Rentak Sejuta¡¦s Review: Episode 9 ¡V Top 12The really fantastic news today, from reading all the reviews done before me, is the wonderful fact that even loyalist supporters of certain contestants have been moved by others who have not been their favorites and have acknowledged them for their talents in a phenomenal way. This in itself is a remarkable thing and a real positive note for the industry, when fans become more discerning and honest about their views.
After listening to some of the comments from the judges this week I am beginning to think, that maybe some of the judges have been in the business too long, that they themselves may have forgotten what dancing is all about. I will always respect them and will hardly dispute them on their knowledge and application of technique in the artistes performance, but at the end of the day, I only have to listen to my soul to know whether I have been moved by the dancer & his/her performance or not.
This week we see the introduction of Malaysiana, which is really a culmination of various Asian dance forms in this country, as a theme. As opposed to western dance which are high on technique and structure, Asian dance is all about interpretation of loosely structured and free form expressions that are tied to our cultural heritage and how these expressions touches the soul. This week we are fortunate that 3 of our main cultures are represented in a competition of such international standing, and all appreciation should go to the producers for bringing these cultural dance forms to mainstream reality TV. The exposure granted will bode well for the respective bodies that continue to keep these art forms alive. Well done 8TV.
We are also fortunate that the producers have taken some of the suggestions by the fans, and introduced a co-host in Jehan Miskin to further liven up the show. Looking at the studio audience¡¦s reactions, it was a positive addition to current host Juliana Ibrahim. From the press release issued by 8TV, Jehan will be joining as a permanent member until the end of the season.
It was a clean, sharp and articulate performance by Dennis this week when he portrayed his warrior persona immaculately. Becky however was less precise, with many loose ends showing clearly. A little bit more aggression in her actions may have made up for those minor indiscretions, but overall it was an acceptable performance. Together, they made light work of Azwa¡¦s splendid choreography and easily engaged the audience with a vibrant and exciting performance that was the perfect start to the Malaysiana week.
The mating eagles soared high on stage in Ruums, with a captivating and magnificent display that was clearly a step up from their cheeky and fun display from the week before. It was quite an experience as they brought the entire studio audience soaring along with them, with a fluid and breathtaking performance that was designed to stir the imagination. It was good to see Firul adding a little more dimension to his usually stoic demeanor, and having a lot more fun as well. Brancy as usual, was at her competitive best, and added one more straw to her cap, with another well characterized delivery that was flowing and enchanting. Kudos, to the choreographer, Amy Len, for a beautiful routine. It was certainly going to be a hard act to beat.
But beaten it was, when Sue & Isaac took us into another realm, with a powerful and passionate display of a love story gone all wrong. It was simply awesome storytelling by two wonderful dancers that gave us a performance that certainly tugged at the heartstrings, and left many in the audience close to tears. It felt like a pieces of timeless art that came to live on stage to tell their forbidden tale, thanks to two ¡§artistes¡¨ who dug deep into themselves to find that extra quality. Technically, both Sue & Isaac, showed great composure and handled all their moves with the requisite delicacy & finesse, but it was their emotional maturity that nailed their routine and had the audience mesmerized. It was soul food to say the least. I savoured every microsecond of their performance right until the very final heartbreaking emotive nuances of Sue¡¦s breakaway from Isaac in the dead of silence (with the exception of crowd noise). I thought both Isaac & Sue delivered their roles perfectly, although the judges (with the exception of Ramli) thought that Isaac was not stepping up to the plate, which for me was a totally ridiculous notion. In contrary, it was his finest. Once again, kudos, to the choreographer Umesh Shetty, for such an exemplary piece for them to work with.
I felt that both Alam & Noor were seriously shortchanged by the simplistic and two-dimensional (as Ramli put it) choreography. Perhaps, Amy Len ran out of steam after putting together Brancy & Firul¡¦s exceptional routine, and could not come up with one that was more engaging, within such limited time. The routine was clearly dull, short & repetitive, even though it had a slight element of difficulty by including fans as props. Visually it was quite lacklustre. But that was certainly no excuse, for both Alam & Noor to come up with a less than glowing display. They lacked their usual passion, had zero connection on stage and made many visible mistakes. Their interpretation was only at a surface level and did not reflect the depth of the culture they were representing. It was unfortunately a below par performance from a usually outstanding couple.
