Thanks for nuthin’, World Series. Because the game prevents a So You Think You Can Dance results show from airing, tonight’s episode crammed the Top 18 performances in and the judges (not viewers) chose the couple to eliminate. Did they make the right choice? Two tappers (Bianca Revels and Phillip Attmore) out in the blink of an eye. Recap of the Top 18 and videos of tonight’s dances (from MJ)…NOW:

Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson – Hip Hop by Jamal Sims - “Move Shake Drop Remix” by DJ Laz, Flo Rida and Casley (VIDEO): This was Noelle’s first week performing after her bum knee injury last week. While neither dancer did a bad job, the piece itself was a scrambly mess. It was a “tennis hip hop” dance and I thought the props and costumes were contrived and well, lame-o. It was watching like two yuppie squares try to Hip Hop - ick. Noelle hit the moves, but her performance was a little forced and hokey. The judges weren’t so impressed either.

Ashleigh Di Lello & Jakob Karr – Viennese Waltz by Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin - “At Last” by Etta James (VIDEO): Ashleigh needs to cut her hair. Anyway, this was a sweet number - it was about a newly married couple having their First Dance as husband and wife. Sweaty Jakob got to score two kisses with equally sweaty Ashleigh - hope her hubby Ryan wasn’t threatened *wink, smirk*. It was nice to see Ashleigh more subdued because sometimes homegirl’s pulling all kinds of overly exaggerated “OOOO!” faces or “Ha-cha-CHA!” growls after her moves. She just needs to scale back and be more genuine in her performances.

Bianca Revels & Victor Smalley – Broadway by Tyce Diorio - “Maybe God Is Tryin’ to Tell You Something” from The Color Purple soundtrack (VIDEO): Y’know, now that I know the outcome of the show; that Bianca was eliminated, I am a bit peeved. I thought she carried this routine and I’m now realizing that I’ll miss her exuberant personality from the show. I agree with the judges that Victor was all kiiiinds of pent up in this number and he didn’t TAKE. IT. TO. CHURCH. He’s such a gorgeous dancer, I hope he shapes up and can be more committed in his performances. I disagree with Nigel that Bianca also needed to give more. I thought her performance was way better than Victor’s.

Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras – Bollywood by Nakul Dev Mahajan - “Azeem O Shaan Shahenshah” Jodhaa Akbar (soundtrack) (VIDEO): It’s the teenybopper couple! Nathan is still a cutie and Mollee is still acting like she’s 5 years old. I don’t get why the judges think she’s suddenly matured into a woman, because I don’t see it. Though he’s young, I think Nathan could soar with a partner who has more emotional depth. Mollee, with her lisp and her cornball giddiness, just ain’t gonna cut it. Needless to say, I tune her out during their performances. Nathan had a really really strong opening to the dance and I MAY have swooned a little during his go-on-forever “hopping pirouettes”. Give him a new partner please!

Channing Cooke & Phillip Attmore – Samba by Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin - “Maracatu Funk” by The Samba Squad (VIDEO): This was not good. I don’t get it: Channing was obnoxiously bubbly during her audition, but since making the Top 20 (or Top 36 even) she just seems hard, rough, angry, dour - I dunno. What happened to that shining personality? This whole Samba pretty much stank. It was shaky, their lifts were “whooOOOAAA” wobbly, the technique was astrosh…yeah, no. And I agree that Phillip should’ve gone home.

Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte – Hip Hop by Tabitha & Napoleon - “Ice Cream Paint Job” by Dorrough (VIDEO): Karen’s a flirty J-Lo look-alike who’s switchin’ her hips into an auto shop to work her feminine wiles on Kevin the car mechanic. This was waaay better than the Noelle & Russell tennis number. It was hard hitting, it was entertaining, it was borderline raunchy. I tell ya, Karen is winning me over, but like I said last week - I would like to see her soften up and get raw and emotional, like in a Contemporary number. If she can pull that off, then I’ll root for her 100%. Poor Kevin, he gets overshadowed by her all the time. He better step it up!

Kathryn McCormick & Legacy Perez – Contemporary by Stacey Tookey - “2 Steps Away” by Patti LaBelle (VIDEO): Okay, so this was a lovely number and yet I couldn’t help but feel like I’d seen it before…hmmm… This Contemporary dance was about Kathryn fighting “the Fear” (a.k.a. Legacy). Yeah, it was EXTREMELY reminiscent of last season’s powerful Mia Michael’s “Addiction” dance performed by Kayla Radomski & Kupono Aweau (VID). Though Legacy had some great tricks and it was nice to watch, I kept thinking back to Mia’s addiction piece and how strong it was and how raw Kayla & Kupono were in comparison. Watch it again!

Pauline Mata & Peter Sabasino – Jazz by Wade Robson - “Little Green Bag” by George Baker Selection (VIDEO): Oops, I missed this number. It looks interesting - typical Wade stuff. I’m glad they were safe. I think little Pauline is adorable.

Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello – Argentine Tango by Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo - “Violent Tango” by Astor Piazzolla (VIDEO): Nigel is right - I had a hard time appreciating the complexity of this number, but apparently Ellenore & Ryan SMASHED IT. And Ellenore did so with her dress caught on her heel for a large portion of the number. Kudos, kudos.

The judges call the Bottom 3 couples: Noelle & Russell, Channing & Phillip and Bianca & Victor. The Bottom 4 dancers are Noelle, Bianca, Phillip and Victor. They must all DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES before the judges eliminate two dancers. Unfortunately, the tappers have a tough time making a strong impression, although Bianca puts more pizzazz into it than Phillip, imo. It’s clear to me that Victor’s strong Contemporary solo bested Phillip, but the gals are neck-in-neck for me…  VIDEO

ELIMINATED: Bianca Revels and Phillip Attmore. Awww, booo, so much for this HISTORICAL Top 20 with 3 Tap dancers that the judges boasted so much about. It’s only the second week and 2 out of 3 of the tappers are gone. Like I said, I’m bummed that Bianca is out because she was a lot of fun, but Phillip has bored me from the beginning. I will, however, admit that I got a little verklempt when he mentioned his dad’s recent passing and how moved he was that some of the Top 18 went to the funeral. Why, he even got Miss Cat Deeley crying! Very sad, but the show goes on.

