So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 Episode 10 Recap: Top 8 Perform
Aug 29 2012 10:26 pm ET
With three weeks remaining the competition raised as the group dance began almost immediately as the final eight had a very assassin style routine which allowed both Cole and Chehon showcase their skills. I'm not sure if it was the black or the extended time on the show, but Will looked a lot skinnier than he started this season. The fan motions worked really well and I will say that watching a group with a majority of non-contemporary dancers made the routine seem refreshing. (Peter Chu)
Along with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy was Modern Family's Jessie Tyler Ferguson, who at least is a big fan of the show. I forgot that he was a guest in the LA auditions, so he's had some exposure to Eliana.
Tiffany - Solo - I was happy to see that all the contestants got to do their solos tonight and without any other contemporary/jazz girls left, Tiffany has finally stood out in my book. She has great extensions and had some good leaps, though it's a lot of the same we've seen for seasons.
Grade: B+
Whitney & Twitch - Hip-Hop - Luther Brown wanted East Coast Hip-hop and emphasized how to ratchet. I was shocked how hard Whitney started the routine and how dirty she got. As if she studied videos online, Whitney channeled the spirit of the routine but made it seem natural for her. It reminded me a lot like the movie Save the Last Dance in the best way possible.
Grade: A-
Will - Solo - After seeing some of his awful childhood dances, Will looked even better than I recalled. His legs are amazing and he really shouldn't be paranoid about his weight because he is adorable.
Grade: A-
Cole & Allison - Contemporary - Sonya Tayeh wanted a sadistic routine where Cole has no heart. Cole was used to some of his best moves as he can get into a character each time. There was such power in how he walked so even if Allison seemed to do most of the physical work, you were looking at Cole. The way that Cole slinked over like a virus was amazing.
Grade: A
Lindsay - Solo - Since Lindsay has a dance studio and has had experience with both Mark and Shirley Ballas; it makes more sense that she could get more votes than Whitney. I liked her paso doble inspired routine because it showed a lot of power that can turn on like a switch. There was some great leg flicks and floor coverage.
Grade: B+
Eliana & Ryan - Quickstep - Jonathan Roberts created a story about a businessman and his angry housewife. Ryan did a great job leading Eliana around and made the Quickstep look less painful. Eliana got to use her extensions and the amounts of lifts were great. The big over and under sequence was amazing to watch. I have to admit that Jonathan created a great routine that was dynamic and great for the camera.
Grade: A-
Chehon - Chehon had intense drive considering that he was away from his home since 14. He started off with great intensity, almost emphasizing every move by putting moments of calm into his routine. I just wished his routine took longer.
Grade: A
Lindsay & Alex - Jazz - Sonya provided a story-less routine that was more about tension. Alex was amazing for the routine but Lindsay surprised me by how loose she could get for the routine and the fact that she did a strong pirouette was something I didn't expect from her. The choreography was a great change from Sonya, even though there were no emotions.
Grade: B-
Will & Lauren - Hip-hop - Christopher Scott wanted Will do dance his pain away while Lauren was his motivation. There was something very Footloose about the routine and a lot of it impressed me because Will didn't have any real interaction with Lauren during the whole routine. While he seemed to be dancing his emotions out, he still lacked a little bit of edge that I hoped that he would have had.
Grade: B
Whitney - Whitney went for more of a Samba inspired routine and it was a little boring because she spent a lot of it walking. When she finally got to the meat of the routine with all the sharp movements, the song ended.
Grade: B
Cole - It's amazing to watch Cole perform because no one out there is doing what Cole does. While some people see a lot of the martial arts, he has a lot of technique in all his spins and power in what he does. It's very original and fun to watch.
Grade: A-
Cyrus & Melanie - Jazz - Mandy Moore had a fast paced jazz routine where Mandy wanted everything. I loved the Fosse influences with this really cool swagger to the routine. Cyrus was never as sharp as Melanie was but he held his own the whole time, which is a lot considering Cyrus' lack of experience. I got a little concerned because it looked like Melanie's dress was coming off in the back, but nothing happened.
Grade: B-
Eliana - It's been a while since we've seen Eliana do a solo and it was so much fun to see a ballerina do so well on this show. The fact that she was en pointe made the routine even more complicated for its ease.
Grade: A-
Chehon & Anya - Argentine Tango - The opening was a great way for the two to set up character and Anya was amazing to watch as she transitioned from the floor to the air with such ease. It made it seem like Chehon's biggest challenge was making sure that Chehon didn't drop Anya. Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo did a fantastic job choreographing the routine.
Grade: A
Cyrus - Finally. We get to see Cyrus do what he's good at and the camera stayed on him the whole routine which helped show how dynamic he is. The best part about his animation style is that it reminds me of those corner silver/robot dancers, but with some class.
Grade: A
Tiffany & Ade - Contemporary - Mandy Moore wanted to match the epic nature of "The Power of Love" with strong movements. I could swear I've heard this song this season, but I still found the choreography to be fast-paced for such a slow song. It was the best choreography for the song; Tiffany matched Ade's power. His assisting was amazing to watch and it was a perfect way to end the performances.
Grade: A
Cat revealed the results. The bottom two girls were Lindsay & Whitney. The bottom two guys were Cole and Will. Nigel was happy to see two ballroom dancers make it this far, but only Whitney was saved. As for the two guys, they were both strong at being in character but Cole was saved. That meant that Lindsay and Will were eliminated. My poor puppy finally got put down.
Michael Pascua - TVLatest.com
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