So You Think You Can Dance - Two More Eliminated

Tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance opens with a Charlie Chaplin inspired group number, shot in black and white with the exception of a red umbrella. Brought to us by Tyce DiOrio, YOUR Top 16 are now ready to compete for America’s votes once again. Cat Deeley informs us that the show will take a 2 week break after tonight, and 2 dancers will also leave at the end of the show based on last week’s votes.

Okay, Americer, let’s welcome the jidges! Tonight’s guest judge is a rather terrified-looking Kelly Bundy. Say what you want – she will always be Kelly Bundy to me. However, Christina Applegate joins us this evening, and I’m excited.  The woman is a hoot, and if you don’t believe me, check out this scene form Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. Cinematic gold.

Contestants: Tiffany and George
Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by, Tabitha and Napoleon

This performance has a babysitting theme, and here’s hoping that neither Tiffany nor George get to watch over the little NappyTabs on the way. Seriously - they paid very little attention to the baby in that crib during the performance. Anywho, Tiffany's moves are much more aggressive than George's, and she is a definite stand out. This is a fun way to start the show, but not my favorite hip hop routine this season.

Judges Say: Nigel says this was an entertaining performance, but he would like to see the hip hop routines a little grungier. Nigel says George got tired, but Tiffany got down. Mary thinks it was fabulous and loved the setting. Christina says Tiffany was tough and scary, but she had wanted the slower parts to be “soupier.” I love her.
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Contestants: Amber and Brandon
Style: Jazz, choreographed by Ray Leeper

Amber and Brandon both lost their partners last week, so they were paired together by default. Unfortunately for them, they have to play catch up on chemistry. Quick. This performance is about two people living in the South, um..."uniting" in the heat. Amber is incredible - "heat" doesn't even fit in here. I can’t take my eyes off of her, which is probably the point given Brandon’s lack of jazz training. Strong dude though, and he is definitely working those suspenders.

Judges Say: Christina isn’t religious, but she says “Jesus” and then she’s bleeped out for 3 to 5 seconds.  She mentions how amazing Amber is and then tells Brandon he is sexy. Mary invites us all to Crazy Town for a moment because she "wasn't sure what kind of cereal these two had for breakfast this morning, but there was some soul in that bowl!" What the hell does that mean? Nigel says this was baby-making choreography….and then indicates that Ray may have choreographed Tabitha and Napoleon. Ew.

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Contestants: Janelle and Dareian
Style: Cha Cha, choreographed by Pasha (yay!)

It’s times like this when I miss the all-stars. Well, maybe I just miss Pasha's open shirt Latin routines. Janelle and Dareian dance to “Call Me Maybe” which makes me cringe (but secretly smile?). The dancers look like they are having a good time, but the song and its popularity unfortunately take away from any kind of Latin-y movements being attempted.  

Judges Say: Mary compliments the couple of tricks they had, but the overall dancing was not good for her. Then she gets incredibly technical, and I become incredibly annoyed. Remember how Cyrus attempted the jive a couple of weeks ago? Remember how he was a disaster, but it was okay, because it was not "his genre?" Ugh.  Christina tells Dareian to be careful how he uses his arms and feels really bad critiquing them. Nigel didn’t find Janelle sexy in this routine (did he not see what she’s wearing?) and he’s pretty harsh on them too.
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Contestants: Lindsey and Cole
Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore

This performance is a love/hate relationship brought to life, and Cole takes his characters very seriously. I worry that he may even karate kick her in a head a couple of times (must have been the awesome shadow-y effect behind them). However, this is gorgeous. Lindsey gives 100% for sure, and Cole is really a great supporting partner for her.

Judges Say: Nigel compliments Mandy and says the lighting was fantastic. Mary says Lindsey has all the magic in the world and tells Cole he is very versatile. She mentions nothing regarding what they may have consumed for breakfast. Christina says Cole is an enigma and says Lindsey spoke so much through her muscles and her body that her hair flying around didn’t matter. Interesting note - Christina might be my favorite guest judge ever.
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Contestants: Amelia and Will
Style: Jazz, choreographed by Mandy Moore

This dance is based on the idea that opposites attract. I’m already loving the costumes. This is a great routine too – it allows them both to stay quirky, and definitely connect better than any other couple has so far this evening. They complement each other perfectly.   

Judges Say: Christina says Will and Amelia are the dream team, and they embrace every style perfectly. Nigel didn’t feel it at all this week. I’m not entirely sure why. Mary is somewhere in between, saying it wasn’t as good as their other performances, but “it wasn’t bad.” Again, no real reason why. Maybe Mandy Moore will schedule a “WTF?” conference call with them later. Call me. Maybe.

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Contestants: Audrey and Matthew
Style: Salsa, choreographed by Liz Lira

I loooooooove Audrey and Ryan Gosling Matthew. However, I think this is supposed to be faster than it appears. I keep waiting for the pace to pick up, but it never happens. Audrey shines more here than Matthew does, as she has included at least some Latin rhythm in her hips, but overall, this is lackluster…pains me to say.

