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So You Think You Can Dance 6: Ashleigh Drops Viewers To Their Knees In Awe! Top 16 Rankings
Commentary and Rankings by Joseph Braverman
November 5, 2009
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Jakob
Current Ranking: 1 Previous Ranking: 1
Once again, Jakob ranks first this week. He is easily still the best competitor, and actually really sold his performance quite genuinely this week. Spastic leaping moves or not, I still think the kid is a star. Jakob sets the bar high for talented dancers this season, and he has yet to prove he is anything but perfection.
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Ellenore
Current Ranking: 2 Previous Ranking: 4
Ellenore is slowly becoming a fan favorite. I feared her cockiness last week in her interview segment would turn off viewers, but it could have only been a trick of editing. This week she worked through a potential wardrobe malfunction, and gave more to the tango than its tepid choreography did. Week to week, Ellenore is proving to be a serious contender. She is one of the quirkiest contestants to come in awhile, and may just be one of the best performers to ever grace the stage.
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Nathan
Current Ranking: 3 Previous Ranking: 5
Nathan is exceeding my expectations! This week during the Bollywood number, he was definitely the star of the performance. He sold the beginning sword movement so well that I almost thought that he had prior extensive martial arts training. When he got into the dance, he proved with his steps that he was no slouch. I think Nathan is maturing faster than Mollee ever could, and at this point he seems like a guarantee to be in the finale.
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Ashleigh
Current Ranking: 4 Previous Ranking: 6
My favorite contestant continues her upward movement this week. In what was one of my favorite performances ever on the show, Ashleigh was able to sweep me away and feel like I was marrying her. Her lines are brilliant and her quality of movement has improved in the past few weeks. No longer am I sensing the stiffness, but instead her fluidity is becoming her best friend in these routines. She is proving all the haters wrong, and I couldn’t be more proud of her!
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Ryan
Current Ranking: 5 Previous Ranking: 7
Even though Ryan was better last week, he jumps up in ranking this week because his performance and routine were relatively solid. Was it great? Maybe not so much, but Ryan is a terrific partner and he is proving that he is a leading man who could dominate this entire competition.
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Karen
Current Ranking: 6 Previous Ranking: 3
Why is Karen ranked lower than last week when she performed better, you ask? I will tell you. Last season I, like the judges, pimped up Kayla more than I should have, and Kayla was stigmatized by all her praising, that she was lucky to have finished in fourth place. I think Karen is great, and she really kicked up what could have been a dull hip-hop routine into high gear, but I want to see more from Karen than what the judges say is already there. Sometimes the subtleties are what stand out more, and I think if Karen can show that softer, vulnerable side, she will climb back up the rankings where she deserves to be.
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Russell
Current Ranking: 7 Previous Ranking: 2
A few weeks back, I thought Russell’s entrance into the finale was signed, sealed, delivered, but after tonight I am really skeptical now. It wasn’t that he did poor in his hip-hop routine, but he didn’t stand out at all this week, and I almost forgot about him entirely. I know Russell has a huge fan following, but now I’m starting to feel that since there is such high level of talent this season, he may even get cut before the top ten. Honestly, Russell has plenty of time to improve, and the fact that the viewers are back voting certainly is an advantage to him. However, he is slowly slipping in overall greatness as compared to the other guys who are excelling.
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Kathryn
Current Ranking: 8 Previous Ranking: 16
Kathryn makes a massive leap up the rankings this week. I didn’t think much of her before at all, but this week she surprisingly stood out in a good way. Her lines were extraordinary and she delivered so much power in her Contemporary piece. I especially liked the way she didn’t try to overshadow Legacy with her dancing, which some Contemporary dancers usually do. She was more in sync with Legacy than anything else, and it definitely added a balanced dimension to the piece. Overall, Kathryn is starting to really become a dark horse and I am taking notice. Could she be the next Jeanine?
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Legacy
Current Ranking: 9 Previous Ranking: 13
Legacy just proved naysayers wrong this week in his Contemporary piece. Usually I am very critical on dancers who aren’t normally Contemporary dances and get a lot of praise even though they didn’t do very well – see Bianca from last week. However, Legacy easily deserved all the praise he was given this week and then some. What a great spirit, confidence, and energy he had on stage and the technique was beyond anything I had thought he was capable of. Legacy really made me stop and take notice to his dancing, and I look forward to seeing him grow as the season progresses.
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Mollee
Current Ranking: 10 Previous Ranking: 8
My dislike for Mollee did not stop this week, no sir. She was her usual annoying self, and I didn’t find much maturity in her dancing either. Her hands looked sloppy instead of precise. The girl is all over the place and the judges fail to see that. However, she has Nathan as her partner and for that she will probably be carried all the way to the top ten. I cannot understand why Mollee is given so much praise when her technique is consistently lousy. Maybe next week the judges will come to their senses, because she certainly does not deserve all the kind words being handed out to her.
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Peter
Current Ranking: 11 Previous Ranking: 17
Peter showed massive improvement this week, and gave a distinct personality and character that was paramount to the success of a Wade Robson routine. Yeah, he may be a little cocky at times but at least he’s showing some kind of personality. I never would have imagined he would be the final tapper standing, but I am happy for him now that I’ve seen him come out of his shell and really own it on that stage. Peter is barely scratching that top ten, but with a few more weeks of growth and improvement, coupled with the fact that he is a tapper, I think the odds could swing in his favor.