Next week on So You Think You Can Dance, our Top14 perform and viewers can finally have a say in who’s eliminated.

The competition began tonight and already two dancers are cut! Farewell Ariana DeBose and Brandon Dumlao, we hardly knew ye!

So You Think You Can Dance threw our Top 20 right into it, but not before we got confirmation that 1) Yes, Contemporary dancer Billy Bell indeed withdrew from the competition due to illness. He was replaced by Hip Hopper Brandon Dumlao. 2) Noelle Marsh (a.k.a. Mollee Gray’s BFF) hurt her knee so she was also out for the evening (awaiting MRI deets). That meant her poor partner, Russell Ferguson had to dance with old– er “seasoned” flame-haired choreographer, Melanie LaPatin (awkwaaaaard).

This new cast has potential, but I wasn’t completely won over on many of the performances. Maybe that’s because the stupid local news kept interrupting the show on account of, oh I’unno, the Bay Bridge’s rod snapping. Ignorance is bliss - I want Dance, not breaking news! I’m guessing so do you so check out videos from tonight’s dances (from MJ) and my thoughts.

Channing Cooke & Phillip Attmore - Jive by Jason Gilikson - “Rockin’ Robin” by Jackson 5 (VIDEO): Meh. Channing discusses her tomboyish upbringing, and uh, I still see it. There is serious “dude” in her, and some times she reminds me of Melissa Etheridge so I think she can still work on the ladyness. I love the Jive, but this number was not that coo’. Their legs lacked the *snap* - even Phillip, who should’ve been amazing with his strong tap background. In my opinion, Phillip may have been one of the Bottom 2 guys. These two need to find chemistry ASAP. They seem pretty uncomfortable with one another.

Ashleigh Di Lello & Jakob Karr - Broadway by Tyce Diorio - “Hit Me With a Hot Note (and watch me bounce)” Sophisticated Ladies (original soundtrack) (VIDEO): The judges were just drooooling over Jakob. It’s no lie: boy is TALENTED (and so flexible!). Raise your hand if, as Adam was gushing, you filled in his pause as, “Jakob, you- were- meant- to- spread…YOUR LEGS!” I did! (He actually said something like “spread the gospel of dance” - I like my version bettah). Personally, I found this dull to watch though. I didn’t see the “man-woman” connection between these two. Jakob is superb, but still too delicate in this number to be a convincing partner for Ashleigh. I think Ashleigh should’ve been in the Bottom 2 gals, by the way. She’s lacking much more than Pauline Mata.

Ariana DeBose & Peter Sabasino - Hip Hop by Tabitha & Napoleon - “Black & Gold” by Sam Sparrow (VIDEO): Yeah, I wanted these two to do well since they’re so cute, but they didn’t gel as well as they could’ve. Anyone else think Ariana looks like an older Sasha Obama (PIC)? Awww.

Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson - Foxtrot by Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin - “Vagabond Shoes” by Vic Damone (VIDEO): Since Noelle was out of commission, Russell had to trot that old fox: Melanie LaPatin (hellooo, I went there!). He had some decent moments, but the pairing was reminiscent of watching a young boy dance with his aunt at a party. Or a student dancing with his teacher (er, I guess that’s literally what it was). Just…odd. The judges fawn over him still. I like Russell already, so they don’t have to keep up with the “OHMIGOD, but you’re a KRUMPER! How can you possibly dance other styles decently?!!? *mind explodes*” No need to pimp him out, judges. His talent and energy stand for themselves.

Bianca Revels & Victor Smalley - Contemporary by Travis Wall - “Wasted Time” by Me’Shell Ndegeocello (VIDEO): Victor has moments of hothot, manly heat, and moments where he reminds me of Ricky from My So-Called Life. It’s really confusing but I like him. Bianca did alright for this dance, although I agree with the judges that her hunched posturing wasn’t doing her any favors. Still, Travis’ detailed, intricate choreography was lovely to watch.

Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte - Cha Cha by Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin - “Push It” by Cast of Glee (VIDEO): This song was a very choppy, odd choice for this number. Trying to win the Glee fans over? I wasn’t impressed with Kevin in this number, but I mean how can you really focus on him when Karen was completely dominating with her sexy Latin ballroom skills? Karen loves to play up the sexpot card, which isn’t always rewarded in SYTYCD but she pulls it off and I think she has real potential. I’d like to see her in a deeper emotional piece (kinda like the above Travis Wall number) to see if she can be more than just hotsexyLatin (TM).

Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello - Jazz by Sonya Tayeh - “Arcadia” by Apparat (VIDEO): Um, I like Ellenore but her proclamation that this could be one of the BEST dances in the history of the show was definitely off-base. Yes, I loved watching her do the bird-like, ticking movements and Ryan was good considering this is not his style, but this piece never came together for me. Ryan has this Hugh Jackman-ness about him. His ripped bod is easy on the eyes, but he doesn’t have the humility of Mr. Jackman and sometimes his confidence comes off as cockiness. I’m intrigued though, let’s see these two do Hip Hop.

Pauline Mata & Brandon Dumlao - Smooth Waltz by Jason Gilikson - “You Light Up My Life” by Whitney Houston (VIDEO): I agree with the judges on this. As much as I wanted Brandon to do well after being called in last minute to replace Billy Bell, he did Waltz like an amateur high school student. These two definitely had a very sweet and genuine chemistry that was bubbling through, but overall, no me gusta. However, Pauline did much better than the judges gave her credit for, in my opinion!

Kathryn McCormick & Legacy Perez - Hip Hop by Dave Scott - “On & On” by Missy Elliott (VIDEO): Oh wow, so Kathryn is the “crying girl” whose voice gets reallyreally high and wobbly when she’s emotional. Um, but I must say she really impressed me here! Sure her face/hair are sorta pedestrian and she can be annoying as heck when she starts boohooing, but this number was my favorite of the night! I could do without the repeated “grooming”/”eating grubs off your hair” pantomiming, but I will at least admit that these two surpassed my expectations by a ton.

Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras - Disco by Doriana Sanchez - “Turn the Beat Around (Pablo’s 12″ Remix)” by Gloria Estefan (VIDEO): Y’all know I find Mollee as supremely annoying as I find Nathan supremely cute, so you can guess that I’m bummed that they’re paired together. And Disco? Why are we saddling my boy down so early in the game? Yeah, as much as I adore Nathan, this wasn’t a stand-out dance. It felt too messy/frantic and Mollee clumsily launching crotch-first into Nathan’s face was, well, incredibly disturbing on so many levels. And I’m also concerned about Nathan’s wonky new hairstyle and his tendency to pander to the cameras. Please Nathan, I want to keep lurving your dimples and rouge-y cheeks, so don’t become those obnoxious contestants that mug in front of the camera. Leave that to Mollee.

The judges select their Bottom 4 who must DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES: Ariana DeBose, Pauline Mata, Brandon Dumlao and Russell Ferguson– WHAT THE WHAT?? Ok, I know they wanted to get rid of Brandon this week, so my thought is they chose Russell because he’s undeniably NOT worth going home and the audience wouldn’t hate them for booting Brandon if he was up against beloved, talented Russell. Just me? Anyway, I actually thought Ariana out-danced Pauline. I mean she poured her heart and soul into that brief solo. Lovely, pint-sized Pauline did a nice solo, but I didn’t feel the fight in her. Russell killed his solo - there was no doubt that Brandon was going home after that. VIDEO

ELIMINATED: Ariana DeBose and Brandon Dumlao. Nigel says he’ll try to allow Brandon to try-out again next season because the show basically forced him to replace Billy and then promptly kicked him out. Also, if Noelle doesn’t get well soon, Ariana will return next week. Random. Why not just boot Noelle off now and let Ariana continue on? Survival of the fittest, baby. VIDEO

Anyway, next week we’ll get our answers and watch the Top 18 perform. Who caught your eye (good way or bad way) tonight? Did the right folks go home? I’ll see you next week for… So You Think You Can Dance!

Mmm, child! Why didn’t Nigel do this “Meet the Top 20″ special in past seasons of So You Think You Can Dance? How long have we SYTYCD fans craved an episode dedicated to the dancers in their own element - meaning their own dance style and specialty - not a rushed, 1 minute DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES, or the unevenly edited vignettes during the audition episodes. Tonight’s show gave us a taste of that by grouping all like-styled dancers together.

That’s not to say this was perfect. My gripes?

1) The episode could’ve been two hours versus one to let each Top 20 dancer do a solo (I still can’t tell them brunette Contemporary dancer gals apart).

2) The new stage is AWFUL. It’s like the American Idol stage with massive video screens that display epileptic fit-inducing Windows screensavers in the background. Now, the dancers are swallowed up. It makes it so much harder to focus on their moves and feel the impact and emotion of their dances without being distracted. NIGEL, are you listening?? Go back to the old stage so I can freakin see the DANCER, not the lighting and special FX.

3) Some of the dances did not impress and I feel like the judges were too kind in their comments - almost like they were convincing themselves that they’d made the right decisions on some of these folks.

But enough about that - you are here for THE DANCE. Recaps of the numbers and videos (from MJ) below:

TOP 20 GROUP ROUTINE: Choreographed by Wade Robson - “Comanche” by The Revels (VIDEO): This was a super swanky, wah-wah start to the show: everyone dressed to the nines like they’re in some too-cool-for-school speakeasy, snapping and clapping and “aaahhh”ing around the dance floor. Wade lumped the dancers together by style whilst mixing in a stray Contemporary dancer here and there (since there are PLENTY to spare, despite all the judges’ talk of diversity this season). The way to win my heart is naturally to open with cutie patootie Nathan Trasoras leading a pack of Contemporary/Jazz dancers in his (dapper-bordering-on-dorky) white suit. Also a stand-out for me was Jacob Karr’s hot, sizzling entrance with the Hip Hop trio (Kevin Hunte, Legacy Perez and Russell Ferguson) - oh right, and gentle Contemporary boy Billy Bell. Energy something FIERCE, I tell you. I loved Wade’s choreography here - herky-jerky, funky, swanky, energetic - and what a song featuring that blaring trumpet and sax. Niiiice.

HIP HOP TRIO ROUTINE: Russell Ferguson (Krump), Legacy Perez (B-Boy) & Kevin Hunte (Pop-Locker) - Choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon - “Beggin’ (District ‘78 Remix)” by Madcon (Intro VIDEO & Dance VIDEO): These three guys aren’t really similar in their specialties but got plopped together into the “Hip Hop” umbrella. Still, they seemed really supportive of one another and had explosive spirit. I think Legacy was the weakest of the trio (that’s right, I’m judging already) and Russell Ferguson was the stand-out, especially during his mini solo after flying off-stage. I like his boom boom pow!

CONTEMPORARY QUARTET #1: Nathan Trasoras, Jakob Karr, Ariana DeBose & Channing Cooke - Choreographed by Tyce DiOrio - “Crying” by k.d. Lang (Intro VIDEO & Dance VIDEO): If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m NOT into Tyce, his overrated choreography, his rudeness and his air of self-importance. Needless to say I was bummed he was choreographing my two fave Contemporary dancers: Nathan & Jakob. I found the piece too “busy”. It’s about 4 people dealing with sadness in different ways, which means you have 4 dancers twitching and writhing around at different times and it was so frantic that I couldn’t focus on all of them. All I recall was that Nathan did pirouettes for days - he’s dreamy. “Meh” to you, Tyce - MEH.

TAP TRIO ROUTINE: Bianca Revels, Phillip Attmore & Peter Sabasino - Choreographed by Derrick K. Grant - “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Ella Fitzgerald (Intro VIDEO & Dance VIDEO): Sadly, this tap number did not translate to that big stage for me. My thoughts? Bianca’s got personality just bursting out of her, Phillip’s got a weird nose and Peter looks like Liev Schreiber as Sabertooth.

