SYTYCD: The Terrific Trio

So You Think You Can Dance: Top 3 Performance Finale

• Is it bad that I'm more excited for tomorrow's show when we get to re-watch the best routines of the season than I am for tonight?
• Cat is wearing a black mini dress with elbow-length lace sleeves. It's kind of demure for the final performance show of the season, actually. Maybe she'll pull out the craziness for tomorrow.
• Each contestant is doing FOUR routines AND a solo?! Seriously? Is that really necessary?
• So everyone's doing four routines and a solo, and we still have time for this extremely long recap of the season?

Kent with Lauren (Dev Bollywood):

• The featurette: Kent: "What I want to know is why did she marry an 18-year-old?" Kent: "This Bollywood needs cheesy, and I can deliver so much cheese."
• The dance: Lauren's almost unrecognizable in her Indian costume. Kent's got a nice long silver jacket. It was a good routine, but sometimes it looked like Kent was just barely hanging in there.
• The judging: Mia says it was the perfect tailored Bollywood piece for Kent. Adam thinks the Energizer Bunny should retire. So apparently I'm the only one who thought Kent looked a little gassed. Adam says Kent is the feel good dancer of the year. Lauren apparently almost ran into a post on her way off stage. (Considering Kent is still breathing heavily after the lengthy judging panel banter, I feel pretty justified in my earlier assertion that he looked a bit tired.)

Lauren with Twitch (Tabitha and Napoleon hip hop):

• The featurette: It's a presidential debate. That's different.
• The dance: Um, they're doing an awful lot of standing behind the podiums in the beginning. I wasn't sold on the first section of in-front-of-the-podium dancing, but I think it's getting better as it goes. Twitch for president!
• The judging: Nigel says NappyTabs is just so good at inspiring people to dance. Uhhh, yeah. After misfiring with a Sarah Palin joke, Nigel's trying to tell us that this competition is still anybody's game. Well, maybe not Robert ;-) Mia says Lauren's filthy, and Cat says, "Aren't all politicians?" Mia doesn't know if there's anything Lauren can't do. Mia loves Lauren's balance of masculinity and femininity.

Robert with Mark (Tyce Diorio jazz):

• The featurette: Robert kind of looks just like Mark but with less personality and coolness. Anyway...
• The dance: It is a bit hard to tell who is who with the matching outfits and hair styles. Anytime they hunch down for some of the groovy moves, you can tell which one is Mark though. It was fun, but it was not really revolutionary.
• The judging: Cat asks how much handsomeness we can fit on one stage. Nigel really liked it. Mia says that Robert was "wowed" in the beginning and has gotten more grounded as the show went on. I'll agree; we haven't seen the hand/barf thing lately. Adam thinks working with Mark forced Robert to grow more than dancing with a contestant would have. Adam says Robert actually jumped up for once.

What? Now we have time to have sit-downs with each of the contestants? We're just made of time tonight...

Kent's solo: Open yellow shirt and shorts. He's doing it on purpose, but he definitely wiped out a few times there. Looked kind of painful at times.

Robert and Lauren (Dee Caspary contemporary):

• The featurette: The piece is about them going home and being at peace with the result of the competition.
• The dance: So they went "home" to the same place and are wearing their skimpy pajamas? Kent's going to be so heartbroken when he finds out about this... So, Robert is looking all kinds of good in this one. Possibly my favorite dancing out of him ever. Lauren's doing well too, but I think Rob is actually stealing the show here.
• The judging: Nigel thought there were touches of genius in the choreo. Nigel says the word that sums them both up is strength. Mia says Dee is unreal. Mia says this was by far Robert's most delicious performance. Mia says his humbleness is gorgeous. She says Lauren was perfection. Adam says it was magnificent.

Lauren and Kent (Mandy Moore jazz):

• The featurette: In this piece, they're really themselves.
• The dance: Ok, they're "themselves" but they're wearing nerd glasses? As far as I can tell, neither Lauren nor Kent actually wears nerd glasses. I'm confused. Not sure it's the best look on Kent. He looks like one of the background geeks from Saved By The Bell. And...the glasses are the thing about this routine that left the biggest impact on me. Not too revved up about this one.
• The judging: Nigel doesn't think they were challenged enough for the finale, but they kept the characters up and did what was asked of them. Mia's got glasses on too. Mia thought it was fun and they danced it well, but she didn't really like it because it's just not her cup of tea. Adam says he loves them. And now he just keeps repeating, "Get outta here; I love ya'!" It's bizarre. Lauren and Kent--especially Kent--do a great job of rallying around Mandy and saying that what the judges think doesn't really matter.

Robert's solo: Ok, Robert's finally won me over with his sweetness. He says if he wins the prize money, the first thing he's going to do is look at his mom and ask her what she wants. Awww. And now he's doing his solo to The Postal Service! And it's a good solo! With good choreo! Robert for the win!

Kent with Allison (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Looking into a relationship that everyone thinks is perfect but really isn't. Stacey's trying to find Kent's maturity here.
• The dance: Allison is perfection. Oh, some really nice side-by-side work and then a beautiful little solo from Allison. Wow, good. Parts of it looked like they were letting Allison steal the show to give Kent a bit of a break on 5-dance night, but, whatever, it was good.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Kent's lines get better. Kent looks shook up from the mature emotion of it all. Mia points out that Kent actually said, "Get off!" at the end because he was so invested. Mia loves how invested he was (which he can be because he's already got great technique). Mia says she needs more ways to tell him she loves him. Adam asks Kent what is going on because he's about to burst into tears, and when Kent starts to explain it, Adam and Nigel totally cut him off. Adam thinks this was magnificent too. Kent seems to have had an almost religious experience here, in that he's got an almost totally different personality right now. The cheese has been dialed waaaaaay down.

Lauren's solo: Dancing to "I'm Going Down" in her typical style: backbends, hair flips, shoulder jerks, etc., all coming fast and furious. It looks better than it sounds, of course.

