Phew! I am totally cool with tonight’s So You Think You Can Dance elimination results. What about you? It all pretty much made sense and there were no shockers that made me throw the remote at the TV. Progress - hooray! Quick recap and videos (from MJ) ahora mismo:

GROUP DANCE: It’s a night at the museum and our Top 14 dancers are alabaster statue + zombie hybrids come to life. They’re not all in sync and I always have a hard time telling who is who(m?), but the number itself is compelling and “Thriller”-esque. The dancers do a lot of hulky-hulking movements to “Aha” by Imogen Heap (the true genius behind the “mmmmm, whatcha saaay?” song. Yeah children, that isn’t just from a hip hop song). Not surprisingly, it was choreographed by Wade & Amanda Robson. It does makes me miss Mia Michaels because it’s reminiscent of her style, too. But hey,  Wade loves him some drama and I’m down with that. VIDEO

Alright, now let’s find out who our Bottom 3 dancers are! It’s Karen & Kevin versus Ashleigh & Jakob. C’moooonnn, you really think Ashleigh & Jakob were in trouble after their “mmmm, whatcha saay?” Hip Hop last night?  Hell naw! But unfortunately, this means Karen & Kevin are in the Bottom and must DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES. I like Karen (though someone needs to tell her to stop standing and walking like a beauty pagaent contestant with a stick up her buns), but think it’s Kevin’s time to go - we shall see…VIDEO

Next, we learn that Ellenore & Ryan are safe along with Noelle & Russell. Channing & Victor are at the bottom. Technically, they shouldn’t have been and many of you voted that their playful “Blackbird” routine was one of the best dances of the night. Noelle & Russell’s Foxtrot, on the other hand, really underwhelmed… but they obviously have a lot of fans calling in for them and got lucky. VIDEO

Finally, we learn that our last Bottom 3 couple are Mollee & Nathan - perhaps it was comeuppance for last week, when their nasty Salsa SHOULD HAVE landed them at the bottom. Nigel doesn’t think they should be in the bottom this week though - I disagree with him; their Pop Jazz routine wasn’t better than Channing & Victor’s dance. VIDEO

Resident Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan put together an energetic, fast-paced number to “Desi Girl” from Dostana (Original Soundtrack) while the Bottom 3 couples prep to DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES. Who doesn’t love Bollywood? VIDEO

SOLOS: Time to watch the Bottom 3 DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES! Karen is in tight leather and tries to show a different side of ballroom by dancing to  ”Break on Through” by the Doors. It’s sassy, but not her best. Kevin does another “ehh” Hip Hop solo to ”Freeze” by T. Pain feat. Chris Brown. I don’t feel the FIRE in it. Channing comes out in a lovely, flowy dress and (as usual) dances competently, but not memorably (song: ”The Face” by RyanDan). Victor stretches and pirouettes for 500 years in an elegant solo to ”Baby’s Romance” by Chris Garneau. VIDEO

After the break, Mollee dances and manages to not act TOO immature, but it’s a lot of… I dunno, cheerleader-y, gymnast trick stuff, imo - well, who are we kidding, I am just over her and want her eliminated (song: ”Let Me Think About It – Radio Edit” by Ida Corr vs. Eddie Le Grand). Like Victor, Nathan also does many pirouettes and incorporates some isolation shtuff to ”So Insane” by Discovery. VIDEO

While the judges deliberate, we see a performance by guitarist-turned-rocker Orianthi. The song is called “According to You”. VIDEO

ELIMINATED: Channing Cooke & Kevin Hunte

Well, I wanted Mollee out, but this elimination makes sense. Both of these dancers were lacking the X factor in their routines. I still don’t know where Channing was hiding her bubbly personality that she showed during auditions… Kevin seemed like a really sweet partner for Karen, but she regularly outshone him, and in his own element (Hip Hop), he was overshadowed by the skillz of Legacy and Russell. VIDEO

I guess that means next week’s Top 12 will merge Karen and Victor into a new partnership. Yikes, will they find chemistry? I hope so! Catch So You Think You Can Dance next Chooseday– I mean “Tuesday” (got Cat’s wonky British accent stuck in my head).

