On tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance, the Top 8 will perform, and we will say goodbye to one more guy and one more girl. We open the show with an awesome group number, complete with ladies in kimono type dresses and very stealth men that kind of remind me of the movie Rising Sun. No? No one remembers this Wesley Snipes/Tia Carrere/Sean Connery gem? You’re missing out. Anyway, this routine was choreographed by SYTYCD newbie Peter Chu.
This evening’s guest judge is Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who Cat is apparently in love with. I understand why – he was my favorite guest judge last year just because of his excitement to be there and undying love for every dancer. It’s nice when celebrities are also star struck and humbled by other talented individuals. I’m anxious for the competition to get going now.
Contestant: Witney and Twitch
Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by Luther Brown
Initial thoughts – whoever dressed Witney in the incredibly flattering shirt should be praised. If that same person, however, raided the “good will” box left outside MC Hammer’s house and put her in those pants, then he or she should be fired immediately. Now onto the dance. Girl sure does know how to whip her hair back and forth, and she is really working this routine much to my surprise and delight. Not sure if this qualifies as buck or ratchet or any of those other terms that I am not qualified to use anyway, but it’s a good way to kick things off.
Judges Say: The camera pans to the least gangsta group of judges ever (shout out to JTF’s bow tie), and Nigel welcomes Luther to the SYTYCD family. Mary has a seizure and loses a bracelet, and she then bestows upon Witney all of those hip hop terms I mentioned earlier. JTF most likely pisses off the producers by disclosing he received index cards with the names of the contestants and their respective All Stars. Was this because of the Ballet Boyz a couple weeks back? It was pretty obvious they had never seen the show or knew of any of the shows contestants….ever. Regardless, JTF calls out Witney’s diaper pants (thank you) but tells her she is brilliant.
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Contestant: Cole and Allison
Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh
Sadistic Cole is back, and he is fighting off the advances of poor Allison who is desperate for his affection. Cole would have to be soulless to turn down this girl. We know by now that he loves getting into character, and Allison plays hers perfectly as well. There are so many strong, jerky and almost violent movements that it’s surprising that they did not injure themselves in the process. Well done.
Judges Say: JTF says Sonya’s soft new look isn’t fooling anyone because she is still sick and demented...which is a relief for all of us. He then says the routine was so intense that he needs a cocktail. Mary tells Cole that if he keeps dancing like this he may be in the finale. Nigel says Cole brings a uniqueness to the show, and there is no reason he will not be in the Final 4.
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Contestant: Eliana and Ryan
Style: Quickstep (oh no!), choreographed by Jonathan Roberts
I have a pit in my stomach now given the poor history of contestants living to see another week after performing the quickstep. I’m not entirely sure why – it’s a very challenging but very fun dance, and it needs more love. Jonathan gives us the businessman/bored housewife theme, and it REALLY works. Ryan partners her very well, and she keeps her posture and holds her own. Eliana may have just become my favorite girl to win.
Judges Say: Mary loves the routine and tells Eliana she is spectacular. JTF says it has been amazing to watch her grow this season and compliments her range of emotion. Nigel proclaims that Eliana’s top line during that dance was the best he has seen from a non-ballroom dancer. If you’re wondering what he means by that, picture the quickstep dancers as ducks in a pond – their top halves remain poised while their legs go a little crazy.
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Contestant: Lindsay and Alex Freaking Wong
Style: Jazz, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh
This dance has no particular theme other than sexual tension, and I have no problem with that. Also, please add Alex to the list of dancers who should never wear a shirt. Unfortunately, he is selling the tension far more than Lindsay, as she seems more worried about the dancing and the technical steps. I do enjoy the routine though – I can never complain about quirky Sonya dances.
Judges Say: Nigel is a fan of the choreography and the technique embodied in the performance. He did not get the sexual tension between the two dancers, which is accurate. Mary agrees with Nigel and receives “boos” from the audience. JTF says Lindsay is “ding-dong dorable” which is a phrase I will now shamelessly use in conversation as much as I can. He says technically it was 100% but tension was only at 70%.