Judges Say: Mary says the connection was uncomfortable. So clearly, the train left without them. They may have thrown themselves in front of it. Christina was distracted by the music and thought the dancers looked a little lost. Nigel needed sex, energy and fun (from the dance, or in general?), and there was not enough going on for him.

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Contestants: Witney and Chehon
Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Stacy Tookey

The theme here is two people who want to be together, but circumstances won’t let them. They dance to Whitney Houston’s (RIP) version of “I Will Always Love You,” which will immediately pull on heartstrings everywhere, including mine. Witney and Chehon dance beautifully, show and incredible amount of emotion, and my only complaint is - the performance was too short. I wish they had been able to dance to the whole song rather than just the beginning and end, because they were doing such a great job telling the story.

Judges Say: Standing ovation. Christina is crying and says they weren’t just the muses – they were the painters. Aw. Mary is also crying saying she feels sadness and joy when she hears Whitney Houston’s voice. Agreed. She says this is their most defining moment in the competition. Nigel is so happy the judges were able to save Chehon and Witney out of the bottom 3 last week, otherwise we never would have seen the routine. He then says they were “flawless.”

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Contestants: Eliana and Cyrus
Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabither and Napoleon

She is a ballerina on a music box, and he is the robot set to “turn her on.” They said it, not me. I might be completely alone here (keep all snide remarks to yourself), but the opening takes me back to the "Doll on a Music Box" sequence from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Just sayin. It’s hard not to watch Cyrus here since he could write a book on robotic dance moves. Whoa! Is Fox really able to broadcast these head in the crotch dance moves?

Judges Say: Standing O. Really? Mary says “you two were fabulous doing it.” Uh huh.  She then declares "you’re both on the damn train." Christina says Eliana is one of the best dancers she has ever seen, and tells Cyrus he is lucky that he hasn’t gotten contemporary yet. Ha! Nigel says Eliana was better than Cyrus in terms of “getting down.” Hmmm. Perhaps he should watch the performance over again?

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Now onto the eliminations. For the girls: Amber, Lindsey, and Eliana are the bottom 3. Oh hell. For the guys: George, Brandon and Dareian. Interesting. Nigels asks Amber, Eliana, Brandon  and Dareian to dance for their lives, and they do so. But….does this mean Lindsey and George automatically be safe?

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While the judges make their final decision Alvin Ailey's dancers treat us to "The Hunt." I'll be honest here and say I really have no idea what's happening during said hunt.

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Results! The girls take the stage first, and indeed Lindsey is safe. The judges also choose to save Eliana, sending Amber home....even though Nigel keeps reiterating that no one is "voted off" the show. No, Nigel - you just voted to not keep someone on the show is all. The guys are up now and George is immediately declared safe. The judges also save Dareian, thereby not saving Brandon.

Now we have a 2 week hiatus before the remaining 14 dancers compete again. With Amber and Brandon both going home this week, there shouldn't be a shake up in the pairings just yet. I imagine by Top 10 though, we'll see everyone "draw names out of a hat" once again. Enjoy the break!

Duets - We Have A Winner!

Well kids, after 2 months of Duets enjoyment, we finally have a winner. The finale opens with Kelly and Jennifer singing “Would I Lie to You?” and this just rocks my world. Seems Kelly is mobile again, which is good news since her summer tour kicks off pretty much now, but Jennifer’s heels are so outrageous, she has to really hunch over to sing close to Kelly when they are near each other on stage. However, I’ve been so excited to see these two women rock a song together, I am just spent by the time they are finished.

Quddus joins us to let us know that he will soon reveal the winner of Season 1 of Duets. The champion will take home not only the title, but a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Before we get to the results though, we have to remind the audience that John Legend and Robin Thicke used to be a part of this show too, so they are going to have the opportunity to perform with one of their partners again tonight.

John and Bridget are up first, and they take on The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter." Bridget is all kinds of sassy tonight, and I wonder if this is the song she was going to sing last week when she was eliminated….Regardless, it's enjoyable. It’s good to have Bridget back, even for a brief moment.

When we come back from commercial Robin is joined by Olivia, singing Ray Charles’ version of “Fever.” Olivia seems to be without nerves tonight (that whole not being judged thing probably helps), and this is definitely my favorite Olivia and Robin performance.

 Now we move on to our finalists. Jennifer and John Glosson are about to break my heart by singing “For Good,” from Wicked. I know this before they even open their mouths. This song destroys me each time I see Wicked…may have gotten me to sniffle in Glee as well. Just sayin’. I do wish they’d had enough time to sing the entire song – the way it was chopped up takes away some of the emotion. However, they get me anyway, and I’m going to miss seeing them look at each other adoringly each week.

