Every reality show seems to have one moment that turns out to be the big shocker of the season. This week we saw that moment on “So You Think You Can Dance” … I’m just trying to figure out which one it was.
For starters: One-hit wonder Toni Basil is known to some as the singer of "Hey Mickey,” but you definitely wouldn't recognize her face, as all the work she’s had done makes her barely recognizable as a human being. Could explain why she's disappeared for the last 20 years.
Anyway, Toni’s the third judge, despite never having choreographed for the show. And equally surprising as her brief return to the spotlight (and daylight) was her obsession with talking about how “street” everything is.
Courtney Galiano and Will Wingfield’s hip-hop routine inspired a whole diatribe about how “So You Think You Can Dance” will change how people view dance because she was one of the original lockers, and back then (in the '20s?) people didn’t view street dancing as an art form.
Katee Shean and Twitch Boss’ Broadway routine got rave reviews, but Twitch apparently surpassed Katee — and real Broadway performers — because he “comes from the street” and “dances from the inside out.”
Joshua Allen and Chelsie Hightower did a great job on their Argentine tango, which is apparently the “most street” of all the ballroom styles.
And Mark Kanemura and Comfort Fedoke nailed their hip-hop routine, thanks to having the “ears to hear the groove," which, of course, comes from being “street.” All this from a woman who’s most easily identified with pigtails and pom-poms.
I think the only dance that didn’t get some kind of street rant from Basil was Comfort and Mark’s Fox Trot. She was too busy saying it stunk.
Which it did, along with Mark’s solo. Nigel criticized Comfort for having no real dance moves in her solos — I’m dying to know where he sees them in Mark’s. If Mark tried those moves in a club he’d be thrown out on the “street” (take that Toni).
The fact that he’s still in the competition is shocking enough. His ability to stay out of the bottom two entirely makes me question just how much reality is in this show … or what the heck America was smoking on Wednesday night. That was surely accentuated by knowing that Mark’s absence from the chopping block meant Twitch and Will were our bottom two — a day I thought would never come.
Twitch has the movements of a robot, but hardly the personality of one. With his impressive pop-n-lock skills, relatable humor and infectious smile, Twitch has been a favorite since day one. And his surprising ability to adapt to different dance styles despite his limited training makes it easy to rally behind him.
Will, on the other hand, has plenty of training, but it’s certainly paid off as he’s without a doubt not only the best dancer of this season, but the best dancer the show’s ever had. As if that’s not enough, he’s humble and kind to those around him. And, as he demonstrated in his James Brown solo this week, he also knows how to kick back and have some fun.
In the end, Will was sent packing in the most startling exit of the season. One can only assume that his being so good gave voters little motivation to dial for him, as everyone assumed he’d be safe. Lesson learned, I hope.
Still, not everything can be a shocker, and Comfort going home — again — was far from it. But while it was certainly her time, you have to give Comfort credit for really giving it her all and leaving with a smile. Way to go out with some class, “for real, for real.”
So now it’s down to the wire. The final six are off to another week, where this time they’ll compete for their spot in the finale. Meanwhile, Comfort’s hopefully off to a few music video appearances (and a few more dance lessons). And Will’s off to start a career that will trump them all, which, of course, will come as no big surprise.
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