Good evening Canada. Its another week and we have 14 dancers ready to give it their all this week to prove they have what it takes to gain your votes and stay in the competition and become Canada’s favorite dancer.

Tonight’s judges include Jean-Marc Genereux, Tre Armstrong, Sean Cheeseman and Mia Michaels. Luther and Blake bow out to choreograph routines this week. After Leah describes the prizes she explains the show as per usual. But wait… SURPRISE! NEW PARTNERS. Now usually, this only begins at Top 10 so why the partner switch up now? Do you think it has anything to do with the people that Canada are or are not voting for? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. It seems a bit premature to switch up the partners now when chemistry was beginning to flourish for some of the couples. However, in my honest opinion, this switch up will thin out the herd and really separate the weak from the strong. So lets begin and see who Charlene picked out of the hat…

Charlene & Mackenzie – JIVE

Charlene picks Mackenzie out of the hat and they get the Jive with Danny Arbour, former SYTYCDC contestant. The routine calls for Mackenzie to be cocky and really have control over Charlene. Think Mack can handle it? They perform to Magic by B.o.B… one of my favorite tracks right now. The routine begins strong and Mack is definitely commanding the stage. Charlene looks amazing in her dress which is barely there. Their partnership seems to be pretty well matched.
Here’s what the judges said: Mia said it was pretty near perfection and “fabu-lish”. Sean said Mack is super talented and Charlene is a firecracker. Tre said Mack’s kicks were great. Jean-Marc said the routine was so good and their kicks could be a little tighter.
Here’s what I think: Great opening to the show. I would have liked to see more retraction in their kicks which Jean-Marc pointed out. I think they both nailed the concept of the piece and performed it well. This is Charlene’s second jive for her and I think it went great for her. I think they’ll both be safe this week.

Amanda & Sebastian – CONTEMPORARY

Amanda is next to pull a name out of the hat and she gets Sebastian. Now before I get into this, I mentioned a while back that I loved Sebastian and Danielle together because they were so well matched. So how will Sebastian fare without his little counterpart. Amanda has LONG legs which make her look taller than Sebastian at times. So will the pair be a hit or a miss? They are both lanky to be fair. They have contemporary with Stacey Tookey. She takes notice of their lankiness and reigns it in to make it look good. They dance to Hyperballad by Whitley. The colour contrast of their outfits distracted me for the first few bars of the piece. I wish her dress and his shirt could have been better matched. I love the piece and it has some great moments. They are pretty well in sync except for one moment when they are doing one section together and it looks like Sebastian falls behind. Sebastian also doesn’t look like he’s a strong enough partner for her.
Here’s what the judges said: Mia gives Stacey a standing O and says its perfection. Jean-Marc says Amanda captured the maturity of the movement. Tre has no critique and loves them both. Sean is proud of the dancers calling Amanda a dream come true and gives hats off to Sebastian.
Here’s what I thought: I love all things Stacey Tookey, she’s never a miss for me. Couple aside, the piece was gorgeous and I love the choreography and music choice. I felt the couple lacked a bit of chemistry and didn’t seem to be an ideal pair. None the less, I think they pulled it off well enough to make Mia stand so kudos to them.

Claudia & Denys – SAMBA

Claudia is up to draw a name and she gets Denys. I think this couple is going to be great already. They both have a ballroom background and in my opinion look good together. Their genre is Samba with Gustavo Vargas. My favorite. Gustavo wants to bring everyone to Brazil with this piece using a bit of Samba and Capoeira. Right off the top, Denys brings everything for me. Claudia just doesn’t quite hit the mark. She’s doing the choreography but lacks that power and punch. The back roll of Denys’ back is amazing though and gets the audience going. A few other good moments occur.
Here’s what the judges said: Tre gets booed when she gives Claudia her critique but gives Denys major props saying he’s her favorite out of any season. Sean is impressed by Denys and says Claudia is the hardest worker and deserves everything she is given. Mia says Claudia was only okay but Denys is owning the season. Jean-Marc says this piece was more difficult than the previous jive commending both of them on their performance.
Here’s what I think: Denys was everything. He was masculine and performed it and really embodied the piece. Claudia missed it for me. I always want her to hit harder and go for it. I always feel like there is this wall she can’t quite jump over. If she can pull away from the shy performances she gives, she’s gonna explode!

Kloe & Shavar – THEATRE

After the break, Kloe picks Shavar out of the hat and they get Theatre with Melissa Williams. The piece is quite personal for Melissa as it is about her husband. The story is Kloe is there to help Shavar walk and once they are lit by the “magical streetlight”, they begin to dance. The song is Your Song by Elton John. Yes, you’re right, this song isn’t in ANY Broadway show except for sampled in Moulin Rouge. The costumes and streetlamp look great and the story is very evident. However, everything looks strained and lacks technique. The transitions between lifts and segments are weak and cause pauses that hinder the routine.
Here’s what the judges said: Sean loves the concept and gives props to Melissa but is brutally honest and says they both lack the technique to give the piece what it deserved. Mia calls both Kloe and Shavar the weak links in the competition. Jean-Marc says they went there but need to expand more within the piece. Tre also has to be brutal and doesn’t see growth in both of these dancers.
Here’s what I think: Kloe didn’t do it at all for me. The dance could have been so great if the two of them had the technique and maturity to carry it off. The transitions were messy and the chemistry wasn’t their for the two of them. I would agree with Mia in saying these two are the weak links right now.