Robert with Kathryn (Spencer Liff Broadway):

• The featurette: Spencer (to Robert): "You're not a mime!"
• The dance: Ooh, West Side Story. Smart beginning, in that Robert gets a nice long solo before stage-stealer Kathryn shows up. She's rocking the "interrogator" attitude something fierce. Rob was good. That was a good routine.
• The judging: Uh oh, Robert's pants split. Didn't I just say last week that Rob's clothes are just a bit too tight? Nigel and Adam are having a dispute about whether that song is in the WSS stage play or just the movie. Not exactly all that pertinent right now, boys... Anyhow, Nigel liked it. Mia loved the classical feel to it and thought it was danced very well. She thought it could have used a bit more sizzle and simmer. Adam thinks WSS was the best piece of musical choreo ever, and he thought Spencer's takeoff was really good. And Rob was good.

Lauren with Pasha (Tony and Meredith cha cha):

• The featurette: In this routine, Lauren sees Pasha and just loses her mind. Well, that's understandable.
• The dance: Wow, that dress is about as little as it can be. Wow, nice life in the middle. The one bare side of her dress makes everything look so scandalous. The routine was pretty good; it seemed a bit on the slow side, but it was danced really well.
• The judging: Nigel says she's probably the best contemporary girl on the show ever to do a ballroom routine. Which seems a BIT strong to me. (Allison, Kathryn, Jeanine, Courtney G., etc. all rocked ballroom back in the day, and those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.) Mia says if she were still dancing, she'd want to dance just like Lauren. Adam says if music were embodied into a person, it would be her. Adam says that was exhibition-style perfect. And, again, I miss Mary Murphy. How have we gone all season with no Hot Tamale Train?

Robert and Kent (Malevos fight):

• The featurettes: These hats are just silly. Kent and Robert took some nasty falls during practice.
• The dance: They look like gangsters (well, Rob more so than Kent). But they're tangoing. Bizarre. Wow, Robert just lifted Kent up and swung him around his shoulders. There's some nice stunt stuff mixed in with some weird tango stuff, making for an odd mix overall.
• The judging: Nigel has never heard of this routine, but supposedly it's what the men do to practice their tango before they go dance with the women. Oookay. Nigel's taking the opportunity to talk about how great all three of the finalists are in general, instead of really talking about this routine. Probably a wise choice. Mia loved the feel of the piece. She liked that it was debonair and still had a 'hood feeling. She acknowledges that the leg work "could be tighter." Adam agrees that certain elements of the precision weren't exactly right, but says it doesn't matter any more. Adam says these three finalists are his three favorite dancers ever on the show. Oh, come on. Stop lying. (And if you're not lying, stop being ridiculous. Three favorite ever?!)

• Cat reads her send-off speech while still wearing one of Robert and Kent's gangster hats from the last number. Awesome.
• I think there were too many routines tonight. There was an awful, awful lot to digest.
• Well, Robert and Lauren both had pretty good nights, but I'll still be stunned if Kent doesn't run away with this tomorrow.

My favorites: Robert and Lauren's contemporary; Kent and Allison's contemporary; Robert and Kathryn's Broadway

SYTYCD: Top Six, Take Two

So You Think You Can Dance: Top 6 Performance Show, Part II

• So who's injured tonight? No one? That can't be right...
• Everyone came out for the intros! Billy does have a massive brace on his knee though.
• Cat is wearing a one-shoulder, black and white snake skin print mini dress.
• Cat confirms that no one is injured.
• Toni Redpath is also judging tonight, which is nice because she at least knows ballroom, unlike these other schmoes.

Kent with Anya (Jean-Marc and France cha cha):

• The featurette: Kent has already done the cha cha. Anya points out that Kent has gotten to kiss a lot of girls on the show already. In this dance, Anya is a teacher and Kent is a bad boy. This is a little creepy.
• The dance: Anya's big see-through white shirt and '80s Madonna makeup are a little distracting, but the cha cha dancing looks pretty good from both of them. Kent looked downright Pasha-esque at times.
• The judging: Nigel says Kent started out as a young boy dancing but is now a man dancing. Really good effort. Toni says Kent was better at cha cha this time--he was more grounded and had better footwork. She thinks he got a little hunchy in his shoulders. Mia thinks he moved his hips right, but that the whole piece was crunchy and felt a little choppy. She thinks he's not taking the note on his face. Kent says that's who he is and it just comes out. By the time we get to Adam, I think we've got this whole pretty well hashed out. Adam thinks he needed more length. And in this one judging panel, I think I've heard more substantive dancing critiques than I have in some entire episodes.

Robert with Kathryn (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Sorry, I missed it.
• The dance: Kathryn's splits are exquisite. Um, Robert would probably be better showcased by this routine if he didn't spend 70% of it with his back to the audience. Robert is looking a little more butch than usual. The end of this routine didn't look very hard (looked like something they'd give to Jose).
• The judging: Nigel loved the connectivity to it. Nigel says Robert used to be goofy but now he's not. Toni says she'd want to be the woman he was dancing with. Mia thought the beginning of that piece was so sacred and tender. Mia thinks he should allow his emotions to be the catalyst of his movement and that will take it to even another level. Adam says no one supports each other like dancers. Uh, ok, thanks for sharing. Adam says Kathryn is so stunning it freaks him out and Rob came up to her.

Jose's solo: He's starting by dancing on his feet again. Now he's on the ground. He's doing some interesting-ish stuff, but it seems kind of aimless.

AdeChike with Courtney (Tyce Diorio jazz):

• The featurette: The story to this routine sounds similar to the story of the other piece they did together. AdeChike doesn't want to look like a contemporary dancer doing a jazz routine; he wants to look like a jazz dancer doing a jazz routine. Not sure I'd really know the difference, AdeChike, if it makes you feel any better.
• The dance: Honestly this dance doesn't really look that much like a jazz routine to me in the beginning. The middle seems more jazz-ish, I guess. The outfits are also not really what I'd expect. Not sure why we really needed the two mini staircases.
• The judging: Adam says, first of all, Tyce, great. Whatever. Adam says that was just "balls-out dancing" and then acts shocked at himself for using that phrase. Cat says, "Adam, I'm never starting with you again." Adam wants AdeChike to loosen up his back. I want Adam to shut up. Mia says that music is everything. (Someone should compile a list of all the different things Mia thinks are "everything.") Mia thinks he did a good job, but she needs to see more style from him. Toni loved it. Nigel doesn't think there was enough abandon from AdeChike and that he needs to look like he's letting himself go.

