So You Think You Can Dance is down to its final 20. How did it arrive at that number? Read on for a review of last night’s two-hour episode… The Contemporary Dancers – Ricky, Miranda, and Melanie ended up as finalists. Of the three I loved Miranda’s face when Nigel said “bad news” and how quickly she changed when she found out she was in. The fourth space was filled by one of the Mallory sisters. Sasha (the skinny one) was in, but Natalia (the diabetic) was cut, yet remained supportive. Stacey Tookey Contemporary Routine – I’m usually upset when they use dry ice in performances, but there were enough leaps and the smoke moved around well with the dancers’ turns. I’m not sure what the story was, but the performance covered some good area. I assume that all four dancers were supposed to be as lost as the song exclaimed, but it was mostly flowing ripped clothing looking pretty. The Hip-Hop Dancers – With seven hip-hop dancers left and no females (because Hero, Patty Anne and Princess Lockaroo) got cut too early, the male contestants took all the glory. Chris made it through, after auditioning last season and having to dance for his life during the jive. Joining him were Wadi, Tadd, and Robert “Wooo” Taylor Jr. Sadly, we lost the vertically challenged Lil’ O and Professor “Indubitably” Lot. Dave Scott Hip-Hop Routine – The routine was a bit simple looking in the group choreography and the people didn’t look that synchronized. When the contestants got moments to have their solos, they shined. I worry for all four when they get paired up with a contemporary girl and give a ballroom routine. The Ballroom Dancers – It was a tough season for the ballroom dancers. Ivetta and Lenny were the only two left. Lenny was the only male ballroom dancer and he was probably confident that since he was the only male ballroom contestant he’d slide right through. Sadly, he was cut. Ivetta was the only hope and would have been her last chance to be on the show because of her age. She finally made it through. Jason Gilkinson Latin Routine – Since Ivetta was the sole Ballroom dancer, she was paired up with All-Star Pasha. I love a good Paso Doble and I was blown away. Not many of the dancers could stand next to Pasha outside of Anya (his partner) but Ivetta was the center of the dance. She flowed so elegantly and her toned legs looked amazing. The Contemporary/Jazz Dancers – Because this show can’t admit that it has just a whole ton of contemporary dancers, it uses the phrase “Jazz” as if makes a difference. I would have placed Sasha Mallory more in Jazz. We welcomed Clarisse and Marko. As for the naughty, female dancers, both Jordan and Missy made it in. Sonya Tayeh Jazz Routine – I missed Sonya’s choreography; it had that jazz spirit and the edginess. It seemed like Marko had a bit of an issue with a few of the lifts and I wasn’t sure it was because of the bullet in his arm or the fact that one of the girls looked heavier than the others. The “Other Male” Category – Jess and Nick were the lone representatives of Broadway and Tap, respectively. Jess was called out for being a bit cocky and a little uncomfortable in some of the other genres. Luckily for Nick, there was space for him as well. I guess with no Ballroom dancer, it was easier to say yes to the tapper. Christopher Scott Tap Routine – I’ve seen the “Rich Guy/Poor Guy” routines a lot before and the biggest issue I had was that the camera focused on only one dancer at a time in the beginning half of the performance. I was quite happy to see Jess doing some tap when I don’t think we were told he had any knowledge (Nigel hinted that four girls also knew Tap so we could actually see a tap routine during the competition). The Final Five Dancers – The judges were looking for three girls and two guys to fill in the spots. Caitlyn, who had star quality, was easily in. She was quickly followed by Ashley. Mitchell was nervous in front of the judges but was in. The final two girls were Ryan and Alexa; the two looked and acted like fake blonde twins. Alexander and Jeremiah were the last two males. Though both Jeremiah and Ryan were repeat contestants we followed last episode, Ryan was the only one to make it through. The final two were Alexander and Ryan. How do you feel about the top 20?
