Finale thoughts for the finale

After watching the show recap it looks like there were a lot of interesting performances tonight. It also looked like some of the best dances were with a contestant and an all star in their strongest style. Like Nigel mentioned in his last critique, this competition has become a story of two very talented girls. I think Melanie should win, but I think Sasha is going to get more votes. I find Melanie to be a tad stronger techinically and more hosistically artistic in her performances. Both of them are rediculously talented so I will be happy either way. Both ladies have been a part of the most memorable dances of the season. I look forward to seeing them come back in future seasons as all stars.

Tadd and Marko perform a Step routine by Chuck Maldonado

What was that? I thought I was watching an awkward male duo at a bad dance competition. I don't know if it was because you couldn't hear any of the step over the music or if they were just a hot mess. Either way... that was not good. They tried, but it fell short. There were several moments when they were not together during what should have been unison movement. What a sad ending to an awesome season.

Sasha and Melanie perform a Contemporary piece by Stacey Tookey

I loved Stacey Tookey's instrumental music choice. It brought a quiet serenity to the stage that contrasted dramatically with the concept of confinement. Sasha and Melanie are a dynamic duo. They are a force to be reckoned with. They both perform with such intent and commitment. It was beautiful to watch them get lost in the movement of the piece. I was particularly impressed by their ability to partner each other in small lifts and assists. Like Katie Holmes, I too loved the full-skirt, natural waist tank dresses for this piece. They mirrored the fashion of the 50s, but flowed with each movement. The traditional dress shape worked well with the white picket fences to set a scene that reflected the life of a traditional house wife.

Sasha's Solo

It looks like Sasha is playing to win and is trying to emphasize her artistic side. Great song choice by Rachel Yamagata. She used unusually skewed body lines to visually match the depressed sound of the augmented vocals. It was a solid 30 second performance.

Tadd and Melanie perform a Jazz piece by Ray Leeper

I was able to make it to a TV in time to catch the last half hour of the show!

The judges all loved this piece, but I was not a big fan. The music choice and choreography was a little too traditional-jazz for me. I think they both performed what they were given well. As one would expect, Melanie was the star of the piece.

The Finale Tonight

I will not be able to blog tonight during the first part of the finale, but I am excited to share my opinions of this final performance show so I have chosen to not secure a guest blogger and simply blog on Sunday instead. I hope you enojoy tonight's show!

The second guy in the finale is...

Tadd - As expected, Tadd secures a spot in the finale. Ricky is super talented so it is sad to see him go, but I would expect him to be picked up by a ballet company and molded into a prime principal!

Second lady in the finale is...

Sasha! Shocking. I am so surprised. I never saw that one coming! She definitely deserves a spot as well, especially after her captivating performance with Kent last night. Caitlynn has got to be disappointed but not surprised. Sasha and Melanie have been favorites for so long.

First guy in the finale is...

Marco - did you see his face before Kat read the results? He looked completely freaked out! Poor thing. He definitely deserves to be in the finale. I think he is the most talented guy left in the competition.

First lady in the finale is...

Melanie - no surprise there. Her 30 second solo from last night alone earned her the well deserved spot in the finale!

Kent and Lauren perform Collide by Travis Wall

Did you see that huge open mouth kiss at the end of the dance?!?! That was pretty HOT! I am guessing that they left last year's show on good terms.

It was awesome to see this Emmy nominated piece performed again. Beautiful! Kent and Lauren are so good.

The guys' solos

Tadd would be a beast in a yoga inversion class. His upper body strength is out of this world. I loved his entertaining and funky solo.

Marco loves some James Morrison... and he loves to improvise to James Morrison which was clear in his solo performance.

Ricky had the most intense solo of the bunch. I wish his costume was less pedestrian and more animalistic. I think his costume brought his solo down a notch or too :-(

The ladies' solos

Sasha's solo was much more interesting, artistic and unique tonight than last night. I think she stepped it up a notch after Melanie got so much attention for her solo last night.

Do you think that Caitlynn borrowed her sparkly bra from Jordan?

As usual, Melanie brought the most artistic solo.

Week 8 results show! Only 4 will remain for the finale!

The opening number by Justin Giles was really interesting. I was intrigued by the large rose that took center stage and enjoyed all of the intricate partnering work. Fabulous lighting and costuming as well.

My week 8 perdiction

I think it is pretty clear that Caitlynn will be the female dancer going home tomorrow. I expect Ricky to be the guy who is sent home, but I thought he was going to be sent home in previous weeks so he might have a strong enough fan base to put him in the finale. Either way, this is a Sasha and Melanie competition. I can't wait to see the finale next week!

Caitlynn and Marco perform a Jazz piece by Sonya

Awesome piece by Sonya!!!! It totally deserved the standing ovation. I loved the tribal essence that underscored the technical execution and brought intensity and weight to this heavy piece. I agree with Christina Applegate; this was Caitlynn's moment and I am glad she will be able to go out on such a high. She pulled it out and made it about the artistic intention instead of the movement. Marco was a solid foundation of grit and strength. I loved the airplane into the forward roll by the way and music choice. You can never go wrong with Florence + the Machine in my book.