JAZZ TRIO ROUTINE: Pauline Mata, Mollee Gray & Ellenore Scott - Choreographed by Sonya Tayeh - “On a Cloud” by PPP (Intro VIDEO & Dance VIDEO): Mollee Gray STILL acts like a dorky kid and annoys me. Why do the producers pimp her out so much? More Ellenore! Actually, in this number I felt that Ellenore and Pauline stood out. But maybe that’s cuz I’m reverse biased toward (against?) Mollee. This number was ok. The lacey gloves and tutus were an odd costume choice.

CONTEMPORARY QUARTET #2: Victor Smalley, Kathryn McCormick, Noelle Marsh & Billy Bell - Choreographed by Mandy Moore - “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay (Intro VIDEO & Dance VIDEO): This dance was way similar to Season 4’s Top 4 “celebratory Scottish kilt” group dance by Mia Michaels — just me? I guess it’s the strings, the quartet of dancers, the jumpy/bouncy/fruity movements…I prefer Season 4’s routine. I still can’t keep track of which brunette girl is which, but I’ll get there… NEWSFLASH: we got sad news that Billy Bell withdrew from the show due to (mysterious-but-life-threatening) illness! Tragic because he was an early audience favorite and could make Adam Shankman blubber like a baby. He will be replaced by Bay Area Hip Hop dancer, Brandon Dumlao. I’m sad Billy’s out, but also excited that Brandon gets a chance: a Hip Hop dancer and also from my hometown!

BALLROOM ROUTINE: Karen Hauer, Ashleigh Di Lello & Ryan Di Lello - Choreographed by Jason Gilkinson – “Everything I Can’t Have” by Robin Thicke (Intro DANCE & Dance VIDEO): Three’s a crowd and Karen’s a firecracker. I want to see more of her - without the married couple.

Who rang your bell in the “Meet the Top 20″ special? Tonight, the “REAL” competition begins: a 2-hour premiere where the dancers partner up and pony up to take on a new dance style. The judges will boot out TWO dancers. Maybe one of the brunette Contemporary girls will get kicked off, who knows! Tune in to So You Think You Can Dance and find out!

So You Think You Have Enough Contemporary dancers? Sheesh. Tonight was a snoozy reveal of Season 6’s Top 20 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, and the majority of them are all from the Contemporary style (where’s the diversity?). I really wished they’d show a lot more footage of each dancer in their element, but I guess they’re saving it for next Monday’s “Meet the Top 20″ episode.

Basically, tonight was just a bunch of backstage footage of the dancers burying their faces in the hands or hugging (with congratulations or sympathy). A right bore, if you ask me!  Which 10 guys and 10 gals made it? Watch this video to see all Top 20 dancers (vid from Rickey) and read below for details:

Nathan Trasoras (Contemporary) – My favorite so far - thank goodness he made it! Remember Nathan? He was too young last season, but Nigel gave him a free pass to this season’s Las Vegas week. Love his pirouettes and apple-y cheeks.

Kathryn McCormick (Contemporary) – Wow, do the producers want me to hate her already? They basically show a montage of this homesick Georgia native crying over and over and over again. And every time she starts crying, her voice becomes increasingly warbly and high-pitched like Stewie Griffin. The way they edited it, she just came off as being ridiculous - I mean even the judges were making fun of her! How am I supposed to take her seriously as a dancer when that’s all they show of her?

Channing Cooke (Contemporary) – The Bostonian ice cream parlor gal with a lot of personality. The judges say she lacks chemistry with her partners and needs to improve on that.

Ariana DeBose (Contemporary) – Dunno much about her. She made Mia cry with her Vegas audition, I think…

Ellenore Scott (Jazz) – I thought Ellenore had a great Vegas audition, but they never really showed her again. I hope she blows us away when given more screen time.

Billy Bell (Contemporary) – Little Billy is putting off his scholarship to Julliard to participate. Hope it’s worth it, Billy Boy… He’s a goofy-faced little guy, isn’t he?

Russell Ferguson (Krump) - The first Krumper to ever make the Top 20! *blow party horn* Does Russell HONESTLY have NO other formal dance training? I just don’t believe it because he’s just… TOO good at everything! I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if Youtube videos surface of him in advanced ballet classes, I will be sorely disappointed. Don’t let me down, Russell!

Kevin “K’Bez” Hunte (Hip Hop) - He makes it. I missed this part, but I don’t think they focused much on him.

Bianca Revels (Tap) – After three seasons of auditioning, Bianca finally makes it to the Top 20 and is the first Tap dancer ever to do so! It’s a night of history being made. Well, I guess that’s enough of that…

Phillip Attmore (Tap) – Oh wait, I guess they’re not done! Phillip is the SECOND tapper to make it! His face looks kinda weird - why? Tight and shiny. Apparently he was too defensive when given criticism and rubbed some of the judges the wrong way, but he gets another chance.

Peter Sabasino (Tap) – Yep, a THIRD tapper makes it. Well, now I’m over it. It’s weird though, the judges were like, “Yeah, you weren’t very good in your first Vegas solo… then you were so-so in other choreography… YOU’RE IN THE TOP 20!!!!!” I would’ve liked to see someone like Brandon Dumlao (VIDEO) make it instead of a third “so-so” tap dancer.

Victor Smalley (Contemporary) – He’s hawt. The judges hated his hair, so he cut it. Then they liked him. *sigh*

Jakob Karr (Contemporary) – Gumby-bendy Jakob makes it but they show hardly anything about him.

Mollee Gray (Jazz) – Blech! I’m sorry Mollee fans, but every time she opens her mouth, I say, “UgggGGGGH!” She just acts like a complete doofus and does NOT impress me with her dancing for the reason mentioned by the judges: she dances like a child and doesn’t ooze deep-seated emotion from her performances. Sure she’s cute, but I don’t want a sweet Shirley Temple on the dance floor - I want a fierce Bloody Mary.

Pauline Mata (Jazz) - Despite her ankle injury, tiny little Pauline makes it.

