So You Think You Can Dance 6, December 1: Mix and Mingle

I’m really sick of the “they came from all over the country to dance” stuff at the beginning of each show. We get it. We’ve gotten it for six seasons. Or maybe I’m just grumpy because of the late start and the cold I’ve been fighting for the past week. The judges are happy they don’t have to make elimination decisions anymore. Cat made a dress out of a bathmat. She tells us that all of the dancers will perform solos tonight. She doesn’t mention that each (new) couple will perform two routines as well, but I think it’s because things are tight tonight.

Ryan & Noelle – hip-hop – Napoleon and Tabitha

No time for small talk! We go right into the first routine, which is to Melanie Fiona’s “Give it to Me Right.” Oh, Napoleon and Tabitha, trying to be like Mandy Moore with the desk and everything. It’s clearly about co-workers (or maybe a boss and employee?) who are hot for each other. I still find Noelle incredibly unmemorable. I mean, she can dance, but so can all the other girls this season. I haven’t seen her give me any reason to vote for her. Ryan’s awesome, as usual. At the end, Noelle gives Ryan a file marked “harassment.” Ha… ha?

Nigel thinks Ryan’s having a good time this season. He takes back what he said last week about Noelle not being sexy. Her technique was also excellent. Ryan did everything strongly but was maybe into the music a little too much and didn’t feel “the funk” of it. The routine was good and the couple has good chemistry.

Mary agrees about the couple’s chemistry, saying that it’s hard to form right off the bat. They had good material to work with. Noelle was a different dancer tonight and brought it on. Ryan had everything going on right from the first minute of the routine. Mary’s looking forward to his second routine. Adam says Noelle was smoking. She needs to always dance from that guttural, honest place. This might not have been Ryan’s highest moment on the show, but it was great. He’s going to have a lot of fans after this.

Ashleigh & Legacy – contemporary – Garry Stewart

I guess we’re going without any intro videos this week. This routine is to the Prodigy’s “Poison.” It’s weird to see a contemporary piece set to a song with such a strong beat. It makes the moves look slow, but I don’t think that’s the dancers’ faults. I don’t know, it’s not doing much for me. I can’t tell what’s supposed to be going on here. They’re… fighting? There’s a lot of rolling around. Very strange. By the way, who’s Garry Stewart?

Nigel says that Legacy & Ashleigh have been abused by Garry, who Nigel tells us is from the Australian Dance Theater. Thanks, Garry. His style requires athleticism and the ability to defy gravity. For the time the dancers had and the effort they put in, it was outstanding. It was probably also the hardest thing they’ll ever have to do in their careers.

Mary’s impressed, especially with the ending, where Legacy stood on his head and Ashleigh held his legs. They used each other’s bodies to leap off of a ton. There were a ton of great moments in the routine that people can latch onto. Adam says the most compelling part of the routine was Ashleigh & Legacy’s lack of fear and stress. They trusted each other. Nigel says they didn’t have time to be afraid. Adam liked the ending of this routine more than any other this season.

Ahh, this is why we’re not getting intro videos – each dancer gets a profile video before his or her solo. Mollee grew up in Utah and always wanted to be a star. She was in High School Musical when she was 14. Apparently she was awestruck to be in the same room with them, which makes no sense, since no one knew who they were before that movie. Mollee has a sister named Gage Gray. Poor kid. Her family’s proud of all she’s accomplished at just 18 years of age.

Mollee solos to LMFAO’s “Rock the Beat,” except for some reason they replace the F with an *. Why do they censor the name? Whatever. It’s not the same sort of solo Mollee’s been doing; I don’t see anything that really stands out.

Russell grew up in a not-so-great neighborhood in Boston. His dad tried to keep him off the streets through school and dancing. His mom thinks he decided to become a dancer when he was young. Russell’s dad gets goosebumps when he sees him dance; he thinks he’s the proudest father in Boston. Mom is equally proud.

Russell does his solo to Black Milk’s “Outros.” He uses his clothes as props. If he were dancing for his life right now, he’d be safe for sure. I love it when he tries to look tough, though – I see him as a cuddly teddy bear, not a thug.

Kathryn & Nathan – Broadway – Spencer Liff

We don’t even get to see Spencer? Rip-off. They dance to Danny Kaye’s “Choreography.” In a word, it’s excellent. They really look like old Broadway dancers. They seem like an equally matched pair. They have a sweet chemistry that fits the routine perfectly.

Nigel thinks both dancers found the style perfectly. He notes that the song is from White Christmas, appropriately. Nathan looked like Donald O’Connor in the middle. Sometimes Nigel finds Nathan’s smile fake, but in this style, it was perfect. Trivia: Bob Fosse was a choreographer on White Christmas. More trivia: My spellchecker recognizes “Fosse.” Nigel thinks Kathryn’s chemistry with Nathan wasn’t as strong as it was with Legacy, but she was terrific. The audience boos. It’s opposite day, apparently. Nigel repeats himself and this time they cheer.