It’s Top 8 time! Is it just us our has this season flown by? It’s clear from the opening introductions that these eight dancers are here to work. And because basically everyone in the Top 8 made it onto the Hot Tamale Train in one way or another on tonight's episode, we'll stray from our usual format and just give a loud Mary scream to everyone. Onto the show…
Cat is looking particularly fierce tonight with her tousled hair and ultra-shiny gold romper. Please let us raid your closet, Ms. Deeley. We’ll be forever grateful and provide you with an endless supply of Dance Spirit.
Oh no! Ashleigh is injured! In an attempt to do a lift, her shoulder popped out (“but I put it back in,” she says). Despite her willingness to dance, the doctors have said no. Fingers crossed for her quick recovery—we’ll miss watching her tonight! So you’re voting for individuals tonight and you can still vote for Ashleigh. Remember, dial wisely these next two weeks, folks. We don’t want another Will/Danny/Travis situation.
Ryan and Kathryn are up first with a Doriana Sanchez disco routine! (Love disco? Read more about it in the December 2009 issue of DS!) First, we’ve gotta comment on Ryan’s pants and see-through button-down. Wardrobe department, what’s going on?! But Kathryn looks super sexy in her barely there sequined fringe mini dress. This duo is giving it all they’ve got (which is a ton of energy!) and they’re nailing every lift. Plus they look like they’re having a blast together. Adam says: "Real men can wear sequins!" We agree with Adam’s next comment that this style suited the pair perfectly. Mary squeals her approval for the pair, but Nigel didn’t completely agree. He also disagrees about men wearing sequins! He says Ryan stayed a little “too ballroom” throughout the routine, but that overall he enjoyed it. (Side note: we’re completely distracted by Kathryn’s beauty during the judges’ comments.)
Jakob and Mollee. It’s the ultimate comp kid pairing. They’ve got a Viennese Waltz with Jason Gilkison. Definitely out of the comfort zone for both of these young ones. Mollee’s legs don’t seem as controlled as they should be during all the quick turns in the choreography and whatever’s on Jakob’s feet (sandals?) is a bit distracting. But that last lift was very nice and the choreography was fresh and youthful. Adam loved it. “It all happened for you guys out there,” he told the dancers. Another piece for Jakob, another round of unanimous praise. And the judges see Mollee growing each week. Mary, the ballroom pro, joined Team Adam, acknowledging that Jakob "was really there for Mollee" and that Mollee “hasn’t lost any of her mojo.” Nigel, too, praised the “simplistic routine,” even comparing it to the beauty demonstrated by LXD company on last week’s show.
Solos: It’s supposed to be Ashleigh, but yes, 26 minutes later she’s still injured. Gotta love her for wanting to bust a move with her sling on!
Ellenore and Legacy are next with a Travis Wall contemporary routine. They’re an angsty married couple (Did you see Season 5’s Kayla Radomski assisting Travis?!) performing a different kind of Travis choreography. We love the table and chair choreography! Ellenore has incredible technique and flexibility—holy developpe, Batman! Legacy’s flip over the table was awesome, and the complicated partnering kept us glued to the screen. Travis Wall, we can’t wait for your first Emmy nomination, which we're sure is right around the corner. The pair definitely performed the heck outta that piece, even keeping up character as they walked toward Cat. Adam said “they murdered it,” Mary screeched that it was “tailor made for the two” and Nigel loved that the routine was “so so dangerous.” We agree! Travis is taking contemporary choreography on this show to new heights and we’re loving tuning in every week to see what he’s been up to. Nigel predicted an Emmy nomination for Travis and the look on Travis’s face was completely priceless! Does he not know how talented he is?!
Solo: Jakob. What more can we say about Jakob? He can turn for days, his legs extend beyond the stage and he can tumble. Someone get this kid a company contract!
The last duo up tonight is Russell and Ashleigh with a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. And “it’s not lyrical, it’s street,” Shane tells us. We’re so bummed that Ashleigh’s injured because we think she could’ve killed this piece! So Russell dances with Shane’s assistant, Rachel, and steals the show. We love his red shoes! One thing we love about Russell is that, no matter what style he’s given, he looks like he’s having a blast onstage. He made this piece look less like a choreographed hip hop routine for a dance reality competition show and more like something he’d do at a club with his friends. Adam called Russell “smokin’” and praised his awesome energy. Agreed!
Solo: Mollee. She’s definitely gotten better, that’s for sure. Throughout the competition, Mollee has gone from a sweet young comp kid to a mature young woman. Even beyond her flip-tastic tricks, she’s starting to embody that glow you get from becoming a seasoned dancer. She’s cute and sweet and we can’t wait to see where she goes from here.
