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SYTYCD Season 7 Top 11

frau sally benz

Spoilers below!

Alrighty folks, it’s officially here, the real start of the competition on SYTYCD. Which means that recap posts are back in action!

I suppose I’ll start with some general thoughts on this season:
Top 11 instead of a top 20 or top 10 – I’m fine with them cutting 20-10, I just wish they’d stuck with an even number (partially because I loved Ryan Ramirez).
All-stars – As I expected, for some of the dancers, having the all-star there is distracting because they’re just SO GOOD. But, any excuse to see Twitch, Dominic, Kathryn, Ade, Mark, Allison and Neil again.
Mary – I think it’s strange that there wasn’t even an announcement or anything. She was there to choose the top 20 and is gone again… How bizarre. I’ll miss her a bit, though I’m fine with the quieter judge feedback.

Okay, on to last night.


Billy & Lauren – They danced Broadway choreographed by Tyce. I’ve never liked Lauren, so I wasn’t excited to see her back. But Billy is a great dancer, so hooray for him. I didn’t really believe his performance, but I did find myself thinking “he’d be a great Jet on West Side Story!”

Cristina & Mark – A piece choreographed by the always awesome Sonya Tayeh. Cristina was fine, but I agree with whatever judge said this was more about bringing Mark and Sonya back together again. I could not take my eyes off of him, no matter how hard I tried. He’s freaking brilliant and she was only okay, a bit too stiff.

Jose & Comfort – I was not a fan of this NappyTabs hip hop piece. I was bored and couldn’t figure out if it was Jose or the routine or what. I feel like there’s a lot of potential there, but he’s not letting it out. Comfort was great, as usual, nothing new there.

AdéChiké & Kathryn – They had contemporary by Travis. I really wanted him to be great and then he totally wasn’t. I don’t understand why he’s in the competition… Some think it came down to him and Anthony because two black contemporary dancers are just too much I guess, but I prefer Anthony. But Kathryn was SO GOOD! I’d be perfectly happy if he went home.

Melinda & Pasha – A jive choreographed by Tony & Melanie. She did fairly well in contemporary last week, so I was surprised that she was so stiff this week. She wasn’t bouncy, her legs were heavy, I couldn’t stand her faces. I wouldn’t be surprised if she leaves tonight.

Alex & Allison – They had the contemporary piece by Sonya which got a standing ovation from Mia & Adam and a seemingly stunned Nigel. I’ll go ahead and say it: I feel like I missed something. I thought it was beautiful, but best contemporary piece ever??

Alexie & Twitch – Another NappyTabs hip hop piece that bored me. Twitch was GREAT! She was cute and all, but not that good. At this point, I can’t figure out if these people aren’t good or if I’m just really over NappyTabs…

Lauren & Ade – Doing a Mandy Moore pop jazz routine. I loved Ade, but she was too smiley, smiley, pretty, pretty. It annoyed me. I have to say, though, I appreciated Adam really trying to drive the point home with his feedback, that she needs to really absorb the critiques.

Kent & Anya – They did a Melanie & Tony cha cha. Kent really did give it his all and even though it wasn’t fantastic, I could definitely see his potential. I was worried that he’d be all hype and not so great, but I think he might actually deliver. That, and it was adorable.

Ashley & Neil – A contemporary piece by Tyce. I really liked this one, but I think Mia’s critique was the most spot-on: I felt the emotion coming from her, but it wasn’t enough to connect to.

Robert & Courtney – An African jazz by Sean Cheesman. I really liked this piece, and I like Robert as a dancer. Half of me really likes him and the other half finds him obnoxious. He certainly talks a lot, and my friend finds him fake. Hopefully he tones it down a bit.

I’d like to see Lauren go home, though that might be influenced by the fact that I’m afraid people will keep her for longer than she deserves as inevitably happens with some people. I wouldn’t be surprised (or all that upset) if Melinda went home.

What are your reactions and predictions?

13 thoughts on SYTYCD Season 7 Top 11

  1. I watched this last night too (one of the shows that I try to ignore the sexism/objectification and just enjoy, with varying degrees of success)… Anyway, watching it, I was disagreeing with some of the judges comments and, in parts, I was confused about whether we were watching the same show. You, however, were watching the same show as I was, because I feel like you said exactly what I was thinking about most of the dances. Good to know I’m not crazy… Cristina was a bit stiff, you could tell she wasn’t a contemporary dancer… and I find Robert to be confusing and somewhat fake too.

