SYTYCD Opinions

Hey guys! My name is Ash, and I'm a dancer that is obsessed with SYTYCD and can no longer contain my opinions. My main styles are Broadway Jazz and an Afro-Samba fusion, but I also do Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Samba, Contemporary, and sometimes Capoeira. Send me a message!

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#68: “I Love It” (Daniela & Sheaden, Cha-Cha) - Umaria Diallo

This is the point in the list where I start to like all of the dances, so obviously I enjoyed most of the work these kids were able to produce this season. I’m glad that although the producers obviously knew Daniela was going, they gave her a bunch of opportunities to show herself off in the last week (each dance she got was a style she excelled in). Sadly, this choreography had to be watered down for Sheaden, but I was actually pleasantly surprised with what he was able to pull off here. For a Hip-Hop dancer with little-to-no cross-training, Ballroom is probably the style that provides the biggest struggle, because there’s really no way to fake it like a lot of them can with Contemporary and Jazz. His frame and footwork were pretty off, but he brought great energy and supported Daniela pretty well. I really commend Daniela for making choreography that was so simple for her look so dynamic and interesting. It didn’t look like she ever treated this dance like it was beneath her, and that’s a great attitude to have. Overall, this dance is simple and has its problems, but it’s fun and energetic, so I don’t care...I love it (sorry, I had to).

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#69: “Change is Everything” (JT & All-Star Robert, Contemporary) - Robert Roldan

It’s so weird to hear this song with actual music behind it now, haha. JT and Robert had a lot of great dances together, but I was a bit underwhelmed by this one. It think Robert did a decent job with the choreography, but this could have used a lot of technical cleaning. JT seemed to be struggling with his balance for the majority of the piece, and in his solo bits he kept cutting his lines short. I wish Robert would have choreographed a Jazz dance for JT actually, since JT is a Jazz dancer. I think that would have suited him better, because he really seemed to struggle with those held extensions and his control in general. A fast, sharp Jazz piece would have shown him off more.

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#70: “Jailhouse Rock” (Tahani & Jake, Jive) - Emma Slater & Sasha Farber

This is the dance where I realized that the judges would be harsher on Tahani than the rest of the contestants in this season. This dance is pretty bad, but I don’t think it’s Tahani’s fault like the judges suggested, but more the fault of poor choreography. Jake’s technique is obviously stronger here, as it should be since he’s in his style, but Tahani is doing pretty good job technically as well. She did a good job of getting that bouncy feel. This dance just isn’t very interesting in itself, so no matter who danced it, I don’t think this would have been a very good piece. That’s just my opinion, though.

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#71: “Malhari” (JT & All-Star Marko, Bollywood) - Nakul Dev Mahajan

I feel bad having all of these JT routines at the bottom, but he was the contestant I found to be most noticeably weak outside of his style. It’s understandable because of his age, but that doesn’t change the fact. JT has a habit of cutting off his lines before they finish completely, and next to a dancer like Marko it’s especially apparent. I’m also just not a huge of the song or the choreography. Though I think this dance was a mess overall, there are moments that I love. Like when the beat first drops, I love the moves they do together. Both of them look so good in that part. I also love that jump they did together after. That was the strongest I have ever seen JT jump, and I was shocked that he was able to do such a technical one so well.

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#72: “Dessert” (Emma & JT, Hip-Hop) - Nappytabs

I lost it at JT’s pimp-walk entrance. I could not take a Willy Wonka Hip-Hop dance seriously with that kind of entrance. This choreography is a mess, and I’m really disappointed that Nappytabs didn’t want to challenge JT more outside of his style. Emma looks like she’s doing the best she can to make this look good, but there’s really no saving this choreography. Then there’s that whole “Make it rain!” bit...why was that necessary? I’d be so upset with Nappytabs if I was part of the clean-up crew for this show, because there was no reason to dump all of those balls across the stage when the dance was already over.