Janick & Jeff – HIP HOP

Janick is up next and draws Jeff from the hat. So far out of Jeff’s comfort zone, they pull Hip Hop with Luther Brown. My first thought is OH NO! Luther compares Jeff’s situation to himself in Ballet class during barre exercises. In rehearsals, Jeff has some issues with finding the swag but I’m hoping he’ll find it on stage. The routine begins and Janick is in the hottest wig with the most pimped out coat you ever did see. Jeff is in it to win it and in full character. Janick looks like a video girl flinging her hair around and it looks great. During the synchronized sections, they are together and look clean. Not my favorite of Luther’s pieces but a crowd pleasure. As Tre says… Pimp, Pimp, Horray!
What the judges said: Tre said that Janick smashes everything and Jeff is very smooth. Sean is impressed with Jeff and pimping out so well and has mad love for Janick. Mia says Jeff has a Wonder Bread face but thinks Jeff did the routine well and says Janick is her favorite female this season. Jean-Marc says Jeff is a transformer and that Janick is a sniper.
Here’s what I think: Was it my favorite hip hop routine ever? Absolutely not. But did it pack the punch? For me, it was only luke warm. If Jeff would have had a little bit more Hip Hop under his belt I think this routine could have smashed. I love the song too (Gangsta Luv by Snoop Dogg) but I didn’t think the choreography was what I expected it to be. Poor Janick had some trouble getting her big pimp coat off too but overall, I think it is enough to keep them safe.

Danielle & Edgar – CONTEMPORARY

Danielle pulls Edgar out of the hat and they receive Contemporary with Sabrina. The story is about a woman helping her partner get his life back together after attempting to commit suicide. They both agree it’ll be a challenge to not be themselves on stage. The routine begins and Edgar is hanging from a rope. Edgar is shirtless with a LARGE tattoo on his back. The two are both powerful in their movement and seem very committed to the story of the piece. Danielle’s body movement is amazing and Edgar is a great partner for her.
Here’s what the judges said: Jean-Marc commends Sabrina for the choreography and says their body language was amazing making the message very clear. Tre said it was well done and gives major kudos to Edgar. Sean says he loves to watch Danielle dance and get emotional as he connects with Edgar calling him his mini me. Mia agrees with Sean saying Edgar attacks everything and says Danielle is a warrior.
Here’s what I think: One of my favorite routines of the night. I agree with one of Mia’s comments that Edgar could have been more violent. The routine reminded me of Mia’s piece about Addiction and I can see why Mia wanted it to have a little bit more power. Overall, a great routine and a good partnership for the two of them.

Nathalie & Jonathan – JAZZ

Last up is Nathalie as she pulls Jonathan from the hat and they get Jazz with Blake. Blake explains that the piece is about rainbows and butterflies and bringing them back to being teenagers in love for the first time. Its all about the cuteness. They dance to Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. Nathalie looks stunning in her flowy dress and Jonathan looks teenage prep to the max. The two of them look really cute. The piece is super light in content and reminds me (for all you competition dancers out there) of a solid competition duet. They two perform it well and are clearly having the best time out on the stage. After the performance Leah puts Mia on the spot about Blake’s routine from last week and its SO AWKWARD. If you missed it, find someone who PVR’d it. Its amazing. Anyways…
Here’s what the judges said: Mia said she liked the piece because it was so light and fun. Sean says Nathalie is that perfect dancer and Jonathan is pretty good. Tre says Jonathan was fabulous and that words can’t describe how good Nathalie was. Jean-Marc says Jonathan had no connectivity with his partner but loved Nathalie’s legs.
Here’s what I think: The piece was pretty cookie cutter for me. I compared it to a competition piece and I stand by that. It felt a little jazz by numbers for me but I appreciated Nathalie’s technique in it. I was hoping Nathalie would bring out a different side of Jonathan than we have seen in him with Kloe. Unfortunately, he was the same old Jonathan. I like Jonathan’s look for the show and hope he can pull up his bootstraps. Nathalie has nothing to worry about. She is brilliant.

So what are my predictions for the Bottom 3 couples…

What It Should Be:
Claudia and Denys, Kloe and Shavar, Janick and Jeff

What It Probably Will Be:
Claudia and Denys, Kloe and Shavar, Edgar and Danielle*

*I only says this as Edgar doesn’t seem to pull in the votes with his partners so here’s hoping Danielle has a strong fan base.

Click back tomorrow to check out the recap of the Top 14 Group performance and who is eliminated. Its going to a tough one.

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