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?

Oh no!  We’ve just received word that Dancing With the Stars power couple Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have officially called it quits!

The pair reportedly called off their engagement this past Labor Day weekend.  Sources say Maksim was the one to cut the cord, with sources saying he was very “angry and upset” with the whole situation.

More deets, plz!

Apparently Karina was too high maintenance and dependent on Maksim.  Yikes!

The Ukrainian duo became engaged all the way back in January, after just 6 months of dating.  Maksim and Karina’s relationship was announced at the heels of her break up with Saved By the Bell alum and DWTS contestant Mario Lopez.

Should we believe this rumor? They seem to be a match made in heaven - say it ain’t so!

Hey Dance fans! Seems I just stopped the late-night So You Think You Can Dance recaps and yet here we are, a month later, about to do it all over again for the new Fall season of SYTYCD (Season 6, y’all)! It all starts next Wednesday, September 9th, on FOX!

To whhhhet our appetites for next week’s premiere, Nigel Lythgoe hosted a delightful filler episode of his Best 16 Routines from all 5 seasons (rerun-style, no one returned to re-perform them). Check the vids below (by MJ) and enjoy!

SEASON 1 ROUTINES

Destini Rogers & Jamile McGee - Hip Hop by Shane Sparks (“Shake” by Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull) – VIDEO
Melody Lacayanga & Nick Lazzarini - Chicago - Jazz by Tyce DiOrio (“All That Jazz” by Ute Lemper) – VIDEO

SEASON 2 ROUTINES

Heidi Groskreutz & Benji Schwimmer - Mambo by Alex Da Silva (“Black Mambo” by Angel & The Mambokats) – VIDEO
Allison Holker & Ivan Koumaev - Contemporary by Tyce DiOrio (”Why” by Annie Lennox) – VIDEO
Heidi & Travis Wall - Bench Routine - Contemporary by Mia Michaels (“Calling You” by Celine Dion) – VIDEO

SEASON 3 ROUTINES

Jaimie Goodwin & Hok Konishi - The Hummingbird and the Flower - Jazz by Wade Robson (“The Chairman’s Waltz” from Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack) – VIDEO
Sabra Johnson & Neil Haskell - The Boardroom Battle - Contemporary by Mandy Moore (“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by The Eurythmics) – VIDEO
Lacey Schwimmer & Danny Tidwell - Samba by Dmitry Chaplin (“Hip Hip Chin Chin” by Club Des Blugas) – VIDEO
Lauren Gottlieb & Pasha Kovalev - Transformers - Hip Hop by Shane Sparks (“Fuego” by Pitbull) – VIDEO

SEASON 4 ROUTINES

Courtney Galiano & Mark Kanemura - Jazz by Sonya Tayeh (“The Garden” by Mirah) – VIDEO
Chelsie Hightower & Mark - Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon (“Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis) – VIDEO
Katee Shean & Joshua Allen - Contemporary by Mia Michaels (“Hometown Glory” by Adele) – VIDEO

SEASON 5 ROUTINES

Janette Manrara & Brandon Bryant - Disco by Doriana Sanchez (“Loving is Really My Game” by Brainstorm) – VIDEO
Kayla Radomski & Kupono Aweau - Addiction - Contemporary by Mia Michaels (“Gravity” by Sara Bareilles) – VIDEO
Jeanine Manrara & Jason Glover - Contemporary by Travis Wall (“If It Kills Me (The Casa Nova Sessions)” by Jason Mraz) – VIDEO
Melissa Sandvig & Ade Obayomi - Breast Cancer Routine - Contemporary by Tyce DiOrio (“This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell) – VIDEO

Wahooo! I’m ready to recap if you’re all ready to gather ’round your tellies and watch with me. Who needs sleep when there’s dance, dance, DANCE to be had? Do you care that they’re moving one of the best Summer shows to dreary ol’ Fall? Guess we’ll see how it plays out next week on the new So You Think You Can Dance season!

I am at peace, readers. Ommm (nom, nom, nom)…

Yes, all is right in my little world of So You Think You Can Dance. It’s amazing, really. Apparently I’ve wanted sarcastic, dedicated, chunkily-proportioned underdog: JEANINE MASON to win this deflated season for some time and now that she has? I’m satisfied.

Sure, runner-up Brandon Bryant “deserved” it - he’s an absolute powerhouse, but I haven’t connected with him in the heart parts, and it seems that counts for a lot among us viewers.

Tonight we revisited this season’s “memorable dances” whilst whittling the Top 4 down to the sole possessor of the “America’s Favorite Dancer” title and the $250,000 smackeroon prize.

Miss the finale or want to re-watch the dances? Video’s below, y’all (by MJ)!

TOP 20 GROUP NUMBER (Reprise): “A Brand New Day” from The Wiz - Broadway by Tyce DiOrio. VIDEO

On the judging panel tonight? Uh, basically every single SYTYCD judge evs: Lil C, Mia Michaels, Tyce DiOrio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe himself.

