Ballroom Dance Channel

Hey Everyone!

Glad you’re back with us for the recap of the second night of Superstars of Dance. For a rehash of the first night, please click here. We’re starting tonight with a quick recap of last night, ending with a final shot of those incredible Shaolin monks. I just have to say that while I am enjoying Michael Flatley very much, if his co-host doesn’t learn some descriptive words, I might scream. I’m tired of the word ‘amazing’ already!

Los Huinicas Gauchos are the large team representatives for Team Argentina. While this group is entertaining, I have to take issue with it being truly called dance, because of all the emphasis on the drums and other props. This is more like entertaining tricks to me than dance, I’m sorry! I guess my definition of dance must be too limited, or I’m too spoiled by So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars, this isn’t cutting it by a long shot. They score a 48, giving them a new combined total of 171.

Mythili Prakash is the second soloist from India, and she will be doing a cultural dance for us tonight that I can’t even begin to spell. This is another form I am completely unfamiliar with, but it is fascinating to watch, and she appears to be very good at it. We’ll see what the judges say, since they are the experts, but I will comment that she has great musicality and I see why she was asked to take a break from touring to compete here. She scores a 58, putting them tied for first with Argentina with a combined total of 171.

Ireland’s second soloist is Kelly Hendry, another step dancer. I know it is a cultural dance for their country, but I have to say that I am a little disappointed that Ireland didn’t diversify their dance types a bit more. Kelly does have beautiful lines and extensions, and is very expressive, something I thought was not allowed in this form of dance. If there is someone reading that knows more about this art form, could you explain in the comments, both for me and for the other readers of this blog? Thanks! Kelly scores a 56, giving them a new combined total of 179, squarely in the lead.

Team Australia has selected Henry Byalikov and Giselle Peacock, a Latin ballroom couple currently performing in “Burn the Floor” as their couple for the competition. I really like what they have done here tonight, the chair seems like a third dancer with the way they involved it in the choreography, without making it all about the props. It was about the dance itself, which was a freestyle. Henry and Giselle earn a 56 as well, giving them a new combined total of 170.

Team Africa has selected Victor Da Silva and Claudia Savvides, another ballroom pair, as their couple for the competition. Good heavens, but they are hot! I almost feellike I shouldn’t be watching. Unlike our other ballroom couples, this pair seems to have stayed closer to just one dance, a rumba, and delivered a very lyrical interpretation, full of stunning lifts. It doesn’t hurt that Victor is one sexy man, and in the name of fairness, I have to tell you that my husband is quite taken with Claudia. To give you Dancing with the Stars fans a point of reference, they have the same kind of chemistry as Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, or Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff. I’m not sure if these two are involved off the floor, but maybe they should be if they are not! If you’d like to learn the rumba on your IPod or IPhone, please check out our new app at the ITunes store. The salsa and waltz are also available. Victor and Claudia scored a 59 individually, and is tied for second with a combined total of 171.

Team China has selected Yang Yanan as their second soloist, and he is another of the Shaolin monks, the same company that amazed us last night. I enjoyed them last night, and am enjoying Yang tonight, but like with the Argentinian group this evening, I have to take issue with the use of so many props. This is entertaining, to be sure, but is closer to martial arts than dance in my opinion. I guess I’m not completely out of my tree, because the judges are having the same complaints with content. Yang receives a 51 individually, and they have a combined score of 168 at this point.

Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards is a tap soloist competing for Team USA tonight. If memory serves, Dormeshia had an amazing audition for So You Think You Can Dance, and just didn’t get the hang of other dance forms well enough to do the all around competition. She puts in an incredible performance tonight, solid and not overly flashy, letting her skill speak for itself. Dormeshia scored a 55 individually, and a 169 for the new combined total.

Team Russia has selected a team of Cossack dancers for their large group. Remember this from Twitch and Josh?

Yeah, like that, but with a whole team of them! Dang, the stamina this must take, and the strength. That was very entertaining, and was dance, as well. Thank you, Team Russia! I’d like to note that Maria, the judge from Team Argentina, seems to be a real witch. She can get on her broom and fly back, as far as I’m concerned. Team Russia had a 51 for that performance, and a combined score of 165.

