Reality Raver reports from Australia:
So You Think You Can Dance was back after a two week hiatus. At least they did not try and pass it off as a rest break for the dancers, because we all know Channel ten did not want to waste a precious high rating episode on a Easter weekend when a lot of people are away.
Tonight it was the stress of dancing with new partners, plus having to do a solo dance to a song of their choice from a movie soundtrack. However they could choose between three choreographers for assistance. Nacho Pop for Hip Hop, Paul Green for Ballroom, and Kelly Ackers for Jazz/Contemporary.
Just a few comments on tonight's show before getting into the recap:
It grated when both Jason Coleman and Matt Lee were saying at the end of sentences - Yeah? Matt was a particularly bad offender;
Does Rhiannon ever cover her belly? Her idol must be Fabienne from the classic movie Pulp Fiction who said "But on a woman, a potbelly is very sexy..... If I had one, I'd wear a tee-shirt two sizes too small to accentuate it.";
The Rove ads including snippets from the judges were hilarious especially the one where he was trying to work out the meaning of what Matt Lee was saying;
Laughed when JD grimaced just before he had to swallow the berry flavoured Metamucil in the ad he and Camilla were in; and
Vanessa reminded me of Helena Bonham-Carter this evening and not in a good way.
The night began with Natalie Bassingthwaite bounding out on stage wearing a cross between a salsa and flapper outfit. She must have spent her week off practicing reading an autocue as the sedative eye look was gone - unless I have gotten used to it.
After a few minutes of banal repartee with the judges it was time to start the dancing.
First up was...
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...Vanessa in a package pulling a card from a container and there were only two in there, ok I thought she may have been the second last person to get to pick. However when she went to pick a dance genre card there were three in there.
Somehow I don't think it was as random as the producers make it out to be.
Vanessa's new partner was Jack and they danced a contemporary number by Juliette Verne.
It was to be a love story where a man loses his lover and an angel brings him hope again. Juliette Verne said Vanessa has got to stop doing the baby doll face. Which then ensured I noticed it all through the routine.
It was a nice routine, but Vanessa does have problems evoking emotions. She smiled throughout the dance. I thought angels were meant to be serene. But then again my knowledge of angels is limited to Botticelli paintings, and Anne Geddes photos.
Jack: was great to see him dance contemporary he is definitely a contender.
Bonnie Lythgoe said "Great routine, loved it".
Jason Coleman slapped Vanessa around for saying in her package she "Wasn't a technical dancer". Huh? I agreed with Jason when he said "Ballet means technical dancing". Was she trying to gain some sympathy votes out of the audience? If so I think it failed. I thought her strength was her technical dancing?
Next were the new pairing of Kate and Rhys who danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Supple. I tried googling the name Supple to find out more about him, however had to stop as going into one dodgy porn site was enough.
Supple was obviously wanting to show views he was not just a pretty face by equating learning the routine to interpreting a great Shakespeare monologue overnight.
The routine was great, and Kate was hot. For once Rhys was not the centre of attention in a routine. Having said that he was good, I love it when he has to be all butch and sexy, and the hand stand at the end of the routine made me laugh.
Matt said "Intricacy just phenomenal"
Bonnie said "I liked the match - worked well together" and "Kate I thought you had your jazz face on" Can someone please tell me what a jazz face is?
Jason disagreed with Bonnie over the jazz face comment and said to Kate "You owned it" and Rhys "Yes, yes, yes", and "unreal I loved it"
The first solo for the night was Henry to a song from the soundtrack of 300.
He was, to quote Tyra Banks, "fierce" with a cape on, showing his chest like Dimitri from the US version. However I did not understand the make up of what looked like a tree root drawn on his body and his face.
Personally I found the routine just a bit frenetic.
Matt said "Strong routine"
Bonnie said "Hurricane Henry on his way"
Jason said "Great showmanship", "Thought you danced through the music not to the music" and "Thoroughly entertaining."
Rhiannon was next dancing solo with music from the soundtrack "Hit" (I could have got that wrong). She was channelling her hip hop side rather then her jazz side and I just found her dance a better version of her solos.
Matt said "Really good" and "Energetic"
Jason said "You're a hottie", "Very honest, very you" and "I worried about the musicality"
Anthony Ikin's routine was to a song from the film Closer.
I thought the dance was technically good, but he has the same problem as Vanessa - his face does convey emotion. Maybe Bonnie needs to tell him to get rid of his gymnastic face.
Matt said "I liked that it was purely about your dance", "But no tricks meant it was missing the wow factor".
Jason said "Monotonal for me" and "Get impact with the tricks."
Jemma was next dancing a jive like solo to "Shake a Tail Feather" from the Blues Brothers. It was not good, like something you would see in a strip club before the clothes start being peeled off.
Matt said "Little lack lustre"
Bonnie said "Disappointed" and "I believe you have got a lot, lot further to go"
At this point Jemma was crying on stage, and Jason went for the jugular "Not good enough" and "Splits is an exercise and does not belong on stage."