It was not perfect but it was certainly a well translated emotive display by Nikki that had me absorbed and feeling it. She captured the mood perfectly and showed us that what she lacks in technical finesse, she certainly can make up for it in soulful persuasion. I was certainly moved. Yuz on the other hand is truly an exceptional dancer who seems to be flying under the radar every week. He is both technically and emotionally complete. I have to agree with Ramli that he might just turn out to be one of the finest dancers in the country. Overall it was a descent showing from both, but it was not as brilliant as some of the other performances this week.
It seems like for the past 2 weeks, the choice of music is putting some of our contestants in jeopardy. I don¡¦t know who picks the music but Reshmonu¡¦s Hey Wale Wale can hardly be considered Indian or Indian Contemporary, or even Indian Fusion. It¡¦s just a pop piece that has a few bits of Bhangra hooks thrown in to give it flava. Worst of all, was the fact that the choreography completely missed the mark and could not synergize with the music, and was really a pathetic attempt at showcasing Indian contemporary. I am surprised that a choreographer as talented as Umesh, would let such a weak musical selection inhibit his creativity. As much as I would like to blame the choreography, the music, Jimmy¡¦s injury and even the wardrobe malfunction for Jo & Jimmy¡¦s downfall, they too had a serious part to play in it themselves. First and foremost, both of them did not perform any of their moves in sync with each other which alone is a big negative for them. Secondly, the parts that actually had any resemblance to Indian dance, was not executed anywhere close to it and really was shambles. It may have looked like some fun dancing to the audience but it was unfortunately a misguided attempt at Indian contemporary. Bollywood dancing is not just about happy faces and running around trees, which is what both Jo & Jimmy were seen trying to get away with. Jo is a pretty decent dancer but somehow she did not raise her game this week and was merely going through the motions. And I am in serious doubts of whether Jimmy has it in him to be a dancer, as he hardly engages in the roles he plays and keeps churning out the same stuff, sufficiently enough to keep him out of the water each week.
The shocker of the week was the introduction of the ¡§Bottom 6¡¨ (which was already pre-planned, but was executed a week earlier than expected) which took all the contestants and the audience by surprise. I was not really that surprised to see Jimmy, Jo, Alam, Noor and Becky at the bottom, but was amazed that Isaac ended up there too. Listening to the audience¡¦s appalled reaction also further compounded my amazement.
Now I do have a big beef with all the contestants who end up in the bottom 6. They are given 30 second to save their lives but looking at all their performances, it seems that none of them really have an amazing routine that can wow the viewers. I would expect that they would really come up with something that will blow people¡¦s minds and make viewers who are on the fence come out and support them, at the very least. Their spots for advancement are already in the balance and I don¡¦t see any of them really pulling out all the stops. Some even recycle the same unoriginal routines over an over again. For heaven¡¦s sake guys, this is your last chance, so you got to really captivate the viewers. Perhaps, you guys got to come out of your comfort zones and try something different, every chance you get.
Sadly, this week saw the end of the road in SYTYCD for both Jo & Isaac. Although it seemed that the popular Isaac had built up a sizeable fan base and looked safe enough, it was not enough to save him. From what I gathered, the margin of difference between the contestants was minuscule, and most of them just scraped through. So the fact remains that the competition is becoming more difficult each week (even for the judges to decide) and no one is really safe once they are in the bottom 6, and each of them need to be amazing every week in order to remain out of the bottom to be absolutely certain of advancement.
I am going to be a soothsayer this week (which will definitely incur the wrath of their fans, but I hope they will take it with a pinch of salt) and infer that perhaps Nikki & Jimmy will most likely be facing the chopping block next week if they do not raise their game. I really hate to see anyone leave the competition but that¡¦s the name of the game.
To our leaving finalists, Jo & Isaac, Rentak Sejuta wishes you all the very best in your future endeavours and we are certain we will be hearing a lot more from the both of you in the near future. Don¡¦t give up the dream.
This week's ranking:1. Sue/Isaac
2. Brancy/Firul
3. Dennis/Becky
4. Yuz/Nikki
5. Jo/Jimmy
6. Alam/Noor
Look who dropped by!!! By the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! to our dearest Sean.¡§If I can¡¦t partner Brancy anymore, I don¡¦t mind Vish, just let us show you all what we got.¡¨ - SeanJuls & her stylist/make up artist Segar from Eye DesignMen In Black, all set to show their Rentak.