Thursday, February 3, 2011

Live to Dance: Finals Week One

So Kendall Glover is the final act to go through... not the worst choice (that would've been Shore Thing) or the best choice (Tap Sound Underground), but a decent one.

Twitch: Does Twitch read my blog? Because they listened to every single critique I had of them during their last performance! Anthony danced more (6 pirouets!), instead of just lifting his teammates; the girls came out of their shells and were featured more; and this just looked more classical than contemporary, so it was a nice counterpoint to their previous performances. My favorite group of the night and of the competition.

White Tree Fine Art: What total schmaltzy bullshit. I really dislike this couple. I don't find them interesting; the only impressive moment of this performance was the final pose, which was more athleticism than artistry. But my biggest complaint is that neither of these two understand performance. They understand dance, even if I don't particularly like the way they do it. But they don't know how to perform, especially Ethan. His face does not move; he looks absolutely miserable throughout. This was your wedding song, for crying out loud. You couldn't find some emotion to express? And speaking of, what a cliche... "Over the Rainbow?" Really? Are you a gay man and a 9 year old?

The Vibe: Overall I liked this much more than what they did the first week, but there's just too many dancers on that stage. The ones on the extreme sides need to be cut; focus on the couples dancing in the center and those on the platform, because they were more talented. I completely agree with what Paula said, in that they would be much more interesting if not everyone was on stage at once and doing all the different styles. It just felt busy, crowded, over-the-top. They were really good recital dancers, not much more, unfortunately.

Kendall Glover: Awful costume. Awful hair. If this girl learned to slow down and relax a little, she'd be nearly perfect. But I get heart palpitations watching her; I can't imagine the energy her choreographer must have to be able to put her through these routines, and the energy she must have to do them. It's frantic and exhausting to watch, but she's immensely talented and will be a force in the next few years.

Dance Town Chaos: I was so into them... until the music changed. Then it all fell apart. They looked lost, they fell out of sync... ouch. But that first half was fantastic: athletic, graceful, powerful, beautiful. It may have been a little anachronistic (Kanye = African tribe?), but whatever... it was wonderful. But then what the hell happened at the break? I can't believe the judges responded so positively to this; I guess they must've liked the first section enough to forgive how asinine the second section was.

D'Angelo and Amanda: They're so adorable, and it's funny that they act like adults with each other. But that's really why they're so impressive: their age. Otherwise, they're fairly standard Latin dancers. Amanda will make a fantastic partner in the next few years, and hopefully D'Angelo will grow a bit more so that he can continue to partner as well (he's already a little too short for her, and he will continue to have the same problem into his teen years most likely). But with the talent displayed by Twitch, Kendall Glover and (somewhat) Dance Town Chaos, they just don't really hold a candle.

I'm rooting for Twitch, but would be fine with Kendall Glover winning as well. Which means neither will likely win. We'll find out next week in the finale!