Lauren's solo: Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" solo takes a little too long to develop, but the "You make me feel! You make me feel!" part is very cool.

Jose with Comfort (Marty Kudelka and Dana Wilson hip hop):

• The featurette: Jose is trying to pick Comfort up at a club. Comfort says Jose has no game. Gosh, I love Comfort's brutal honesty.
• The dance: Good strategy for the routine to start out with just Comfort dancing. I love that the costumes look more Broadway or jazz than hip hop. And that the music is classic soul. Of course the slow grooviness of the music seems to be making it easier on Jose to dance to it. It was an enjoyable routine though.
• The judging: Nigel says that people had to tell him that Jose wasn't in the group routine last week (I noticed that). Turns out Jose pulled his groin, but he says he's ok. Nigel thinks this routine was a bit flappy. Toni says she would have bought his pick up line. Mia says there was no swag in there whatsoever. She says Jose should have tapped into Marty's swag. She thinks Jose made it bouncy and kooky instead. Adam says he sees what they're all saying. But I don't really understand what he's saying. Oh, ok, he thinks the piece was supposed to be darker and sexy, but Jose made it fun.

Billy's solo: According to the other contestants, Billy is messy and helpful and focused but funny. And loud. And a nut job. Billy sure doesn't look like he's got the knee brace on now. His jeans are awfully skinny, and I don't see any outlines. Interesting solo there: kind of robot music and crisp, robotic moves.

Kent's solo: Kent is seething with emotion before his solo even starts! Not to be outdone, he's got skinny jeans too. Ok, I think this was one of Kent's better solos. There was a certain composition sense to it.

Lauren with Allison (Tyce Diorio Broadway):

• The featurette: Two girls dancing together for the first time this season! Cool. The number is about strong female dancing. And this is a good test for Lauren: if she looks good next to Allison, then she's really good.
• The dance: I think Lauren's just as good if not better than Allison at selling the Broadway faces and attitude. Allison's general quality of movement is sometimes probably a little bit better than Lauren's, but Lauren's doing really well.
• The judging: Adam says he thinks of Lauren as an All-Star already because she's so good at everything she does. Adam wants to see them do "Single Ladies." Mia says there's nothing to critique and that Lauren's kind of forged ahead. Toni says Lauren hit her facial expressions just right and didn't overdo it. Nigel just called this show American Idol. Uh, please focus, Nigel. Nigel feels like Lauren's going to be in the finale.

Robert's solo: Billy says Robert is the songbird of our generation. This was probably one of my favorite solos from Robert so far. And not just because of the reckless abandon with which he just threw himself into that final, violent backbend.

Billy Bell with Ade (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Ade is a high-powered businessman and Billy is homeless. And--surprise twist!--they're old friends! Kinda ruined the ending there, Stacey. She should have said "spoiler alert"!
• The dance: And it's to "Mad World" no less! Billy = exquisite. Even with his hat over his eyes. Ade is no slouch either. I loved it. Not so much for the social commentary, but for the awesomeness of Billy. Billy's expressions were superb as well.
• The judging: All judges but Nigel give it a standing ovation. Billy says his knee is better, but he has a big old brace on it. Nigel says that was really quite brilliant and that Billy was the most mature he's ever seen him. Toni says some pieces transcend dance, and that was one of those pieces. Mia says that was sheer perfection. Mia says Stacey is evolving into some artist. Mia says it was her favorite piece from Billy all season. Mia says Billy's face was absolutely everything. Mia says, win or lose, Billy will be remembered and is respected in the dance world as an up-and-coming artist. Adam says Billy just dropped in as one of the best dancers on the show ever. He says it was magnificent.

AdeChike's solo: Lauren says AdeChike is best friends with everyone and their mom. And AdeChick's got skinny jeans too. And no shirt. Pretty cool solo.

Kent and Jose (Spencer Liff Broadway):

• The featurette: Kent: "Snot just went everywhere!" I don't know if I can stand this much youthful exuberance in one place. It's exhausting.
• The dance: Jose got the short end of the stick having to wear those overalls. Kent just did a long solo; Jose just did a really short one. Ok, they probably shouldn't make Jose do side-by-side dancing with Kent. Because he's just going to look bad. Wow, Kent ended the routine with a giant belly flop into the backstage area.
• The judging: Adam thinks Spencer killed the 1940s/50s retro thing. Adam thinks it will come down to Kent and Lauren. He thinks Kent needs a little more training, but he was born to do this. Adam says its unbelievable that Jose made it through that. Mia says that was freaking fantabulous. Mia says Kent needs to live in this world of Broadway because everything about it fits him like a love. He is so "everything" in this style. Mia says you can see the difference in training between Kent and Jose, but Jose kept up. Toni says Jose's character made it ok that he wasn't up to Kent's level. Nigel says we haven't seen this Broadway style since Evan (and we saw so much of it back then that we haven't really missed it...). Nigel says dancing with Kent showed Jose's limitations, but he should be very proud of how far he's come. Nigel says this may be Jose's last week here.

Lauren and AdeChike (Jean-Marc and France fox trot):

• The featurette: This dance is more sultry and sexy than typical fox trots. AdeChike says the "fever" is contagious and they'll have the whole audience sick.
• The dance: Lauren's dress is pretty great. So is AdeChike's sweater vest. This is good. I'm wanting to call it the best contestant/contestant ballroom number of the year, but I'm forgetting what the other two-contestant ballroom routines have been, except the AdeChike/Jose paso. I really liked this one though.
• The judging: Nigel thought there were parts that looked very much like a jazz routine. He thought overall they did well with good connectivity. But he's not super excited about it compared to other dances tonight. Toni says they didn't dance it like ballroom dancers would; she says there were a lot of things that were off, but they got into the character of the dance. Mia says 'Cheeks' had a lot of great moments as a partner, but when he steps away from her, there's a disconnect. Mia says Lauren's grace and sensuality were great. Adam thought Lauren wasn't competing--just dancing. Adam says AdeChike looked very concerned about being there for her, which is good, but he shouldn't look like he's concerned.

