A Lively Live Blog…

 

Heidi & Travis

o     His solo: He can really move his body, but I’m a bit bored with him already.  These solo numbers aren’t long enough to do much with.  They throw their big stuff into the ring and it just ends up looking chaotic.

o     I wish she’d done something different from that jazzy quick step that she’s done almost every week.  I’d like to see her as Mia put it, “breathier and more fluid.”

Smooth Waltz

Needs beauty and harmony and grace

No chemistry.  But her extensions are great.  Nice to see her quiet for a change.  He is studied, as if he hadn’t quite memorized the steps.

Judges love Heidi tonight.  Him too. Oh well, maybe it’s just me.  No, Mia wants it breathier and more fluid.

African Pop (?)

This is amazing, two white blondes doing an African number.  And it’s great!  Suits his phenomenal body work, and she gets to go deerper into herself.

Nigel: best routine and best couple of the night!

Mia: Heidi I don’t think you would have been able to do this a few weeks ago.

 

Benji & Donyelle

o     His solo: Fast, lots of body and footwork.  Okay.  Yeah.  I think I’m just not wowed by these solos.

o     She really put herself into her solo.  I’d like to see her a bit more fluid, yeah and breathy.  She’s another frantic dancer and I guess I’m just not that keen on it.

Broadway

He is just electric.  His movements are so crisp and pure.  And his personality just beams out through every inch of him, top to tail, head to foot.  She is less so….

Except Nigel thinks the opposite, that Donyelle is outdancing Benji

Mia agreed with me – that Donyelle wasn’t as energetic as he was and brought him down.

HipHop

They have to surpass their hiphop of the first week.   I think they did.  Kinda.  It was cute.

 

Ivan & Natalie

o     Her solo is a lot of writhing with some gymnastics thrown in for good measure.

o     His solo is the most interesting thus far.  Maybe it’s that he does hiphop, which lends itself to short, explosive dancing.  But there was also a narrative line to his solo, which made it more interesting.

Jive:

Natalie’s great at putting herself into it, maybe a little too much so.  It’s kinda fakey and she’s mugging again.  The dance itself was sort of boring. Nigel said, “Natalie, I thought you were doing a solo not dancing with Ivan” and Mia added, “it felt fake, false and I shouldn’t be able to see the steps…”  Yes…!

Contemporary:

Supposed to be about new love.  Her technique is terrific, but emotionally I don’t believe her a bit. 

Nigel: these routines show your limitations.  Natalie, you dance well but I feel as there was a mask in front of you.

Mia: you are an amazing dancer, but your face is contrived and it bothers the hell out of me.  Ivan, I saw your limitations.

 

I think these two are history.  They’ve each gone as far as they can right now.  He’s limited because he hasn’t the training.  She’s limited because something makes her shut off on stage.  He needs classes; she needs therapy.