I’ll probably rethink or amend some of this later, but here are my initial impressions:
Ok, first a few minor points...despite what any listings or even the show may say, Monica & Alex were dancing salsa and Ryan & Diana danced rumba tonight (they danced cha cha the week they advanced).
As far as the wild card results, I'm right there with DanceMentor. Not to take anything away from the Sean & Jonathan (great name there too :wink: ) but I really thought Kyle & Sara should've had that one. They were just flat out sick! That body roll in the neck drop? Damn! Again, I really don't think that the judges fully appreciate the skill involved in seamless partnering. As for Alex & Monica, I liked tonight's routine better then their first one...however, although it was more dynamic, it still seemed overly telegraphed. Compare it, for instance, to Kyle & Sarah with whom you never knew what they were going to do next yet it flowed out of what they were doing...and seamlessly at that.
Ok, now on to final results...I've got to mirror Jamie's comment regarding the Belles -- outstanding formation work! Their lines/shapes/spacing were dead on and their transitions from one to another were fantastic. Personally I'd preferred their non-finals costuming, but that's just me. As for Ryan & Diana, at first I wasn’t sure that rumba had been a good choice…I’d thought it might be too slow relative to the high energy/power that seemed to be getting results. I thought they did an excellent job though, and really did ballroom proud showing the level of bodily control and mastery involved.
I hate to say it but B-Boy Crumbs was a let down tonight. The week he advanced was just off the hook….hell it was off hooks I didn’t even know existed! Tonight’s routine, unfortunately, didn’t seem as high power or as clean. The boy still deserves mad props though.
Ok, now the tough stuff…All That, like B-Boy Crumbs just did not impress me as much tonight as they had when they won. I think they are great performers, very good at what they do, and exude energy and love of dance. That being said, however, I still could’ve seen them not making the dance off. I really didn’t think their final round routine was as strong.
Live in Color…what can I say? The week they advanced I had someone else over them. Their final round routine tonight was phenomenal! It was waaaaaaaaay too short for my liking. I just wanted it to keep going and going in a way that no other routine has hit me. Do I think that their dance-off number was as strong? No. But as far as having now presented three different looks and just living their dancing? Well, I wish them nothing but more continuing success in all that follows…
—Jonathan