Robert and Billy (Nakul Bollywood):

• The featurette: Two dances in a battle to get the main part in the biggest Bollywood movie ever!
• The dance: Well, this isn't starting out like the most masculine dance I've ever seen... Nice side-by-side spins. Billy sure is working the heck out of those knees for someone with a knee injury. That routine looked crazy hard. The both powered through it.
• The judging: Nigel says it was fantastic and one of the best Bollywood routines by two guys. Toni says at this point it's going to come down to personal choice. She really likes Robert. Mia really likes Billy. Mia says, OMG, that was so hard, but no injuries! But Nigel says Billy's moving his knee strangely. Billy says his knee is feeling it, but it's fine. Adam says he wants no parts of picking a winner at this point. So just let us decide with our votes already!!! We're down to 6 people; we can take it from here!

WHAT?!?! Now Cat says Lauren is with the medic! Come on, people!

My favorites:
Billy and Ade's contemporary, Lauren and AdeChike's fox trot, Lauren and Allison's Broadway

List of things Mia said were "everything" tonight:

• the music for the AdeChike/Courtney jazz
• Billy's face
• Kent dancing in '40/'50s Broadway style

SYTYCD: To the Nines

So You Think You Can Dance: Top 9 Performance Show

Cat is wearing a shiny one-shoulder mini dress. Hair down. Again seems a bit drunk...

Tonight we've got:

• Lauren with Neil
• Melinda with Pasha--again?!?
• Billy with Kathryn
• Ashley with Ade
• Robert with Courtney--again?!?
• Jose with Anya--ha
• Kent with Allison--yea!
• Adechicke with Lauren
• Alex with TWITCH--yeah! Ha ha ha.

They've gotta get Twitch on the show somehow, I guess. But, seriously, it's the third week and we're already rehashing two partnerships? Does anyone really want to see more ballroom from Melinda?

Adechike with Lauren (Dave Scott hip hop routine):

• The featurette: Adechike was inspired by Desmond Richardson. Adechike and Lauren are "muscles and cushions."
• The dance: More personality from Adechike in the first 4 seconds of this dance than in his two whole routines to date. Ok, and now they're just stripping. It was a fun routine, but I'm not sure it was anything especially difficult or earth-shaking. It didn't seem like a wow-they're-so-amazing-because-that-was-so-hard moment.
• The judging: Nigel says Dave Scott brought out a different Adechike than we've seen before. Mia says welcome to Mr. Personality. Mia says it was a solid performance. Adam tries to give a Mary Murphy-esque shriek and then gives Adechike a standing O in an early bid to win Overreaction of the Night.

Ashley with Ade (Dee Caspery contemporary):

• The featurette: Ashley is inspired by her dance teacher. Ok, ok, ok: so Nigel was complaining that Ashley's jazz last week was too similar to her contemporary in week one, so they have her do contemporary again?!
• The dance: Ashley is supposed to have no backbone, and Ade's lifting/pulling her around a lot. This routine is lovely and has some very cool moments. Well danced by Ashley and Ade. I'm liking Dee Caspery right now; more please.
• The judging: Nigel acknowledges that we're seeing more of the same, basically, but says she looked like a different dancer and moved fluidly from one move to another. He thought it was beautifully smooth. Mia says it was like a hurricane and a summer breeze. Mia thinks Ashley is a cut above the other female dancers (all two of them). Adam's beside himself again. Mr. Hyperbole says it was one of the best female contemporary performances of any season. Oh puh-LEEEze.

I'm interrupting the flow here to say that I HATE it when the contestants start talking in the middle of the judging. I realize the judges are just spewing out a whole lot of nonsense, but shut up. Contestants shouldn't get to sway voters with chit chat. You get the featurette and the dance--and that's all I want to hear from you, personally. Especially since 90% of the things the contestants say during the judging is worthless and cliche.

Billy's solo: There's something spidery about his legs in this solo. Rather cool.

Robert with Courtney (Sonya Tayeh jazz):

• The featurette: Robert is inspired by his mom (and lists an array of horrible things that have happened to his mom). Sonya's goal is to show the world how good Robert is. Hey, brilliant! Shouldn't that always be a goal of the choreographer: showcasing the contestant well?
• The dance: Ok, no one's going to pay attention to Robert now that Courtney's in those weird pants (sparkly, different color patches down the legs, sparkly and sheer-looking at the butt). See, I just spent the entire dance describing Courtney's pants and didn't really see anything in the dance that distracted me from the pants.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Sonya's choreo suits Robert like it suits Mark. Sorry, Nigel, just because Robert looks vaguely like Mark, it doesn't make him Mark. Hey, speaking of Mark, it's not cool that he's not dancing tonight! Mia wants Robert to take ballet, which will give his movement weight and solidity and take him to another level. Adam says it was the most wonderful thing he's ever seen in all his life. Just kidding, but you totally believed me. Seriously, Adam's tip is to not "jump down" which seems like a good lesson for us all.

Best news I've heard all night: Courtney G. tweeted that she and Mark might be dancing "The Garden" again tomorrow! Oh please let it be so!

Jose's solo: A little "Super Bad" by James Brown. Remember the time Will dressed up like James Brown for her solo? That was great. Anyway...this routine opens with a long head spin, but then he works in some other holds and other b-boy stuff. It's was ok but not the best b-boy moves I've ever seen on the show.

Melinda with Pasha (Fabian Sanchez salsa):

• The featurette: Melinda is inspired by Dr. Harold Cromer. Yes, we know, Melinda. Everything she tells us in her featurettes is old news. Melinda is Colombian, so she's used to doing the salsa at parties.
• The dance: Um, if Melinda's used to doing the salsa at parties, this should be a little better. There's something weird about her footwork--leading with her heal instead of her toe maybe? Whoa, Pasha just kind of jumped over her, took her head with him on the way down, and she ended up in a back bend. (It was intentional.)
• The judging: Well, Cat and Nigel think she looks amazing. That's the nicest thing they've come up with to say, I guess. Nigel doesn't see fluidity in her movements. Mia thinks she danced as hard as she could and her shakes and shimmies were on-target, but there were moments where it looked like she had bricks on her feet and was sinking in water. Mia thought there were moments that made her regret that they sent Christina home last week. And Adam says after he watched last week's show again, he thought they'd made a mistake too. Well, DUH. That's what most of us thought last week. (And that's why America keeps putting Melinda in the bottom three.) Please try to keep up, Mia and Adam. Geez. Or just let America pick who goes home. Either way, there's no use talking about it now.

