We’re getting to the final weeks of the season, with Whitney Houston Night! I loved the opening number, with its great energy and bright costumes!
THE DANCES
I think it was cute, and well-needed, that when preparing for this performance, Rylee took Harry to a ballet class. In that class, I saw some really, really nice port de bras from Harry, the kind of arm movements he should have been doing all along. However, in the actual performance, he still was dancing small and not extending his arms fully.
Jason is one of my favorites this season, and I always look forward to when it’s his turn. However, this samba had some great choreography, but Jason got off rhythm a few different times, and he definitely looked out of sync with Daniella. It could have been really great if his execution had gone better, and Jason knew it.
This performance really shows how far Alyson has grown over the course of the competition. There was such beautiful strength, control, and freedom of movement. Fabulous, except for one nitpick that her toes could have been pointed a little more.
What an incredible performance! Xochitl and Val were on it, they were totally in sync with the snappy and exciting choreography. It was well-deserved for the first individual team’s perfect score.
This wasn’t as impressive as some of Barry’s other dances, but what really stood out to me was his arm movements and extensions. Those were lovely.
A gorgeous dance from Charity! I loved the shaping and movement of her arms. I thought it was gorgeous, yet the judges thought it was just below 10-level.
I definitely think this team took advantage of the fact they didn’t have to prepare for two performances by making this choreography particularly advanced. The side-by-side portion of this paso doble was truly incredible. The choreography was so sharp and dynamic, you can’t look away. When Ariana & Pasha danced together, though, I wish I could have seen a bit more resistance in their movements.
ROUND TWO - DANCE-OFF
This week, the second round was a dance-off, in which two teams danced the same style side-by-side, and the judges picked which pair to whom they would like to award extra points. Since Ariana & Pasha were at the top of the leaderboard last week, they were exempt from this round.
These two were team captians of the team dances last week, so you would assume that this would be a pretty even match. However, Alyson's rumba was clearly superior.
Both teams looked incredible in this dance! At first, I thought this would be an unfair matchup, but honestly, Barry really stepped up and was a good match for Jason. I loved watching both of them.
What stunning performances from both teams! I wasn’t sure where I wanted to look the whole time. Both women are gorgeous dancers who may have given their best performances yet. I think these two competitors dancing directly against each other pushed both of them to be better, with Xochitl levelling up her precision to match Charity's, and Charity upping her charisma to match Xochitl's.
THE ELIMINATION:
The bottom three this week were Barry & Peta, Jason & Daniella, and Charity & Artem. Jason and Charity are two of the best competitors, but they were definitely scared because Barry is so popular with the audience. However, Barry & Peta was the team ultimately eliminated. I’ve been rooting for Barry all season, but I am fine with this elimination. He’s been so entertaining, but for several recent weeks he’s been messing up his routines. It was probably time to go.
Now, we’re ready for next week, a theme night I am particularly excited for: A Celebration of Taylor Swift!