Ryan and Kathryn are back with a Jason Gilkison cha cha. Honestly, Kathryn is so gorgeous that we’d be happy watching her stand and smile. But it’s even better when she cha chas! That twist drop onto the ground was quick and precise—something that only comes from a strong partnership, which she and Ryan have nailed in just one week. Kathryn’s lines are incredible and Ryan seems comfortably in his element. We’ll buy it.
Solo: Legacy. Flip flip flip! This kid is crazy good and watching him never gets boring. The head spins were unreal but we could’ve used more dancing in between tricks. Still, we’re impressed.
Solo: Ellenore. She’s pretty, she’s graceful, she’s got a million dollar smile. Ellenore’s a great dancer, end of story.
Solo: Russell. He’s dressed as Santa and we LOVE it! Happy to see "SYTYCD" embracing the holiday spirit! Was his shoe supposed to come off? We’re not sure, but he went with it. Would’ve liked to see some more dancing but we’re guessing the shoe mishap threw him off a bit. But this is one Santa we’d love to see at the mall!
Yay Joey Dowling is back! Mollee and Jakob are doing a Broadway routine that’s cute and playful. Mollee definitely looks the part and we like Jakob’s playful scheming. Oh and we love it when dancers strip down into less-drab costumes! They look sharp and clean and those side by side aerials were perfectly precise. We like this pairing! Adam even compared Mollee’s legs to Ann Reinking’s! Now there’s a compliment if we’ve ever heard one!
Solo: Kathryn. It’s hard to comment on anything besides that fact that you cannot take your eyes off her! But Kathryn has strong technique and a classy, elegant stage presence.
Ellenore and Legacy are up again, this time with a Nappytabs number. They’re aliens: Ellenore is hip hopping and Legacy is quirky. The backwards faces are totally creepy (and awesome) and reminiscent of the Jabbawockeez from "America's Best Dance Crew." Ellenore seems to be lacking energy in her body, but her face is dead on. Legacy’s spins on Ellenore’s back were cool and his kip up was solid (Want to learn to do one yourself? Check it out.) but overall this piece wasn’t as hard hitting as we would’ve liked.
Solo: Ryan finishes up his night with his flip-infused ballroom solo. We always feel bad for the ballroom dancers when they have to perform solos—we know it can’t be easy sans partner. But then we remember Benji, who managed to nail his solos week after week. Ryan won our hearts when he got teary and begged voters to call in for his wife, Ashleigh. Too cute. And, for that, we just may pick up the phone!
Russell wrapped up the show with a super energetic Nakul Dev Mahajan Bollywood routine. Fun, fast, flashy—we love it. Despite the setback of losing his partner right before the show, Russell didn't falter. We admire his professionalism—and love his smile!
Overall tonight’s show was a strong one. Who are you voting for? Let us know on Twitter. We’re @Dance_SpiritMag! And remember, your votes are important to us! The winner, announced next Wednesday, will appear on the March 2010 cover of DS. So vote wisely, people! —Alison Feller
Latest Posts
Photo by Jayme Thornton
How Paloma Garcia-Lee Manifested Her Dream Role, in Steven Spielberg’s "West Side Story"
The Dream
Photo by Jayme Thornton
Garcia-Lee grew up training at her mother's dance studio in Bucks County, PA, The Pennsylvania School of Performing Arts (her mother sold the school earlier this year). On top of her regular training, she would travel multiple hours each day to New York City and New Jersey for classes with Steps on Broadway and the Princeton Ballet School, respectively. Her bedroom walls were lined with cutouts from the pages of Dance Spirit, which served as inspiration for her goals. Her mother, Terri Garcia, was a professional dancer in the 1980s (she even danced Francisca in the West Side Story tour in 1985), and Garcia-Lee was eager to follow in her footsteps. "I would lay in bed until 3 in the morning staring at the ceiling, thinking, 'OK, I'm ready to do it,'" she says.
Garcia-Lee went to high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied first ballet and then drama. As a sophomore, she was cast as Graziella in her school's production of West Side Story. The magic of performing Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography never left her. "The last time I stepped into Graziella's shoes, it changed my life," she says. "She gets those big features in 'Dance at the Gym' and in 'Cool.' [She] is so powerful, strong and such a baddie."
She's been banging on West Side Story's door ever since. After graduating high school, Garcia-Lee set off for New York City, where she made her Broadway debut at 17 years old in The Phantom of the Opera. She would go on to perform in five more Broadway shows: Nice Work If You Can Get It, On the Town, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and, most recently, Moulin Rouge! All the while, she held out hope that West Side Story would someday come her way.
In 2009, Garcia-Lee was considered for Graziella in the Broadway revival but didn't get the role after countless callbacks. "I was a wreck sobbing to my mother on the phone," she says. "For whatever reason, it was not the right fit for me."
