My top vote goes to Ashleigh and Jakob; loved their Mandy Moore-choreographed jazz piece. Everything was perfect—the music, the choreography, the prop work, the costuming. Top shelf!
[Video Summary: Ashleigh reveals that she is a nerd; Jakob reveals that he is close friends with last season's winner, Jeanine; they work with Mandy Moore on learning the choreography that includes a cane; they dance to Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax"; Jakob tells Cat the cane is the hardest prop with which he's ever worked in his life; Adam Shankman praises their partnership, Ashleigh's growth, and Jakob's physical prowess; Mary Murphy calls it a perfect partnership and says they were phenomenal; video ends before Nigel speaks.]
My least favorites were Mollie and Nathan, whose "dream team" reputation I've never felt was deserved. I've just never been blown away—until last night, when I was blown away by how unbearably dreadful they were. Lordy begordy.
Kathryn and Legacy were among my favorites again. I don't know what the judges were watching when they lambasted Kathryn for dancing childishly; maybe they were thrown by the fact that she was costumed in freaking short-shorts and pigtails. Iain and I watched it back after the judging, and we didn't see the lack of strength or maturity about which they were complaining. Wevs.
I thought the new partnership between Channing and Victor was good, as I expected it would be. Thought they got given short shrift for what was a powerful performance. The music didn't really live up to the choreography; it might have been more moving (re: judges' complaint that their souls weren't touched, barf) if the music had been more provocative. Not that the piece used was objectively bad; it just struck me as a wee bit insubstantial for two such strong dancers.
Hated Ryan's and Ellenore's piece to Lil C's choreography. James Bond Ski Baddies Gone Wild. Ugh.
What did you think?
