So You Think You Can Dance redeems itself. A little. Mostly.

by Julia Hass

sytycd_top14 Okay, so it wasn’t a revelation of a week, but damn if it didn’t feel like one. Finally, this season, something good to watch!

There were still a few things that were meh, don’t get me wrong. I’m really not feeling Mollee and think she’s way over her head in this competition (and I’m really not feeling that weird braid thing she does to the side of her head. What is that?). I think Karen should have gone home over Channing, who’s been in the bottom far less, and I still miss Mia Michaels. Tyce really tried to step up to the crazy-weird plate with the Blackbird routine, but you can’t manufacture mad genius. There was no commitment to the concept, just a few bird-like movements every so often as if he suddenly remembered, “Hey, I’m doing a conceptual routine that mimics the title of the song I chose!”

But enough about my few complaints — this week was much, much better. If Season 6 keeps this up, it could actually shape up to be, well, worthwhile.

I’ve tried to get into the whole Jakob-love thing, but I haven’t really felt until this week when he — forgive me — danced like he was straight, and by straight I mean that I could buy that he had interest in the girl he was dancing with. Jakob has the same problem a lot of male dancers have which Nigel usually tries to touch on tactfully and ends up totally screwing up explaining. It isn’t an issue to be gay and be a guy who dances. If it was, we’d have very few guy dancers. After all, many past favorites of So You Think You Can Dance were gay dudes. The problem is when they’re so very, very gay that they can’t shake that identity and you become uncomfortable for them when they dance with women. Jakob was very thoroughly in that category for me until this week when hip-hop finally shook him out of it. I give all the credit to Napoleon and Tabitha (finding a use for that big, ugly screen in the back! They deserve sainthood) for really giving him a good character and not letting him leap around. This is hip-hop. There’s no leaping in hip-hop.

Paso Doble is a hard style, but I really enjoyed Legacy and Kathryn’s number. A lot of people said they couldn’t believe Legacy in a strong male role, but I could, maybe because I was blinded by the fact that I never knew he was a secret body builder. Plus I always love this dance. The passion! The throwing! The drama! Anyone who dances this or Argentine Tango well sails (get it? Sails?) into my top three with no problem.

But the big winner of his week was, of course the Ryan and Ellenore contemporary piece. Travis is turning himself into a force to be reckoned with, as a choreographer. The piece was touching, evocative, and perfectly paired with music. And Ellenore and Ryan danced it like a dream. Ryan could have given a little more passion, but his lifts were effortless and Ellenore is easily my favorite this season. Her ability to dance with both emotion and technical excellence is surpassed by none.

So keep it up, So You Think You Can Dance. If you keep it up, I may even forgive you, one day.