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Contestant: Will and Lauren
Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by Christopher Scott
Will is a guy with a lot of problems trying to dance his pain away, and Lauren is that piece of him trying to help. I like the concept for sure, and Will is trying his best….but he is not hitting the movements hard, and Lauren is just a hip hop beast. I can’t deny though that I love Will’s scruntchy, frustrated hip hop face. Ding-dong dorable perhaps? Too soon?
Judges Say: Mary loves the routine, saying it was intriguing and that Will was articulate and precise. Okay, so Mary and I are a little varied in our opinions. JTF says Will is like an adorable puppy covered in stickers of adorable puppies, wearing a hat that says “I’m an adorable puppy.” I. Love. JTF. He tells Will it was nice to see him scale down the goofiness for this performance. Nigel says this was a tough routine for Will because he wasn’t dancing “with” his partner because his partner was supposed to be a part of him, and that was very difficult for Will to do…but Nigel doesn’t really say whether Will pulled it off. Hmmm.
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Contestant: Cyrus and Melanie (yay!)
Style: Jazz (uh oh), choreographed by Mandy Moore
Well, let’s see if Cyrus receives any dance steps to do in this routine, since his recent contemporary performance cleverly had him lifting his partner for 90% of the routine. The verdict? Well. Eh. He kind of dances more this go round. I think our eyes are supposed be drawn to Melanie (and rightly so), meaning once again we have a crafty choreographer who did the best with what she had to work with. I can’t fault Mandy for that.
Judges Say: JTF compliments Cyrus’ charisma. And here we go….unique….personality ….joy....passion… great story, etc. Nothing about how Cyrus dances when it’s not his own style. I’m moving on.
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Contestant: Chehon and Anya
Style: Tango, choreographed by Miriam and Leonardo
I do believe Chehon is now my favorite guy to win this competition. This tango is sexy, difficult, and possibly dangerous. I would not be surprised if Chehon suffers brain damage as a result of the endless spin/lift he does with Anya. This is one of the best tangos I have seen on this show in a long time. Here's the link to my fave.
Judges Say: Standing ovation, and I couldn’t agree more. Mary says the hairs on her arms went up and shouts that this is her favorite number tonight. Wooooooooo! JTF says this was a very strong performance, and he invites both dancers aboard his hot jalapeno bus. OMG. Just when I think he can’t top himself anymore, JTF delivers again. Nigel congratulates the choreographers and says he is thrilled by the connection between the two dancers.
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Contestant: Tiffany and Ade
Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore
Mandy is already teasing us in the rehearsal package about the song choice for this performance, and I’m an instant sucker and want to know what it is. Oh wow. “The Power of Love,” by Celine Dion….it IS going to be hard not to sing along. Sheesh. Okay, even though I am singing loudly and entirely off key, this routine is ridiculous. The lifts these two pull off just put the rest of the lifts tonight to shame, and what they accomplish during this performance is beautiful.
Judges Say: Standing ovation again and Tiffany is very emotional. JTF sings a little and says the partner work was insane. Mary tells Tiffany this was her best performance of the season. Nigel says this performance was fantastic. He calls Tiffany a beautiful technician and a beautiful performer.
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Results! The bottom 2 girls tonight are Witney and Lindsay, and the bottom 2 guys are Cole and Will. Based on the showering of praise both Witney and Cole have received throughout the entire season, I think Lindsay and Will are goners. No need to see them perform solos, and with a few minutes left in the show, the judges deliver the news. Nigel reminds us once again that they are “saving” dancers and no one is “voted off”…except for the part where “not saving” a dancer “sends them home.” Don’t absolve yourself from responsibility, dude. Anyway, with absolutely no suspense, Lindsay and Will are eliminated and we now have our Top 6.
Our remaining contestants Eliana, Tiffany, Witney, Chehon, Cole and Cyrus will compete next week for a spot in the finale, and I cannot believe the season is almost over already. The decision not to have a Thursday night results show still disappoints me, but the performance shows have definitely been jam-packed with awesomeness. We’ll see who the Final Four are next week – til then!
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