Kent's solo: Kent does a nice leap and a nice tumbling series, but he needs to come up with some more impressive things to do in his solos in the future.

Alex's solo: Dancing to music from the Planet of the Apes soundtrack, Alex, meanwhile, has plenty of firepower in his repertoire, but could stand to relate to the audience more. Does a cool leap series straight into rolling on the ground.

Lauren with Neil (Joey Dowling Broadway):

• The featurette: Lauren is inspired by her Student Council advisor.
• The dance: Neil's really selling his reading-the-paper intro acting. Lol at Neil's knickers and socks--that outfit is just as distracting as Courtney's pants were. Whoa--the strap of Lauren's dress totally broke, but the top of her dress managed to stay up and she kept on going! Eeesh. I guess the top of the dress was fortunately taped on to her, because I don't know how else it was staying up. Anyway, aside from the clothing, I thought the dance was good, but it seemed like it was just missing a little something, although I'm not sure what.
• The judging: Nigel: "Needless to say, I enjoyed that tremendously." Mia: "I'm sure you did." Ha. Neil's being sweet and trying to help keep Lauren's dress up while they're listening to the judging. Mia wants Lauren to dance a little more sexily. Adam thought she was great.

Ashley's solo: Wastes too much time in the beginning just kind of standing there, but then picks it up and does a pretty cool solo with some nice moves and good musical interpretation.

Billy with Kathryn (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Billy was inspired by Legacy when he saw him in a show when Billy was 12! That's cool.
• The dance: Billy's doing a good job of holding his own in this one and not just letting Kathryn steal the show, which she is apt to do. The routine is very well constituted in that it gives both dancers moments to shine. Legacy's in the audience and he looks like he's in tears!
• The judging: Nigel doesn't think Billy partners that well and needs to work on connecting to his partners. Nigel says Billy is a sensational dancer though. Mia thinks that sometimes Billy gets too caught up in his lines and we lose him. Adam thinks that Billy's "going to see it all in playback." STOP SAYING THAT! If the only critique is that the dancers should watch themselves on tape and they'll see what was wrong, then why do we need judges? Just sit the dancers in a room, having them watch the tape and tell us what they think. Anyhow, that critique was a bit harsh. Billy looked mad.

Robert's solo: I think it's better than the one he did last week, but I'm not blown away. Something about it reminded me of Huck Finn. And the best part was that he didn't do the old fake-barf-and-flash-the-number-of-fingers thing.

Jose and Anya (Dmitry Chaplin samba):

• The featurette: Jose was inspired by Bruce Lee and has supposedly applied Bruce Lee's philosophy to breaking. DMITRY! Just let Dmitry and Anya do the dang samba!
• The dance: Anya is fierce and Jose is..trying. And they are using the table to try to hide Jose's lack of skill, I think. He's not completely terrible anyway. He was certainly trying. Bruce Lee's daughter is in the audience.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Dmitry brought out the man in Jose. Nigel says Jose is not the best dancer, but that he has a charisma that no one can teach and he brings it to all his routines. Mia says he's not a great dancer in the different genres, but he gets away with it because he brings humbleness and joyfulness. He just makes them happy and not care about the flaws. Adam has forsaken full sentences and just lists works like "joy" and "ego-free." And it's time like these where we miss Mary Murphy because she at least knew what ballroom technique should be and usually pointed out what was right/wrong.

Melinda's solo: Tapping to "Empire State of Mind." It seems like she's trying to tap too fast for the slowness of the music. So that might have hammered home Nigel's point about her maybe not feeling the music.

Kent and Allison (Mandy Moore jazz):

• The featurette: Oops, I was out of the room and missed what Kent said inspires him. I'm sure whatever he said, it was adorable.
• The dance: Well, this is probably the most boring Allison's looked so far this year...but she's still awesome. Well, the dance was fine. Kent's shirt situation is weird--he's got suspenders twisted around the front of him or something. The whole thing was just kind of unremarkable, really, which is annoying because the Kent/Allison pairing had a lot of potential.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Kent's expressions are starting to get a little fake. Nigel thought he was playing to the audience instead of playing to his partner. Mia thinks Kent gets caught up in the television personality of it instead of the integrity of the dance. She thought the way he translated the dance was a little green. Adam says Kent has to lose the "hungry jazz face" because he's better than that. And he'll "see that in playback." Argh, Shankman!

Adechike's solo: Wearing camo cargo shorts. He's doing a good job of interestingly interpreting the music, but he didn't get much floor coverage or do many "wow" moves. Kinda looked like a martial arts display at times.

Lauren's solo: Lol at Lauren holding a strange opening position during Cat's whole intro. Lovely little routine to a slow "Unchained Melody" cover. Not a ton of playing to the audience, though, which the judges would probably pounce on.

And now on to the main event...

Alex and Twitch (Napoleon and Tabitha hip hop):

• The featurette: Alex was inspired by Edward Villella of the Miami Ballet. Alex's biggest problem is not going to be hip hop or dancing with Twitch...it's going to be dancing a NappyTabs routine.
• The dance: Ha, Twitch is Alex's therapist. Lots of couch dancing at first. Once they get off the couch, I gotta say, Alex did a pretty darn good job of matching Twitch. And, holy crap, most hip hop dancers can't do extensions like that. Oh, that dance was fun! Go Alex. He had so much personality in that dance, but in his solo it was like meh. But the best part was that the routine wasn't 'lyrical'! The audience loses it.
• The judging: Nigel says it was the best NappyTabs routine ever on the show. I think Nigel just said that a ballet dancer just did "the most incredible hip hop ever" and that the routine should be nominated for an Emmy. That was a last-ditch attempt to take the Overstatement of the Night title away from Adam, no doubt. I mean, best hip hop ever? Perhaps I misheard. Mia says Alex has defied everything about the ballet world. Mia says Alex held his own next to Twitch, the best in the business. Adam's finally found a routine worthy of his hysterics and he's going all out.