Kelly and Jason are up next, and their final duet is “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley. WOW. Kelly starts off the song very bluesy, and then Jason jumps in with some serious swagger. I LOVE how much he has grown in this competition, and I look forward to seeing (and hearing) what Jason's career has in store. They absolutely kill this song, and I am so grateful to have had them on my TV every week. Many thanks to them as well for not picking a song that would make me cry....again.

Finally, we have Jennifer and J Rome to close out the performances (foreshadowing?) with “Rhythm of the Night” by El De Barge.  The song begins in a planetarium, and then the lights come on and we have ourselves a party. I have no idea how Jennifer can be preggers and dance in those heals. For real. But everyone is up and dancing and truly celebrating the journey they’ve had on the show (amateurs and Superstar’s alike).

Results! John, Jason and J Rome stand together now awaiting their fates. Coming in third is Jason, which is a bummer. I had hoped he would at least be runner up if he didn’t win.  Kelly says Jason has shown the most growth and she is very proud of him. We are down to Jennifer’s two Duets partners now, and she is both beaming and nervous. America voted and….J Rome takes home the big prize. This isn't a huge surprise given how consistently he performed during the competition and how well-loved he is by the Superstars and (obviously) the fans. Congrats to J Rome, and here's hoping the other folks on this show will not be forgotten. 

So, another reality TV show season has come and gone, but I take comfort in the fact that So You Think You Can Dance is just starting the live shows. I also can't be too sad given (as mentioned) Kelly's tour kicks off shortly, and I have tickets to see her a couple more times this year. Blogging Duets has been a blast though. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Season 2.....

So You Think You Can Dance - Four Are Eliminated

On tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance, we will say goodbye to 2 guys and 2 girls as the normal Thursday night elimination show has been…well, eliminated this year. We begin with some sort of creepy Marilyn Manson group number that makes me want to reach for the nearest crucifix. I could have sworn this was the work of Sonya Tayeh, but Cat informs us that “Tabither” and Napoleon were the culprits. The guest judge tonight is former non-guest judge, Adam Shankman, who is here to promote Step Up 14 – Dancing on Space Mountain. Annnnd we're off!

Contestants: Lindsay and Cole

Theme: (Lyrical?) Hip Hop, choreographed by Christopher Scott

Cole does a 180 from last week’s bad ass Paso Doble character and turns into a nerd in a dentist’s chair for this number. It’s fun and entertaining, but not mind-blowing. The fact that he stays in character for the post-dance judging is endearing at first but then because quickly annoying.

Judges Say: Nigel says it was a fun routine to start off the show, and he likes the characterization but more so for Cole the Lindsay. Mary thinks the routine was just terrific, but Lindsay will need to bring more acting chops to the show. Adam thinks the American Dental Association should use this dance as a promo. He then reminds Lindsay to be more in character. I think she’s got it.

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Contestants: Amelia and Will

Theme: Contemporary, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh

Will and Amelia are two souls trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel, so of course the performance is incredibly dark. The music illustrates their agony, and it’s awesome. This is a huge departure from last week’s routine, and I wasn't sure if each dancer's crazy and often quirky style would adapt well here, but they certainly did a great job.

Judges Say: Mary “Wooooooooos!” and compliments Sonya, Will and Amelia. Adam gives them a standing ovation and then tells Sonya “we’re gonna have words because that was sickness.” He then plugs his own movie. Nigel says the pair of them immersed themselves in the routine and they are lucky that they are such brilliant dancers.

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Contestants: Nick Jonas and Amber

Theme: Tango, choreographed by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo

So Nick gets a ballroom routine again, huh? Interesting. Let me start off by saying that Amber’s legs are ridiculously strong. Like, she could kill someone by scissoring their neck. I honestly like her footwork better than Nick’s, and maybe it's just because I am drawn to her more here, but given how intense this routine is, they both make it work.

Judges Say: Adam says it was hotttttttt, and then I stare out my window and tune him out. Nigel calls Amber a cobra ready to pounce and says Nick looked very strong. Mary says this was an extremely difficult and demanding routine, and the two of them made it look easy.

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Contestants: Audrey and Matthew

Theme: Jazz, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh

This dance expresses a power struggle between a man and woman. We’re back to quirky Sonya and this dance is very aggressive and sexy. I’m not sure who won the battle of the sexes, but I’m also not sure that I care. I thoroughly enjoy the performance as well as the costumes. Less is more?

Judges Say: Nigel says the performance was absolutely fantastic. Mary says Matthew and Audrey are one of her favorite couples because they “dance all the way out.” Adam thinks the night belongs to Sonya. He also says Audrey is brilliant, and this competition is Matthew’s to lose. Wow. That's quite a prediction to make in week 2.