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#73:  “Bom Bom” (Tahani & JT, Cha-Cha) - Emma Slater & Sasha Farber

I normally refrain from saying any routine featuring kids is bad...but this dance is just bad, there’s no other way around it. It’s not really Tahani or JT’s fault -- though their lack of Ballroom technique was very apparent -- because the choreography, the song, and the costumes weren’t really doing them any favors. Even if Paul and Ruby had been given this dance, I don’t think I would have liked it. That said, Tahani and JT were a mess together. Their technique was off, their timing was off from each other, and I just didn’t feel a genuine connection between them. The one saving grace in the routine is that Tahani and JT are such great performers individually and don’t give away any of their struggle in their faces. I wish I had better things to say about this, but I agree with the judges that this routine left them exposed.

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Yeah, tahani's treatment was crazy and I didnt watch the finale either because the bias was not right. Then this past season I dont know, I didnt like how the judges chose to eliminate mark. Im big comfort fan, so I hate that she has gotten screwed over two seasons in a row. The judges had one last time to save a contestant but they decide to coward out and use America votes and then they had nothing to say nice about mark on his departure which I thought disrespectful.

The whole “America’s vote” thing was a cop-out. They were going to eliminate Mark whether he got the least votes that week or not (though I think Nigel specifically wanted to eliminate Kaylee that week). They just wanted to shift the blame away from themselves, because America loved him. As for not saying anything about him when he left, I don’t know why they didn’t. The least they could have done was give him some compliments before sending him home.

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Is it me, do u think the judges seem to downplay comforts partners alot. They did it with tahani and mark. Never give them the praise they deserve, its almost bias when it come to the judges. Comfort had a chance to make it to the finals backtoback with the contestants she had but it seems the underpraise may have cost her that chance.

I agree! Comfort picked wonderful partners for both seasons, and it feels like neither got the praise they deserved (or made it into the finale like they should have). Mark’s bussing was a little more on the subtle side, since the judges never really said anything bad about him. They just sort of glossed over him. Tahani’s bussing pissed me off, because they judges basically crapped all over her performances every week until America finally gave in and didn’t vote for her (the week before the finale). I don’t know if the judges and the producers are doing this specifically because they want their favorite all-stars in the finale every season, but it’s really messed up that it seems like Comfort can’t even get close to the win despite her amazing choice in partners.

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#1: Tahani Anderson (Hip-Hop)

Tahani looks and acts almost exactly like my niece, so this opinion might be a bit biased. She captivated me instantly (I guess vomiting on Paula Abdul out of sheer excitement is the way to my heart). She’s so outgoing, but mild-mannered. She personified my image of a Girl Scout. Yet, when she performed she was a completely different person. She could mean mug with the best of them and she could deliver an emotionally charged performance with ease and with honesty. For such a young girl, she really had a maturity about her to be able access those parts of herself, especially considering the fact the the 18-20 year olds on this show often have trouble doing just that.

In regards to her dancing, I feel that the judges majorly down-played her talent due to her enormous fanbase and the fact that she did not appear to be the producers’ intended winner. She was a beast in her own style. She annihilated every form of Hip-Hop that she got (including Dancehall?). Where she did not get nearly enough credit was in her Contemporary and Jazz technique. This girl has amazing technique, yet the judges acted as if she wasn’t trained and couldn’t do anything properly. You can’t do a la secondes like that without training. As for her Ballroom, I will concede that both of her Ballroom routines were subpar, but I don’t know if either was fully her fault. Her Jive technique looked mostly fine to me, though I thought the choreography and costuming was bad. Her dance with JT was a mess all around, though, so I have a hard time reconciling what I think about her Ballroom technique. Overall, I thought that she was a well-rounded dancer with outstanding performance, and she was the reason I kept watching this season as long as I did.

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#2: Ruby Castro (Latin)

Ruby is a crazy mess, and I am all about it. I adore this girl. She seems like such a joy be around, and I can’t imagine there ever being a dull moment with her there. I was so happy when she chose to be on Paul’s team instead of Jonathan’s, because I knew that meant she had a better chance moving forward. Her chemistry with Paul also felt very natural, and didn’t give me any of the creepy vibes that I was worried about the Ballroom pairings bringing this season. She lit up the stage with him, and I don’t know what it is about these Miami dancers, but they hook me in every time. There must be something in the water over there.

