The second episode of the season opened up with a NappyTabs routine to a District 78 mix of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People”. This week on SYTCYD, we find out which 4 contestants will be going home.
The first couple to dance is Lindsay and Cole. Last week, they did an amazing Paso Doble and this week they got Hip Hop with choreographer Christopher Scott. Lindsay was a dancing dentist and Cole was her patient. To be honest, I didn’t care much for the routine. It was fun but I thought the dancing wasn’t up to par for the both of them. It needed to be a little stronger but they handled it well and wasn’t a total bust.
Next was Amelia and Will. This Contemporary routine was done by the amazing Sonya Tayeh. Once again, Sonya makes a beautiful routine. Amelia has amazing technique and lines. Will and Amelia have a great partnership. There’s so much trust between them which was needed in this routine. Adam Shankman made a great point when he said that you couldn’t notice the difference in size between the couple. Will and Amelia did an exquisite job.
The third couple to dance was Amber and Nick. They did the first tango of the season. Usually in these kind of routines, you mostly look at the female. However, Nick did a great job for himself. Amber looked great so that meant Nick did what he was supposed to do. Overall, a very good routine.
Audrey and Matthew did a Jazz routine. I absolutely adored this piece, but then again, Sonya Tayeh choreographed it. This kind of routine is the Sonya that we all know and love. They danced this routine to perfection in my opinion. The intricate moves looked effortless. Matthew is a fantastic dancer and I feel he could go very far in this competition.
The fifth couple, Janelle and Dareian, performed a lyrical Hip Hop routine by Christopher Scott. This dance was cute. They danced to “My Girl” by The Temptations. The routine was very good. Dareian was more invested into his character while Janelle was just….sweet. Hopefully, people pick up the phone for her.
Here comes one of my favorite routines of the night. Janaya and Brandon did a Broadway routine about a frisky, relentless female who wants a guy that doesn’t want her back. I think this was Janaya’s best performance (even though this is only the second one). Brandon did a wonderful job trying to fight off this crazy character. The acting and dancing was amazing. People will definitely be picking up the phone for them (well, if Janaya was still in the competition but we’ll get to that later).
Ok, let me start off by saying that I feel Cyrus can do no wrong but I’ll still be sensible and say his Jive was off. Once again, you can always tell that he lacks training but he’s always so committed and gives so much in his performances. No matter what, everyone loves Cyrus and is rooting for him. On the other hand, Eliana was absolutely stunning. She compensated for Cyrus’ lack of technique.
Alexa and Daniel did a Contemporary routine that was beautifully danced. However, you could tell there was something missing. The technicality was there without a doubt but the connection wasn’t. Alexa has always had problems with connecting since Vegas. I think once she gets that and the audience get to know who she is, she could be in the top 4.
The ninth couple was Tiffany and George. They did a Foxtrot routine that reminded me of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (if you don’t know about them, look them up). George is an exquisite dancer and Tiffany is just as good. The Foxtrot is a very difficult dance but they made it look so easy. They both performed extremely well. This performance had me mesmerized.
The last couple to go was Whitney and Chehon. Ever since Bollywood made its debut to SYTYCD in Season 4, I have never been disappointed. This dance style is always so entertainning. They did a spectacular job especially Chehon coming from a Ballet background. This was the first time he looked truly happy. Whitney looked stunning and did an amazing job as well.
The results…
This week the judges discussed each dancer with the choreographers from this week and last week. The Bottom 6 came down to Janaya, Alexa, Whiteny, Nick, Daniel, and Chehon. The judges had the option of seeing the bottom 6 dance for their lives or sticking with the decision they made beforehand and they chose to stick with it.
Before the results, there was a routine by some of the cast of Step Up Revolution and also included contestants from previous season of SYTYCD like Kathryn (Season 6), Twitch (Season 4), Tony (Season 5), and Phillip (Season 5). This routine was mind-blowing. Each dancer brought their own style and it was phenomenal. I definitely have to see this movie (opens everywhere on July 27).
Ok, back to the results. For the girls, Janaya and Alexa went home. As I said before, Alexa needed the audience to get to know her and connect with her and they didn’t, which is why she went home. I’m sad Janaya went home especially after the amazing routine she had tonight but last week definitely brought her down. Whitney deserved to stay in my opinion because both her performances were great. She had potential to be something amazing. She may have only been 19 but there was something there.
Next up, the boys. Chehon was saved, Nick and Daniel went home. I’m actually not sure how I feel about this because they are wonderful dancers and I would have kept Will. However, if we’re judging from the these last 2 weeks, I can understand. Nick had very good routines but he didn’t really stand out and Will was stunning but had no connection with the audience, just like his now-sent-home partner, Alexa. So in the end, it was the right decision.
Here are the videos of the opening routine, my favorite routines by Audrey & Matthew, Janaya & Brandon, Whitney & Chehon, and the Step Up Revolution cast, respectively.
Let me know your favorite routine(s) and how you feel about the decision!
Heart of Dance 