The show starts with a lot of warm up, most of it
unnecessary. Did we need to see recaps of the judges “favorite” auditions? No,
we distinctly did not. And while it was fun seeing Nick Lazzarini spinning,
leaping, and flipping around the stage (sometimes all three at once!), I was
more than ready for the show to actually begin.
More necessary was Cat’s explanation of the way the show’s
format had been changed for season 2. Season 2 is the start of what I still
think of as the “standard” SYTYCD format: the bottom 3 couples perform solos on
a separate results show, and then the judges pick one guy and one girl to send home.
This new format is a drastic improvement over the season 1 format, where the
judges picked the bottom three and then America
sent 2 dancers home. Let’s face it – America
doesn’t vote for contestants who don’t get air time, which means a lot of great
dancers are vulnerable for no good reason at the beginning of a season. Letting
the judges pick who to save helps neutralize this problem. It also lets the
judges get a sense of who America loves and dislikes; if a dancer is in the
bottom more than 2 weeks in a row, they generally go home.*
Another change is that each choreographer does two totally
different numbers for the show (if you remember, in season 1 two couples often
performed the same routine). Huzzah for a more interesting show and less lazy
choreographers! Shane Sparks did a number for Donyelle and Benji, and another
number for Dmitry and Joy. The judges love the former and hate the latter – I
think they’re both pretty boring, personally. Alex da Silva puts together a
nightclub salsa for Ivan and Allison, and a mambo for Musa and Natalie. The
mambo is barely adequate and the salsa is one of the most ridiculous routines
I’ve ever seen. Allison shakes, shimmies, and dazzles her way around the stage,
while Ivan all but stands still. In one of the harsher but more accurate
critiques, the judges tell Ivan he was basically a prop. It was difficult to
notice any of that, however, as Ivan was wearing a hot pink newsboy cap.
NEWSFLASH: No one, male or female, should ever wear a hot pink newsboy cap. I
could barely take my eyes off the thing.
The other two ballroom routines, both choreographed by Ron
Montez, were entirely forgettable. Stanislav and Erin performed a paso doble;
he’s ballroom, so unsurprisingly he was good, but she looked even more
uncomfortable than Ivan did (although she moved more). Ryan and Heidi performed
a Viennese Waltz that was almost entirely lacking in close hold. There were
also not one, but TWO disco routines – a seventies disco and an eighties disco.
Because apparently there is a difference? I think only Doriana and Nigel can
tell. Both routines, performed by Jaymz and Jessica and Ben and Ashlee
respectively, are just plain boring.
The remaining two pieces, choreographed by Tyce, are
basically two more forgettable pieces in an unmemorable show. Jason and
Alesandra perform a contemporary routine, and usually I like Tyce’s
contemporary choreography, but this is just bad. The dancers spend most of
their time reaching longingly into space. I always wonder what they’re reaching
for. The answer to the eternal why? The promise of springtime? A bag of jelly
beans?
The other Tyce routine is a Broadway number done by Travis
and Martha. I don’t like the choreography for this one either – Tyce’s Broadway
numbers tend to be filled with jazz hands and cheesy Fosse-eque moves. I can
almost hear Mama Rose from Gypsy
hollering “Sing out, Louise!” Sigh. This was the routine I was most excited
about, too, because it’s Travis’s first routine. Travis is arguably SYTYCD’s
most successful alum, and this dance is really the beginning of his journey. It
was a bit of a let down to find that it felt pretty mundane. What do you think?
*And if the judges don’t send them home, they should.
No comments:
Post a Comment