After that, two more productions didn't cast her as Graziella. When West Side Story was being mounted at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, in 2016, Garcia-Lee was offered the role of Mugsy. For the 2020 Broadway revival, she was only offered the opportunity to audition for the role of Anybodys. She turned down both opportunities in favor of other projects—she would wait for Graziella.
Despite the rejection, she was undeterred. So when Deadline published an article announcing the film remake, Garcia-Lee felt that playing Graziella was meant to be.
The Audition
Photo by Jayme Thornton
Auditions for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story were held in the fall of 2018—the same time Garcia-Lee was filming for the award-winning FX series "Fosse/Verdon." She had to negotiate with the production team to let her take time off to go. At the audition, the casting room was filled with many of her friends and fellow Broadway darlings, like Eloise Kropp (Cats) and Jonalyn Saxer (Mean Girls). "Paloma has a way of taking all the tension out of an audition room," Saxer, who plays a Jet in the film, says. "You can feel her love of dance emanating off of her, which spreads to everyone else."
According to the film's choreographer, Justin Peck, Garcia-Lee quickly caught the eye of the creative team. "She is one of those artists who is a true triple threat in her talent and ability," he says. "She's really committed to the specificity of movement, and she's determined to get it right. I could sense that from the first audition." He recalls Garcia-Lee took any free minute throughout the rehearsal process to ask for feedback on his style. "That really shows in the final results of the film."
The Film
Photo by Jayme Thornton
Garcia-Lee found out she booked West Side Story in November 2018. At the same time, she was committed to the Broadway run of Moulin Rouge!, and discovered the two productions were both slated to begin rehearsals around the same time. She spent much of the winter and early spring of 2019 trying to figure out how to do it all. Fortunately, both were based in NYC and Garcia-Lee was already familiar with Moulin Rouge!'s choreography and staging, because she'd been part of the show since its 2017 lab. She asked if she could miss some rehearsals and most preview performances (including the all-important first preview performance) so she could film her scenes in the movie. "That was not a simple negotiation," Garcia-Lee explains. "I am the biggest advocate for 'If you don't ask, it is a no.' You will be surprised how people will rally around you to help your dreams come true, but it takes that risk," Garcia-Lee says.
Working on the West Side Story film was much different from any experience Garcia-Lee had ever had on Broadway. "It wasn't just learning steps," she says. "It's not front presenting—it was really this 360 experience. I'll never forget Steven up on a ladder, then Steven halfway down the ladder, and then Steven on a rolling chair, Steven lying on the floor looking up at [the choreography] this way, Justin tweaking and tweaking."
Rehearsals for the iconic "Dance at the Gym" scene lasted two weeks. Every day started with a ballet class led by Peck, his wife, former Miami City Ballet dancer Patricia Delgado, or former American Ballet Theatre dancer Craig Salstein. Before the work began, Garcia-Lee says, she familiarized herself with Peck's work as much as she could to get a sense of his style. "It's grounded in and sprinkled with Jerome Robbins, but it's also Justin-driven," Garcia-Lee says. "His movement isn't innate for me. However, I loved the challenge of it."
Once rehearsals wrapped, filming for "Dance at the Gym" lasted six days, and according to Garcia-Lee, her feet never hurt so badly in her entire life. But that didn't stop her from soaking up the magic. Especially on the day she and her co-star Mike Faist (Riff) shot their duet. "We were so tired and we were giving each other our all," she says. "All I remember was that we did the impossible. We lost ourselves in the art. We finally got to the end of [the take and] Mike and I fell to the floor. Steven ran over to us, dove on the floor with us and smothered us with love. It was magic."
The Future
Photo by Jayme Thornton
After West Side Story wrapped in September 2019, Garcia-Lee continued on her journey with Moulin Rouge! But all those celebratory can-can kicks came to a crashing halt in March 2020 when the pandemic hit, just as she felt she was "stepping into the height of her career." Garcia-Lee was one of many in the company who got sick with COVID-19. Though she thankfully recovered, she was left wondering what the future would hold. Several months later, it was announced that West Side Story's release was going to be pushed back a year.
Garcia-Lee spent her days volunteering at a horse stable in Brooklyn. It was the first time in decades she found the time to get back into the saddle like she did as a kid growing up close to the Bucks County farms. "There was a lot of work to do identifying myself outside of who I am as a performer," she says. She found solace and comfort around the horses. "I believe horseback riding to deeply be like dancing with a partner," she says. "It really offered me a place to be, and something to feel I was growing in and accomplishing."
Then, with the help of her dad, she drove across the country to L.A. for a fresh start. She wanted to focus on acting and find something new to give her purpose. But that doesn't mean she let go of dance. As studios resumed in-person classes, Garcia-Lee returned to the dance floor. "There's just a lot of anxiety coming back into the room—a lot of us are really out of shape," she says. "Coming back has been a journey. The learning curve right now is having a lot of grace with myself."