My favorite routines of the night:

Partners:
Alex and Twitch's hip hop
Billy and Kathryn's contemporary
Ashley and Ade's contemporary

Solos:
Billy, Ashley

SYTYCD: The Top 10 Dance

So You Think You Can Dance:
"Top Ten Performance Show"

• I was AFTV (away from TV) last night, so I'm just catching up on the performance show now.
• This "behind the scenes" intro is lame.
• Hey, looks like they figured out how to film their intro dances so that we can actually see them.
• Cat is wearing a knee-length white frock with feather embellishments on top and at the hem.
• Why doesn't Cat pronounce Mia's name "Mee-errrr"? I thought that's how Brits pronounced it.
• Oooh, we get to see the "random" draw.
• Kathryn's the all-star for Bollywood?
• Booo, no Neil or Twitch tonight. See you later, guys... (By the way, I flat-out refuse to write it "tWitch." Sorry, buddy.)

Christina with Pasha (Jean-Marc and France paso doble):

• The featurette: Whoa, the lift/toss/catches in this routine are scary.
• The dance: PASHA! Ok, it's out of my system. I don't really associate Pasha with the paso doble, personally, but I don't really know why. Christina looks good. Her dress is cool too. Wow, kind of a risque ending there (Pasha lying on the ground, Christina straddling him.)
• The judging: It's nice that they let the all-stars come over to stand with the contestant for the judging this week. It was very awkward how they made them slink off the stage last week. Mia "kinda thinks it was everything." Judges agree that it was a great start. Cat asks if Pasha is the perfect partner and Christina answers yes.

Adechike with Allison (Mandy Moore contemporary):

• The featurette: Oh no, Adechike's family had a fire several years ago so they don't have any pictures or video of his early years in dance. That's upsetting. Adechike pulled a good partner this week. Not sure why he got to do contemporary last week AND this week. That's a little bizarre--and a large gift. LOL, Mandy just said, "This week we are not doing a dance..." and I finished the sentence in my head with "that is set to a song from the '80s" and got all excited. She really said that it didn't have story. Allison and Mandy worked with Adechike to help connect him with his partner and not look angry.
• The dance: I like Allison's dress. She is exquisite. Well, I can't really even see Adechike's face because Allison is standing in front of him for a lot of the dance, so it's hard to say if he looks angry or what. Ok, sorry, Adechike, you're dancing nicely, but there's no way I can't be watching Allison during this routine.
• The judging: Nigel says he saw an improvement in Adechike's emoting this week. Nigel says he has film star looks and needs to smile. Mia says "Dance is an art form, but it's a heart form." He he, Adechike reminds us that when you're dancing, you can't see your face. Very true.

Alex with Lauren (Tyce Diorio Broadway):

• The featurette: Aww, little Alex was cute. He used to be a lot more smiley back in the day too. Maybe ballet has sucked the smile out of him? Alex has to bring coolness and sexiness. I'm a little skeptical how well he'll be able to achieve this, but we'll see.
• The dance: Something about Alex's outfit is a little girly. Aside from that, I think he's doing a fine job with the choreo (which isn't the best Tyce has ever served up, in my opinion) and the style. And every time he does a leap, it's pure gold.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Alex needs to bring a little more power to his performance. He thinks Alex will really have to work hard with changing styles. Mia wanted it to be more "inside" and "sinewy" to nail the Fosse style. Adam didn't think it had many levels--it was all flash and no smolder.

Ashley with Mark (Travis Wall jazz):

• The featurette: Ashley's mom used to really curl Ashley's hair every day! Yikes, that's commitment. I think this is Travis' first foray into "non-contemporary" choreo on the show.
• The dance: Mark's rocking the open-shirt look. This is kind of like "smooth jazz" (or "lyrical jazz") or something. It's nice. I'm more impressed with Ashley in this than I was in the contemporary routine last week. Mad cool dive/flip thing in the middle. More personality is coming out of her than last week. Much less personality is coming out of Mark than usual though. But, boy, does Mark's chest/stomach look hot.
• The judging: Ha! Mark did a bizarre "birthday dance" for Ashley, and Cat responded, "It's not attractive, but..." Nigel didn't get the fact that this routine was "jazz" and thought it looked like a "contemporary" routine. Who cares? And how is that Ashley's problem? Don't the producers screen the routines before they go live on TV? Couldn't they have told Travis to "jazz it up" a bit if they wanted? Why is "lyrical hip hop" ok for the show but not this?

Side note: Do the judges realize how much they are sounding like a broken record this season? They say the exact same things over and over. It's ridiculous.

Billy with Comfort (Lil' C krump):

• The featurette: Billy grew up "on the mean streets of Palm Beach, Florida." Yea, it's Lil' C! I still have residual warm feelings toward Lil' C from back when I used to like him before he got on my nerves with his verbosity. Comfort: "Billy's biggest challenge is being tough. Because he's a little 'He-aaay!'" LOL! By the way, when you're krumping, you should feel like an assassin.
• The dance: Good device making Billy a little wimpy in the beginning and then having the krump kick in. Billy has just a nice, lovely balletic quality to his krumping! I'm not feeling a ton of energy and krump passion from Billy here, but I'm not really feeling it from Comfort either. It seems slow, but I guess I'm just now used to Russell's krumping, where he'd walk on stage and flat-out have a fit (sometimes while dressed in a Santa suit).
• The judging: Nigel hated the music; not sure if he was serious or just joking about being old. Nigel doesn't think Billy found the warrior in him yet, but celebrates that he put himself through it and that he gave everything he could. Mia thinks Billy knocked on the warrior's door, but was afraid to open it. Adam says that Billy was trying so hard out there. Comfort says she thought Billy was buck. Adam says it was a failed experiment. There was not enough hit, rebound and suspension.