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Contestants: Janelle and Dareian

Theme: Lyrical Hip Hop, choreographed by Christopher Scott

Dareian is a young man trying to propose to his girlfriend, but they have to do a lot of dancing first to the tune of "My Girl." He stands out for me more than Janelle does in this number for sure. This, again, is more of that “character pop” than hip hop, and I'm not super impressed here, but they end with an adorable kiss so it's hard to complain.

Judges Say: I guess I'm the only person who has a hard time complaining about this performance. Adam rambles. A lot. Nigel thinks the routine was a little uninspiring, and the dancers could have done more than what was given to them. Christopher Scott's face handles this well. Mary agrees and says she was nervous about the kiss, and then Adam then pretends to kiss Nigel because he is an attention whore. Next.

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Contestants: Janaya and Brandon

Theme: Broadway, choreographed by Sean Cheesman

Janaya is a hopeless romantic pursuing Brandon. Brandon is not interested, but they sure smile a lot while they dance. So really, Janaya and Brandon brought a good amount of cheese to Cheesman’s number (see what I did there?). That’s the best thing I can say about it, which is a shame because they kid of wasted a realllllly good song from the Jekyll & Hyde Soundtrack. This is my least favorite of the night so far.

Judges Say: Adam says this was a successful character piece and then promotes his movie again. Nigel compliments Brandon and says Janaya brought something this week that she did not last week. Mary thinks this was one of the most entertaining dances of the night. That's fine - what do I know?

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Contestants: Eliana and Cyrus

Theme: Jive, choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin

Oh Cyrus. Thank goodness Eliana is dancing well and wearing something flashy. She's even giving us a "hey look at me!" smile with very wide eyes. This is just bad, and I think Cyrus knows it, but he smiles and powers through it just the same.

Judges Say: Mary basically says Cyrus wasn’t good, but that he was there to support Eliana. She then calls Eliana a phenomenal dancer, which she is. Adam compares Cyrus’ mind to a zoo with animals running wild. He then tells him he is fantastic. WHAT?!?! Nigel says sometimes Cyrus will hit a brick wall, but thank goodness Tony got him through it. And this is all okay though because America is on his side. He then tells Eliana that she has to compensate for Cyrus’ lack of training....because he is the underdog and the judges have no intention of eliminating him if he is in the bottom 3 tonight.  

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Contestants: Alexa and Daniel

Theme: Contemporary, choreographed by Dee Caspary

The dance takes place in a bathtub. Not kidding. But it’s all about connection, right? And these two accomplish that for the most part. The lighting is great, and the dance is, well...pretty, but it's definitely missing something.

Judges Say: Adam says it was an extraordinary routine, but he thinks it was lacking chemistry and connection. I disagree on connection, but perhaps he is on point with the chemistry. Mary thinks everything was executed to a “T” but she had wanted more. Nigel says the choreography was beautiful but the dancers were lost emotionally.

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Contestants: George and Tiffany

Theme: Fox Trot, choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin

This is very classy and very old school….even though they use Sinead O’Conner’s version “I Want To Be Loved By You” for the performance. They glide well and are very smooth in their movements. They also seem to genuinely enjoy dancing the fox trot even though neither of them specializes in ballroom.

Judges Say: Mary says the fox trot is one of the most difficult dances, but these two pulled it off. Adam is madly in love with the performance (and madly in love with Adam), and then he plugs his movie again. Seriously Fox? Nigel thinks they make an incredible couple, and they give a lesson to all of the other couples on how to connect.

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Contestants: Witney and Chehon

Theme: Bollywood, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan

This performance looks incredibly challenging, but two two dancers are delightful here and make me smile. I have no idea how to critique Bollywood dancing, but ultimately, my favorite Bollywood number was Katee and Joshua's from Season 4. However, I think this is pretty darn good too.  

Judges Say: Adam says the routine was “absolutely so much fun,” but he then tells Witney to dance with a long neck. Uh-huh. Mary thinks it was absolutely perfect and tells Chehon that this was worlds better than the samba last week. Nigel likes Witney’s knee turns and then busts out some terms that I have never heard of.

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All of the dancers join Cat on stage now to determine the 3 guys and 3 girls in the bottom. For the girls we have Janaya, Alexa and Witney. Bummer. I hope they save Witney. For the guys we have Nick Jonas, Daniel and Chehon. I'm hoping for a Daniel save here. He's dreamy. Cat asks if Nigel needs to see any of them dance for their lives and he says “no.” Apparently the judges already knew the results and have pretty much already made their choice. But while they talk and decide some more, SYTYCD alumns Phillip, Kathryn, and Twitch, Step Up for a performance with the supporting cast of the film. I refuse to plug Shankman’s movie any more than that.

