Dance Canada is back, and with it brings those spine-tingling performances you can’t wait to share with your friends. Last night’s Top 20 — which featured dancers from all walks of dance life — kicked, dipped, popped and flipped to the point where they brought the term blood, sweat and tears into action.
The night started off with an energetic, albeit technically lacking, jive from cutesy partners Tara-Jean and Everett. At least, I felt the energy in the stands where I was sitting last Sunday, and disagreed with Luther and Blake’s complaints about there not being enough. That teacup bum catch was enough to satisfy me, I guess.
But my energy faded once Vincent and Amy took the stage with their samba; despite the dizzying spins and the fact that Vincent sort of looks like Ed Norton. Amy messed up and Vincent saved her, but I felt the performance was lacking that overall sparkle. The judges agreed, although I find it amusing how every time on of the four panelists have something negative to say they preface it with an apologetic explanation of why they have to give criticism.
Next, the show featured a throwback to last year’s winner, Nico, who showed up live to say hi to host Leah Miller and give a dismissive “you’ll have to wait and see” when asked what his next project is. It all seemed pretty pointless until we found out he was one half of the choreography behind the upcoming contemporary routine featuring Cody and Melanie M.—quite possibly this competition’s cutest couple ever.
Not only do I love Mel because she gave up a medical degree to pursue her dream, but her tiny body encapsulates a huge personality. She and Cody were brilliant together, performing the young couple in love dance, and pulled off some successful crowd-pleasing lifts to boot.
The shining pair made following couple Emanuel and Kim appear dingy in their oversized pinstripe suits that denied the audience any visual clue as to what they were really doing in a throwback hip-hop routine that probably could have been otherwise delightful. I much preferred Danny and Natalie’s present-day routine, that showcased the female krumper and her rapid-shaking booty that puts most dancers to shame. The cameras didn’t make her look nearly as good as she did live, as almost everyone in the audience felt their jaws drop to the floor.
But before we were treated to that particular routine we suffered through a yawn-stiffling Viennese Waltz by Anthony and Corynne that was perhaps romantic, but missed its mark.
Daniel and Jayme Rae were right on theirs, though, with a brilliant routine choreographed by Sean Cheesman, which had Jayme Rae casting a spell on Daniel through Afro Jazz, and the twin walking on the stage’s walls to do it.
Nicola and Jenna-Lynn’s disco really didn’t feel like a disco at all, despite the glitter and costuming glam. The couple brought spunk, but they weren’t exactly memorable.
As for Austin and Tatiana, the Capoeira routine was interesting, but I would have much rather seen other performers in the roles, and the night was suitably ended with Melanie B. and Taylor’s tango, that resulted in Taylor bleeding from the face after a misaimed kick.
It was a frenzied night for any dance fan, and it proved Canada’s still got it, despite our homespun version being sandwiched between two American ones.
“It was a great first night and all the dancers were so nervous,” a buzzing Leah Miller told me after the show. “I gave them all little cards before the show and they were all tearing up. I think they’re all a little bit relieved now that they have one episode under their belt.”
As for the host herself, she admits she was “a bit nervous throughout the day,” but once she did her first throw she was fine, and even managed to sail through a behind-the-scenes girl fainting in the hot crowd and flubbing through Gil Duldulao’s name during the closing segment.
Who is Duldulao? He’s the famous choreographer behind Janet Jackson’s fabulous routines for the past 13 years, and the man stopping by Dance Canada tonight to choreograph a Michael Jackson tribute performance featuring the Top 20 one last time before they become the Top 18.
Thoughts? amber@tvguide.ca
So You Think You Can Dance Canada airs Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET and Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, CTV.
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