Best of Season 7?

[kyrjar]

I am of the opinion that Season 7 was one of the worst so far, having started watching some of Season 1 and a devoted follower beginning with Season 2 (and having gone to three of the tours). The judging which was usually stellar was the worst this year -- and I don't know if it was b/c it was live/unedited or they feel more need to sell a story/person or the "great" dancers that they discover (due to poor ratings last Fall and the apparent lessening of interest in the blogs). I think the choreography was also dumbed down more this year for the dancers (except Alex). Plus, the injuries.

However, the new format definitely had its plusses. I got to see some of my favorites and the dances then involved at least one dancer who performed well in that genre and could teach the contestant. You didn't have a situation where two contemporary dancers had to figure out ballroom (though there were a few glory moments in the past in such situations). On the negative side, having a top 11 meant weak dancers like Jose stood out and wasn't eliminated in the 11-20 range. My biggest problem, however, was this season's lack of real "moments" of unforgettable dances (like many from Kathryn, Twitch, Neil, Mark K, Katee, Courtney, Benji, Lacey, others). That is a long introduction to name my fave "moments." My faves: Fix You with Robert/Allison; Alex/Twitch; and Alex/Allison and maybe Billy/Katherine (Jar of Hearts). I took notice of them and I'll remember those in the future. Also: Lauren's solos may have been the best female solos ever (even if I think she was just consistently solid in the duos).

[superfly]

I think having the AS around took out a large chunk of the show's original concept which is to see the growth of partnerships over several weeks. I think the biggest problem was simply the injuries which kinda derailed the season. Nonetheless, I wouldn't say it's one of the worst. The winner was one of the best winners the show has had (I think maybe only Jeanine was better). This season also had one of the best dancers in the history of the show (Alex). This season was one of the strongest hip hop seasons to date with multiple memorable routines. I think the weakest part of the season was the lack of good versatile non-contemporary dancers (there was no Chelsie, Heidi, Legacy, Joshua, etc).

[kyrjar]

I agree that Alex may be the best in the history of the show. Hard to say definitively with only three weeks -- but all signs point to yes based on those three weeks, fer sure. I missed the growth together factor, too.

Lauren may be the most talented winner even if I think she was not even in the top ten of my favorite contestants (since most of them did not win).

But you didn't name any "moments" which I assume you think Lauren had some and I just didn't see any (even though she had some great weeks and was highly consistent, like Kathryn and Katee). I wanted Jeanine to win but that was my least favorite season.

[superfly]

"Moments" are subjective. What's memorable for me may not be memorable for you and vice versa. Most of the moments that people think about are ones with an emotional backstory and Lauren wasn't gifted with any of those. She only had 2 contemporary routines the whole season and both of those were outstanding (the prom dance with Kent and the Caspary dance with Robert). I thought her lyrical HH with Dom was the best HH routine of the season besides Alex/Twitch, and that's not to mention her first HH with Twitch. Her first cha-cha and the AT with Pasha were leagues better than any ballroom routine anyone else did all season. Now for the other contestants, I thought AdeC/Comfort's HH was awesome. Ditto for the clown routine and Ashley's HH. Like I said, this really was the season of HH, there were a lot of great HH routines. On the first night, Alex/Allison's Sonya dance was a showstopper too. I could go on for a bit more probably but as you can see, I thought this season had a lot of awesome moments.

[TopCatDC]

Here are some of my favorite moments of the season:

• Week 1 (June 16, 2010): Alex/Allison Contemporary "Hallelujah" (Sonya Tayeh) - Most choreographers tackle simple romantic or humorous stories. Sonya, in her first number of the season, embraces the human desire to reach beyond our own limitations and shortcomings to touch and embrace the divine. She finds meaning in the struggle even when it falls short of reaching its goal. She also shows that spirituality is not just a private, interior journey, but an endeavor shared in community - where one may be weak, another is strong. Alex (and Allison) set the bar high for Season Seven in their first competitive appearance - perfection in dance, performance, choreography, and music.
• Week 2 (June 23, 2010): Kent / Courtney Jazz - "Amy Amy Amy" Amy Winehouse (Tyce Diorio) - Kent & Courtney closed the second show with this smoldering tight jazz number. Kent throws off the hick country boy persona, and becomes a sexual animal stalking Courtney. Tyce keeps the number more fun than raunchy by using real old school jazz moves. This number showed that Kent just might have enough versatility to make a run for the finale.
• Week 3 (June 30, 2010): AdéChiké/Lauren Hip-hop - "Hot-N-Fun" (Dave Scott) - After the first two weeks, both AdéChiké and Billy were looking like a talented dancers that couldn't quite pull off a credible performance. But AdéChiké turned it around (with a big assist from Dave Scott) in this "commuter pick-up" routine with Lauren. He pulls off the Hip-Hop style like a pro, but it's his sexy/comic performance that signaled that he was here for the long run. Even Mia thought he was great.
• Week 3 (June 30, 2010): Jose/Anya Samba - "Long Time" (Dmitry Chaplin) - Jose doing a Samba with Anya? That has to be a train wreck, right? On the contrary, Dimitry and Anya turned Jose into a very credible Latin dancer including some tricky lifts and moving Anya on and off a mirrored table. His character and attitude were spot on; only some flaily arms gave away his status as a Samba novice. People wonder why Jose lasted so long in the competition - this is the reason. This demonstrated that he could be convincing in other genres.
• Week 3 (June 30, 2010): Hip-hop - "Outta Your Mind" (Tabitha and Napoleon) - If anything was going to derail Alex's front-runner status, it was going to be doing Hip-Hop next to Twitch. But instead this therapy Hip Hop was probably the most memorable routine of the season. Not only did Alex keep up with Twitch, he took control of it with his own character and comedy. And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, they go into a double-time section and speed up all the moves. Amazing number; all the more meaningful because it was the last competitive routine we got from Alex.
• Week 4 (July 7, 2010): Billy/Katee Broadway - "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" (Spencer Liff) - Finally, Billy shows that he can pull off a performance, as well as some smooth intricate Jazz dancing. Spencer uses a heist scenario to reset this number from Cats. Allison had to drop out of the number at the last minute, so Season Four's Katee Shean steps in and does a great job with Billy.
• Week 4 (July 7, 2010): Kent/Lauren Contemporary - "Collide" (Travis Wall) - This prom night theme was perfect for Kent & Lauren and showed once again how adept Travis is at tailoring a dance to his performers. It begins with a realistic slow dance, and then expands into more extensive and emotional choreography. Both contestants showed how well they can partner, and that they can put aside youthful performance gimmicks and just act believably. With Alex out of the race, these two both staked their claim to the title.
• Week 5 (July 14, 2010): Contemporary - "Fix You" (Travis Wall) - This emotional piece by Travis was inspired by his own experience supporting his mother through her illness. Robert steps up and demonstrated that he can do more than portray goofy toys or grinning disco bunnies. He grounds every move in the reality of the emotional struggle, showing us the anger, despair, fear, and hope of a caregiver. Alison was just as amazing waging her own battle.
• Week 5 (July 14, 2010): Broadway "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, MO" (Tyce Diorio) - Bob Fosse used real baseball movement for his inspiration in Damn Yankees and Tyce does the same, but puts it in his own Jazz vocabulary for Neil and Kent. Neil is the Broadway veteran here, but Kent shows real star power and matches Neil's signature gymnastic moves. Pure entertainment!
• Week 6 (July 21, 2010): AdéChiké/Comfort Lyrical Hip-hop "Fallin'" (Tabitha and Napoleon) - Comfort is fed up with AdéChiké's lies and leaves him. This number straddles the boundary between Contemporary, Street and Broadway. They let the story and character dictate the movement. Comfort is outstanding as the woman wronged and once again shows how far she has come since she was last on the show. AdéChiké, who has struggled with acting and character throughout the season, holds his own here in a very dark role.
• Week 7 (July 28, 2010): Billy/Ade Contemporary "Mad World" (Stacey Tookey) - Probably my favorite routine of the season. And as it sometimes happens, Billy was eliminated after doing his best work (too late) on the show. First, Stacey casts against type by making Ade the businessman and Billy homeless. Billy captivates our attention throughout with his unpredictable movement and the utter despair of his character. But it's the relationship between the two men that gives the number a powerful second half.
• Week 8 (August 4, 2010): Kent/Neil Contemporary "How It Ends" (Travis Wall) - We've seen breakup routines before, but here's one with two guys. Travis documents the end of a friendship in this explosive and sad Contemporary piece. Kent once again shows he can do serious work, this time exploring uglier emotions.
• Week 9 (August 11, 2010): Kent/Allison Contemporary “Sundrenched World” (Stacy Tookey) - Kent and Allison play a "perfect" couple unraveling. Kent allows himself to explore deeper and more complicated emotional territory with the same vulnerability he brought to lighter pieces earlier in the season. This routine packs an emotional wallop, with more fine work from Allison as well.
• Week 9 (August 11, 2010): Broadway “Cool” (Spencer Liff) - Spencer lifts Cool out of West Side Story and changes the context to a interrogation scene with Kathryn as the detective and Robert as the accused. His dance steps "pop" in all the right places, but it's the clearly drawn characters, particularly Robert's tough guy on the hot seat that stand out. Robert turns this number into a three act play as we see him sweat, parry, tease, and evade his nemesis. It is a perfect acting scene done through dance in under three minutes.