In L.A., she's been stepping outside her comfort zone of musical theater and into jazz classes with teachers like Will B. Bell. "She's probably one of the most focused dancers that I got to know over the past year during the pandemic," Bell says of Garcia-Lee. "When she comes to class, she comes there with a mission and a goal."
When it comes to professional work, Garcia-Lee's been auditioning for film and TV projects while cultivating the next phase of her career. "This pause has been a blessing in disguise," she admits. "It really took some time to calibrate myself differently." She would love to originate new roles, as well as inhabit classics, like those found in the upcoming Guys & Dolls movie musical directed by Bill Condon. She also dreams of playing Roxie in Chicago on Broadway.
For now, though, Garcia-Lee is eagerly anticipating the West Side Story film release in December. After a yearlong delay, she is physically and mentally ready to celebrate playing Graziella. "I'm actually more ready now," she says. "I think a lot of us feel this way. The timing is exactly right."
Photo by Jayme Thornton
Photo by @mediabyZ
Am I Less Committed to Dance Because I Have Other Passions? (Spoiler Alert: NO!)
Dance Spirit: Are dancers less committed to dance if they have other passions?
Dr. Lucie Clements: Definitely not, in fact I would always encourage a dancer to have more than one passion. Having multiple hobbies helps you to maintain balance in your life, brings perspective, and will also bring lots of new skills into your life that will likely transfer into dance.
DS: What's the difference between a commitment to dance and an all-consuming obsession with dance?
LC: In psychology we call the distinction between commitment and all-consuming hobbies either harmonious or obsessive passions. A harmonious passion means that dance is in harmony with other activities, is associated with positive emotions, and we know that we would manage if we were injured. Essentially, this is where a person makes an autonomous choice to have dance in their life, and makes time and space for other things, too. An obsessive passion, by contrast, is one where we live and breathe dance, at the cost of other hobbies, possibly even friendships or relationships, and especially our own well-being. This sort of commitment could lead to what's known as a "controlled internalization"—we are dancing because we feel compelled to since we can't imagine life without it, rather than doing it because we love it. Always remember to check in and ask yourself if dance is in harmony with the rest of who you are.
DS: What are the benefits of having other hobbies and interests?
LC: Having lots of interests builds a broader self-concept, which relates to the way we label ourselves ("I am a dancer," "I am a swimmer," "I am a sister"), but also the values we hold most strongly (e.g. to be creative, to be kind, to be powerful). Self-concept is really key to our well-being, it gives rise to our evaluations of our self-worth and self-esteem. When a dancer experiences loss in dance, such as injury, a series of 'no's at an audition, or a long time without work, their self-concept could be wiped out if all they label themselves as is 'A dancer.' If all we have is dance, it can prevent us from coping during times of loss because that rejection or injury is taking away all that we are. Someone who has a variety of hobbies can draw on the other parts of who they are to boost their self-esteem and find purpose.
DS: Are there any risks associated with pursuing other interests that we should be wary of?
LC: Doing too many activities can lead to burnout. To keep burnout at bay, don't forget to make rest and self-care your hobbies too!
Here's What the Dance Pros Are Saying
Kristen Harlow
Photo courtesy of Kristen Harlow
Kristen Harlow on the relationship between dance commitment and hobbies: "I believe dance can still be your favorite hobby, as you allow yourself to explore new creative outlets. That is the beauty of being an artist: We can use our love for art to try new things!"
Kristen Harlow on her own nondance interest: "My passion outside of dance is being a cake artist/baker! During the pandemic, all I wanted to do was spread joy, and because we couldn't be together dancing in NYC, baking became the next best thing for me."
Kristen Harlow on the similarities between baking and dancing: "Ever since I started Kristen's Kreations, I have realized probably thousands of different similarities between the two. Dance for me has always been my source of joy and motivation, and baking quickly became the same."
Photo courtesy of Kristen Harlow
Kallie Takahashi
Kallie Takahashi
Photo by @mediabyZ
Kallie Takahashi on her own nondance hobbies: "I love to sew and design my own clothes. Sometimes I will just do small alterations on old pieces that I already own, sometimes I'll buy something knowing I want to completely take it apart, or I will even start from scratch by picking out the fabric and dreaming up whatever I can imagine."
Kallie Takahashi on the lesson both dance and sewing have taught her: "Patience is everything. You aren't going to get it right on the first try, but that doesn't mean you won't learn something on the way."
Kallie Takahashi on the benefits of being versatile: "Expanding your horizons allows you to be a more well-rounded individual and gives you more outlets to express yourself. And who knows, the industry is so versatile, maybe that other interest will help you in your dance career in the long run—special skills and all!"
Kallie Takahashi models the pants she made.Photo courtesy of Kallie Takahashi
Ultimately, finding balance with dance and other hobbies might be challenging to navigate at first, but it is well worth the work in order to let your best qualities shine.
Editors' Picks
