[To better cover the technical
talents of season 6, we've brought on Dr. Goddess, a guest columnist with decades of
dance experience. She will share her dance-pertise in a weekly
column recapping and reviewing So You Think You Can Dance with an eye
on technique.]This week on
So You
Think You Can Dance showcased all new couples and the chance for each
dancer to show us what they were cookin' as solos. What we found is that water
does, indeed, seek its own level. These new partner combinations showed us what
it means to be balanced in body, mind and spirit.
Noelle Marsh and Ryan
DiLello started off with a hip hop number from Tabitha and Napoleon D'uomo.
The corporate setting and reverse sexual harassment tease was exciting to
watch. It did seem more like contemporary or pop jazz for half of the
performance but they worked it so well, it was forgivable. They two had great
call and response movements, as well as isolations into layouts. And their
costumes were great, especially Noelle's!
The pair's second performance was a gorgeous waltz by JT
that was simply superb in its elegance, grace and beauty. Nigel said their
spins, aerial lifts, promenades and rise and fall were great, even though
Noelle could have shown a softer carriage. Mary said they showcased great
footwork, Ryan dominated in the right way and displayed effortless movement
across the floor. Adam found himself completely hypnotized and even began
synchronizing his breathing with the pair. What more could you ask for? Noelle
demonstrated more of her strength in her develope' promenade (she extended her
leg from her knee and then held it there, while being turned and) while leaning
against Ryan. It was so sweet to watch.
Ashleigh DiLello and
Legacy Perez's contemporary number by Australian choreographer, Gary Stuart
looked exhausting and interesting, with an excellent twist on the vertical hold
when Legacy engaged in a headstand. Many lifts, leaps, throws and a sort of
weak back jete' later, the piece had "great moments", as Mary stated; but it
would be largely unmemorable. Sadly, hip hop choreographer, Dave Scott, would
not help these two much in their "Dracula" number. Any attempt at a True Blood
connection here was an epic fail, by the way. Legacy's cape was just ridiculous
and there simply was not a lot of dancing. I was so confused because Dave is
usually totally on it and, as you all know, my dance crush.
Even more strange is the fact that there was not better
alignment between Dave Scott's experience and Legacy's talent. We learned in the
solo showcase, for example, that Legacy began dancing as a teenager after
seeing the movie, "You Got Served", which was ironically choreographed by none
other than Dave Scott! This is what's called a "full circle moment". I am not
understanding how some of those delicious moves did not make it into this
neck-biting sequence. Oh well, they say the truth is stranger than fiction.
Kathryn McCormick and
Nathan Trasoras did a Broadway number by Spencer Liff and it was
classically spectacular. There were so many old school ballet moves in that
piece, I could not count. Let's just say that from the glissades to the grand
jetes, sashe's, battements and pirouettes, they proved their classical training
while showcasing their personalities in grand, Broadway style! It was like
watching Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire glide across the floor. Superb!
Tony Meredith and Melody Lapatin put the rumba on these two
and they actually did a great job, despite what the judges said. Perhaps there
was some unconventional shifting away from rudimentary and standard movements
but when is that not common on
So You
Think You Can Dance? There were so many great moves in this piece, from the
"star spin" to the half splits and slide thrus; and Nathan looked, literally,
ten years older. I thought Kathryn did help him present a more mature persona.
True, we could have had more "slink" in the rumba, I must admit that, but as a
general work of art, it was beautiful.
READ MORE DR. GODDESS >>--Dr. Goddess, BuddyTV Guest Columnist
(Image Courtesy of FOX)