Noelle Marsh (Contemporary) – She’s BFFs with Mollee. They squeal and hug a lot. *eye roll*

Legacy (B-boy) – The breakdancer with the high-pitched voice makes it. I personally miss b-boy Jean Lloret with the braids and dimples…

Paula Van Oppen (Contemporary) – She makes the Top 20, but committed to a movie in between Vegas week and whenever they filmed this episode. Rumor has it that the movie Paula accepted is 2010’s “Burlesque” (slated to star Kristen Bell, Christina Aguilera and Cher among others). Sounds like a sweet gig for a dancer, but Paula is bummed - too much good stuff happening at once.

Ryan Di Lello (Ballroom) – Huge, muscular hottie Ryan has long been a judge favorite, so it’s no surprise that he makes it in. But will his less stellar wife Ashleigh join him?

Karen Hauer (Ballroom) – Well, Karen is pit against Ashleigh. I was scared they’d keep Ashleigh solely for the husband/wife drama, but Karen has a lot more natural, genuine stage presence and rightfully makes it through… but WAIT FOR IT…

Ashleigh Di Lello (Ballroom) - …Ashleigh also makes it! She takes Paula Van Oppen’s place. Better to be 2nd banana than none at all, eh Ash? She gets to join her husband, Ryan, in celebrating. The first married couple to be in the Top 20 together!

A real night of “firsts”, huh (first tappers, first hubby and wifey, first krumper)? So that’s the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance Season 6! Are you excited or disappointed in the judges’ selections? At this point I’m most intrigued by Nathan Trasoras, Ellenore Scott, Russell Ferguson and Jakob Karr. The guys seem stronger - is it too soon to predict that a male dancer will win the title of “America’s Best Dancer” this season? Well, I just did it. Your turn!

Next Monday, Nigel’s put together a “Meet the Top 20″ special which will only feature the Top 20 dancing in THEIR genre. It will include some trios (like TAP trios?) and other group dances - I’m excited. This will give us a better peek at each dancer so we aren’t realizing halfway through the season that Jeanine Mason deserved much more limelight than her partner Phillip Chbeeb ever did (errr, for example).

Ew, *gag* Was it really necessary for So You Think You Can Dance to dedicate alllll that screen time to Salt Lake City auditioner Leigh Asay’s toenail falling off? Ugggh, it makes me queasy just thinking about it and I was avoiding looking at the screen the whole time. *hurp*

Last night, Mia Michaels joined Mary and Nigel in Utah for the FINAL city of auditions (”Hallelujah!”). Highlights and video clips (from MJ)…now:

Hayley Cloud (Contemporary) - Hayley had a spinal injury that almost stopped her from dancing, but with a little acupuncture and physical therapy, she was miraculously right as rain and able to dance like a demon. She’s a really good dancer, you’d have no idea about her previous back problems the way she was whipping around and tumbling. Good energy and makes it to Vegas. VIDEO

Megan Kinney (Contemporary) and Genise Ruidiaz (Contemporary) are two curly-haired vixens that also make it straight to Vegas. You may remember that Megan also auditioned last year with her sister, Season 5 contestant Caitlin Kinney, but didn’t make it past Vegas. I always thought she was more fiery than her sister although they don’t even talk about her (compared to the screen time they gave Ryan Kasprzak), so I wonder if that’s a bad sign. VIDEO

Iveta Lukosiute (Ballroom) - Iveta is a tall, lithe thang with a platinum blonde bob. She’s from Lithuania and talks about how happy she is to be in America: land of opportunities. Her dancing is gorgeous and so impressive that Mary is reduced to tears. Iveta may not have “the look” of the typical SYTYCD contestant (she looks much older), but there’s no doubt that she at least deserves a straight shot to Vegas. VIDEO

Ashleigh & Ryan Di Lello (Ballroom) - Another married ballroom couple auditioning together. We get clips of the two cutie marrieds at home, but not so fast! While the judges think Ryan is amazing, they think Ashleigh is a cornball faker who has trouble connecting to her husband(!). Ouch. Both get sent to choreography (again, WHY bother to send the ballroom auditioners to the ballroom choreography test?) and both make it to Vegas. Good luck with that, Di Lellos.  VIDEO

Leigh Asay (Ballroom) - Okay, this is NOT meant for the faint of heart. This is “the toenail girl” audition (my stomach churns every time I think of her). Leigh and her partner deliver a solid audition, although I don’t find her the strongest ballroom dancer (especially not after seeing Iveta). But that doesn’t matter because as she waits to be critiqued, she realizes her toenail came off *gag* Needless to say they spend TOO much time on this nastiness and even the judges are cringing and freaking out over the massive ickiness. Leigh gets sent straight to Vegas (I think they just wanted to get her off the stage), but her partner does not. VIDEO

Tonight? There’s MORE So You Think You Can Dance and we’re in VEGAS, baby! From the dramatic preview clip, they make it seem like Fame or something because we just see snippets of the choreographers shouting Debbie Allen-style at the dancers as they sweat, spin and split-kick in unison. Highlight? I see a milisecond of my cutie, Nathan Trasoras - I sooo hope he impresses! Gotta tune in tonight!

Last night, So You Think You Can Dance headed to New Orleans - the Big Easy, land of Mardi Gras, marching bands playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” and lots of dance talent (finally!). Nigel was out getting a doctorate, so our judges are Lil C, Mary and Adam Shankman. The vibe isn’t the same without Nigel, but the show must go on! Recaps and video clips (from MJ) of the better dancers below:

Shelby “Skip” Skipper (New Orleans Bounce) - Skip does this crazy local dance style called the “New Orleans Bounce” which looks exhausting and requires high energy that he delivers. He’s definitely fun to watch and the judges are really excited to see a new style of dance, but I wonder why they decided to send him straight to Vegas. Usually dancers with this sort of niche specialty are at least put through the choreography test. Hm, What Would Nigel Do? VIDEO

Jonathan Litzler (Contemporary) – Jonathan is a really strong tumbler who blends it in his dance. Dang, check out those leg muscles - what the sinew?! Off to Vegas for him. VIDEO

Alison Nance, Calvin Turner Jr. and Edward Spots - Montage of three dancers who make the cut to Vegas. Who are they? Will we ever find out? VIDEO

