So You Think You Can Dance - One Step Closer To The Finale

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!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 10 Perform

Tonight we welcome back the All Star format on So You Think You Can Dance, and I could not be happier. We open with a Broadway style group routine that pays tribute to the late Gene Kelly in celebration of his 100^th birthday. Not only is the routine choreographed by Tyce DiOrio, he is dancing in it as well. It could just be me, but I am suddenly thinking of two episodes of Glee: the Britney episode where Mr. Shue feels it necessary to sing “Toxic” with the kids, and the Rocky Horror episode where Mr. Shue feels it necessary to cast himself as, well, Rocky Horror. To my relief, Cat announces that Tyce was dancing for a slightly injured Cole, and I therefore do not have to be angry with the show.

This evening’s guest judge is Benjamin Millepied, more commonly known as Natalie Portman’s husband. However, Mr. Millepied is a very talented, very accomplished ballet dancer, so hopefully his critiques are helpful. Additionally, I have my fingers crossed that Swan Lake music will play at some point tonight (that’s my plug for Black Swan – freaking awesome movie). And here we go!

Contestant: Tiffany and Brandon

Style: Disco, choreographed by Doriana Sanchez

I’m always immediately annoyed when Cat says “a disco routine choreographed by Doriana Sanchez.” Typically these routines are just crazy lifts, tosses and spins with no additional dance steps that somehow get standing ovations and bulk tickets to the hot tamale train. This performance fares a little better in terms of content, and Tiffany is working her outfit as well as her limbs. There are a few awkward pauses, but this is a high energy start to the show.

Judges Say: Nigel thanks Adam Shankman for letting Tiffany borrow some of his old clothes. Smirk. He then tells Tiffany she was fantastic. Mary starts screaming at all of us and then indicates there were 11 lifts in the performance. She then says Tiffany “held up” her part of the bargain. Ha! These judges are already on fire tonight! Benjamin is impressed by the level of energy that was kept all the way through the dance, and he also compliments the expressions Tiffany makes while dancing.

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Contestant: Witney and Nick (yay!)

Style: Jazz, choreographed by Travis Wall (double yay!)

First, let me just say how thrilling it is to see Season 1 winner Nick Lazzarini back on this stage (favorite Nick performance here). Second, I cannot possibly express how much I am freaking out in anticipation of Nick dancing a Travis routine. The theme for this dance is ghosts in an abandoned lounge. Tonight Witney has brought the sexy with her (she may have brought sexy back?), and she absolutely holds her own with Nick. This is a great performance.

Judges Say: Benjamin thinks the routine was excellent and they looked the part. Nigel thinks Witney was totally committed to the routine and she could go all the way. Mary comes up with a gem saying “Lord have Murphy, you were smooooooldering  out there.”

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Contestant:  Cole and Anya

Style: Cha Cha, choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin

Welcome back Anya! During the rehearsal package she admits that the dance is kicking her butt, so we’ll see how Cole handles himself here. In addition to the fact that Cole should not button a shirt ever again, he does a pretty good job with the cha cha. This is a very fast, very complicated routine, and I am sold on him as a ballroom dancer, especially since Cat mentioned he had suffered an injury this week. 

Judges Say: Mary thinks the performance was amazing and gives some “woos!”...however, she does not put him on the hot tamale train. Benjamin looks relieved that Mary has stopped talking, and he suggests more weight distribution and contrast in his performance. This is why I like him. Nigel says Cole needs to take it in his hips (do what you want with that) and have more of a connection with Anya.

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Contestant: Lindsay and Jakob (love him)

Style: Broadway, choreographed by Spencer Liff

Spencer gives us a theme where shadows come to life, which is a really awesome concept. They make wonderful use of a screen and the lighting, and well, the shadow. The two are in sync exactly when they need to be. It’s an overall happy, entertaining performance, and I'm a fan.

Judges Say: Nigel thinks it was a great routine in terms of showing the dancers off. He then calls Lindsay magnificent. Mary puts Lindsay in first class on the hot tamale train, and I now imagine Cole unleashing hell in the prop room backstage. Benjamin loved the crescendo of the performance. He’s so fancy.

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Contestant: Will and Kathryn

Style: Bollywood, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan

Will is playing a flute to charm a snakelike Kathryn from a basket. Oh Will, your boyish good looks and adorable smile almost distract me from your awkward movements. Almost. Kathryn, however, is just fantastic.

Judges Say: Have we talked about Step Up Revolution lately? Because, you know, Kathryn was in that movie….and Randy worked with Mariah. Moving on. Mary calls Will an energizer bunny and says he is one of the most likable guys in the competition. Um, there are only five guys left. Now Cole is REALLY pissed. Benjamin says Will has a charming, unique style and that he is engaging…but how did he do with the dance? Nigel says Will brings personality to everything he does, and that is a blessing. So, how did he do with the dance?!?!?!?