Results! We start with the girls, and the judges choose to save Witney (whew), sending Alexa and Janaya home. Now for the boys…. The judges choose to save Chehon, sending Daniel (booo) and Nick Jonas home. So I'm guessing Amber and Brandon will be partners now? It seems a little too early to switch things up. We'll find out next week...Til then!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 20 Compete

Tonight’s live episode of So You Think You Can Dance will feature YOUR Top 20, as Cat Deeley so kindly reminds us, and we will find out who is partnered with who.  The show opens with a really impressive Christopher Scott group number with a Mad Men type theme. I'm so glad we are still finding a way to incorporate the group routines without a Thursday results show.

We welcome the “jidges” as we always do, and this evening’s guest judge is Kenny Ortega, who will soon be directing a remake of Dirty Dancing (boooooo), but also directed Michael Jackson’s This is It tour movie (RIP MJ). The paired dancers have chosen a style out of a hat for this week’s performance, and I am anxiously awaiting the result, so let’s get started!

Contestants: Witney and Chehon

Style:  Samba, choreographed by Louis van Amstel

Witney’s ballroom roots should put her right at home here, but Chehon’s ballet background makes me nervous. The samba is such a fast dance with continual hip movements, and that is quite an adjustment for him to make. Witney is crazy good. Crazy. Chehon has a Ricky Martin look going and though he does seem to have some hip issues, he is doing a pretty good job keeping up. They have decent chemistry for week one, and wow….Witney is….bendy and such. This is a great start to the night.

Judges Say: Nigel says Witney looks like a star, dances like a star and is a star. He doesn’t want to critique Chehon here (What? Isn’t that his job?), but he gives him some advice about keeping his core and relaxing more.  Mary notes Chehon’s foot problems but compliments the way he sails across the floor. Mary makes sure to tell Witney she got a first class ticket on the hot tamale train. I’ve always wondered what that train would look like… Kenny says Witney bought us into space (a space train?), and her compares her to Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, only hotter. He encourages Chehon to surrender to the choreographers and believe in himself. So…no one really liked Chehon in that performance.  Perhaps he should have undone those last 2 buttons on his shirt.

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Contestants:  Tiffany and George
Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh

The two dancers are lovers for this routine whose connection is so great – it takes their breath away. Sonya had hoped they would melt into one another, and they absolutely do. This is just beautiful. I’m not a contemporary expert (I did a few years of ballroom dancing, so I feel better about that commentary), but I think the lines and lifts here are absolutely amazing.

Judges Say: Mary is breathless and says both dancers surrendered to the choreography, and they really connected with one another. Kenny says George and Tiffany were really there for one another and supported one another and it was “exquisite” to watch. Nigel wonders if Sonya has found love given her movement away from quirky and toward romance. Sonya shrugs playfully. He says George and Tiffany dance all the way to their fingertips and overall the performance was superb.

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Contestants: Janaya and Brandon

Style:  Hip Hop, choreographed by (very preggers) Tabitha and Napoleon

The story is about a guy who is an alcoholic, and he has to choose between the love of his life and his addiction. Janaya and Brandon stay in sync and use their prop bottle of alcohol cleverly. The emotional connection between them is not consistent, unfortunately, but I think their movements are very good. Unfortunately, I don't think this routine had the impact it was supposed to.

Judges Say: Kenny loves that hip hop can be deeper and can tell a story. Nigel liked the story as well, and he is pleased that Brandon chose Janaya over the vodka. Mary loved how deep Brandon went into character, but she wants Janaya to be more gritty. See – I preferred Janaya to Brandon in that routine, but what do I know?

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Contestants: Alexa and Daniel

Style: Jazz, choreographed by Sean Cheesman

Alexa and Daniel begin on top of a scaffold and almost slither their way down to the floor in a very cool way. I do hope Alexa is with us emotionally tonight – I saw Tyce DiOrio in the audience, and he won’t hesitate to start screaming awful things at her during the performance. They are wearing these leathery red outfits that do not allow me to look away, and the routine is so up tempo, with so many things happening, I am mesmerized.  

Judges Say: Nigel says there was so much going on (in a good way) that there wasn’t enough time for him to take a breath and realize how great certain parts of the routine were.  Mary loved watching every single second, and she enjoyed watching Daniel smile because he is always so serious. She also compliments Alexa’s splits. Kenny notes that the piece was very demanding, but he didn’t feel that the performance took him anywhere. He also did not indicate where exactly he wanted to go.

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Contestants: Amber and Nick

Style: Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Jason Gilkison

Ballroom is Nick’s genre, so he should be able to help guide Amber here…..except that the rehearsal footage we see is of Jason yelling at Nick. A lot. Maybe the producers are just trying to fool us into thinking this might fall apart tonight. There are a couple of portions of this dance that are awkward, and the chemistry isn’t quite there. However, they do some really nice lifts though, which is commendable considering the Viennese waltz is often the SYTYCD kiss of death.

Judges Say: Mary thinks the whole thing was dreamy. She then tells Nick he is phenomenal and asks Amber if she’s ever worn shoes like that before. Kenny calls the performance fluid, flowing and lovely.  Nigel says Jason’s yelling brought the best out of Nick. He tells Amber she was very good but to be careful with her core.  If these critiques continue as they have been, I’m going to need to start a drinking game, taking a sip each time the word “core” is used….