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Pauline
Current Ranking: 12 Previous Ranking: 18
Pauline is a jazz dancer, so of course she could handle a Wade Robson routine with relative ease. Still, she somehow managed to impress me from time to time. Do I think she has the most dynamic personality we have seen on this show? No, I don’t yet her dancing almost makes up for that. I love how she is quiet and confidant and doesn’t get overwhelmed by anything she is given. Her attitude was great this week, especially knowing she was on the tip of elimination last week, but I still think she’s not quite good enough yet to make the top ten. I am all for being proven wrong, however.
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Kevin
Current Ranking: 13 Previous Ranking: 9
Poor Kevin! I really like him a lot, but he is getting so upstaged by his partner, Karen. This was especially embarrassing this week since hip-hop was Kevin’s style and yet Karen, a ballroom dancer, is the one who gets all the rave reviews from the judges. I think Kevin is a great dancer with a dynamic personality, yet much like Russell, there are just too many more talented dancers this season that he could get lost in mix. There is definitely room for Kevin to move on up, but the guys especially are so good this year that it’s probably a foregone conclusion that he won’t make the top ten.
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Noelle
Current Ranking: 14 Previous Ranking: 10
I thought Noelle was undeserving of being in the bottom, and this is the reason why. Compared to Kathryn last week, Noelle was hard-hitting with her hip-hop and she got really down into the grit of it all. I think her biggest drawback was the fact that her cartwheel unnecessary and was just a complete mess to watch. Other than that, I thought she did very well and I saw no weakness as far as her leg was concerned. Still, the judges have made it clear that they are keeping a close eye on Noelle. I loved Noelle’s solo a lot, and Nigel was correct that she certainly danced for her life when given that opportunity. I hope Noelle goes further than the judges are pegging her, because I think she has a lot of talent we still have yet to see.
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Victor
Current Ranking: 15 Previous Ranking: 11
Victor’s presence on this show is about as necessary as his barf-laugh. Look, I understand that he is amazing in his field of work, but like Nigel said last week – it’s not just about being a great technician. You also have to bring forth a character to which the audience can relate with. I think Victor fails in this area, and even though his religious portrayal was a difficult one to embody, there is still no room for error at this stage of the competition when everyone else is doing so great. Personally, I would have preferred to see Victor leave this week over Phillip, but the judges had their way. However, I don’t think Victor will be so lucky next time. Therefore, Victor is my prediction for the male dancer exiting in the top sixteen.
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Channing
Current Ranking: 16 Previous Ranking: 14
I was willing to give Channing the benefit of the doubt this week and forget all about last week’s disaster of a Jive. However, when you have the personality of a pencil and give smug looks in a samba when it’s supposed to be a party-dance which exudes happiness and joy, then I just get really turned off. Channing should have gone home this week. Who really cares if her technique was better than Phillip’s technique? The fact of the matter is that the girl has zero personality, not an ounce of likability, and is just skating by because of the potential the judges saw with her in the earlier rounds. I cannot imagine she will dance with any more emotion than a stool would have, and for that I predict Channing with be the female exiting in the top sixteen.
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Bianca
Eliminated
Ok, I didn’t see this coming. Granted, I was one of the few individuals to give negative feedback to Bianca for her uninspiring contemporary piece, but I didn’t think she’d go so soon. I think her attitude was poor, and it definitely proved so after she was reported to not do any post-interviews because she was so distraught. She should be happy for this once-and-a-lifetime opportunity. Still, I think she should have stayed over Channing. At least she brought a personality, likeable or not, to the dance floor. Goodbye Bianca. I wasn’t a fan but I do have some respect for you.
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Phillip
Eliminated
Oh Phillip, we only saw your personality and emotion at the very end when you spoke lovingly about your late father. I wish Phillip would have brought that kind of genuine emotion to his dances. At the beginning of the season, I thought Phillip would be a strong contender, but his unfavorable edits mixed with his older personality was not a good combination on this youthful program. I think Phillip is great at his field, but I almost wish he would have trained in more styles and would have been more comfortable in his own skin before he tried out this year. Still, I wish him the best of luck and my sympathies go out to him for the loss of his father.
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Ariana
Eliminated
Aw…Ariana we hardly knew you. No really, we didn’t know you. This girl was cannon fodder from the beginning, and even though I enjoyed NappyTab’s choreography, the dancers themselves were just going through the motions. Ariana seemed like a sweet farmer girl whose personality may have blossomed as the season progressed, but clearly she lacked in the technique department in comparison to the rest. I was not sorry to see Ariana go, but she seems like a nice girl, and I wish her the best of luck in future endeavors.
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Brandon
Eliminated
I thought Brandon might have had a shot to stay this week since he was a hip-hop dancer, but the judges pretty much laid the gauntlet down on him before he even got to perform. I think the chemistry between him and Pauline was some of the best of the partnerships, but his level of dancing clearly was not there. It would be nice to see him next year in the top twenty, but shouldn’t that spot be reserved for Billy Bell? As the rules described by Nigel, you have to have performed in the top twenty to not participate in the following year. Billy has never participated, so perhaps it is possible for him to make a return. Bring him and Natalie, and I’ll be making popcorn in anticipation for Season Seven
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Well those are my rankings for the Top Sixteen of SYTYCD Season Six! Comment away, and send me emails! I love hearing from the fans!
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Joseph Braverman is a 20 year old film student at the University of Santa Cruz,
California. Aside from being a reality tv junky, he loves reading, watching
films, and spending time with friends and family. You can contact him at
Joseph@RealityTVCalendar.com.
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