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Contestant: Joshua Twitch Russell Cyrus and Jamie

Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wall

Okay Cyrus, moment of truth. Can you outshine the other hip hip/bboy/pop and lockers here by being the most unchoreographed/choreographed dancer, or is everyone just going to tell you how cute you are like they did with Will? Now, Cyrus is strong, and he carries Jamie around and holds Jamie up a lot. Travis has done a great job here not giving Cyrus too much to do, so we'll see how the judging goes.  

Judges Say: Benjamin says Cyrus has raw energy that is so compelling. Okay, I can go along with that. Nigel tells Cyrus he is one of those people that “has to dance.” He says Cyrus has a lot to learn, but Travis’ choreography and Jamie’s partnering brought out the best in him. So, how did he do? Mary compliments all of the transitions from one lift to the next. She them compliments his passion. Maybe he and Will can go have a drink after this and compare non-critiques.

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Contestant: Chehon and Lauren

Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by Dave Scott

Chehon and Lauren are best friends in this number, supporting one another throughout the dance. This is more lyrical hip hop than the traditional style, and Lauren is outshining Chehon for sure. It’s not her fault – poor Chehon is a ballet dancer who just doesn’t look comfortable here.

Judges Say: Nigel says Dave took the stick out of Chehon. Meaning? Mary mentions the nerves Chehon displayed tonight, and she was hoping for more funk. She then says “it was going in and out for me tonight.” Anyone? Benjamin brings me back from the gutter and says the performance was spontaneous and that Chehon was charismatic and connecting with Lauren.

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Contestant: George and Allison

Style: Jazz, choreographed by Tyce DiOrio

Tyce promises us a raunchy "one night in Paris" performance here, and for God’s sake I hope not. Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about it – the dance itself is very good, and Allison is trying to work George as if he is a prop, but there isn’t enough chemistry here for Allison and George to do anything in Paris besides share a croissant.

Judges Say: Mary thinks this dance was a lot of fun to watch. Benjamin says George attacked every step with vengeance. Nigel compliments George’s technique but did not buy George’s character. He thinks George was dancing but never connected with the theme of the dance. THANK YOU. I was worried that Nigel and Mary had given up on critiquing the contestants for the remainder of the night.

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Contestant: Eliana and Alex freaking Wong

Style: Contemporary, choreographed by Stacey Tookie

Eliana and Alex represent an on again off again relationship, and holy hell. This is not only hot – it’s just mesmerizing. Both dancers were so into character, and both of them were completely in sync with one another throughout the performance. This is subtle...but gorgeous.

Judges Say: A delayed standing ovation. Nigel says Eliana is his favorite girl this year because she has perfection in her technique and performance. Mary screams that the hair went up on her arms and that this was by far her favorite routine of the night. Agreed on both counts. Benjamin says her performance was driven by so much passion, and everyone felt it tonight.

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Contestant: Audrey and Twitch

Style: Hip Hop, choreographed by Dave Scott

The ghosts are plentiful tonight as Audrey and Twitch are a 400 year old couple. Now, I am usually a huge fan of Tabitha and Napoleon’s hip hop routines and typically don’t enjoy the other hip hop choreographers as much. However, I love what Dave Scott does here. Audrey is not technically perfect at all. In fact, Twitch unintentionally mops the floor with her at times…but the characters and concept of this performance are just awesome, and this is one of those instances that mirror Will and Cyrus – if they got a pass on their dances, Audrey should get a pass on this one. She had the character, but not the technique. Oh, and by the way - she’s adorable.

Judges Say: Benjamin says Audrey did well, but he wanted more from her to hold her own against Twitch. Mary thinks is was comical and entertaining. She loves the “sit down and the get down” Audrey brought to the dance. Nigel would have liked to seen more crazy from Audrey in this performance. Uh oh.

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Results! We will only say goodbye to 1 guy and 1 girl tonight, and Cat will only be revealing the bottom 2 instead of the bottom 3. The bottom 2 girls tonight are:  Witney and Audrey. Oh hell. Well, it was nice knowing you, Audrey. The bottom 2 guys tonight are Chehon and George. Okay, can we go ahead and send George home? My boyfriend Matthew left last week in order to save George, and he is in the bottom yet again. In the interest of filling up the rest of the hour, the judges ask for solos from everyone even though the judges have no doubt already made up their minds.  

Decision time. As expected, the judges save Witney and send Audrey home. She’s still on the tour though, and she is supposed to be content with that I suppose.  My sadness for her is lifted a little when the judges choose to save Chehon instead of George (who in my mind should not be going on tour in place of Matthew).

Next week the remaining 8 contestants partner up with another All Star to compete again. One more guy and one more girl will go home, and I am still not 100% certain who I want to win it all – this is a very talented group of dancers. We’ll see how they do next week. Til then!

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!