Thursday the 24th

SYTIt's Already Next Tuesday?

• Brief recaps tonight - kinda late, kiddos, but I want to get my first impressions up.
  
  
• Ryan and Ellenore - Lindy Hop. For the first time, I thought he looked a lot more comfortable than she did. Some great stuff, especially the "lemon twist" lifts where he swung her around, stepped over her, she did the splits, and they did it again. (Coffee grinders with front flares. Thank you, Adam Shankman.) He seemed sharp, but she was just a bit - tentative? Off her game? I don't know - it just wasn't all there.
  
  
• Kathryn and Legacy - Jazz. It was very cool, but I didn't get "he really wants her" from this. Legacy just had serious face on, not quivering lust. Kathryn was fantastic. I applaud Sonia for working plenty of b-boy moves into her piece for Legacy to do, but don't think it advanced her stated theme. (And I totally want them both in the final 4. With Russell or Jakob and Ellenore.)
  
  
• Victor and Karen - Tango. Meh. It wasn't great. She also seems off her game tonight, and Victor danced well, but his face just reads so - fake. Like a kid wearing an expression that he thinks is a serious face.
  
  
• Mollee and Nathan - Hip Hop. They did this well - like 2 white kids who are really good at hip hop. Nathan's overacting was kind of annoying, but I think that's mostly because I find his immaturity kind of annoying.
  
  
• Russell and Noelle - Samba. I thought this was very good - and Noelle was terrific. I was relieved to see Russell handle this one, since I was frightened by his fox trot last week.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Lyrical Jazz. It was OK - based on the preview, I was hoping it would be softer. Then it was a lot of "Jakob can leap! Jakob has great extension!" and Ashleigh - kinda looks the same to me as she did in her other routines. Not in a bad way, but like some musicians always kind of sound the same. Anyway, I don't dislike her the way I did in the beginning but I still don't find myself rooting for her.
  
  
• Ellenore and Ryan - Broadway. Fabulous. They were both great, but I really couldn't take my eyes off her most of the time. This showcased Ellenore really well, and showed off her quirkiness and grace.
  
  
• Legacy and Kathryn - Viennese Waltz. This one choked me up. And here's where. There's a moment where Legacy's arms are out, waiting for Kathryn to show him where to go next, and she looks back at him with the most patient, encouraging face. The choreography was brilliant - "Let's give him a character who doesn't know how to dance so we can write off any mistakes he made! "- but Legacy went beyond that to look like someone who CAN do this just ACTING like someone who can't. By far, my favorite Generaux/Mousseau piece ever.
  
  
• Karen and Victor - Hip Hop. They sure looked intent. But it wasn't all that good. Their sync was weird. I think this late change in partner was tough for these two.
  
  
• Nathan and Mollee - Can Can. This was kind of a hot mess, and I put most of the blame on Tyce. He said it was originally a partner dance, but the partner work was ridiuclously minimal. The whole routine looked like it had no idea where it was going.
  
  
• Noelle and Russell - Contemporary. They danced well, and it's great to see Russell handle a contemporary piece. Tyce is annoying the shit out of me - I can't put my finger on it, but it just seemed - to lack cohesion. I guess. I don't know, mostly I want to smack him.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Cha Cha. Good for her, because she killed in her style. And was better than Jakob. Damn her for making me like her. Jakob did well, but did NOT look like a ballroom dancer to me.
  
  
• Prediction: Victor and Karen, Mollee and Nathan, Ashleigh and Jakob. Because I am not alone in my Ashleigh irritation, even though she did great work tonight. If I had watched in time to vote - it would have been for Kathryn and Legacy.