So You Think You Can Dance Top 8

So the reason this week’s episode is so important is we’re down to the final 8 and the competition is stiff. While I predict Melissa will be in the bottom two girls (and likely going home) I don’t know who will join her and on the guys’ side, I would put Evan in the bottom and send him home, but I have no idea who America will choose or who the second person should be. And I don’t think I am the only one who is unsure of who to choose, so I think the performances and the judges’ comments will play a large part in tonight’s show.

The guest judge is Mia Michaels, 3 time Emmy nominated choreographer. As an added bonus Ellen Degeneres has also joined the judges’ panel though more as comic relief than critic. Nigel is back (after being absent while receiving an honorary diploma) as Dr. Nigel Lythgoe. Nigel also reveals that he originally thought the show would never work. Clearly he was wrong.

When Cat asks Ellen if she’s had any formal training Ellen responds: “If by formal training you mean training formally…I learned everything I know on the streets and by streets I mean gated community and only one street…and this guy and I used to dance, well not necessarily dance…so no.”

Once again the partners are reshuffled, this time the boys picking the names out of a hat as well as which two dance styles they will be assigned.

Travis Wall (all grown up and sitting with the choreographers) choreographs an awesome group dance to Let It Rock. You knew it had to be on the show eventually since as it’s been featured on America’s Got Talent, Make It Or Break It, and other shows and movies. The dance would not be complete without the glow in the dark costumes and glow sticks. Very Lady Gaga look. Nigel feels like a proud father watching Travis’s dance. Ellen’s comment “well, first of all I can do that…” Mary says she wants to pick on some people…no no one in particular. I think the judges have gotten funnier, but maybe that’s just having Ellen in their mix. Maybe she should be a permanent judge.

A promo for the next night–it’s SYTYCD’s 100th episode so they are recreating our favorite dances and bringing in special acts such as Katie Holmes. She can dance?

First pair- Evan and Jeanette (yay height match!), choreographed by Sonya. The theme- SHUT UP!  Quote from Sonya “I want it to be awkward.” I love Sonya, her choreography is so interesting and outside of the box. Evan really showed up this week and looked great and Jeanette was excellent as always. Ellen can do this dance too. Mary thinks he should have been gutsier and rougher at the end but he did a good job. Mia said he did good but it wasn’t her favorite. Jeanette on the other hand is Mia’s favorite of the season.

Kayla’s solo is firstwhere normally her solos are jampacked with crazy moves it seems she held back and only began to hit her stride at the end of the music. What did we say about solos!!! Rule number one!

Second pair- Jeanine and Brandon doing the waltz with Hunter Johnson. (boo waltz!) Actually, I’m a little glad because this is the first time I’ve seen Jeanine look really elegant and long. She cleans up well. But it’s still a little slow and hard for me to concentrate on. Nigel says it was a very tough routine, especially with the slow music, but he is a little disappointed (cue the booing crowd). They are two of his favorites though, which I agree because they are my favorites also, I think I want Jeanine to win. Ellen disagrees (applause! “I had no idea you’d react that way”) Mary says it was respectable. Mia expected better.

Jason’s solo- sort of repetitive, leap spin, leap spin, leap spin…you’d think he’s be better at solos, what with all the practice. I really liked him last week so I hope he’s good again this week.

Third pair- Ade and Melissa (it’s like the good old days!) doing Cha Cha with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin (also not a style I love). They seem very out of their comfort zone on the practice. Nigel thinks they did pretty good but he had some critique. (Don’t purse your lips to be sexy because you already are. Ade be sexier.) Ellen asks if they are carpenters because they NAILED IT! Mary thought they executed well but Ade’s bum was too high and their feet were sliding around too much. Mia tells Ade it was his worst performance so far, too all over the place, and for Melissa coming from a ballet background she did a good job.

Jeanette’s solo- solos done by people who are used to dancing in a couple are always weird so she is at a disadvantage but I think she did a pretty good job considering.