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Contestants: Amelia and Will

Style: Hip Hop (?), choreographed by NappyTabs

Amelia’s character is a sophisticated house cat and Will’s character is a back ally cat. I am loving Amelia in this routine. She is very into her character, but Will seems a little unsure of himself at times. Napoleon had called this dance more “character pop” than hip hop, which was helpful since I didn’t see any kind of hip hop here at all. I do like the routine though – very different. NappyTabs absolutely took advantage of their strange contestants, and I prefer this routine to the first hip hop routine for sure.             

Judges Say: Kenny looks at Amelia and says the audience would agree with his assertion that “if we had a kitty like you, we would play with you all day long.” Ew. He then tells Will he did a great job playing with her. WOW. Nigel compliments the partnership because both dancers are a little crazy. He notes that the routine will be very memorable. Mary chooses the inevitable, saying the performance was purrrrrrrrrrrrrfect. Next.

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Contestants: Janelle and Dareian

Style: African Jazz, choreographed by Sean Cheesman

Sean describes this as “the rhythm of the jungle,” and I can definitely see that. This is very intense, very acrobatic, and just looks exhausting. I like these two as a pair though – this wasn’t my favorite dance tonight, but they might be my favorite couple so far. I'm also very glad that Janelle did not end up in the emergency room at the end of the performance.

Judges Say: Nigel says both are so exciting as dancers and thinks this is also a very memorable routine. Mary calls the performance a jungle dance off. It was almost a pants off dance off. She believes both of them will go far on the show. Kenny says the dance took him to Cuba, Paris, Brazil, and Polynesia which is pretty amazing since it was an African Jazz routine. Maybe that's where he wanted to go during Alexa and Daniel's number. He then tells Dareian and Janelle they were like two flames dancing across the stage.

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Contestants: Eliana and Cyrus

Style: Broadway, choreographed by Tyce DiOrio

Tyce is having them do a song from Hairspray….hopefully not in the style of Bob Fosse like 90% of all Tyce DiOrio Broadway routines. Side note (another one): Benji and Donyelle did a great Hairspray routine in Season 2. Check it out here. Back to Eliana and Cyrus now. I really don’t recognize Eliana without her Flashdance hair, but she is AWESOME in this performance. And you know what? Cyrus is pretty good too. His smile is genuine, he is truly enjoying himself, and he is absolutely embracing everything this show has to give him. Well done.

Judges Say: The audience quiets down and has a seat, but Mary can’t really get out her first thought because the camera cuts to Tyce who has stood up again doing sort of fist pump/dance combo. Way to take the attention away from the dancers, buddy. Mary says Eliana and Cyrus brought the house down. Kenny felt like he was in New York watching a Broadway performance. Nigel compliments Cyrus’ ability to immerse himself in the dance. He tells Eliana that she is the benchmark for all of the other girls this season.

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Contestants: Audrey and Matthew

Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wall (yay!)

Helloooooo Matthew. Anyway, Travis has set up his own Jack and Rose love story from Titanic. The scene where Jack is drawing Rose begins….but Rose is of course clothed in this scenario. This is ridiculously good, and OH MY GOD – Audrey just ran up the couch and did an outstanding leap into Matthew’s arms.  Best of the night. Hands down. I’m watching this again and then posting the link.

Judges Say: It takes a couple of seconds, but then we have a standing ovation. Damn straight! Kenny says it was exquisitely choreographed and gorgeously danced. Nigel enjoyed this performance more than any other this evening. Me toooooo. He compliments the maturity of Travis’ choreography, noting that the movements, the emotions and the music were perfect together. Mary called the performance breathtaking, saying Matthew showed great emotion and Audrey was “perfection.”

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Contestants: Lindsay and Cole

Style: Paso Doble, choreographed by Jason Gilkison

Typically a Paso Doble consists of the male matador and the female cape. In this performance Lindsay will be some sort of poison instead. Can’t she just be a poisonous cape? This begins in a very ominous fashion and then quickly escalates into awesomeness. I’m not sure that Lindsay’s poison ever stood a chance against Cole’s martial arts 8 pack, but she doesn’t seem to mind. This was amazing. The previous dance is still my favorite of this night, but this one is a very close second.

Judges Say: Standing ovation. Kenny says it was mesmerizing, electrifying and two of the best performances he has ever seen on SYTYCD. Mary says this was the best Paso Doble Jason has choreographed for the show. I wait for her to spontaneously combust…but she doesn’t. Nigel says this was the best Paso Doble any boy has done on this show. He also says Cole could not have been as dynamic as he was without Lindsay as a partner.

