Toni Basil and her AMAZING beret was the guest host. She babbled on for a while about how she was a locking pioneer. I suppose that's true, it just seems weird for this tiny white lady to go on about bringing street dance to the people. But there you have it. Still love her.
The night started out rough with two bum dances, but picked up after that. For the third straight week there weren't three routines I felt deserved being the bottom. So tomorrow should be interesting.
Karla & Jonathan, hip-hop routine by Dave Scott to "By My Side" by Jadakiss. Everything about this was bad. Bad song. Bad choreography. And especially, bad dancing. The two of them were not together AT ALL. I know I say that a lot with hip-hop routines, but these guys were WAY off. They couldn't get the synchronized head bop right! Did they even practice? It was supposed to be a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde thing, and none of that came through at all. There was no attitude. In parts it looked like they were doing two different routines. Simply no chemistry. I think Karla did a moderately better job, but neither of them were any good. Probably the worst routine of the season. Nigel pointed out that there was no excitement in the routine at all. He then actually said "Betcha they're in the Bottom 3!" Ouch.
Asuka & Vitolio, jazz by Mandy Moore to "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar. They had me at Benatar. They had me especially at Asuka's costume and make-up. And then they lost me with the unspectacular dancing. Asuka seemed to be holding back. The consensus in my viewing party was that they COULD have dancedthis off the stage, and they didn't. There was a real lack of energy. I mean, they were together for the most part, but I wanted more passion. It's Pat Benatar! It's "Heartbreaker"! It got better once the song went into its breakdown section. There were some good lifts from Vitolio, which seems to be his strong suit. Nigel loved it. This is the second jazz routine in two weeks that I found lacking energy, but that the judges loved it. Thankfully Mary called them out for ultimately not being as good as they can be.
Melissa & Ade, rhumba by Tony Meredith to "Emotion" by Destiny's Child. Melissa's outfit was so skanktacular, I loved it. She was barely wearing any clothes, and her left boob nearly popped out at one point. Much love. The dance itself was certainly sensual; it was a great routine. There was a spectacular move where Melissa did a vertical split and then turned it into a twist. Amazing. I felt Ade was stiff at times, but Melissa was totally entrancing. I had written her off completely when the show started, but she's one to watch. I was even turned on by her. The judges loved it. Nigel and Mary both said that Ade did a great job presenting her. I guess! I just found it hard to pay attention to him when she was bewitching me. Also, Ade: GET RID OF THE PICK!
Janette & Brandon, hip-hop by Dave Scott to "What a World" by Common. The set up was a battle between rock girl and hip-hop guy. They even brought out the chair from the infamous Danny/Neil dueling prince routine a couple seasons back. The routine was super fun and bouncy, and the story came through loud and clear. Janette did spectacularly well, and I loved her look. They hit it just fine -- not as hard as they could, but it was believable. The two of them were perfectly in synch. Brandon pulled out some good tricks toward the end, but this was Janette's routine. The judges loved it.
Kayla & Kupono, Viennese waltz with Jean-Marc to "Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel. The routine was supposed to be a dream, and it was certainly quite dreamlike. Ethereal. Elegant. Everything a good waltz should be. I thought they were very good, especially for a new couple. Kayla in particular was amazing -- her extensions are just mindbending. I think her carriage was better than his, too. It all felt like one long move, as though it never stopped. Up and down, up and down - I thought it was really flowy and beautiful. Although Kupono is still a little too soft for me, he was a better partner than Max. And Kayla looked stunning. Mary put them on the Hot Tamale Train despite the dance not being a spicy number! This is the THIRD WEEK IN A ROW for Kayla! I love it.
Evan & Randi, contemporary by Mia Michaels to "Koop Isladn Blues" by Koop. The routine was all about Randi's amazing ass, her juicy booty. She looked amazing in the number, like something out of "Chicago." It was more jazzy than contemporary, but I liked it. I feel like Evan got lost in this number a bit. They were perfectly together throughout. Another really sexy number. Mia was worried that it could look cliché; there was nothing cliché about that. It was, as Cat pointed out, cheeky. Love it! The judges loved it. I want Randi's Unitard Girl shirt!
Caitlin & Jason, paso doble with Jean-Marc to "O'Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana." I love the paso doble. It's so fucking dramatic. And this one started out with incredible acrobatics from moment one, with some killer lifts. I loved the outfits. It was like something out of Conan. More shirtless Jason, please. Jason was dancing very strong, if overacting a bit. He was incredibly intense. The routine ran out of steam a bit toward the end, until he practically mounted the woman on the stage. Yumbo. Nigel mentioned that Jason was focusing too much on the audience too much and kind of ignoring his partner. I can see that.
Jeanine & Phillip, Broadway number by Tyce DiOrio to "Moses" from "Singin' in the Rain." They were dressed up all 50's and danced around a loveseat, which at one point Phillip jumped over. That was impressive, but overall, Phillip was kind of lackluster. Jeanine was totally suited for this type of number: her look, her face, everything worked. Up til about halfway through I thought it was the best Tyce number I'd ever seen - it was fun, had some personality. Then the last half of the routine was typical Tyce BS, with people just running around the stage. Should have ended halfway through. But still: WAY better than last week for those two. Nigel was quite Frank with Phillip, telling him he has to step it up. He all but told them they deserved to be in the bottom last week, and that if Phillip doesn't improve, he will be going home, popular or not. I appreciated that.
Predictions: Karla and Jonathan are completely fucked, and deservedly so. That routine was pathetic. I think Asuka and Vitolio are in trouble. It was forgettable and it really lacked punch. The third spot is a toss up. I can see Jason and Caitlin back in the bottom - I don't think they have a fan base for some reason - and I can see Kayla and Kupono there if America is blasé toward Viennese waltz. But ultimately I think Karla and Jonathan are out of here.