So You Think You Can Dance is still in Vegas, weeding out one sweaty, muscle-aching, dream-crushed dancer after another - trying to find le grand Top 20 for Season 6. Video clips (by MJ) and recaps below:

Things are getting intense as the dancers must all stretch (haha, get it?) outside of their comfort zones and rapidly pick up new choreography day after day in Sin City.

The first round is from scary-intense Jazz choreographer, Laurieann Gibson. She lays on the pressure thick and is unforgiving of the dancers who pick it up too slowly, but she Cracks. Me. Up! “A five, six, seven, EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!” She’s wild and I love it.

Karen and Matthew Hauer, the first married ballroom couple to make it to Vegas (by way of Boston) unfortunately get split: Karen does a good job on the Jazz routine, but her hubby falters and gets cut. Nigel makes some weird comment like, “Matthew, you’re Latin, I expected some FIRE from you,” which is sort of stereotyping, isn’t it? I mean it’s not really a negative one, but c’mon Nigel - put more creativity in your feedback! VIDEO

Jazz proves to be as tough as Laurieann’s teaching style, and Nigel gets very frustrated with the dancers. We see lovely-but-mature-faced champion ballroom dancer Iveta Lukosiute and Willem de Vris, the same-sex male ballroom dancer, nixed from the group.

Again, the producers fueled my theory that they REALLY want us to love young, blondy Mollee Gray, whose family packed their shizz and uprooted from Utah to LA to further her dance career (hmph) because they showed waaaay more footage of her being bubbly and weird than many of the other dancers. I can totally see why people would find her cute as a button, but she hasn’t really stood out on the dance floor imo, and is kind of annoying in her loopy teenspeak. The judges feel she doesn’t dance with enough maturity, but she passes to the next round. Then *shock, tears*, she sprains her ankle and is taken to the hospital. Will she be able to continue competing? (Spoiler: yes).  VIDEO

Everyone’s favorite Krumper, Russell Ferguson, amazes the judges again and passes the Jazz round.

The exhausted dancers are pushed to work through the night on the next challenge: to choreograph a Group dance based on music drawn randomly from a hat. Russell and his group dance a Broadway number that really impresses the judges. Russell Ferguson can’t lose! VIDEO

Mollee returns from the hospital and has to quickly learn her group’s choreography. She is annoyed that they’re babying her because even though she’s injured, she wants to shine for the judges. They do a hip hop-ish routine but the judges think it is way lame. But they all make it to the next round so I guess there’s potential. *shug* VIDEO

Next? The dreaded-but-exciting Contemporary choreography round with Mia Michaels. The dancers are very intimidated, but this season it seems the show wants to shed her in a better light, so we watch as Mia purrs at the dancers and leads them in a peaceful, centering prayer of sorts. The dancers are edited/shown to calm around her and engage in the transcendental experience of dancing Mia’s choreography. Too bad she is apparently leaving after this season of SYTYCD???

Kevin “K’Bez” Hunte, the Hip Hop dancer from Boston, astounds the judges with his technique and passes the round. VIDEO

Legacy, the famous b-boy, is struggling, but finishes Mia’s choreography and breaks down. He smoochy smooches her bum, talking about how he was completely changed by her choreography and wants to learn more. Mama Mia (hello!) soothes him and says the judges “see him” and love his perfect imperfections, or something. He makes it through. VIDEO

*jazz hands* Don’t rest yet, dancers - time for a male and female Broadway routine from Tyce Diorio! Wheee…

Pauline Mata, a Contemporary dancer who almost made last season’s Top 20, falls on her ankle wrong at the end of her Broadway number. Her ankle blows up to the size of a tennis ball and we all wince. Like Mollee, she’s sprained it. Unfortunately, her sprain is worse and she can’t dance for two days - will the judges still consider her or put her down like a lamed horse?  It’s hard out there for a dancer. VIDEO

Ashleigh and Ryan Di Lello, the husband and wife ballroom couple from Salt Lake City, are featured next. Ashleigh’s constantly been in her husband’s shadow (of DANCE), I’m amazed that she doesn’t let it get to her (or doesn’t show it getting to her). But finally a silver lining: she really improves during the Broadway round and the judges praise her and want her to continue. Finally someone gave this poor gal a bone. VIDEO

Her hottie, shirtless husband, Ryan, is up next and blows the judges away with his dancing and glistening, rock hard abs. The judges pass him through and the Di Lellos are stoked to be in it together. VIDEO

Dominic Pearson, a Contemporary(?) dancer who did very well in Season 4 auditions before getting taken away by an ambulance is very cocky and sure he’ll make Top 20.  He doesn’t, and then immediately breaks down sobbing and curling up in the fetal position on stage. He gets zero sympathy from Nigel and America cringes for him. VIDEO

Finally, the dancers each perform a solo again for the judges. I wish we could see all their dances, but we only get to see most of cute little Billy Bell, and then a bunch of slow-mo to fast-mo clips of the other dancers. Billy’s dance totally reduces judge Adam Shankman to a trembling mess of tears. It looks like he’s having a religious experience and the Holy Spirit of DANCE has overcome him. VIDEO

And then, the cliffhanger: gotta wait until next week we find out which dancers pass through to the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance Season 6! It promises to be dramatic and full of surprises.

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