Episode 8: More Invented Dance Styles

In the pre-recorded bit, we watch Snow and Allan get sent home. No surprises there. During the performance show (judged by Nigel, Mia, Dan, and Brian), we find out that each couple is going to dance twice. Hurray! There is going to be more actual dancing!

The first couple is Melissa and Artem, who will be performing “pop,” choreographed by Doriana Sanchez. Ok, what is up with these random styles? Who makes these things up? And since when does Doriana Sanchez choreograph anything other than disco?

I would have expected pop to be a bubblegum version of hip hop, but Mia implies in her critique that it is similar to jazz. It certainly had lots of cool lifts (a guarantee with Doriana’s choreography), but still managed to be boring. Their second dance is a quickstep that is technically fine (after all, Artem’s got experience), but is just as boring. This is going to be a fun show to watch.

Our second couple is Nick and Kamillah. They are performing a tango choreographed by Mary Murphy. The dancing is iffy, but the choreography itself is AMAZING. Dear SYTYCD producers, please get Mary out of the judge’s chair and back in the dancing studio. Her choreography is really, really good, and we need more exciting ballroom choreographers. Nick and Kamillah’s second routine (pop again) is fine, but not worth more than a mention.

Melody and Ryan (a.k.a. the short couple) first dance a lyrical piece by Tovaris Wilson and then a foxtrot. Mia sums up the lyrical piece best – Melody needs to dance with more emotional connection, and stop only showing off her amazing penchées, and Ryan tried to fake some technique but his feet were like dead fish flopping every which way. The foxtrot was decent, but Ryan just couldn’t keep his end up.

Destini and Jamile perform a sloppy quick-step and a hip hop piece choreographed by Shane Sparks. They do a decent job, but I don’t think it’s that great, so I have no idea why the judges gave them a standing ovation.

Last up are Ashle and Blake, who turn a Mary Murphy samba into the best routine of the night. Mary Murphy, please start choreographing again!!!!! Then Ashle and Blake do lyrical routine to “Right Here Waiting,” by Richard Marx. It’s a gloriously sweet and cheesy 80s song, and all I can think is “Mandy Moore or Mia, please choreograph this song.”

The bottom two couples are, unsurprisingly, Melody & Ryan, and Destini & Jamile. The solos are about what you’d expect – the only thing worth mentioning is that while Lauren Sanchez is telling everyone to vote for Ryan, Ryan is mouthing the word “no” and pantomiming hanging up a telephone. First (and only time) I’ve ever seen a contestant do that. Think he’s going home next week?

Where Are They Now?

Allan Frias:

Much to my disappointment, I couldn’t find much on Allan. He lives in the SF Bay area, where he works as a dancer/choreographer/entertainer – but I couldn’t figure out how recent the information I found was.

Snejana “Snow” Urban

Snow, it seems, has gone on to big things. Most notably, in my opinion, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars during one of their “pro dancer competitions to take up time on result show nights.” She’s also been in Disney’s Enchanted and a whole slew of music videos and commercials. According to her MySpace page, she is recording music “for her debut album” and works as a model.