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Tonight may have been the best Top 20 kickoff in the show's history. There are SO many talented dancers, and I think we are going to see some extreme competition this year. Next week we will say goodbye to 2 boys and 2 girls after the bottom 3 of each group are determined. We’ll see what happens… Til then!

Duets - The Final Three

Tonight on Duets we will find out which of our Final Four will be eliminated as we move closer to next week’s finale. The remaining three amateurs will perform one song with their Superstar this evening and one song solo. The show opens with our Superstars singing The Temptations' “Get Ready” (good thing too – Robin needs something to do). Poor Kelly though. You can tell she wants to move around to this song, but due to her injury she is carried on stage by the backup dancers. She still sounds amazing!

Before we go any further though, we have to eliminate one of the poor souls who has worked their tail off preparing for this week’s performances. We start with Jason, and he is safe! Bridget, however, is in the bottom 2. J Rome is also safe, so we are down to Bridget and John Glosson. And tonight we say goodbye to…. Bridget. She looks incredibly disappointed, and given the sassy leather pants she is wearing this evening, my guess is she was ready to bring it. But someone’s gotta go, right? Again, everyone wishes her the best, and so do I.

Jennifer Nettles and J Rome                                                                                                          Song: “Breakeven,” by The Script

I love than Jennifer can turn any song into a dance song. Also, her outfit tonight requires mention as well. I have no idea what’s going on there, but she makes it look pretty badass. No real complaints here – the initial “I’m fallin to pieeeeeces” lines do not quite work for me, but J Rome and Jennifer figure out how to blend better shortly thereafter.

Other Superstars Say: Robin didn’t think the song would be right for J Rome’s voice, but he was pleasantly surprised. John says J Rome and Jennifer’s chemistry is infectious. Kelly is still mad because J Rome is so good, but she loved the performance.

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Kelly Clarkson and Jason Farol

Song: “Me and Mrs. Jones,” by Billy Paul

Back to the stools this week, but I have a feeling Jason will be able to let loose on his second song tonight, so there shouldn’t be any criticism regarding his stage presence here. Jason looks so comfortable singing with Kelly now, which can’t be easy given how effortless she makes singing look, and this is a great duet. I think at this point, Mercy might be my favorite Jason/Kelly combo, but I do love this. God, I am going to be so sad when this show is over. I would appreciate it if these two would make the talk show rounds and continue to sing together on TV.

Other Superstars Say: Jennifer loves that Jason has found his niche being a soul singer in a little Filipino body, and she loves where his voice is going. That's a whole lotta love. John thought last week was better than this week, and he believes that singing the same song Jason sang when he was almost eliminated is backtracking. Robin says when Jason sings that song to someone as beautiful as Kelly (grin), he needs to have a little bit of “naughty” in it. Kelly, however, notifies Robin that she has “enough naughty for both of us.” Let’s just go to commercial from there, shall we?

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Jennifer Nettles and John Glosson

Song: “The Prayer,” by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion

Hmmm. Because both The Voice and American Idol featured this song in 2012, I’m initially a little disappointed this is the song choice. The stage is just lovely when John and Jennifer begin….and they are both a little off at the start (for me anyway). Then they nail the rest of the song. Just nail it. Well done, though I think this one is still my favorite cover.

Other Superstars Say: John (Legend) says John (Glosson) is wonderful and his voice is magnificent, and the performance itself was beautiful. Those are all very nice words. I hear Steven Tyler is back on the reality TV market.  Robin says John was off key for one note, but then his voice got going and it was magical. Kelly did not notice John being off key at all, and she says there is something very special about his voice – hypnotic.

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J Rome

Song: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” by Stevie Wonder

J Rome is absolutely at home on stage. I’ve never seen him show any nerves, and he not only works the crowd, but the Superstars as well. Stevie Wonder is one of those artists who is alllllllways covered on singing competition shows, but I think this is probably the best cover of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” I’ve seen on any of these shows.

No time to hear the Superstars…..

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John Glosson

Song: “Bless the Broken Road,” by Rascal Flatts

Good song and perfect for John’s voice. He hits notes that  Gary LeVox didn’t (and probably couldn’t) hit in Rascal Flatts' version. I love this guy, and I hope he gets a career out of this show. He's not really "mainstream" but we'll see what happens. 

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Jason Farol

Song: “Runaway Baby,” by Bruno Mars

Jason wants to be a Bruno Mars type of artist, which I can definitely see. I would have maybe preferred he sing “Grenade” but Jason still works this song. He makes me want to dance in my seat, and the crowd loves him, which makes me very happy. VOTE people!

Other Superstars Say: Robin says John sang the best but Jason brought the house down. John (Legend) loved Jason's song choice, but says J Rome should win it all. Jennifer felt like a stage mom during the performances. Kelly wants Jason to win (weird) but is still very impressed by the other two performances.

