SAFE CREWS:
AfroBoriké dancing to "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" by Pitbull
Challenge Style: Capoeira
Was it clean? For the most part. While it was not sloppy or off on any particular move, things felt flat to me in the middle and the end sections. As usual, the partner work was done well and it is good to see improvements to the floor work. 7 pts
Was it well thought out? They had a cute opening and it started okay when they went into the partner work. After that, nothing seemed to stand out except for how very basic their moves felt. We saw their best last week, they could have tried a bit harder. 5 pts
How well did they do the challenge? This is where they really screwed up. I could get the feel of a Capoeira exhibition in the routine, but it felt like 6 year olds giving their first exhibition. I had to rewatch four times just to be able to see their challenge move added in. Shane said it best for this routine: "The routine was boring, the choreography was weak and there was no energy." 3 pts
What were the highlights? When it ended
What, if anything, took away from the performance? The performance itself
Total points- 15 pts
We Are Heroes dancing to "Starstrukk" by 3OH!3
Challenge Style: Karate
Was it clean? Not so much. While there was difficulty shown, the girls were off sync with each other throughout the routine. It had good moments, but moments alone don't make a great routine. 7 pts
Was it well thought out? I could tell what they were going for and they handled that well, but the energy level they normally use to help bridge sections was not there this week. Also, transitions were okay but clumsy. And, the ending really felt tacked on. 8 pts
How well did they do the challenge? They did it well for the most part. They at least got the spirit of the challenge in there from beginning to end without really messing it up. 8 pts
What were the highlights? The toss-up section was about the only thing that stood out to me.
What, if anything, took away from the performance? Definitely the ending.
Total points- 23 pts
Vogue Evolution dancing to "Work" by Ciara featuring Missy Elliott
Challenge Style: Shaolin Kung Fu
Was it clean? For the most part it was. There were sync issues throughout the entire set when the guys were trying to keep up with Leiomy. It also felt very basic and stereotypical of what most people think of when they think of gay men fighting. 6 pts
Was it well thought out? Admit it: once you saw Leiomy in the cage, you knew this was gonna be some type of special. 7 pts
How well did they do the challenge? Well they definitely had a cat fight going on. Too bad it was so stereotypical the way they presented it. 7 pts
What were the highlights? THE KITTY CAT JUMP! OMG BEST THING EVER!!! I rewatched that at least 30 times and yes I am being serious.
Total points- 20pts
Note- in all seriousness this is one of my favorite routine ever, though in good conscience I could not give it higher then I did, and may have scored it too high.
Massive Monkees dancing to "Bounce" by MSTRKRFT featuring NORE
Challenge Style: Extreme Martial Arts
Was it clean? Extremely clean yet again with plenty of energy. Everything was hit and hit hard. The tornado kick section was the only miss when it came to togetherness. 8 pts
Was it well thought out? Again they shone in this area. They gave a powerful opening which led to a great handstand moment. They followed that with interesting partner work with some explosive floorwork. 8 pts
How well did they do the challenge? This was the only screw up. They completely messed up their challenge move. While I appreciate the difficulty of it, you have to know your limits. Besides that, they did get the spirit of their style into the entire routine. 5 pts
What were the highlights? The handstand section.
What, if anything, took away from the performance? the challenge move
Total points- 21 pts
Beat Ya Feet Kings dancing to "Chillin'" by Wale featuring Lady Gaga
Challenge Style: Tae kwon do
Was it clean? For the most part. There were some sync issues in the beginning, but they were tight after that. There was nothing too terribly difficult though. 7 pts
Was it well thought out? They improved this week. While they handled each section well and transitioned well, I got no real sense of difficulty from it. 7 pts
How well did they do the challenge? They did really well here. While they did not hit the moves hard, they kept the fight theme in there in a fun way. 8 pts
What were the highlights? The ending fight scene
What, if anything, took away from the performance? it started a bit too slow.
Total points- 22 pts
-------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOTTOM TWO
Did America get it right? I think they did. Both crews -- while good -- needed a sharp kick in the butt to wake them up.
Rhythm City dancing to "La La La" by LMFAO
Challenge Style: Muay Thai
Was it clean? I would be shocked at this point if it were not. This crew is one of the cleanest ever on the show and they always hit their moves with energy. 10 pts
Was it well thought out? Again, great story and concept. Each part felt unique and moved into the next seamlessly. 10 pts
How well did they do the challenge? I am of two minds on this one. They nailed their challenge move, giving it to us through out the entire routine. However, I didn't get that much martial arts vibe from it till the very end. 9 pts
What were the highlights? The entire routine. Seriously, you could freeze it at any point and frame it.
Total points- 29 pts
Southern Movement dancing to "Ugly" by Bubba Sparxxx
Challenge Style: Kali
Added Challenge: Dance with Escrima Sticks
Was it clean? For an "ugly" routine it sure was. Everyone was on point and knew what they were doing. I didn't get a sense of difficulty for this though. 9 pts
Was it well thought out? Like all great performances, it kept building and building on itself. This time I did get distinct parts to the routine, but I felt they could have done just a bit better on the transitions. 8 pts
How well did they do the challenge? For the most part they did very well. They handled their props well and made it work. However, I never got that much of a martial arts vibe until the very end. 7 pts
What were the highlights? The stick section.
Total points- 24 pts
Did the judges get it right? Yes they did. Rhythm City knew they screwed up the week before, and wanted to redeem themselves. They most certainly did.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thoughts on the eliminated crew- A great crew that was just starting to hit its stride. I think if they would have downplayed the hick persona a bit more, they would have gotten more fans and enough votes to carry them further.
Thoughts on the episode as a whole- Again, not as bad as I remember, but there really was only one great routine this week. The problem with this season is starting to show in the fact the best routines are being done in the bottom two. Also, we still do not have a clear front runner to this season with everyone so close to each other.
------------------------------------------------------
Tonight's Rankings (based on tonight's score)
1. Rhythm City 29 pts
2. Southern Movement 24 pts
3. We are Heroes 23 pts
4. Beat Ya Feet Kings 22 pts
5. Massive Monkees 21 pts
6. Vogue Evolution 20 pts
7. AfroBoriké 15 pts
Power rankings (based on placement average)
1. Rhythm City (6.6)
2. We are Heroes (6)
2. Vogue Evolution (6)
4. Southern Movement (5.6) eliminated
5. Artistry In Motion (5.3) 8th Place
5. Massive Monkees (5.3)
7. AfroBoriké (5)
8. Beat Ya Feet Kings (4)
9. Fr3sh (1) 9th place
--------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to return to the first page and to leave comments. Thanks again, Teldon!
