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KARLA & JONATHAN - Nigel was dead-on about this performance. When you have neither the technique nor the characterization, you're left with a whole lot of nothing. Karla was actually better than Jonathan this week. The choreography didn't require the technique or the strength that she's been shown to be lacking in previous weeks, and she did a somewhat better job of embodying her persona for the piece. Jonathan was just a mess. His energy was so soft and so antithetical to hip-hop that it felt more like a bad Broadway version.

ASUKA & VITOLIO - Their technique and synchronization really were not that much better than the first pair, but they rose way above the other couple with their characterizations. Asuka looked like a Nagel print come to life - PERFECT for an 80's-themed piece. She has lacked the warmth and the goofy charm required for her roles in week two and week one, but this choreography and style suited her more. Vitolio also hasn't had the chance to showcase his personality previously, but this week, he could show more of who he is. They should be VERY grateful to Mandy for working towards their strengths rather than forcing them to adapt to something different. I predict that their "story" of how their relationship is developing should help them a lot with votes in weeks to come…

MELISSA & ADE - I agree with the judges about Melissa's dress, but not about most of the rest of their critique. Melissa's technique was pretty good, and her waltz-inspired lines did add to it. However, it was really with her FACE that she sold the dance. Ade failed pretty badly in that regard. Nigel called him something against which Melissa can undulate, and inasmuch as Ade came across as a PROP rather than a partner, I guess that is true. His mind never stopped thinking about the choreography and it read on his face. Yeah, he was there for her in terms of being physically present and where he was supposed to be, but he wasn't there in a performance sense. There was no connection or heat emerging, despite what Kat and Toni tried to suggest. From a technical perspective, I found it odd that they seemed to have no problem with some of the more challenging and intricate moves, but bobbled simple things like certain hand holds. I think with another day or two of rehearsal, this could have been really good, but it wasn't tonight (largely due to Ade).

JANETTE & BRANDON - Once again, I'm pretty impressed by this pair. This was easily the best hip-hop thus far this season, and both of these dancers are showing a versatility that is surprising. Brandon is so flaming, but he kept that under wraps in this character. I had no problem believing him in the role. Janette also embodied her role well, but the choreography reduced her more to posturing and posing as a rocker without as much dance going on. The one thing that made me not so crazy about the piece was the choice of music. That song was so nondescript and added nothing.

KAYLA AND KUPONO - I was way more enthusiastic about this piece than Nigel, and I was very glad to see that Mary and Toni loved it as well. When Jean-Marc was talking about his conception, I couldn't help think about the Cirque-du-Soleil-esque Vegas show "Le Reve" that has a similar storyline. The waltz that Kayla and Kupono did would fit pretty seamlessly into that show. She was simply magnificent here (it's nice to see a pimped TCO who actually warrants the praise she receives), and he was an able partner. Unlike Ade, he was present in a performance sense, even though he was also clearly conscious of the steps. There were a few tiny wobbly bits (she stutter-stepped when she did the assisted pirouette, and I don't know what was going on with the ending), but the fact that I can point to tiny flaws is just because as a whole, the dance was so successful.

RANDI & EVAN - I think that there was a fundamental flaw in this choreography. We were asked to believe that Evan was obsessed with watching Randi, but anybody who saw the dance can attest that Evan is the one we'd want to watch. There is such a monumental chasm between them in terms of their charisma, and Randi is the one who is lacking. That being said, they pulled it off as well as they could given this obstacle. Evan is just a phenomenal performer, and he lifts her [close] to his level (despite the fact that she almost knocked him flat on his face at one point). I have a question, though. What makes this style "contemporary"? To me, this seemed more "Broadway" (albeit not the cheese-fest of Tyce D'Orio Broadway), or at least "jazz"…

CAITLIN & JASON - I'm really starting to feel sorry for Jason. Caitlin is such a freaking albatross around his neck, and it's totally unfair in my book that he is stuck with her week in and week out. It makes me wish that the pairs were mixed up every week. I get that Caitlin's solo last week was better than Ashley's and she arguably won her spot, but Ashley is a much better partner, and if Caitlin had been eliminated, I have no doubt that Jason and Ashley would have done this routine much better. I'm particularly upset that the judges didn't have a single negative thing to say about Caitlin when she was clearly much, much worse than him in the paso doble. I will say, though, that the costumers seem to love this pair, as they've gotten stunning looks both this week and when they did Bollywood…

JEANINE & PHILIP - When I heard we were getting Philip doing a Tyce routine, I expected much, much worse. He impressed me by how well he embodied a different style this week. I thought that Nigel was much harder on Philip than he deserved (especially in light of how easy he was on Caitlin on the previous dance). Does Philip need to go even further? Probably. Still, Nigel's critique made it sound like Philip was bad and that he let Jeanine down. I don't think that is true. I do agree, though, that Jeanine has been consistently very good.


My Rankings:

1. KAYLA & KUPONO
2. JANETTE & BRANDON
3. RANDI & EVAN
4. ASUKA & VITOLIO
5. JEANINE & PHILIP
6. MELISSA & ADE
7. CAITLIN & JASON
8. KARLA & JONATHAN

In the first three weeks traditional ballroom dances (foxtrot, waltz, waltz) have been at or near the top of my rankings every time. This is surprising to me…