This is it! Quddus tells us that tonight's votes determine next week's "epic" finale. Again, I am rooting for Jason and Team Kelly. It could easily be my bias, but I think J Rome played it a little safe tonight. John is a very "fly under the radar" kind of guy, so I still think anyone could win. We'll find out next week - til then!

Duets Week 7 - Still LIVE

Tonight on Duets we will say goodbye to one more contestant and see how the Final Four measure up while singing their favorite Standards. We open this evening with Jennifer and Robin singing Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” This woman must be a hoot to have around the house. I picture her dancing while making coffee in the morning. That's right - I also believe she makes her own coffee.

Quddus arrives now to let us know that we are LIVE again this week (woohoo!) and gears us up for songs by some of the biggest stars from back in the day. But first, we have to find out who is sticking around. Sooooo, whoever is eliminated doesn't get to sing the song they've been rehearsing for a week? That's a bummer for them. We start with Jason, who is SAFE! Whew. Olivia is told she is in danger, J Rome didn't appear worried for a minute and makes is way back to his seat, and John Glosson looks like he is sweating bullets when he is told he is safe. It’s down to Bridget and Olivia…..and I hope Bridget stays. Sure enough, Olivia is leaving. Robin believes her future remains bright, and everyone wishes her the best. Robin now has no remaining contestants on the show, so he can just spend the rest of the season sitting back and looking hot.

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John Legend and Bridget Carrington

Song: “Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole

Bridget watched last week’s performance, and she wants to make sure she corrects all of the shaky and pitchy notes for this week’s number. Bridget is just gorgeous as she starts the song at the top of the staircase. She makes her way down to join John, who plays the piano and sings so smoothly I just want to close my eyes and sway back and forth like Steven Tyler does on American Idol. She does a much better job singing to the audience and not just to John this evening than she ever has before, and I am so happy she was not eliminated tonight.

Other Superstars Say: This was Kelly’s favorite Bridget performance so far, calling it effortless. Robin thinks it was lovely. Jennifer says Bridget brings such poise and class to the show.

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Jennifer Nettles and J Rome

Song: “God Bless the Child,” by Billie Holiday

Fan favorite, or at least the Superstars' favorite, J Rome wants to get back to showing his unbelievable vocal abilities after having some fun with the upbeat songs lately. He does not get to close the show this evening, but he and Jennifer give us a very bluesy, very remarkable version of this song. And can I just say how impressed I am with Jennifer? She just wins me over more and more every week. (Still Team Kelly though - make no mistake).

Other Superstars Say: Standing ovation from Kelly and Robin. Kelly is freshly crippled, complete with a sprained ankle and hairline fracture, so the fact that she stood up three times during the performance shows how great he is. She then says “you’re welcome” to America, as J Rome is now a gift from Duets. John says J Rome murdered the performance. Robin says it was a Grammy worthy performance.

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Kelly Clarkson and John Legend

Song: “You Don’t Know Me,” by Ray Charles

Swoon. Actually, double swoon. They sit simply on two stools and just sing the hell out this song. It's obvious that both singers have tremendous respect for one another and they make performing look so easy. Love it.

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Jennifer Nettles and John Glosson

Song: “Georgia on My Mind,” also by Ray Charles

John has a deep appreciation for sweet tea and macaroni and cheese....therefore I have a deep appreciation for John. Jennifer and John pay homage to their home state with this performance, tapping into their Southern roots without making the song Country. Once again, they blend incredibly well together, though John seems a bit drowned out by the music tonight. This is probably not my favorite John Glosson performance, but it's still really good.

Other Superstars Say: Robin says it was a perfect song for John’s voice. Kelly says John’s mic must not have been turned up enough because she couldn’t hear him very well. Maybe that's why he seemed drowned out by the band. John (Legend) says that performance “was the right amount of syrup.”

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Kelly Clarkson and Jason Farol

Song: “Feeling Good,” by Nina Simone

Yay! Jason gets the “pimp slot” tonight. He will have to take more of the spotlight this evening (stand a little taller?) due to Kelly’s incapacitation. Oh and by incapacitation, I mean she is sitting on top of the piano working it. No worries either way though – Jason is up for this challenge, and I greatly enjoy their performance.

Other Superstars Say: John is really impressed with how far Jason has come with his performances. Robin calls him adorable again (can we give him a little credit here?) and also says he missed a little bit of the soul due to the big band arrangement. Jennifer compliments Jason’s dedication, saying it is inspiring. Hmm. So he is most-improved but not vocally awesome? Interesting.

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Thank you to those who have been leaving comments. I certainly enjoy the input and "hearing" other opinions. Next week we go down to the Final Three, and because of Bridget's near elimination this week, I imagine she will be sent packing. I will definitely be voting for Jason tonight, and I am hoping we have a Kelly v. Jennifer showdown in the finale. Personally, I prefer John Glosson to J Rome, but I think J Rome will absolutely sail through to the end. We'll find out if Bridget lives to see another performance next week. Til then!