Melanie and Tadd perform a Broadway piece by Spencer

I enjoyed this piece but I felt like it was all about Melanie. There was no equity between the two of them in terms of opportunities to perform. At the same time, Melanie is so amazing she can't help but pull the audience's attention. I can't blame Spencer for showcasing her skill.

Sasha and Ricky perform a Whacking piece by Kumari Suraj

This is the first time whacking has been showcased on this show. I don't know if it was super successful. They did a good job, but it looked like two moderately skilled dancers dancing within a box. The whole thing was too contained for me. I felt like they were holding back because of the unfamiliar style. I don't think this performance did them any favors.

Melanie's Solo

That was the best solo that I have seen on the show ever. She came out to win it with that performance. Take that Sasha! You can tell she is an artist from the inside out. It was creative choreography, unique music selection, innovative movement with inspired dynamics. She is a whole other level. She might be the next Travis Wall... amazing dancer/contestant turned into captivating choreographer. She deserved the standing ovation and then some. It was only 30 seconds but it was magical. Damn! I want to see the rest of the piece!

Marco's Solo

I loved the music choice. It really reflected his personality; serious, yet joyfully natural and moderately emotional. The choreography was decent and his performance was exactly what we have grown to expect from him.

In that respect... I think they make the contestants perform too many solos. They all become super repetitive and uninspiring. I would rather see 2 trios than 6 solos.

Caitlynn and *Pasha* perform a Samba by Dimitri

I had a hard time getting into this performance due to the song choice. The tempo was lagging and the music lacked development. As a result, I felt like the dancing was sluggish. According to Mary, Caitlynn's samba technique was on point and all of the judges loved it. Their main criticism was for her forced faces. I just found the piece to be a bit boring. I don't think it is going to earn her many votes.

Sasha's Solo

Good, but not as strong as her performance earlier tonight. Not as captivating. Not as technically impressive. Hmmmm...

Tadd's Solo

I love Tadd's eclectic music choices and his ability to bring such deliberate musicality to a discipline that is typically highly improvised. All that being said, this performance wasn't his best work.

Ricky and *Jaimie* perform a Contemporary piece by Dee Caspary

I was not a fan of the sticks. I don't think that they were necessary and I found them fairly distracting. I think the piece was beautiful otherwise. I particularly enjoyed the cool white back lighting. Ricky performed admirably with beautiful technique. Like Christina Applegate, I want him to extend his body energy farther and fully commit to the dynamics of the movement. He still has room to grow.

Caitlynn's Solo

Ok, Caitlynn has got to download some new music or buy a CD or something. This is her third solo to Katie Thompson and it is making her solos fall flat. Yes, she showcased her strengths but the performance lacked any sense of sophistication. Well, lets be honest... there is no way that she is going to beat out Sasha or Melanie to stay another week so I guess it doesn't really matter.

Tadd and *Ellenore* perform a Jazz piece by Sonya

There were some really cool moments, like Tadd's hand stand on the chair when he split his legs backwards, but this was way weird for me... and I am usually really into weird. I think Tadd did a good job with what he was given and tried to work through the non-traditional transitions and movement the best he could. It was strong... but weird. The bottom line is, if Tadd wasn't so good, he never could have pulled that piece off!

Ricky's Solo

This competition has aged Ricky about 5 years in about 5 weeks. His dancing is so much more mature lately. His solo was solid, but nothing to write home about.

Marco and *Janette* perform a Paso Doble by Dimitri

Woo hoo. Marco bared his chest and brought some serious masculine swagger tonight. I think he did an excellent job with this classically choreographed Paso Doble. His technique was strong, his character was on point and his chemistry with Janette was strong.

Sasha and *Kent* perform a Contemporary piece by Tyce

Damn! Chills. I got some serious chills. Where the hell did this come from? Tyce has pulled out some incredible contemporary choreography in recent weeks. I have adored this song since it was used in the movie Love and Basketball back in '99/'00. There is so much raw emotion in the music and Sasha and Kent took that rawness and tore it apart. I am in awe of Tyce's choreography and creative use of a simple wall. He brought height, depth and dynamics of whole new level with the use of this impenetrable wall. I love the symbolism of wall too and how it created contrast between the intimate and tense moments between them.

I am overwhelmed by Sasha's performance and inspired by her ability to bare her artistic soul. Kent was quite amazing as well. Christina Applegate said it perfectly. This performance was not able the technique, it was about the artistry. I will be shocked if Tyce doesn't get nominated for an Emmy for this piece of brilliance.

Melanie and *Twitch* perform a Hip Hip piece by Nappy Tabs

Melanie has gotten through this season without having to do much hip hop so it was a little weird to see her perform this discipline. Once I got past that, I started to enjoy her performance. I wasn't a fan of the music choice or concept. It didn't come together for me. In the end, Melanie was able to bring her usual heat to the stage and work through the difficult music composition.

Week 8 - The top 6 dancers perform!

I can't believe that the finale is next week! This season has gone too fast. Lil' C and Christina Applegate join the panel of judges tonight. I'm sure we will get some great comments from Lil' C. Apparently Christina has been dancing since she was 3. I can't wait to hear her view on things.