So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 10 Revealed!

Welcome back, Americer! After a two week hiatus, tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance is all about Mia Michaels (shrieks of joy!). The seven remaining couples will each dance one routine that Mia Michaels choreographed for past seasons. As excited as I am about this, I also worry that this is one of those situations where this season’s contestants are doomed from the start….kind of how American Idol always tells contestants “Don’t sing Whitney or Mariah because you’ll never be as good as the original,” and then gives them a Whitney theme.  We’re about to find out!

This evening’s guest judges are Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt, more commonly known as The Ballet Boyz. I’ve really never heard of them, but we’ll see how they do. Before we see the couples dance, however, we kick off the night with a new Mia Michaels group routine, complete with acrobatics and making out upside down. No, seriously. I do hope there will be many more new Mia Michaels routines throughout rest of the season.

Contestants: Cyrus and Eliana
Routine: Mercy (the door routine done by Twitch and Katee in Season 4)

Um, I don’t remember Twitch completely swallowing Katee’s face in the original dance. Anywho, Cyrus is no Twitch, but Eliana is impressive. I would seriously be afraid to be the person on the other side of that door. There was more overall umph and character in Twitch and Katee’s performance, but if you look at this performance as just a tribute, it’s pretty good.  Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Nigel says it’s going to be difficult tonight to disassociate tonight’s dances from the originals. No kidding. He says Cyrus needs to lower his shoulders more, but that Eliana was strong. Mary thinks it was fantastic and likes them as a pair. The Ballet Boyz believe they were both strong performers, and though Ballet Boy #1 said he was going to give constructive criticism….he did not.
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Contestants: George and Tiffany

Routine: Hometown Glory (done by Katee and Joshua in Season 4)

I don’t think this routine is one of Mia’s more popular dances because of its subtlety, but I love this one. To be honest, I believe this rendition was better than the original. So much power and emotion from George and Tiffany, and if Tiffany was not one of the front-runners before, she should be now. Well done. Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Mary says “Cat, well, you're just gonna have to call 911, because we have just witnessed a murder on Stage 36!” Who writes these lines for her? Ballet Boy #1 notes that this dance was different from the dance that came before it. Uh huh. Nigel thinks they did an excellent job but could have pulled back more on the emotion. Hmmm.

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Contestants: Amelia and Will

Routine: The Butt Dance (done by Randi and Evan in Season 5)

During rehearsals, Will seems to really enjoy the amount of time he gets touching Amelia’s butt. Unfortunately for Amelia, she doesn’t quite have the trunk on her that Randi did. You could have put a shelf on that thing…with a plant. Will, however, nailed his part for sure....but I was never really sold on Amelia in her portion (and her portions?). Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Nigel says this is a tough routine to critique because of the original and thinking about Randi’s butt (wow). He says they danced it well, but they needed to bring more character to it. Mary liked it but tells Will to scale it back a bit. So, she disagrees with Nigel? Ballet Boy #2 thinks it was very strong and endearing. But then again, it appears that neither of the Ballet Boyz have ever watched this show before, as they don't know any of these routines or the names of this season's dancers.

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Contestants:  Janelle and Dareian

Routine: The Bed (done by Twitch and Kherington in Season 4)

Both dancers are smaller in stature than Twitch and Kherington, so Mia did tailor the dance a little. Dareian has more technique for sure, but Twitch is just a beast of a guy. Janelle definitely does not stand out here, but I can tell she is trying hard to show the emotion of her character. This was really The Dareian Show. Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Ballet Boy #1 loved the choreography, but he is worried about Dareian’s lines. Ballet Boy #2 doesn’t know Twitch’s name, so I move on. Nigel says this is the first performance where Dareian showed personality and also notes that Janelle did not stand out. Mary pretty much tells Janelle she sucks. Man, if she is in the bottom three tonight, she’s in trouble.

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Contestants: Ryan Gosling Matthew and Audrey

Routine: The Time Piece (done by Lacey and Neil in Season 3– dedication to Mia’s father)

This is a tough one to do over. The original was incredibly emotional, and that is such a tough act to follow. They capture the playfulness of a father and daughter for sure, and it’s a fair rendition, but this is one of those doomed from the start performances. Audrey gives more than Matthew does here, but they do fall short compared to Lacey and Neil. Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Mary is emotional, but she did not feel the passion from Matthew. She thinks Audrey is a shining star. Ballet Boy #2 says that Matthew breaks character when he thinks too much about the dance moves. Nigel quizzes the two dancers about the history and death of Mia’s father, which I find incredibly inappropriate, and then he tells them they did not “bring it.”

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Contestants: Witney and Chehon

Routine: The Park Bench (done by Travis and Heidi in Season 2)

I’m not really sure what to say about this – in my mind, Travis and Heidi’s performance can’t be improved upon. I think Witney does a pretty good job, but Travis is always so fluid and free in his movements, and for me, Chehon is just dancing steps. Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Nigel takes us on another time traveling adventure through Mia’s past, telling us that this story is based on Mia’s love for a gay man who could not love her back. He then says he loved it. Mary thought they pulled it off but could have let go a little bit more. Ballet Boy #1 says Chehon could work for them if the show doesn’t work out.

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Contestants: Lindsey and Cole

Routine: Addiction (done by Kayla and Kupono in Season 5)

Best of the night. Hands down. These two made me completely forget about Kayla and Kupono. Lindsey in particular was a pleasant surprise, as she is a ballroom dancer whose job is to smile and look beautiful and sexy during competitions. Cole played the character perfectly. Awesome. Watch the comparison here.

Judges Say: Ballet Boy #2 is very impressed and calls both dancers versatile. Mary thinks this is Mia’s best routine and this was the best performance of the night. Agreed. Nigel also says this was the best of the night.

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Results! Our bottom 3 girls tonight are Amelia, Janelle and Lindsey. For the guys, the bottom 3 are George, Dareian, and Matthew.  At stake here is a spot on the SYTYD Fall Tour – the eliminated dancers tonight will just miss the train (the hot tamale train?). Nigel asks all of them to dance for their lives, most likely to fill the rest of the 3 hours. Already I’m hoping Matthew and Amelia are safe, though it would break my heart to see Lindsey go. All of the solos were impressive, so this is not an easy call.

After the commercial break, the Top 10 are revealed. Nigel reminds us that the new elimination format is different from the old one. Thanks. Lindsey is safe, eliminating Janelle and my beloved Amelia, which is a huge bummer. I have to wonder what would have happened if they hadn't given her "The Butt Dance." To continue this nonsense, George is safe, eliminating Dareian and my boyfriend Matthew. Damn it.

Next week the remaining couples will be broken up, the Top 10 will partner with an All Star, and I am greatly looking forward to this portion of the season. Not everyone is a fan of the All Star format, but in my mind, seeing how these dancers stack up against the former contestants is a huge factor in determining who I will root/vote for. Til then!