Demi and Graeme were the next dancing a contemporary routine by Sarah Boulter. This routine was about creeping critters. I immediately had a flashback to Wade Robson's foxes routine.
Graeme was upset as this was the third contemporary routine he has had and wanted to show the audience (the voters) something different.
I really like the choreography and the music. The only criticism was the last movement when Graeme lifted Demi onto his shoulders that was a bit stilted.
Matt said "You became the routine" and "Last lift a bit shaky"
Bonnie said "Wow, wow, wow"
Jason said "You took me on a journey" and "Congratulations Sarah Boulter"
Vanessa did her solo to "How Can I Live Without You" from the soundtrack from Con Air.
She was definitely channelling Helena Bonham-Carter's vagrant style - Picture of wacky Helena here.
Her dancing was lovely but again I find her emotionally deficient.
Matt said "I love the light and shade"
Bonnie said "The genie came out of the bottle you are going forward and forward, and there's no going back" Huh?? Expect to see that quote on a Rove ad next week.
Jason said "You show emotion through your body, but not your face."
Jason Chambers solo was to the Mission Impossible theme. I thought it was fantastic. He looked great and moved well.
Matt said "Dance too literal, kind of bugs me a bit"
Bonnie said "I loved it"
Jason said "Good dancing should be entertaining, and Jack that was entertaining".
Kate was next dancing to a Whitney number "Queen of the Night" from The Bodyguard soundtrack. She used a cane as an accessory.
It was a bit ho hum after Jack's solo. Technically it was good but it did not move me.
Matt said "You owned it"
I agreed with Bonnie for once when she said "Very mediocre", and "It did not make my heart race".
Jason said "I did not get a lot more from you then I have already gotten."
Rhys's solo was to a techno song from the Trainspotting soundtrack. Now Matt: "was this too literal"? Was Rhys sending out a positive or negative drug message to the kiddies at home? It started with despair, then joy, and then despair again.
It was not the best solo of the night, but certainly enjoyable.
Matt did not like the routine "Not sure if it was the music"
Bonnie said "Bits in it I thought you could do better"
Jason said "Whole routine very very powerful - well done". I noted that Jason did not criticize Rhys for the side splits in his routine.
Jemma and Anthony danced the Cha Cha to a Paul Green routine. This pairing was always going to be cursed, and I wondered if the producers manipulated it so these two dancers can be the next to voted off.
I thought the start of the routine was highly energetic and great but then it just faded.
My conspiracy theory did not abate after hearing the judges comments.
Matt said "I don't think the routine was as strong as the music", "A bit disjointed", and "Really good for what you had" Was he have a sledge at the choreographer???
Bonnie said "Well done Jemma and Anthony"
Jason said "Jemma you have had a dream run with partners and routines" this was code for Rhys has pulled you through this far. "Tonight not your night considering it was your genre."
"Anthony that for me was beige".
Graeme's solo was Bohemian Rhapsody from Wayne's World.
It was just a bit to Freddie Mercury camp for me, and I love Freddie. Just not sure this was the image Graeme may have wanted to portray considering he has alienated a lot of the girl voters by saying he will only marry a mormon girl, but will play around with others until he marries. And not sure there are enough mormons in a Australia to be a big enough voting block.
Matt said "Showed what type of dancer you are, ending a bit cheesy"
Bonnie said "I would have liked more"
Jason said "Sometimes less is more" and "Bit manic"
Demi was up next with her solo to "Sex Machine" from Legally Blonde. I quite liked the quirky, cute routine.
Matt said "That was great"
Bonnie said "I hope you realise how far you have come"
Jason said " A bit underwhelmed", "Not musical" and "Take windmills out and the rest of the routine was blah"
Last dance for the night was Rhiannon and Henry dancing a lyrical jazz number to a Kelly Abbey number. This was a piece very personal to Kelly about the loss of her partner when she was much younger. I wonder if she was inspired by Mia Michaels routine last year about a daughter meeting her father in the afterlife.
These numbers are always hard to critique as the emotion and dancing are interlinked. On first viewing I wasn't overly fussed about it, however on second viewing I liked it much more.
Henry who clearly read the New Weekly slag off of him last week (previous blog on that here.) said in the pre-package "Even though I come across as Mr Confident I'm really not". He was obviously trying to stop some anti-Henry arrogance backlash.
Henry seemed to me emotionally overwrought by the dance and was weeping whilst the judges were giving his comments. Rhiannon following his lead by also remaining teary.
Matt said "Loved it"
Bonnie said "Henry this is what we want to see", "Just perfect, best routine of the night"
Jason said "Very big responsibility to take on someones personal journey" and "Beautiful, honest, and heartfelt".
I presume there will still be a bottom three tomorrow night my predictions:
Girls: Jemma, Vanessa, and Rhiannon.
Boys: Anthony, Graeme and Henry.
Vanessa and Anthony to go.
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