It’s no wonder Ruby is a champion on the Latin scene, because her technique in the Latin styles was astounding. Even her Argentine Tango, which she had never danced before, was amazing. Plus she showed that she was great in the classical technique styles as well, with her technique rivaling the actual Contemporary/Jazz contestants. I only wish we could have seen her more in Hip-Hop. I paid close attention to her in the first Hip-Hop group, and she seemed to do really well there, though she could have afforded to bend her knees a bit more. Overall, Ruby had the whole package, and it’s a shame America didn’t see that.

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#3: Tate McRae (Contemporary)

I had lost all faith in competition dance after watching Dance Moms, but Tate cured that for me. Seeing her in the audition process reminded me of just how talented children are in dance, and inspired me to not only branch out and watch videos of other super talented competition dancers, but also to take my classical training more seriously. I have a lot to thank Tate for. That said, I found myself very underwhelmed by her in the live shows. I had her pegged as the strongest dancer and performer by a long shot in the auditions, but somehow found myself unable to connect to her whatsoever during her live show performances. I don’t know what it was, because she and Kathryn had a beautiful connection, and theoretically should have thrilled me every week. She just became bland for me.

That said, objectively, I know that Tate was one of the strongest dancers (if not the strongest dancer) there. Her performance of Raven’s Lament during the Academy still has me shook. Like how does she do the things she does? I often feel that her dancing just becomes a lot of legs, though, and I got sick of it pretty fast. She was extremely versatile, though, showing strength in both Hip-Hop and Ballroom. Normally technique like that combined with her versatility would be a ticket straight to the number one spot in my ranking, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that I found myself unable to connect to her the entire season.

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#4: Jordan Nata’e (Contemporary)

Robbed. Robbed, I tell you. Jordan should have been in the finale, and not gone home in that wack double elimination. I was actually shocked that Jordan made it into the live shows due to the stiff competition in the Contemporary department (Bostyn Brown, Avery Gay, Sophia Lucia, etc.). I should have known that there would be no one else for Sasha, though. They were the perfect pairing, and Jordan making it onto the live shows really opened my eyes to what a talent she is. She give her all into every performance, and it is so clear when you watch her dance that this is what she loves more than anything, and her energy is infectious.

When the live shows started, I had doubts about Jordan’s technical level, because she seemed shaky throughout the audition process. That must have just been nerves or something, because she showed such an amazing amount of technique on the live shows. I’m still reeling over her solo to Confident. She was also amazing outside of her style. She was saddled with a pretty crappy Hip-Hop dance, but she danced the hell out of it. I only wish that we could have gotten to see her in Ballroom. Overall, Jordan was a very strong contestant that left before her time. What else is new on SYTYCD?

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#5: Kida Burns (Hip-Hop)

I have never envied a 14 year old’s natural “cool factor” as much as I envied Kida’s. He just seems so chill and so genuine, which pulled me in immediately to him during the auditions. This personality also translates onstage in an interesting way. This show often demands that Hip-Hop dancers make all these crazy facials in their performance to light up the crowd, but Kida was always able to get me hype while seemed to put no effort into his expression whatsoever. I also loved his pairing with Fik-Shun, because their performance style were so totally different, but their dance style was super similar which made all of their performances super interesting.

Kida was one of the only dancers on this season not to be cross-trained, which really made me fear for his run on the show. However, he showed an eagerness to learn all of the new styles and showed so much versatility for someone that really only did Hip-Hop. He showed a lot of growth in the other styles as well. His African Jazz with Sasha proved this, because he definitely did not slack off in that dance. His Ballroom could still have used some work, but that’s a difficult one even for cross-trained dancers, let alone a specialist like Kida. Overall I was happy with his win, despite him not being my choice for the winner, because I thought he earned it through his run on the show.