Justin Kenney (B-boy) - For the third time this season, Cat narrates that Justin “is one of the best b-boys we’ve ever seen”. Unless I’m seeing things, he’s got massive plugs in his ears and piercing blue eyes. He sort of looks like Uncle Jesse from Full House, but ganglier. He was recently in a serious car accident and suffered a lot of head trauma, but he’s still able to do some wild tricks - Lil C says something about Justin’s impressive transition from “flares to babies” and I’m delighted. Unfortch, Justin isn’t that great in choreography, but I actually see some potential, like he could be someone the audience watches “grow” as a dancer over the season. The judges must agree because they still give him a plane ticket to Vegas. VIDEO

Kimalee Piedad (Theater Arts) - We’re treated to another new dance style in The Big Easy tonight: Theater Arts. It’s apparently a combo of like…ballet, contemporary and ice dancing. Just very flowy partnered dancing with some extremely unique lifts. Kimalee is trying out, while her partner is there to support her (though he deserves props for that strength - no doubt). She has a witty personality, and their audition is lovely to watch. Although, it may be a bummer if she makes it because Kimalee would lose a lot of the “wow” factor (much like ballroom dancers) without a partner to work off of. But, she makes it to Vegas so we’ll see how she fares. VIDEO

Jakob Karr (Contemporary) - Holy smokes! I thought Jakob was amaaaazing to watch. One of the strongest Contemporary auditions I’ve seen this season (but I am still hoping to see more of that cutie Nathan Trasoras). I hope we get to see more of him in Vegas. VIDEO

Diana Drexler (Contemporary) - Diana’s audition is in the last 5 minutes of the show, which means: tearjerker ahead! The previous day, she found out that her grandfather passed away, so she’s battling a roller coaster of emotions, and wants to make him proud. She’s a very sweet girl and does a fine audition, though admittedly it’s not mindblowing. Something about her reminds me of Baby in Dirty Dancing. Anywho, the judges are empathetic and ask her to do the choreography test, which she passes - so she gets a ticket to Vegas and hopes her grandpa is proud. Maybe I almost teared up. Maybe. VIDEO

Next time, we hit the FINAL audition city (finally!) - Salt Lake City, Utah, where apparently everyone dances on mountain tops in slow motion. Then, the gauntlet of Vegas Week begins. Who’ll make it? Who’ll get cut? *dramatic muzac* Tune in next week to So You Think You Can Dance!

Geez Louise, thank goodness for DVRs or I would’ve totally missed last night’s So You Think You Can Dance Atlanta auditions episode. Lil C joined Nigel and Mary on the panel. *sigh* So far, Season 6 hasn’t really knocked my socks off - to be honest, I’m ready for these audition episodes to be over with! Quickie recaps below (vids from MJ):

Billy Bell (Contemporary, Ballet) – He started dancing just 5 years ago and has a cute baby face. Nigel was quick to point out his rough technique (”swayed back” and “banana bunch fingers”), but they still want to send him straight to Vegas. VIDEO

Amber Jackson (Contemporary) – She’s a good dancer, but I wasn’t connecting - apparently I wasn’t alone! The judges really rail on her for not engaging with them, staring at no one as she performed. Nigel says her performance was “sh!t” to try and shake some emotion into her. They give her a second chance with choreography. Amber hits the steps, but is still too empty in the eyes for me. The judges also tell her to really keep working on being more “there” in her performances to captivate the audience, but give her a ticket to Vegas. VIDEO

Victor Smalley (Modern) – He’s got potential *shrug* Makes it to Vegas. VIDEO

Anthony and Antwain Hart (Hip Hop) – These twins auditioned in Season 4 and are back for more. They’re pretty fun to watch, although I find myself watching the gray-vested brother more (Antwain). Unfortunately for me, he bombs at choreography and doesn’t get through to Vegas, while his bro (Anthony) does. Awwwwwkwaaaaard! VIDEO

Jessica Jensen (Contemporary) – Jessica had to amputate her left hand after cancer took it over about a year ago, but she has an upbeat attitude and continues her passion: dancing. She’s gives a strong, emotional audition, but unfortunately chokes during the choreography and is cut.  VIDEO

Thomas Hamilton (Contemporary) – As usual, they end the episode with a meant-to-tear-jerk dancer. Thomas grew up as a crack baby and was raised by his aunt. He’s worked really hard to overcome and get away from his impoverished town, which he sees as a dead-end. Dance is what saved him - thanks in part to Mia Michaels for inspiring him to pursue Contemporary. Thomas does a very nice audition, but it becomes too spiritual/worshiping for Nigel toward the end. Still, the judges know he is a very beautiful dancer with a lot to offer. He passes choreography and gets a ticket to ride. VIDEO

Don’t forget: tonight is another So You Think You Can Dance audition episode: New Orleans, baby! Nigel looks to be missing from the panel, so it will be Lil C, Mary and Adam Shankman callin’ the shots.

Get yer cah from the pahkin laht and let’s get a beeyah at the bahh cuz tonight we finally saw some gems from So You Think You Can Dance’s Season 6 audition episode in Boston, Mass!

Too bad my least favorite guest judge, Tyce “Dr. Evil” Diorio, joined Nigel and Mary on the panel. Recap and videos ahead (by Rickey and mrduckbears3).

Teddy Tedholm (Contemporary) - I recall seeing this “whimsical” guy in a teaser last season. I remember him as “the meth face guy” because I saw this traumatic Faces of Meth site that shows how addicts pick at their faces til they get all scabby and *shudder* - just DON’T do meth, kids! Teddy was flail-y, like a ragdoll clown, but he has control over his movements too. *I* prefer to associate his audition song (Jason Mraz’s “If It Kills Me”) with the gorgeous “Best Friends Who Finally Do It” routine from Jeanine Mason & Jason Glover last season instead, but whatevs - he makes it to Vegas. He’ll probably win over a fanbase that’s into spastic guys who try really hard to stand out and call themselves “whimsical”. Meh, worse things have happened. VIDEO

