You know you're in the doldrums of any talent competition when the stress of staying out of the bottom group, while still performing esoteric tasks not of one's own choosing, combine in a mostly workmanlike, lackluster performance show. For the most astute competitors, this is the moment to grab the spotlight and get labeled a pre-emptive finalist. But for most, it's about surviving, not thriving. I didn't think the show really caught fire until Travis Wall's contemporary routine with Ellenore and Ryan; at that moment, I settled back, stopped fretting about evaluation, and enjoyed the moment. Here's how everybody else fared last night according to my notes, with some predictions for tonight's results:
Ashleigh and Jakob: Another NappyTab hip-hop routine with a soft, rounded edge. I thought Ashleigh overdid the tragic faces, but I liked the way she and Jakob stood side by side and burst into unison at more than one point in the choreography; it gave the whole routine a certain narrative drive and cohesion. In my estimation, Ashleigh didn't complete some of the moves, while Jakob was full-bore at every moment. I love the control he had on that big slide across the stage; he wasn't just waiting for it to be over so he could start dancing again, he was using it as the basis for a coherent movement on top of the slide. Prediction: No problem, they'll sail through.
Karen and Kevin: Uh oh. They got stuck with what I thought was an uninspired, ill-suited Broadway routine to "If My Friends Could See Me Now" fromSweet Charity, and they struggled. It wasn't big enough or broad enough in the go-for-broke moments, and therefore the pauses for small movements didn't work by contrast. The two get an A for effort, but Nigel is right: neither of these guys are at home playing cute characters. Kevin was trying to be dancerly and Karen was trying to be graceful, and neither mode worked with the BROADWAY! big emotions needed here. Prediction: They'll be in the bottom three, and Kevin will go home. I hope Karen's prior performances and maybe a smokin' solo will save her.
Noelle and Russell: Russell gets his second chance at the foxtrot, and while he danced with confidence, the routine started slow. I know the foxtrot isn't supposed to dash, but the slowness felt like a tentative commitment to the style. But damned if it didn't get somewhere by the end. After that big lift, everything seemed to gel. Russell and Noelle both danced as if they believed that this particular couple had a chance to be graceful and elegant, and that's exactly what Kevin didn't seem to believe in his stab at Broadway. Prediction: Although praised by the judges, they could be in the bottom three because the foxtrot doesn't make for a very memorable routine, and because other dancers (see below) are cutie-pies. Russell ain't going anywhere, but if there's a showdown between Noelle and Karen on the girls' side, Noelle could lose.
Channing and Victor: Genevieve liked the Bobby McFerrin "Blackbird" cover as the soundtrack for this jazz routine, but I thought it took the routine in a bad direction — all staccato and darting. Because of that, the dance seemed to take a long time to get started, with all the movement at the same pace and the same level. But in the last minute, that change; there were levels, the dancers separated and developed their own identities, and there were moments of stillness. And too, in that last minute, the camera angles were really kind to Channing, making her look powerful and joyful. A somewhat misbegotten attempt at cleverness that managed to find itself in time for salvation, in my estimation. Prediction: Probably not in any trouble, although something tells me Victor is not going to make it too many more weeks.
Kathryn and Legacy: I was inordinately excited when I saw the Legacy was going to get to take on the matador role — a real chance for him to define himself as a powerful male dancer. Something went horribly wrong in that last lift and spin, but until then I thought the effect was equally matched between Legacy's strong upper-body stances and Kathryn's wonderful upper-body flourishes. Kathryn wins in the legs department — her lines were more consistent and flamboyant — and she's the real winner of this dance in the show-Donna-what-you-can-do department (Legacy passed that test two weeks ago). Prediction: Sailing through (get my naval reference there?).
Ellenore and Ryan: And finally the stars come out. Credit T-Wall for easily the most well-conceived, interesting, and varied choreography of the night, but credit the dancers for truly throwing themselves into the performance. Ellenore flung herself about the stage with such confidence, and Ryan's matching of her in the unison was quite moving. They're by far my favorite couple right now, even though Ryan just can't seem to keep his shirt on, poor boy. Prediction: Straight to the toppermost of the poppermost.