Final pair- Jason and Kayla performing Tyce Diorio’s Broadway routine (he is nominated for an Emmy). The storyline is a temptress trying to take a man’s attention away from the music. Who couldn’t be distracted by Kayla? (Which judge will say that I wonder?) Jason’s toes were terrific according to Nigel and Kayla’s lines continue to be beautiful. Best routine to show off the dancer so fat this evening. Ellen says they’re both good nailers. Mary thinks “it flowed effortless.” Mary brought a train whistle this week to blow for Kayla, who is riding first class on the Hot Tamale Train. Mia loved the piece, the fusion of style. She wants Jason to stop hunching because it ruins his line, but he still id a great job. She also thinks Kayla would take Broadway by storm if she decided to sing and act too. Kayla is the epitome of a girl.

Ade’s solo- the dance didn’t fit with the music so that was weird and the first half was slow and repetitive, but he had some nice moves.

At the halfway point of the show, I would say the contest looks pretty even so the next half will be very intersting.

Jeanette and Evan, round 2- Tony and Melanie choreograph a rumba (sigh, another slow dance). Jeanette obviously has the sexy latin thing down pat. Evan…well, we’ll see. What did the judges think? Nigel says the choreography  is great but a tough style to earn votes through. He didn’t think Evan’s face showed the passion but Jeanette was great. It was lacking a little. Ellen loves Evan’s eyes. Mary thought it was really good. Mia agrees that she likes Evan face too. Evan brings something unique to the stage. He did it with a Zoolander face, blue steel.

Melissa’s solo- actually I think this was one of my favorite solos so far. it had a few long pauses but she changed things up a bit, had nice lines, and though I don’t usually like ballet, I thought it was pretty interesting.

Brandon and Jeanine, round 2- Laurie Ann Gibson gives them pop hip hop routine to Battlefield by Jordin Sparks, she is a well known tough choreographer from Making the Band (in one episode she and P. Diddy got in such a big fight that it nearly destroyed their freidnship). Jeanine looks more like an Amazon than a soldier, but that’s okay. Nigel says they’ve just started the show for him (the show has been flat until now). Ellen says they make it appealing to join the armed forces. Mary starts screaming and toots the hot tamale horn, then deciding it’s not loud enough she starts screaming. She predicts that both dancers will make it to the finale. Mia says Laurie Ann only dances if she’s moved and that’s why she and Laurie Ann are sisters (Laurie Ann actually starts crying here, something I never thougth I would see her do). She says WOW. Just WOW.

Evan’s solo- one thing Evan definitely knows how to do is dance a solo, best of the night so far in my opinion.

Jeanine’s solo- also a good solo full of big moves without overdoing it, also a different routine than usual for her.

Melissa and Ade, round 2- Tyce Diorio does contemporary dance about a woman with breast cancer and the support of her best friend. If they hit it, this could be huge. Sure enough they do. Nigel tears up, the piece reminded him what he loves about dance. He can’t think of a better couple to have danced it. (You can see some of the audience tearing up as well.) Tyce is so cute crying in the stands. Ellen feels privileged to have gotten to see it live. It was the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Mary is also crying because they danced it so beautifully. The full trust in the partnership is what made it so strong. Mia’s crying so hard she can’t speak, which makes everyone start crying. Her father died of cancer and she wishes she had the strength they had  to support him.

Brandon’s solo- also hitting the big moves and always keeping himself moving (I find I like him better when dancing in a couple but that’s because his style tends to get this girlie posture that contrasts oddly with his body)

Kayla and Jason, round 2- Shayne Sparks hip hop routine about zombies. Jason hopes he gets people to cry and run away frmo the tv set. It was so intersting to see Kayla do a dance that wasn’t about her lines and legs. Nigel says he’s finally redeemed the season’s hip hop, which I agree. It was fantastic! Ellen says they can get their own talk show if they keep dancing that way. Ellen was trying to do that exact thing during the break. No one helped her though. Mary said they hit it hard. Mia said it’s her favorite routine that Shayne has ever done.

Now that I’ve seen the show, I’m even less certain about who will be in the bottom. Nearly everyone got a negative and a positive review and some of the bottom dancers really stepped it up (bottom being a very relative term at this point). Can’t wait for tomorrow night.

Check out the results here.