SYTYCD Finale 8/10/11
SYTYCD A Disappointing Finale to an Otherwise Fantastic Season
If you've been watch this season of So You Think You Can Dance like I have, you know how amazing the dancers have been across the board this season. Sure, there have been low moments, but I have to say that no one ever really bombed a routine until last night. The Top 4 of Melanie, Sasha, Marko and Tadd all struggled in at least one of their routines. So yes, it was a very disappointing finale.
Yet, I'm not going to harp on it, because do you know how hard it must be to prep 4 new routines in different styles with 4 different partners while also prepping for the results show performances after 3 months of progressively more dancing, with the added pressure of possibly being named America's Favorite Dancer tonight? I wouldn't even want to think about being in their shoes.
LOW - Marko & Melanie Disco Routine Disco is always a hard genre to pull from a hat, and I think is much more suited for mid-season compared to a finale performance. These two struggled. Melanie didn't quite look like she had the groove and Marko struggled with ever lift.
HIGH Sasha & All-Star Mark Sonya Jazz Routine Obviously getting a Sonya piece that includes Mark is going to be a win. Add to that Sonya basically said the routine was inspired by the warrior-princess motif Sasha's been labeled with all season, and duh it was a winner.
MID Tadd & All-Star Joshua Lil C Hip Hop For me, Hip Hop is one of the hardest genres for me to actually like (besides the lyrical hip-hop stuff) because if the 2 dancers performing don't have the same swagga, the same hitting style, the same whatever it just doesn't look right to me. That's was the case with this piece, Joshua was smooth and natural looking while Tadd was trying to hit hard eh.
HIGH Melanie & All-Star Robert Stacey Tookey Contemporary Routine I thought the routine was lovely and right in Melanie's comfort zone. But the best part, was that Cat offered her up to Guest Judge Kenny Ortega for a part in his next movie (a remake of Dirty Dancing).
MID Sasha & Marko Spencer Broadway Routine For me this was infinitely better than most of Tyce D's Broadway numbers, and found Marko's quirky betrayal fun and light for the finale, but I also thought that Sasha didn't quite nail the alluring/seducing minx she was suppose to be.
ULTRA-LOW Tadd & Sasha Mark Ballas Cha-Cha Routine OOOF, this one was bad. I don't think either Tadd or Sasha had gotten Cha-Cha before in the season, and being paired together (and not with an All-Star) for this routine really hurt them. They looked like first week contestants in this number, plus the height difference threw me off. It was bad and they knew it.
HIGH Marko & All-Star Lauren Tessandra Contemporary Routine Contemporary routines in which the dancers can really dig their heels in always come out the best. This was no exception. Marko had an emotional connection to the song, Lauren danced it great and the audience responded to it.
HIGH Melanie & Sasha Stacey Tookey Contemporary Routine This was such a simple looking routine, but that's because it was danced so effortlessly by the two remaining female dancers in their own style.
LOW Marko & Tadd Stepping Routine While the girls got their own style, the boys had to do the first stepping routine of the season. Again, I feel like if you're only going to do a style once during the season, it should be somewhere in mid-season, not the finale. Plus stepping is all about the synchronization and the sound. We got neither in this piece. The music drowned out any actually stepping/slapping noises and it's probably a good thing, because the synchronization between the two didn't look like it was that great.
SO who do I think will be America's Favorite Dancer?
It's been hands-down Melanie for me since I first saw her audition and it was re-enforced when she made the Top 20. Then it was even more apparent to me when she was paired with my favorite male dancer of the season Marko. I just think she's got a sweet, light, fun personality and throws herself into every dance she's gotten all season which makes her easy to root for and a person you want to succeed and watch.
For me, Marko would be my next choice. Barring his lackluster performances in last nights finale, I think he's shown a lot of growth and vulnerability in both his life and his dancing this season.
Next up would be Sasha. I know she's been a judges' favorite and a favorite with America too all season AND I totally agree she's had some really stellar moments this season, especially when she gets a routine in her wheel-house. (Her routine with tWitch was probably my favorite of the whole season). But for me, when she doesn't jive with a routine (like last night's cha-cha) or is outside the realm of warrior-princess, she's loses me.
Lastly, would be Tadd. I think he's been solid all season, especially for a B-Boy in this competition this season. He's got the least amount of background when it comes to learning routines and continually showed he can work up to the challenge (again barring last night's performances). I think if he had tougher b-boy/hip-hop competition this year however, he wouldn't have gotten this Top 4 spot. So luckily for him, he didn't.