Robert with Anya (Jean-Marc and France Argentine tango):

• The featurette: Robert was always the kid on the dance floor at weddings. Okay... Is Anya going to eat this boy alive too? Looks like Robert was creeping Anya out during the practice.
• The dance: Oooh, some very hot moments in this routine. The hotness is mostly coming from Anya, I guess, but at least Robert is keeping up and getting all the steps right. And he didn't do anything to make an idiot of himself, which is a big plus.
• The judging: Nigel thinks Robert looked magnificent up there, and says the choreo/lighting/direction were fantastic. Mia thought Robert's carriage and groundedness weren't quite right and thinks that Anya gobbled him up. Anya interrupts to come to Robert's defense. Adam sees both sides. Adam thinks Robert looked stressed out. It's times like these, I wish we had a ballroom expert on the freaking judging panel--like, I don't know, Mary Murphy--so that someone could give us a definitive verdict. OMG, Robert has taking his obsessive camera-mugging to a whole new level by doing the strangest number-plug gesture I have EVER seen. He hunched over as if to vomit and then straighted up and displayed six fingers. I'm speechless.

Melinda with Ade (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Hey, as a child, Melinda was quirky! Never would have guessed. The story of the routine is exploring the relationship between Mother Earth and mankind. Melissa accidentally got hit in the face during practice.
• The dance: Why is mankind wearing such a bizarrely cut tank top? Again, I feel like I'm seeing more of Ade than I ever did when he was actually competing on this show. Melinda is doing ok, but the technique you see from the contemporary dancers isn't there for her. Could have been a lot worse though.
• The judging: Nigel editorializes about the earth message. Nigel really thought Melinda did a good job. Mia doesn't like the dress, but then again she admits that she's wearing a bedspread. Mia thought Melinda's lines (feet and legs) were very good and not what she'd expect from a tapper. Adam says she was great.

Jose with Kathryn (Nakul Dev Mahajan Bollywood):

• The featurette: Jose was a super cute baby/kid. He also used to have a big 'fro, which I like better than the cornrows he has now. Jose didn't even know how to spell Bollywood. Sound it out, Jose; it's not that hard. Kathryn says Jose has a really positive energy.
• The dance: I was a little nervous at first, but he's not that bad. It's so fast and there are so many steps and this is so not what Jose is used to doing. But he is really managing to include his own personality and look like he's having fun, which is very impressive, all things considered.
• The judging: Cat asks if this is the first time Jose's worn a headband (it is). Nigel doesn't think Jose got the whole way to India, and now he's babbling about the World Cup. Nigel says Jose's performance, however, was great. Mia says he was so wrong, but so right. She thought the groove he added to it was hilarious. Adam thinks Jose would have won the prize for the brightest light on the show...and Adam has apparently forgotten about Kent? Basically, the moral here is that if you're doing a style you're not used to, it doesn't matter so much that you don't know what you're doing as long as you attack it like it's the most fun thing you've ever done in your life.

Lauren with Dominic (Tessandra Chavez lyrical hip hop):

• The featurette: This routine is about women in abusive relationships. Geez, poor Dominic: last week he didn't even get to dance, and now this week he's an abusive boyfriend.
• The dance: Lauren's got a nice hip hop swagger. Hey, look! This is "lyrical hip hop" and I don't hate it! So the problem really is NappyTabs! This routine I rather like. The "abuser/abused" theme was there, but it wasn't so over-the-top that it became too literal, which was nice. Long hug at the end between Dom and Lauren.
• The judging: Nigel believed the performance. Lauren looks shaken up. Nigel says she needs a stronger base (needs her feet further apart). I'm impressed with Dom's restraint so far, in that he's not trying to be all over Cat yet. Mia liked it, but thought the "abuse" should have been more literal and disturbing. Mia thought it was one of the best of the night. Adam appreciates that Lauren listened to what the judges said last week and says she turned into an actor this week. Lauren says she really tried to get to a deeper place. Cat responds with, "Dom, do you want to get to a deeper place?" and everyone--including Dominic--is shocked.

Kent with Courtney (Tyce Diorio jazz):

• The featurette: Kent still is a kid; no flashback necessary. Seems like there's a lot of jazz this week. The dance is about an on-again/off-again couple, who want each other, but don't. Kent says this can kind of transfer into his life somewhat, but not really. Kent: "I get to work with Courtney for the first time and she doesn't even care--you can touch her all you want, and that's new." Hahahahahaha!
• The dance: The outfits are a tad strange--and the choreo is rather Sonya-esque. Overall, I liked it. I think they danced it very well, and I think Kent did throw some sexiness into it. I think the choreo could have been a little bit cooler, and then the dance would have been awesome.
• The judging: Nigel asks about Kent's strange outfit and Kent says, "I think a lot of people, when you say 'Kent,' picture me in this." Nigel enjoyed it, and confirms that it was "jazz" in his opinion. That's for nailing that down for us, Nigel. Nigel didn't think Kent had as much fun with this jazz as he did with last week's cha cha. Mia thinks Kent has such a big personality that he stays in "Kent World" instead of fitting the character of the routine.

My favorites:

• Lauren and Dom's lyrical hip hop
• Ashley and Mark's jazz
• Kent and Courtney's jazz
• Robert and Anya's Argentine tango

Guilty pleasure:

• Jose and Kathryn's Bollywood

In trouble:

• Christina
• Melinda
• Adechike

STYCYD: America Finally Gets A Vote

So You Think You Can Dance: Top 16 Performance Show

The play-by-play:

• Cat's got a snakeskin-esque knee-length black dress with long sleeves. She has paired the dress with smokey eyes and future hair.
• Ashleigh's pants during the intros are heinous.
• The Season 5 dancers are in attendance. Can't say I missed them all that much. They're in the midst of their tour.
• It's Jason! He's still such a cutie.
• Wow, I want to go to this Dizzy Feet party--Mary and Dmitry are going to do the samba!
• Also in attendance tonight is Dominic. I'm sorry, but his hair is just not looking good these days.

Karen and Kevin (Maria Torres hustle):

• The featurette: What?! Karen says she and her husband (whom she auditioned with but then got cut in Vegas) decided to get a divorce. So I guess we're lucky that they're not the married couple that made it into the Top 20; that could have been really awkward.
• The dance: The beginning seems more waltz-y than hustle-y. It picks up a bit in the middle. It looked a bit rough in places; other places looked good. Kevin did a nice jete. I feel like Kevin's always seems to have his back to the camera for some reason. The exit out of that final lift was not smooth at all.
• The judging: Nevertheless, Adam loved it. He says he just saw Kevin for the first time. He thinks it was "amazing" and "fantastic." Mary says Karen looked like a hustle queen out there. Lol at the replay of Kevin's face when they did the death drop; he looked absolutely terrified!

