With an electric build-up, our quest to find Australia’s favourite dancer began in earnest with our Top 20 pairing off and performing for the very first time. After a late scare for Loredo, there were standout performances from Danny & Kat and clear crowd favourites, Penny and Charlie – while Amy had to apologise to her Dad for her barely-there cossie.
Top 20 Couple #1: Pania & Ben
Hip Hopper Pania was matched with professional Jazz dancer Ben and their first routine was a Contemporary piece to The Presets’ “Talk like that” choreographed by Marko from our First Season Top 20.
Matt said it was a “fantastic start” and great to see a contemporary routine that wasn’t “sad and soppy”. Bonnie loved their floorwork, and Jason said there was “no doubt” in their lifts. He encouraged Pania to let go of her doubts. “You scored, darlin’”.
Top 20 Couple #2: Talia & Emmanuel
In a contrast of styles, Brisbane ballerina Talia was paired with Hip Hopper Emmanuel from Orange and first up they would be dancing a Cha Cha routine crafted by the master himself, Jason Gilkison.
Bonnie found Emmanuel to be “Cha-cha-charming” and commended the “gorgeous” Talia on her “neat” footwork. Jason said Emmanuel “was ballistically good” despite not getting all the moves, while Matt thought Talia’s “extensions and kicks” were just amazing.
Top 20 Couple #3 – Lamb & Timomatic
Perth’s Lamb was paired with Timomatic who is also from the West – West Africa. They performed a Lyrical piece by Travers Ross to the evocative “Rainbow” by Elisa.
Jason said there was “a lot of feeling” but worried whether it would translate to those at home and Matt had the same concerns. Bonnie felt there was something “going on” between the two dancers and Nat agreed – “There is so something going on in this room!”.
Top 20 Couple #4 – Amy & Damien
Star of Top 100 week, Amy, drew the Broadway dance genre and must have been concerned when partner Damien asked, “What’s Broadway?”. She danced in a costume so revealing that she felt she had to apologise to her father: “Sorry, Dad. I’m a bit nude”.
Matt found the Adam Williams routine “a little old fashioned” and that Damien had looked “strained” with the lifts. Bonnie said they’d used their personalities to win over the audience while Jason commended Damien on a “really good job”. He said Amy’s kicks were “powerful”, her “line was incredible” and she had totally owned it.
Top 20 Couple #5 Ash-Leigh & Stephen
Country girl Ash-Leigh grew up in Bunbury while partner “freaky deaky” Stephen likes to bring an “animalistic” flavour to his dance. They danced the Rumba – home turf for Ash - with Chorey by Sandro Catalano that featured a big pash at the finale.
Bonnie thought that Ash doing the Rumba would be brilliant but “it just lacked togetherness”. She felt Stephen had “held it together” and got her “growth award” for the night. Jason found it “contrived” and criticised Ash’s leg extensions. “This is the low light of the evening for me. I’m sorry”. Matt agreed, saying it had looked “a bit amateurish”.
Top 20 Couple #6 Penny & Charlie
“Angry cheerleader” Penny considers herself “the underdog” while partner Charlie from Dubbo is keen to see “how far a country boy can go.” With chorey by Tiana Joubert, they played Hip Hop vampires to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” and totally rocked the house.
Nat said it was “the best response” they’d had and Jason said it might have been the ‘pop’ routine of the night”. He was worried when he saw they were going to try to outdo one of the best video dance clips ever made but they had totally pulled it off.
Matt was similarly enthusiastic: “OMIGOD – That was hot, hot, hot, amazing!!!” and Bonnie absolutely agreed, saying they were “personality A plus”. Jason thought Penny & Charlie had given the other couples two reasons to be worried – they had delivered a “kick-arse” routine and they were “the most likeable characters in the competition”.
Top 20 Couple #7 Kat & Danny
Hip Hopper Kat was matched with Danny from Broken Hill and their first assignment was to dance something that was right up Danny’s alley – a Contemporary piece by Debbie Ellis. It was set to Angelo Badalamenti’s “LLorando”, which is a version of Roy Orbison’s hit, ‘Crying” – but with no music, only lyrics - and they’re in Spanish!
Matt felt it was a “beautiful” first performance that really drew him in but warned Kat not to catch flies with her mouth. Bonnie said she had “totally believed” in their performance and that Kat had a “wonderful way”. Jason said Danny’s technique was “totally sick” and this was his “favourite routine of the night”.
Top 20 Couple # 8 – Max & Jesse
Popular Max was paired with fellow Hip Hopper Jesse and their first routine was a playful piece by Shaun Parker that had them playing “Rock Paper Scissors” to MGMT’s “Kids”.
Unfortunately, it “wasn’t playful enough” for Bonnie but Jesse had done better than Max. Jason said that instead of going wild, the audience had gone “mild”. He “didn’t buy” the acting but thought Jesse’s work was “clean and crisp”. Max’s line in the lifts was “way under” because she had “no core strength” and coming in and out of the lifts was “really sloppy”. Matt felt it “just wasn’t a ‘pop’ routine”.
Top 20 Couple #9 - Gianne & BJ
Brazilian Gianne was paired with BJ – real name William – whose mother had enrolled him in dance classes to help him overcome shyness. Dancing on national television should complete the cure. They danced the Quickstep to a routine by Leeanne Bampton.
Jason loved the snake through the legs at the start – “very smooth” – and was a “big fan” of BJ’s. It was one of Matt’s “favourite routines of the night” and he said Gianne was “joyous” . Bonnie found it “rewarding” to see two people from last season’s Top 40 back performing together, while Jason concluded by saying it was “the best quickstep we’ve ever had on the show”.
Top 20 Couple #10 – Chanelle & Loredo
Former rhythmic gymnast Chanelle missed out on the Olympics by a hair’s breadth but looked thrilled to be paired with Loredo who left Jamaica to perform in “Lion King”. They were to dance a Jazz routine by Project Moda that was inspired by the controversial film, “Clockwork Orange” and required them to attack one another with baseball bats.
It involved a radical new lift called “the slinky” but unfortunately during rehearsals Loredo had fallen 3 times, badly injuring his neck. At one point, it looked like he might not be able to perform but he got the all-clear, took off his neck brace and went on stage to perform their routine – minus the slinky. Dancing to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”, they didn’t miss a beat.
Matt couldn’t tell that Loredo was injured, nor that anything was missing, and thought they’d done a “great job”. Bonnie loved the chorey and so did Jason because it wasn’t just about dancing – “It was about entertainment”. He didn’t miss the slinky and thought Chanelle was dancing so much better than last year. “Fantastic, both of you!”.
Vote for your favourites – or risk losing them!
The sad thing is that two of these fabulous 20 dancers will be going home tomorrow night. Vote for your favourites or risk not seeing them here next Sunday!
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