Jean Lloret (B-boy) - Whoa. Jean was starting to bore the judges in his audition opening steps that went on a hair too long, but then BOOM BOOM POW - he jumped into this INSANE 360 degree spin suspended arm press thing that I can’t even properly describe. It was so mindboggling and extraordinary that Mary *and* Nigel just look at each other wide-eyed and start SCREEEEEAAAAMING IN SHOCK while Tyce keeps making propellar gestures with his arms in disbelief. Immediately after Jean finished, all three judges were already standing up with Vegas tix. Jean didn’t even know where he was going, but I already love him way more than Legacy from last week. Can he do ballroom though? I hope so. VIDEO

Kimara Wood (Modern) - We get a short clip of Kimara who is shirtless and doing explosive leaps with his long hair swinging all over the place (and you know I’m into that). Vegas straight away. VIDEO

Channing Cooke (Contemporary) - Once the cameras follow attention-loving Channing to her ice cream parlor job, you can bet she’ll make it through to Vegas. Soo much backstory footage, c’mon producers - keep me guessing. Channing’s got a lot of personality, meaning she’s mouthy and really hams it up to the camera. That can work for her or against her. Her audition is fluid, although she may be just another cute blonde dancing to an acoustic Jason Mraz song. The judges like her but want more from her performance (ok, so Tyce said that and I agree - that makes me wanna throw up). She passes the choreography and gets a Vegas ticket. VIDEO

Russell Ferguson (Krump) - Russell’s auditioned before but never made it to Vegas. He krumps like his life depends on it which is really nice to see after all of the Contemporary auditions. He’s fierce and hard-hitting and solid. The judges put him through to choreography and he makes it to Vegas! Hooray! Could Russell be the first Krumper to ever make Top 20?  VIDEO

Karen & Matthew Hauer (Latin Ballroom) - A sexy ballroom dancing husband and wife who know they’re sexy. The judges agree that they’re hot, hot, HOT and they’re the first married team who make it through to Vegas. VIDEO

Gene Bersten (Latin Ballroom) - Gene is a pretty boy ballroom dancer who’s in love with himself. He’s cute, but makes a lot of distracting, wide-eyed eyebrow facial tweaks during his audition. He is technically strong and has the ballroom machismo though. The judges agree with me about his wonky eyebrow ticks, but Gene passes choreography (piece of cake since it’s ballroom) and he’s off to Vegas. VIDEO

Kevin “K’Bez” Hunte (Hip Hop) - K’Bez auditioned Season 3 and is back after training in Contemporary, among other things. His audition is Hip Hop though, and is okay, but I know we’ve seen stronger in the past and the judges agree. Tyce, for some unknown reason, gets really confrontational with cool as a cucumber K’Bez, saying he wasn’t thinking intelligently for his audition and didn’t show off his Contemporary skills, delayed his back flip, yada yada blah blah. I swear, Tyce just likes hearing the sound of his shrill voice going yapyapyippityyap and I want to slap him in the pie-hole. Urgh. Luckily, K’Bez does great in choreography testing and has a chance to prove himself again in Vegas. VIDEO

Next week on So You Think You Can Dance, we go to Atlanta where some dancer is soooo good that Mary is brought to tears. Til then - PAYCE OUT.

Before getting started on tonight’s So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 audition episode set in Phoenix, Arizona - did you hear that choreographer and director Adam Shankman will be joining Nigel and Mary as a permanent third judge this season??? I wonder if they’ll keep having guest judges… I do admit that Adam is probably my fave guest judge on the show - he’s always psyched about good dancing - but not in an obnoxious way - and he has a “thick as thieves” rapport with Nigel and Mary.

ANYWAY, tonight’s guest judge was Mia Michaels. I was not WOWed overall, but here are videos of the better dancers (from MJ):

Sasha Mallory - Sasha’s from Bakersfield, CA (no comment despite my Cali snobbery) and has a funky haircut and sense of style. You’d think she was a badarse, but then she can’t quit crying over how much she loves/needs her family. It’s sweet - almost too sweet - cut the cord, girl, sheesh! j/p. Sasha auditions with a lovely white dress that matches her lovely white prop chair and does very Mia Michaels and Sonya-esque choreography. You know the kind: a little ragdoll-y action here… some twitchy-jerky moves there… some flowy extensions… and character to boot. It’s interesting to watch and you best believe she cried her way to Vegas with her lovin’ family. VIDEO

Allison Becker - In a tale not unlike Marlee Matlin’s press when she joined Dancing With the Stars a few seasons ago, Allison has defied the odds and become a persevering, graceful dancer - despite losing her hearing to Spinal Meningitis. She’s good, considering she can’t hear-hear the music (she feels the beat), though she’s admittedly not the best evahs. Still, her dancing has Mary sobbing as she’s reminded of a deaf cousin who gave up on her dream (to dance?) before passing away. The judges put Allison through to choreography and she makes it to Vegas. But will she survive that high-pressured week of rapid-fire choreography and a format that probably won’t slow down and cater to her disability? *dum dum DUM* We’ll see! VIDEO

Willem de Vris & Jacob Jason - These fellas are the #1 US same-sex ballroom couple and they’re trying to earn back street cred after last season’s disappointing same-sex couple debut. Willem & Jason are definitely strong in technique although the routine is too understated for me - where are the lifts, the eye-popping tricks? But Mia Michaels could care less about tricks and she’s just so moved by them that she’s boohooing a storm. The judges are way more positive this time around (also probably more sensitive after the backlash Nigel got last season for his homophobic comments) and the gay duo are sent to choreography (a cinch since it’s their genre: ballroom!). Both Willem & Jacob get tickets to Vegas. I’m sure both can nail the lines and emotion for Contemporary, but are they well-rounded enough to pull off Krumping or Hip hop? VIDEO

Jonathan “Legacy” Perez - This alleged “best b-boy ever”(?) does his thing well. In b-boy/dance lingo, I imagine they’d call his moves “spinny” and “flippy”. He has a lot of swagger/cockiness when he dances and seems to go about 100 mph. I bet Toni Basil would say he’s pretty “STREET.” He’s fun to watch and strong - the only drawback for me is that his voice is surprisingly high-pitched - just me? No matter, Legacy makes it to Vegas. VIDEO

Next week So You Think You Can Dance auditions head to old Beantown: Boston and Tyce DiOrio guest judges *frown*. The clips hint at some amazing dancers, but then again they always show SO MANY clips of rad dancing from random peeps in line during at these auditions and then we never see any of them again…

Welcome… to So You Think You Can Dance! Season 6 is alive and well just one teeny month after Season 5’s finale. Oh you don’t scare me, Nigel Lythgoe. I’ll take on your excessive love of dance, I’ll take it like a champ.