ADAM SHANKMAN’S PICK: Couple Resolves Fight Before Beddy Bye - Hip Hop by Tabitha & Napoleon - “Mad” by Ne-Yo - featuring Jeanine Mason & Phillip  Chbeeb. VIDEO

NIGEL LYTHGOE’S PICK: Hot, Kicky Argentine Tango by Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo - “Libertango” from Forever Tango - featuring Janette Manrara & Brandon Bryant. VIDEO

DEBBIE ALLEN’S PICK: Vitolio’s Sad, Flowy Waltz by Louis Van Amstel - “Dreams are More Precious” by Enya - featuring Asuka Kondoh & Vitolio Jeune. VIDEO

MARY MURPHY’S PICK: Childhood Friends Get It On/Necklace Contemporary by Travis Wall - “If It Kills Me” by Jason Mraz - featuring Jeanine & Jason Glover. VIDEO

MIA MICHAELS’ PICK: Kayla’s Pink Fringe Samba by Louis Van Amstel - “Jum Bah Day” by House of Gypsies - featuring Kayla Radomski & Max Kapitanniko. VIDEO

KHERINGTON PAYNE in Fame: Season 4’s blonde sweetheart, Kherington, gives the Top 4 a sneak peek at her new film: a revamp of the classic Fame. Plug, plug. VIDEO

DEBBIE’S 2ND PICK: Top 16 Group Ballroom and Hip Hop by Dmitry Chaplin and Tabitha & Napoleon - “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” by Pit Bull. VIDEO

TALIA FOWLER JAZZ: Choreographed by Sonya Tayeh - “Shot You Down” by Audio Bullies - featuring Talia Fowler, a ballerina and winner of the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. VIDEO

LIL C’s PICK: Bollywood by Nakul Dev Mahajan - “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire - featuring Caitlin Kinney & Jason. VIDEO

FIRST ELIMINATION: Kayla Radomski gets cut. She is undoubtedly a gorgeous dancer. Especially loved her in the “Addiction” dance (coming up below), and she was almost consistently amazing as a performer in each number. I will miss her sweet, sobbing grandpa most of all. VIDEO

ADAM’S 2nd PICK: The Butt Dance - Contemporary by Mia Michaels - “Koop Island Blues” by Koop ft. Ane Brun - featuring Randi Strong-Evans & Evan Kasprzak. VIDEO

MARY’S 2nd PICK: Matrix Paso Doble by Louis Van Amstel - “Tetsujin” from The Matrix Revolutions - featuring Jeanine & Brandon. VIDEO

SECOND ELIMINATION: Evan Kasprzak gets the cut. Thank you, jeebus. VIDEO

NIGEL’S 2nd PICK: Addiction dance - Contemporary by Mia Michaels - “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles - featuring Kayla & Kupono Aweau. (Side note: I effin’ love Kupono’s performance in this number). VIDEO

RAGE BOYZ CREW: Cute lil boys do Hip Hop by Tiffany Burton - “Feel It” by Colby O’Donis & Mauli - . VIDEO

TYCE DIORIO’S PICK: Fastest Disco Number Ever by Doriana Sanchez - “Loving Is Really My Game” by Brainstorm - featuring Janette & Brandon. VIDEO

MIA’S 2nd PICK: Breast Cancer dance - Contemporary by Tyce DiOrio - “This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell - featuring Melissa Sandvig & Ade Obayomi. VIDEO

TOP 8 GROUP DANCE (Reprise): Broadway by Mia Michaels - “One” from A Chorus Line - SURPRISE!!! All of the judges (except Lil C) come out from behind the mirrors at the end in tuxes and do a few jazzy steps. Adorable! VIDEO

WINNER RESULTS: It’s down to Jeanine and Brandon…who has been voted as the winner by America? Iiiiiiiit’s… JEANINE MASON!! VIDEO

My final thoughts:

1) I’m fine - even happy - with the outcome. How about you? Do you agree that Jeanine should win?
2) Is this terrible encouragement to stage mothers across the world to force their children to take up things like dance, even when they’re miserable like Mama Mason did to Jeanine? Something to think about.
3) Why wasn’t Janette in the Top 4 again? She’s a HOT TAMALE, YES SHE IS!
4) Congratulations, Jeanine, for sneaking by and swiping that crown!

Wondering where you’ll get your next dance fix from? Never fear! Season 3 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew premieres this Sunday, and in just one month, So You Think You Can Dance will be back with its 6th Season (September 9th on FOX)!

Buy a ticket for the Hot Tamale Train and join me then, won’t you? Until that time comes though, I’m gonna enjoy the month of extra sleep on Wednesday and Thursday nights when I won’t be recapping! This is me, *jazz handsing* off-stage. Erin out!

With one episode left in Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance, it’s safe to say we won’t see many (or any) more memorable routines. This season as been kinda-sorta disappointing overall, but praise whatever you praise because Entertainment Weekly has made a list of their “Top 15 Greatest Dances in SYTYCD” history.

Watch the ‘Top 15 Greatest Dances’ on SYTYCD here!

Take a gander, heck, take a lunchbreak to watch and be reminded of the powah of DANCE. I don’t agree with all of the selections, but mmm child, it’s a really strong mix overall and gives me hope for Season 6.