Finally, my nominee for the worst of the season is Stacy Tookey's "Squander" from the second week for Melinda. Any dancer can have an off week, or a style they can't quite master. Any choreographer can have a concept that doesn't quite come off, or is beyond the capabilities of the performers. But when you have a bad concept (Melinda playing "Mother Earth"), poor choreography, hideous costumes, and hand it to a weak contestant - you have something special. Especially bad, that is. Fortunately, Tookey redeemed herself with other great routines noted above. Melinda, unfortunately did not.

[Doats]

Here are some of my favorite moments of the season:

I agree so wholeheartedly with your favorite moments--they were mine as well.

But when I saw that of the 9 weeks the winner was in 2 of the moments and the runner-up in 5 I was kinda surprised. So perhaps Lauren won in spite of "lesser" choreography??

I dunno. It just surprised me.

[BuckeyeAddict]

I agree so wholeheartedly with your favorite moments--they were mine as well.

But when I saw that of the 9 weeks the winner was in 2 of the moments and the runner-up in 5 I was kinda surprised. So perhaps Lauren won in spite of "lesser" choreography??

I dunno. It just surprised me.

This isn't the thread for this discussion, but I think if the finale came to be between Lauren and Kent, Kent would have won. IMO, Robert and Kent split votes. They split mine, anyway!

My favorite routines this year were, in order, "Outta Your Mind" with Alex and Twitch, the routine to "Fallin'" with Comfort and AdeChicke, and "Cool" with Robert and Kathryn. And now that you mention it, Doats, of my favorite routines, only Robert made the top 3. However, as has already been debated, Alex may have won if he hadn't been injured. I'll bet anyone interested in trying out for next season is not looking forward to competing against him! I am looking forward to watching him again.

Thanks for an excellent recap, TopCat. And now that I reread it, I see I left off "Mad World" with Billy and Ade. I might have to give that a tie for 3rd with "Cool."

[Doats]

This isn't the thread for this discussion, but I think if the finale came to be between Lauren and Kent, Kent would have won. IMO, Robert and Kent split votes. They split mine, anyway!

Buckeye, I previewed my post and included another comment on my favorites. However, when I posted, the comment disappeared. When I went to Edit, it won't let me--I just left a post in the Problems/Questions thread for the Mods as I haven't been able to edit anything for about 2 weeks now.

Wasn't trying to take this thread off topic but I've been having some difficulties in general with my posts.

[Fierce Critter]

It would help me answer this question if someone can direct me to a site of some kind that lists all the performances in each season. Does such an animal exist?

I just don't memorize well so I can't pull all the routines for any given season, even the most recent, out of my memory.

[TopCatDC]

It would help me answer this question if someone can direct me to a site of some kind that lists all the performances in each season. Does such an animal exist?

I just don't memorize well so I can't pull all the routines for any given season, even the most recent, out of my memory.

I just published my database on my personal Google Docs. Feel free to use it for reference.

Also, the SYTYCD Season 7 page on Wikipedia has good info.