This is it! We have reached the final competitive performance episode of SYTYCD for season fifteen. Tonight, our final four finalists will battle it out for the last time to earn your votes in the hopes of being crowned America’s favorite dancer. There will be no elimination at the end of tonight’s episode. All the votes from last week will be added to tonight’s and next week, the winner will be announced in the two-hour season finale.
If you have any favorites between Jensen, Hannahlei, Slavik, and Genessy, don’t forget to vote at the conclusion of the show for your via the FOX website, the FOXNOW app, and via text messaging.
Cat arrives after a super dramatic opening package concentrating on the dancers. No opening group routine this evening. They will be dancing a solo tonight, with one another in every possible partnership, and with an all-star. All votes will be combined and next week, the winner will be announced.
Slavik & Genessy – dancing hip-hop, choreographed by Luther Brown
That was nice. Just a simple hip-hop routine with no story except two people getting down and dirty. I enjoy what Luther Brown brings to this show- he is always able to give the dancers something to do that we haven’t seen before yet he makes sure that he challenges them. Slavik needed a return to form and he got one. Genessy kept up very well with hip-hop throughout the season, with no exception here tonight. Solid opening.
Twitch loved it. He tells Slavik to let this serve as a fresh start. Mary thinks it is wonderful to see them together doing another hip-hop. She welcomes them to the finale. Nigel doesn’t want nerves to affect Genessy because it didn’t just now. Nigel tells Slavik it was a terrific performance. Vanessa calls it a strong performance.
Text “Slavik” to 21523 and “Genessy” to 21523
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhWAG6UrQI4
Jensen & Hannahlei – dancing heels, choreographed by Brian Friedman
Hmm. That was a very simplistic heels routine. You can YouTube some heels routines from around the world and they are a lot more technical than that. All that being said, I saw some out of sync moments when the pair should have been together. My eyes though, were more drawn to Hannahlei through that, especially towards the end when it seemed like she had more to do. It was a cool routine but not my favorite from either of them.
Vanessa thanks Brian for the routine, but gets his name wrong when complimenting him. LOL. She loved the dance though and calls the routine on fire. Twitch (who is dealing with losing his voice tonight) says that the routine requires so much energy and says this is why they are top four. Mary loved everything about it. She says both attacked that amazingly. Nigel says whatever has been asked of them, they have done.
Text “Jensen” to 21523 and “Hannahlei” to 21523
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjDFhFjp-Ro
Genessy – Solo
Pretty solo. She packed the most she could into those 30-40 seconds with some stuff we didn’t see in her last solo. Good for her. I very much enjoyed that. (She performs to American Idol 12 winner Candice Glover’s song, “Cried.”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHu6HO79K0
Genessy & Jonathan – dancing samba, choreographed by Elena Samodanova
Lovely attack in this routine by Genessy. Jonathan is a great partner- always shows off the lady properly in a latin dance. This was a great party dance with lots of hip movement and high energy. It was fun to see Genessy attack something with so much vitality and exude so much fierceness as we haven’t gotten to see all that much of that from her during this competition.
Mary gives Elena props on the routine. She says she was nervous for Genessy but she walked out there like a diva. She tells her way to step it up tonight. Nigel calls it vivacious and says it was controlled freedom. He likens her to Jennifer Lopez. What? OKAY. Vanessa says it was confident and loves that Genessy found herself. Twitch doesn’t know how much more he can add but wants her to take away from this experience that she should never doubt herself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwFuBftr8L4
Slavik & Melanie – dancing contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wall
WOW. Great number. One of, if not Slavik’s best of the season. This was like a conversation (or fight) via dance. Just brilliant choreography by Travis. It is wonderful to see Melanie back on the stage and she elevated Slavik to do something that you only see once a while on this show. This was a really good piece from start to finish. One I would watch a second time to see the little moments I may have missed.
Nigel tells Slavik he is very proud of him for being here and he deserves to be there. Nigel says he wasn’t challenged dance wise but emotionally and he delivered. Vanessa says Slavik channeled all the emotion in that. Twitch says he saw the commitment and believed every second of it. Mary says Slavik’s dancing will make people remember how they feel. She says it is fun to watch his journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex2Rdq2jzug
Jensen – Solo
Good ballroom solo. Nothing new or exceptional but about what you would expect at this point. Big smiles from Jensen. You can tell how excited she is to be here in the finale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ow_sv_TOo4
Slavik & Hannahlei – dancing african jazz, choreographed by Sean Cheesman
I don’t quite think this was as good as the afro jazz we saw a few weeks back from Jay Jay and Jensen but it was a very adequate piece. Loved the costumes and lighting here as well. Hannahlei is a certified beast up there and Slavik kept up nicely- he was tasked to do a lot of the supporting material here and Hannahlei was given the intricate work. But they fed off one another nicely.