    Did anyone else catch Nigel’s comment that Anya was a cougar for dancing with 19 year old Kent? She was born in 1982… same age as me… apparently I am now old enough to be a cougar.

  2. I’m still waiting for the Robyn Hitchcock matchmaker reality show called “So You Think You’re In Love.”

  3. Love love love (love love love love love love love) Sonya Tayeh. Like, so much. Sonya and Mark together? Amazing. I don’t even care about the contestant in that situation. Which…is maybe not the point of the show, then? I don’t care. More Sonya and Mark!

    ENTIRELY over NappyTabs, and have been for some time (I think about the time they started calling them NappyTabs). I’d like some fresh hip hop choreographers, please. There always seems to be something lacking, no matter how good the dancers are.

    Generally enjoyed the show, but not blown away by anyone yet. Kent is my early favorite. He’s both good and totes adorable. I do appreciate that the use of the all-stars seems like it will give us stronger early episodes. I don’t know if I’ll continue to like it as the competition progresses.

  4. I’m so glad I’m not the only one that is over NappyTabs. I have enjoyed very few of their routines. I want them to bring back Shane or find a new hip hop choreographer. I miss the hard hitting, intense hip hop and am completely over the R&B, romantic “hip hop”. I don’t want to hear anymore Ne-Yo on the show.

    Sonya is absolutely my favorite choreographer. That being said…I didn’t think Alex & Allison had the best contemporary piece ever by a long shot. It was very pretty, but come on…it definitely didn’t move me to tears or anything.

    At this point in the game, I think the ones that should go home are the ones I just really didn’t remember. Melinda and Ashley fall into that category…but it may not be Ashley’s fault…I love Neil, I probably couldn’t take my eyes off of him!

  5. Forgive the derail, but I gotta ask: WHERE is round 2 of Season 6 of Feministe’s Next Top Troll??? When I saw the title of this post I mistakenly read it as the next round, what with the initials and the “Season” and “Top” and all, and now I’m sad.

    Come on!! Keep it going!!!

  6. It occurs to me that Dominic didn’t perform last night. Which then made me realize that there are 12 all-stars but only 11 finalists. What happened there?? Were they going to have 6 women and then decided not to or what?

    As I’ve been reading in various forums and whatnot, there seems to be something fishy going on this season. As one said, Anthony was touted as one of the best dancers they’d seen in all of the seasons and then he doesn’t make the top 11, now this… I’m confused.

  7. UUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHNNNNNNNN
    my love for Sonya knows no bounds, for real.

    and I loved Mark so I am happy he’s back. Am also over NappyTabs. Agree with KJ that am still waiting to be blown away. Don’t like M. Michaels as a judge – Would prefer less talk more dancing.

  8. Glad to know everyone else is over NappyTabs as well. They need fresh hip hop blood on that show.

    Other random thought today, was anybody else a little bit insulted on Sonya’s behalf when they told her that Alex and Allison pushed her as a choreographer rather than her pushing them as dancers? This was certainly a more conventional contemporary piece than her usual stuff, so them saying that felt like them approving of this rather than appreciating her unique work for what it is.

    Okay, I’m done.

  11. Oh man, totally annoyed by that comment about Alex and Allison pushing Sonya as a choreographer. It was lovely. It really was. But it was definitely not my favorite Sonya piece ever, let alone the BEST CONTEMPORARY PIECE ON THAT STAGE EVAR OMG, and I liked her other choreography last night better, even. And I think it’s accurate that the thing that differentiated that piece from a lot of her other work is that it was more conventional, so…yeah. I do often feel that SYTYCD wants their choreographers and their dancers to be a little outside of the box/edgy/new and different, but not go to far, so maybe that is what was going on there.

  12. Just wanted to say, can we keep having these posts every week? I don’t have a chance to watch SYTYCD on TV, but I love these video links like whoa, and also the comments. 😀

    I actually did like Cristina’s dancing well enough (I feel like I’m the only one here), but I agree that Mark was much better. Sonya’s choreography for both dances was pretty awesome, and that’s coming from someone who’s not into contemporary dance that much.

    Alexie went home, though… I was surprised it was her and not Melinda.

  13. Glad to know I’m not the only one who missed the Alex and Allison thing. It has grown on me…a bit. Plus, I have heard that the song is actually about orgasm and I see so much exploratory potential in that song that I didn’t feel was conveyed in the dance. AND I am still pissed they didn’t pick Anthony. He was exquisite. In the end though, I voted for Kent, because he just looked like he was having so much fun! I am so glad you are doing recaps of this show, though! I can’t wait till the next one!

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