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#6: Emma Hellenkamp (Tap)

Who else could Gaby have picked besides Emma? Sure, Ava Brooks was an option, but Emma and Gaby just seemed to be the right fit for each other. Gaby is so chill, yet still has that underlying crazy performer thing going on, while Emma has such a bright and vibrant personality that offsets Gaby so while. I don’t think Gaby could have had a better connection with a different kid, because they both brought out the best in each other. Even solo or with other dancers, I always loved watching Emma perform. There’s something about her that lights up the room. This girl definitely has a bright future in performance.

On top of her performance quality, Emma is a technically strong dancer. I will admit, I’m not really a fan of her style of Tap, because modern Tap has become more about speed and tricks than rhythm (which I really resent), and she embodies modern Tap when she dances. I won’t detract from her talent, though. She’s a brilliant Tapper. I just wish her style was a bit more rhythmic, especially since her rhythms tended to be a bit off when dancing with Gaby. What saved her in this ranking, though, is her incredible versatility. She’s clearly trained in Contemporary and Jazz, and it showed in her performances. Her Hip-Hop was a bit suspect, but I’m willing to blame that on the choreography, as it looked like Emma really did the best she could with that dance. Overall, I think Emma was a very strong contestant, but I just happened to favor other dancers more.

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#7: Jake Monreal (Latin)

I was devastated when Jake went out in that double elimination, because his beaming smile never ceased to to bring me joy on Monday nights. This boy was really the only right decision Jenna could have made for a partner, because being a Ballroom All-Star paired with a minor was going to be awkward no matter what, especially due to Jake being the smaller of the two. His personality made up for that awkwardness between them, though, most of the time. He was able to have an innocent connection with Jenna that brought their routines to life, and that’s all I could really ask for.

This is the point in the ranking where it’s even more tough to rank the dancers, because everyone from this point on was able to show an amazing amount of versatility in their dancing. Jake was amazing in Ballroom for his age. I especially loved his Samba with Jenna. He also showed very good Contemporary technique in his duet with Tahani and the group dances. I think he needed some work in Hip-Hop, though. He seemed a bit uncomfortable in that area. Overall, he was a pretty versatile competitor, though.

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#8: J.T. Church (Jazz)

This boy was such a little ball of cuteness. Part of me was upset that he was included in this season, because there’s too much of a difference between a 10 year old dancer and a 14 year old dancer, especially when the 10 year old dancer is as small as J.T. How can you really compare dancers whose bodies’ are at such different stages of development? That said, I’m really glad he was included, because watching him grow every week was such a joy. Plus, he just had a way of lighting up the stage whenever he stepped on it and making me smile when he danced.

I feel so conflicted about J.T.’s run on the show. On one hand, he had some of the best routines of the season -- mostly while paired with Robert. Though his style is technically Jazz, he seemed very at home in Contemporary and managed to really wow me with his maturity and technique in some performances. On the other hand, some of his other performances showed his lack of technique in some areas, and he was pretty weak outside of his style. Based on versatility, I wouldn’t have put him in the finale, but he was just so darn cute that I didn’t mind.

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#9: Daniela Avanzini (Latin)

Daniela’s run on the show wasn’t even fair, because it was clear from the beginning that the producers intended her to be the first one to go home. Whoever was paired with Jonathan was bound to be eliminated early, because he was the only all-star that didn’t make the Top 10 in his original season, and he hasn’t been a regular all-star since then, so whoever was paired with him was pretty much guaranteed to go home first. It’s a shame, because I think Daniela had the potential to be a star on this show if the producers would have given her any proper attention. 

Because her run was so short, and she wasn’t shown much in Academy week, I don’t feel like I have a good idea of how she would have fared in all of the styles. She was amazing at Latin, with her Salsa being one of my favorites of the season. She also showed promise in the Classical styles with the amount of technique she showed in her Broadway number. I only wish I had a better idea of how she would have been in a Hip-Hop dance. That’s the one thing I’m missing from her.