Nigel compliments Sean Cheesman. He says Slavik was a great partner and tells Hannahlei she is fifty times stronger than he expected her to be. Vanessa calls it incredible. Twitch says teamwork makes the dream work. Mary loved the lifts and says the choreographers can do anything with Hannahlei.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTElY4Bt9Ls
Genessy & Jensen – dancing broadway, choreographed by Travis Wall
Haha. Cute. I loved the story here. It reminded me of “Smash,” with Kat McPhee and the blonde fighting it out for the role of Marilyn. Smart choreography by Travis. And danced very well. They both look gorgeous too- very Broadway babies. I was thoroughly entertained by that.
Vanessa gives kudos to Travis. She loved the contrast between them. Twitch loved seeing two leading ladies. He feels that was Jensen’s superstar moment. Mary thinks Genessy is a star and thinks Jensen gets every character. Nigel loved what Travis did and he thinks the both performed it as Travis wanted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFpnZJrjS68
Slavik – Solo
Great musicality in that solo. Again, I wonder if it is freestyle or rehearsed. Like his first solo a few weeks back, memorable and so different from anything else we see on this show this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiIKwemvehI
Hannahlei & Fik-Shun- dancing hip-hop, choreographed by Randi & Hef
Well, how I wish, wish, wish Slavik got to dance this with Fik. No disrespect to Hannah of course but Fik is his mentor in a way and that would have been sick. However, it was a good dance and nice to see Hannah attack hip-hop. The boxes in the piece did nothing for me. I wish the whole moving idea/story was done without them. But I enjoyed the actual steps. Fik was the highlight naturally and my eyes gravitated to him.
Twitch gives compliments to Randi & Hef. He tells Hannahlei it was incredible seeing her to do hip-hop. Mary says it was a special delivery. She hopes America votes. Nigel doesn’t think there is anything she cannot do. Vanessa is such a fan. She feels like Hannahlei slays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qXV4r4Usl4
Jensen & Robert – dancing contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore
Gorgeous. My favorite routine of the night so far and probably the most difficult in terms of matching technical dancing with emotion. Jensen and Robert sold this beautifully. This is one of those “it will get you votes” dances that we see- a vulnerable contemporary with passion, elegance, and good dancing. This could have potentially just won Jensen the title.
Mary tells Mandy Moore she fell in love with the piece. She tells Jensen the real strength is in her vulnerability. Nigel loved the song and he fell in love with how it was performed. Vanessa thinks the dance made Jensen a fuller artist. Twitch says Jensen is having a wonderful night. He says all the rejections have prepared her for going all the way this time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA7aGmuZwsM
Hannahlei – Solo
Great solo. Hannahlei and Slaik take the cake for me tonight in terms of solos- both brought something different and original that I would remember after the show ends. And how cute regarding Hannahlei’s new relationship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6y17D_s1vk
Genessy & Hannahlei – dancing contemporary, choreographed by Talia Favia
Okay. so this eclipsed the previous routine for my favorite of the night. LOL. I absolutely adored the raw nature of that. Talia is proving to be quite a star choreographer and I hope the show continues to use her often next season. Both ladies just nailed that and killed it both together and individually.
Nigel tells Talia he can’t believe how together they were. He doesn’t know how America is going to vote tonight. Vanessa loved the mirroring in the routine. Twitch loved the warrior spirit. Mary gets up to scream. Because of course. Mary loved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pisCGRoaP1c
Slavik & Jensen – dancing cha-cha-cha, choreographed by Oksana Platero
Good job Slavik. Talk about doing something completely out of your element. Was it perfect (from him)? Of course not. But you know what, it was a whole lot better than his samba (or was it salsa) from last week. Jensen was a very good partner for him. She rocked of course but I was paying closer attention to Slavik due to how not a latin ballroom guy he is. LOL. Good job overall.
Mary seems improvement in Slavik- but the feet and leg action is not there. But she loves that he goes for it. She tells Jensen that she brought herself in all the right places. Nigel says it looked like Slavik was dancing with an all-star. Vanessa feels it has been inspiring watching Slavik on the journey. Twitch thanks Jensen for being an anchor for Slavik. He thanks Slavik for his commitment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hro0KMnhdY
Well, that’s it for the dancing tonight. I must say, everyone brought their A-game tonight for real and danced beautifully. Some numbers stood out more than others but nothing was glaringly weak. I think Hannahlei had the best night of dancing overall. Jensen showed why she has been a front runner. Genessy proved she belongs and Slavik had redemption from last week.
If you have a favorite (or two, three, or four), try and throw them a few votes. And remember, all the votes from last week and this will be combined. Next Monday, LIVE, @8, I’ll be back for the season finale. The top ten will return to perform new and old numbers and Cat will announce the placements of our finalists as we find out who will be this season’s favorite dancer. Thanks for watching with me and I’ll see y’all in a week. :D
