TV Recap: So You Think You Can Dance - Quick Step To 6

By Steve West: 2007-08-02 21:44:14

This week we were treated to something that transcended our normal expectations of dance. More than anything else that has happened on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ this season Mia Michaels put more emotion into a routine than the average viewer is used to. Yeah, you may like hip-hop routines and seeing good dancers on stage. It’s something that even a novice can appreciate. But this week all the pretentious talk about dance as a story medium was washed away, leaving only the truth. Dance is an emotional and vibrant storytelling medium if only left in the right hands. Passion, romance, intrigue, and love permeated this week’s danceapallooza.

Adam Shenkman, the Hairspray director and choreographer, returned to the “jeedges” table. I’m sure his experience gives his critiques weight, but his contribution was to praise all the performances and add caveats where appropriate. It felt like a complete waste to me. Nigel made a significant comment on the choreography so far this season. There’s a level we expect from these dancers, and while I’m happy for Mia’s Emmy nomination I haven’t seen anything of that caliber yet. Why? Nigel is right; the choreographers have brought their routines down to the dancers rather than forcing the dancers up to where they should be. On a technical level the quick step this week matched that new expectation, but on pure emotional and performance Mia Michaels soared far above.

While I didn’t see Neil dropping to the bottom four, someone had to be there next to Dominic. Everyone is pretty much at the top of their game, but as Lauren and Sara were placed onto the stools it seemed fitting. Lauren has gone as far as she can at the moment and Sara still has a little to show us. But really, neither could touch the perfection of Sabra or the passion of Lacey. At this point it’s a shame to say goodbye to Dominic and Sara, who both weren’t ready to win the competition. They still had things to do on the show, but at least the decision was based on the dancing for the most part. That leaves us with our top six as we enter the home stretch: Pasha, Danny, Neil, Lacey, Sabra, and Lauren.

The solo routines were out this week, and each pair danced twice in the evening. Let’s get to it:

Sara and Danny: This is an interesting pair, and I’m happy to see them work so well together. Up first was an Argentine tango by Alex da Silva. Basically this was just a lot of fun, with great moments hit throughout. I didn’t think it was quite passionate enough for what I’d like to see in a Tango, but it was executed so damn well. I do have to disagree about the pretzel move, it looked awkward and uncomfortable. To be fair to Sara and Danny they pulled it off smoothly, I just thought it was a distraction from a pretty good routine. Grade: B+

The second routine was a hip-hop number by Shane Sparks set to Salt-n-Peppa’s “Push It.” The judges had major problems with the wardrobe, which made me wonder if they were out of touch with popular culture. Yeah, they were loud and annoying…but the brash outfits fit the time and style of the music perfectly. The entire routine mimicked that sensibility, right down to an MC Hammer shuffle across the stage. It wasn’t the greatest thing we would see in the evening, but it was fairly solid. Even Danny pulled out some decent hip-hop moves, even if he wasn’t as tight as Mary would have liked. Grade: B-

Lauren and Dominic: Lauren is one of the sexiest women on the show, and it’s always entertaining to watch Dom learn new things. Unfortunately they both fell a little flat with a Lil’ C krumping routine. Krumping is supposed to be hard, and both of them looked a bit like posers. The synchronicity was there for most of it, but when they were off it was blatant. Then there was the issue of there being a bit of hip-hop in the piece that threw it off for me. More partner work would have improved this greatly. Grade: C

The pair did much better on the second attempt with a Tony Meredith rumba. Or pseudo-rumba as the judges explained it. There really wasn’t a whole lot to the routine in terms of technique, but there was a connection between Lauren and Dom that was nice. The only memorable part was the kiss at the end, which I swear was all Dominic. It looked like Lauren stopped the kiss and pulled back. But hey, it’s hard to blame him for going for it. Grade: B-

Lacey and Neil: The problem with this latin jazz routine was that there were a number of minor problems that took away from the whole. If I were watching a couple do this at a wedding it would be spectacular, because you wouldn’t be looking for the nuances. I was glad Shenkman talked about Lacey’s incessant need to look out for the camera, because if there’s one issue she needs to watch for that would be it. Her little “look into my sultry eyes” bit distracted from this piece more than any other in the season, mainly because Neil was so focused on her during those parts. I liked it, but not very much. Grade: C+

And then there was the Mia Michaels contemporary routine. This wasn’t the best dance of the night, no matter how emotional it may have made us all. But we’ll get to that one in a bit. As I watched Neil and Lacey tell the story of Mia meeting her father in heaven I admit to getting a bit choked up. My favorite moment was at the beginning with the wave and Neil smiling as they reached towards each other. It was truly touching. And it’s something like this that I hope opens the eyes of the average viewer to the power of dance. Mia has put together far superior dance routines, but it’s her ability to break through the movements and tell an impassioned story that sets her apart. This is what dancing is all about. Was it the greatest dance ever seen on television? No, not really. But I count myself lucky to be able to witness such beauty onstage. Grade: A

Sabra and Pasha: What do you get when you pair the best dancer on the show with the best partner? Pure magic. They started with a Broadway piece by Tyce Diorio, which I believe can safely take its place as the best Broadway routine of the season. I worry about Sabra because this is such a popularity contest, but if there’s any justice she has already won the competition. Pasha got completely into character and was nearly flawless, but it was Sabra who was a “revelation.” She took what was a nice routine and elevated far above where it had any right to be. Grade: A-

The last dance of the night was also the best. Yes, I freaked out a bit about Mia’s stuff…but for dancing and performance nothing tops the best quickstep I remember from the show. I had to watch this one three times because I honestly couldn’t believe that it was as close to perfection as it appeared. But it was. The girl in the rehearsal video who couldn’t get the routine down made no appearance. Watch as Sabra and Pasha tear up the entire stage and notice that at no point are their legs out sync. You actually lose sight of the legs at times because they were so perfectly connected. Everything about this was perfection for me: Pasha’s flawless partnering, Sabra’s elegant and perfect movement, and Tony Meredith’s brilliant choreography. Grade: A+

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