone at the end, because it was a little obnoxious. His dancing in that piece, I think, was more than enough to prove that he’s more than fodder. In fact, he’s my DANCER OF THE WEEK. He shone in that piece like no one else, including Courtney and Neil (and trust me, it’s impressive when I love someone more than Neil in a routine). Not only did he execute it well, but I felt as though he was the most expressive of all the dancers, and really dancing in the music as opposed to with the music. So, Robert is well on his way to becoming one of my favourites. Last but not least, we have Adechike. I was impressed with his leaps, but otherwise, I felt that Neil and Robert out danced him. And, Adechike, you’re not an underdog at all. You’re a favourite. Big difference.

2.Contemporary – Mia Michaels
Dancers: Billy and Alex / All-Star: Ade

Oh, Mia. I’m so glad you’re a judge, but I’m so sad that means we can only get group routines from you this season. This routine was genius, moving, and heartbreaking. The roles were perfectly cast; Billy’s flexibility (not to mention his appearance) makes him a great child, Alex’s maturity makes him a great adult, and Ade’s incredible quality of movement makes him a great senior. Billy is just incredible. Like Mia, I was in awe of what he did with his body. Alex’s technique is impeccable, and unlike in the auditions rounds, I felt his passion. He played the character perfectly. Ade is such an underrated dancer, and it’s a shame, because he’s absolutely insanely incredible (yeah). This will sound strange, but it’s not easy to quiver and shake well, but he did. The music was a perfect fit for this routine, too. I have absolutely no complaints. I loved it.

Contemporary – Travis Wall
Dancers: Lauren and Kent / All-Stars: Mark (FANGIRL EXPLOSION) and Kathryn.

What a great way to start season seven. There is something really inspiring about seeing Travis sitting at the judges’ table after being a contestant on the show. I am so, so happy for all his success; he is an incredible dancer and choreographer, as tonight proved. I love me some dark routines, and this certainly was one. The dancers nailed the feel of this routine. Mark’s performance wasn’t a surprise, as this has always been what he does best. He’s my favourite dancer to ever be on SYTYCD, and I just love seeing him in his element. Honestly, I had to watch this routine about a billion times to watch the other dancers; the first few million times I watched, I only watched Mark, which really says something as I love Kathryn, and Lauren and Kent are my favourites from the audition rounds. So, naturally, Mark receives the ALL-STAR OF THE WEEK AWARD (and I promise he won’t always win it. Neil might too! I’m kidding…kind of. It’s hard to beat Neil and Mark, because I’m that much of a fangirl). When I finally looked away from Mark, I wasn’t disappointed. Kathryn was creepier than I thought she could be. Lauren was fantastic. The biggest surprise for me was Kent. When I read what the concept of this dance was in the spoilers, I worried for him. How could the sweet, small-town boy pull off something so dark? But, did he ever. He was creepy, and it was awesome. The strong cast of dancers and amazing choreography (set to the perfect piece of music, may I add) made this the best routine of the night for me.

As of now, this is my ranking of the dancers. I really do like all of them at this point. It’s going to be a great season:

1. Kent
2. Lauren
3. Billy
4. Alex
5. Robert
6. Melinda
7. Alexie
8. Adechike
9. Cristina
10. Jose
11. Ashley

What did you think of the top eleven showcase? Do you like the all-stars twist? Who’s your favourite dancer/all-star? What was your favourite routine? Do you, like me, have hopes that this season will redeem SYTYCD after The Season That Should Not Be Mentioned (minus Jakob, who should've been an all-star)? Let me know in the comments!