Team India has a Bollywood team for their large group. Ugh. These cameramen are making it SO hard to watch this show. I don’t need tricky camera angles, okay? I need to see the team that is dancing. Also, we don’t need or want to see the crowd! THEY can see the dancers, I deserve the same respect! While I enjoyed what I could see of the routine, I think this dance style was executed better on the last season of So You Think You Can Dance, and it was a new form to all of those dancers. Look:

Again, the judges seem to be in line with my comments, and they scored a 54 for the performance. This gives them a combined total of 225.

Mamela Nyamza is the second soloist for Team Africa. She will perform a cultural dance or us this evening. Gee, I wish I could see more, but the arty lighting just blinded the camera! Based n what I’m seeing here, quite a bit of contemporary dance has roots in the tribal dances of her country. I thought it was risky and different, although I found her screams a little distracting. Mamela earns a 58 for her performance, and 229 for a combined total.

Miriam Larici is the second solo artist for Team Argentina. You’ll remember her as half of the scorching hot tango duo from last night. Tonight she has very cleverly brought a man’s shirt with her onto the stage, and is using it much like a partner, almost as if her lover has gone away, and she is left with her memories. I thought it was a stunning performance. It earns her a 57, and a 228 combined score. Hey, does the Chinese judge know any number other than 8? I don’t think I’ve seen him deliver any other score, although my husband thinks he may have given out a 7 last night.

Damien O’Kane and Bernadette Flynn are dancing a jig as Team Ireland’s couple. Damien was the soloist last night for the team. I think that of all the performances by their dancers, this one is my favorite, because there is a nice balance with the storytelling and all the dance. Neither side suffered, you understood the story, and the choreography was magical. Damien and Bernadette scored a 58 for this routine, and here’s a news flash…China knows the number 9! Their combined score is now 237, placing them squarely in the lead.

Team China has selected an acrobatic team, Zhen Zhu Zheng and An Nan, to compete as their couple. They have taken time off from performing in the Big Apple Circus to compete on the show. Again, while their act is entertaining, I’m not at all sure it is dance, but maybe I am just to rigid in my definition. This seems like walking and posing to me. I’m sure it is very difficult, I just don’t think it is dance. The judges seem to agree, citing a lack of content once again in almost all cases. They score them with a 53, and a combined 221. China and India are eliminated in the duet portion of the competition.

Our second soloist from Russia is Maria Kochetkova, a prima ballerina. What a lovely young woman she is, and while I am a ballet novice, I thought that was beautiful. Well, maybe I am not too far off the mark, because Maria has scored a 63, giving Russia a tie for third with a combined 228.

Team Australia’s second soloist is a contemporary dancer named Reed Luplau. Why is there so much falling down and rolling around in contemporary dance? I am being serious, I don’t understand. Is it supposed to be representative of something? To me, it just is making him look like he has less content than the beautiful young prima that just danced. His leaps are stunning, however, and overall I really enjoyed the performance, even if I don’t understand parts of it. Reed is scored a 65 for his solo, placing him in first, and giving Australia a combined score of 235. We also just eliminated a lot of the soloist field, and had a vote for who would get to stay for the last place in the solo portion. Robert Muraine from the United States won that vote.

Our last performance tonight is the large group for Team USA, The Groovaloos. They are a hip hop team, of course, and a dang good one at that. Quit showing us the audience, though! If they are cheering, we missed something good on the stage! That was very easily the performance of the night. I didn’t like the music much, it just isn’t my thing, but the dancing was off the chain!!! The Groovaloos are scored a 67 for Team USA! Whoo hoo! This gives USA a second overall for the night, with a combined 236. Russia and Argentina are removed from the group competition.

That’s it for the first week of Superstars of Dance. Please make sure to come back next week for the recap, and if you are inspired by all this dancing and want to try your hand at some ballroom, please make sure to visit us at Ballroom Dance Channel. With instructors like Nick Kosovich, Tony Dovolani, Elena Grinenko, Yesenia Adame, and Paul Barris, how can you go wrong? See you soon!

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