Ashleigh and Jakob (Mandy Moore jazz):

• The featurette: One of Jakob's best friends is Jeanine. Ha at the home video footage of them when Jakob had poofier hair but Jeanine looked exactly the same. Prop alert! This dance involves a cane.
• The dance: Ashleigh's wearing very similar pants to the ones Janette wore during Wade's criminals piece last season. They both wear them well, but those pants are terrible. Jacob is terrific. This was a very nice routine; it never quite got to epic level though.
• The judging: Adam points out that there was a cane mishap; Nigel didn't notice it. Lol, Jakob denies that any cane mishap occurred. Adam is astounded by Jakob's jumping ability and flexibility. Mary loves and adores both of them. Nigel says this routine comes up to the Table routine with Neil and Sabra, and Nigel kind of makes it sound like that routine was the only good routine Mandy ever choreographed.

Pauline and Peter (JT and Tomas quick step):

• The featurette: Peter volunteers to teach special needs people to dance. Wow, these two are getting hung out to dry tonight: they "drew" the quick step. At least there's a cute story to this one: Peter is a Navy serviceman and Pauline is a hula dancer.
• The dance: Not sure why a Navy serviceman and a hula dancer are doing the quick step, but whatever. These two absolutely look their parts, and they look adorable. The quick step itself was probably not great, but they gave it a heck of a try considering that it is completely alien to their styles.
• The judging: Adam really liked the performance. Mary says they pulled off the quick step due to their performance, but some of the leg actions and positions weren't quite right. Nigel points out some more technical flaws, but says he doesn't care because it was a fabulous performance. Nigel thinks this was the first time someone put a story put to a STYTCD quick step, and I'm skeptical about that claim, but too lazy to research it.

Kathryn and Legacy (Andy Blankenbuehler Broadway):

• The featurette: Kathryn recently went on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Legacy loves soccer. Score! A Broadway number not choreographed by Tyce!
• The dance: Kathryn is looking amazing in this. And Legacy's doing a good job of keeping up too! I liked this routine sooooo much better than the typical SYTYCD (Tyce) Broadway routine.
• The judging: Adam says he wasn't getting enough character out of Kathryn but that the dancing was adorable. Mary thought the routine was adorable, but that they lacked a little bit of choreography. Ok, the judges are harshing on Kathryn, but I thought she was fantastic. I don't get it. Nigel thinks she looked childish. Um, maybe that had something to do with the jean shorts/sneakers combo.

Channing and Victor (Stacey Tookey contemporary):

• The featurette: Lol, Channing makes lawnmower racing sound so exciting... Oh, look, it's another contemporary routine about a toxic relationship.
• The dance: Poor Channing had to do a lot of falling down/thrashing around the ground in this one. Victor got to do some too at the end. It was nice to see someone lift Channing without looking like he was about to lift a piano. Rather lovely all around, I'd say.
• The judging: The judges like this new partnership. They commend the quality of movement, without being deeply touched. Do you think Cat wakes up in the middle of the night yelling "1-888-83676-0_"?

Ellenore and Ryan (Lil C hip hop):

• The featurette: Ellenore has ancestors of 6 different nationalities. They are having some trouble finding Ryan's hip hop swagger.
• The dance: Why are there so many robbers on SYTYCD? Aside from toxic couples, robbers might be the most represented group of people. Uh, this doesn't really look good at all. Not sure if it's the dancing or the choreo or the heinous costumes. Ryan doesn't look like he knows what he's doing. He's also looking at Ellenore a lot, and I'm not sure if he's supposed to be doing that or if he's lost and needs help.
• The judging: Adam called Ellenore a "weird, funny girl." Uh, thanks? Adam says Ryan is "the most transformed dancer of the night"--well, sure, but not in a good way. Mary says Ellenore is too covered up; has she been possessed by Nigel? Mary points out that while Ryan may have done okay for a ballroomer, we're getting to the point in the competition where that's not going to be good enough. Finally, Nigel speaks the truth and says it was not good at all. Nigel: "You were just dancing, and you really can't do that in hip hop."

Mollee and Nathan (Gustavo Vargas salsa):

• The featurette: Something America doesn't know about Nathan is that he goes jet skiing...and perhaps there's a reason we don't know that; it's not particularly interesting. Ugh, I do not want to see "sexified Mollee" at all.
• The dance: This looks rough. You can tell Mollee's not a salsa dancer. She looks completely lost. I can't decide if Nathan's off too or if she's throwing him off.
• The judging: Adam says that routine exposed all of their weaknesses. How does Adam know that Mollee and Nathan are "fan favorites"? The fans have never gotten to vote yet! Mary says she could have gotten over the mishaps, but the feel and the style weren't there at all. Nigel says they didn't feel the music, missed connections and lost their chemistry. So much for all of Mollee's perkiness--she can barely manage to muster up the spirit to mug for the camera when they flash the phone number.

Noelle and Russell (Sean Cheesman Afro-jazz):

• The featurette: Russell is also an artist. In this dance, Russell is a frog and Noelle is an African princess.
• The dance: Can I get a "hell yeah!" on shirtless Russell? Russell is just too good. I don't know if Noelle's quite got the style--she looks a little stiffer than I would think you should be. The assisted flipping they did was really, really cool.
• The judging: Adam's on my nerves tonight. He's too focused on being cute and not focused enough on giving an actual critique. It's a problem when you're waiting to hear from Mary Murphy so you can get some substance. Mary says Russell is the king of Afro-jazz and says he's the first king on the Hot Tamale Train. Nigel takes another swipe at Russian folk dance! Aren't we over that by now? That's so summer of 2009.

My favorites:
Russell and Noelle Afro-jazz
Legacy and Kathryn Broadway
Victor and Channing contemporary

The judges single out Ryan and Ellenore and Mollee and Nathan as the couples in trouble. Geez! Even now that we're finally allowed to vote, the judges are still trying to boss us around!

I agree with the judges that Mollee and Nathan should be in the bottom three couples, but I suspect that the teeny boppers will save them so it's hard to predict who else will be dancing tomorrow night besides Ryan and Ellenore. Maybe Karen and Kevin and Channing and Victor, just because there was more fuss made about the other couples?