We open with auditions in LA and Adam Shankman is the third judge, joining Nigel and Mary Murphy. Videos of just the impressive folks (thanks to MJ) and recap-o-rama ahead:

Ick. Crazy Cole Clemens, a guy with two hairstyles on his head (crew cut on the left, sideways mohawk on the right), is our first audition. He just does some, er, a capella performance art: twitchy, overly dramatic movements (but not dancing) more suited for a drama class audition. He even does a monologue but all I remember is, “Shatter. Shatter. Shatter-shatter! SHATTER.” What a joke. Lame.

Next! Remember Mollee Gray from Utah? They showed her audition last season as a teaser and here’s what I said then, “Some girl named Mollee from Utah moved her whole family to Cali just so she could have more dance opportunities. Her audition is scrambled and flawed, imo. But she’s bubbly like Kellie Pickler so I assume they let her through to Vegas.” Well, I was right. We also learn that she was a principal dancer in High School Musical 1, 2 and 3. Through her very long backstory footage, the producers implore us, “How can you not love this girl? She’s blonde and smiley and cute! She says things like, ‘Alls we have is each other’ and has a mom who’s a MILF named Thursday (no lie)! Love her, America. LOVE MOLLEE GRAY.”

Sorry, but my original impression didn’t change. Mollee made great leaps, but to me it was a generic contemporary audition and lacked polish and hard-hitting moves. But the judges love her looks, bubbliness and think she can grow. She gets a ticket to Vegas. VIDEO

Then we see a trio of contemporary dancers who make it through: David Hovhannisyan who, despite wearing yellow, junk-highlighting short shorts, has sinewy moves that win over the judges. Amanda Kerby, who’s back after getting cut during last season’s Vegas week. (Remember? Her dad has MS…). And Brandon Dumlao, who is a contemporary dancer from the Bay Area, so holla at that! VIDEO

Next it’s the return of the tappa, tappa, tap dancers: Ryan Kasprzak (a.k.a. big bro to last season’s Broadway and “why are you still here?” guy Evan) and Bianca Revels. We open with Ryan’s audition: it’s like poetry reading+tap dancing love child. He taps as he narrates, saying things like, “I hear music *tippity tappity tippity*” He manages to sell it - the judges adore him and think it was a brilliant audition. They’re really talking him up even though they totally should’ve picked him last season over his brother. Vegas, naturally. VIDEO.

Bianca Revels - The touted female tap dancer is back AGAIN. We see clips of her getting cut last season, “I’m not coming back! This was my last time!” and this season, “I’m not a quitter. I’m gonna keep coming back!” Hm. She’s got spunk though. Bianca doesn’t get a proper solo audition because she takes on Nigel’s challenge to have a “tap battle” (known in their world as a “tap trade”) with Ryan. But thank god she did because, I admit - whether I think they’re Top 20 material is beside the point - their tap trading is totally lighthearted and fun to watch. It’s really impressive to watch the two of them improv together and mesh. The audience and judges are rolling in ecstasy over the dance geekiness of it all. Vegas, for Bianca also. Good luck, B! I hope they don’t crush your dreams again. VIDEO.

Another time-wasting bad dancer, Christopher Aguilar. He’s actually an articulate guy and has passion, but the heavy-handed editing makes him look like a damned fool. There’ve definitely be odder folks, was he really necessary to pick on? He dances to “All That Jazz” and it’s not very good, but does have Nigel, Mary and Adam singing and dancing along which is fun to watch.

Amber Williams - Like Mollee, they give her a long backstory treatment. She helps care for her paralyzed mom. Producers: “Get it, America? Cry now. CRY FOR AMBER WILLIAMS! Did you hear her wheelchair-bound mother say she feels so free when she sees her daughter dance? Weep, b!tches!” No really, Amber and her sweet mother are truly genuine and wonderful to see. But you know I hate being beaten over the head with manipulating editing/favoritism. And to be fair, like Mollee, Amber is not the most fluid of dancers and has difficulty emoting as she performs. Nigel agrees while also trying to bring up her sob story. C’est la vie. Side note: I dunno if the judges choreograph their reactions but these three have a great rapport - I thought their synchronized whisper that she made it to “Vegasssss” was hilar. VIDEO.

Alexie Agdeppa and Paula Van Oppen, both contemporary lady dancers, make it. I think we saw Paula last season. The short pixie haircut… she looks familiar, right? VIDEO

Christina Santana - This latin lady is performing a routine of salsa-hip hop-pop lock. Hip-Salslock-Hop? Christina and her partner have the fire, although I started laughing when they stopped to do the pop locking (a.k.a. the Robot) in the middle of their ballroom. C’monnnnnnn. But there was a really cool move where she drops and he catches her by the neck. And pot stirs a-go-go. Hey, her partner (Pepe) is really hot, can he audition too (Nigel agrees he’s “Bloody good”)? Nigel’s thrilled, Mary loves her sharpness and fellas, Christina belly dances too! Vegas for her. VIDEO.

We end with Phillip Attmore - ANOTHER tap dancer! I’m guessing we’ll definitely have one of tonight’s three tappers in the Top 20. Phillip was Ryan’s roommate in a production of Fosse. He’s a really natural, confident tap dancer. His personality also shines on stage, like Ryan. Tough call but I get the vibe that Phillip may be too old/mature to be in the Top 20. I just don’t know if he’d get the teeny boppers interested. Still, Shankman calls his dancing “effortless” - exactly. Vegas! VIDEO

Next week, So You Think You Can Dance auditions hit Phoenix, AZ and Mia Michaels is the third judge. I hope it’s more interesting than tonight, which was kinda lackluster. And where were all the hip hop and breakdancers?? Maybe it’s just me being a touch critic - were you impressed by the LA auditions?