The Top 14 were off to a slow start tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, but there were a few numbers that excited me. Last week, you voted for Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson’s Afro Jazz number as the best routine. What about tonight? Be sure to vote in the poll below! Videos of the performances (from MJ) and my recap NOW:

MY BOTTOM 3 COUPLES: Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte, Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson, and Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras

Ashleigh Di Lello & Jakob Karr – Hip Hop by Tabitha & Napoleon - “Whatcha Say” by Jason Derulo (VIDEO): Mmmmm, whatcha saaay? Did Ashleigh & Jakob sell this number? I thought it was a very standard, angsty Tabitha & Napoleon Hip Hop routine on betrayal: pained, heartbroken looks of anguish, the “snow angel” arm swings out, the spazzy explosions of emotion - much like the famous “Bleeding Love” dance that Chelsie Hightower & Mark Kanemura did Season 4 (Re-watch it!). Now I’m not as in LOVE with Ash as the judges suddenly are (I mean they LOOOVE her now), but she was great at emoting the hurt expressions of “Ya good fer nuthin douchebag! I can’t believe you’re cheating on me!” They both did a good job and have become a couple that I look forward to watching.

Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte – Broadway by Spencer Liff - “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from Sweet Charity 2005 Broadway Revival (VIDEO): Okay, so this was not good choreography or music. No disrespect to Christina Applegate who sang it, but it was just such a small, understated, simple song and the choreography was pretty blah to watch. I thought both dancers did fine with what they were given, but they were given a drab routine. Who is this Spencer Liff guy? He’s pretty cute, actually, but this was not an impressive choreography debut. I’m worried about them, well about Karen especially…

Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson – Foxtrot by Eddie Simon - “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” by Michael Buble (VIDEO): The judges really went batty for this, but I thought it was another unmemorable number of the night. And Hair and Makeup did not do Noelle any favors because they managed to age her normally exhuberant smiley face into a matronly, Plain Jane look. Russell did have some lovely moments, but for me they were a bit sloppy in the choreography AND the choreography itself bored me.

Channing Cooke & Victor Smalley – Jazz by Tyce DiOrio - “Blackbird” by Bobby McFerrin (VIDEO): The rehearsal footage really reminded me about why I cannot stand Tyce DiOrio. He’s a a-hole with a gnarly dental floss-thin beard who relishes being an a-hole because…I dunno, maybe because he likes to imagine himself as some fabulous, brilliant, demanding choreographer like we see in movies. Ugh. TANGENT, sorry. Like Adam, I was really distracted by the song choice. I loooove “Blackbird”, but this version by Bobby McFerrin was too odd and the a capella styling didn’t bring any life to the otherwise quirky number. I also agreed with Nigel that this is the first time you could tell that Channing enjoyed the dance because you saw a glimmer of her (otherwise huge) personality come through. Dancers should be actors though, and if she can’t stop being so guarded, then I dunno if she should stay in the competition. I didn’t even notice Victor, really - but the judges did…they noticed that he may be plateauing in his talent, and want him to push harder to avoid getting lost in the crowd.

Kathryn McCormick & Legacy Perez – Paso Doble by Tony Meredith - “Pursuit” from Ka Cirque du Soleil (VIDEO): Whoa, what was that plotline, Tony Meredith? Did I hear that Legacy is an Admiral returning from sea and Kathryn is his concubine?? That is hilarious - I love it! I’ve said many times that I’m a Paso Doble fan cuz of the drama and the hot, hot heat sexiness. Well this dance should be an example to the previous choreographers that I griped to: the music was perfect for this routine. Legacy was really damn excellent in his role - very stern, brooding and shirtless (a shame his voice is high-pitched, but he’s growing on me - I admit it). Kathryn also hit her moves with a POW, flinging her dress around with the right amount of flair. Nigel pointed out that she redeemed herself for her cornball Broadway performance last week. Erin is pleased, si. Me gusta.

Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello – Contemporary by Travis Wall - “Your Ex-Lover’s Dead” by Stars (VIDEO): Sassy Ellenore and ripped Ryan gotta worrrrrk this because their Hip Hop stank so badly last week. This is more up their alley, and Travis Wall doesn’t disappoint. The camera work is more cinematic, Ryan’s shirt is off - this should be good. At first, I was enjoying the song more than the routine because it was just a mix of a bunch of Contemporary moves that I’ve seen before (she jumps into his arms and stops; he cartwheels slowly over her and lands so it’s like they’re doinnn it; etc). But THEN, it really picked up in the middle when the music crescendos (again, there’s so much credit to be given to musicality and song choice, choreographers!). I mean, these two just totally committed themselves and threw themselves into the synchronized dancing, ending with a bang as Ellenore made that gigantic leap (of faith) into Ryan’s arms. Wow. I gotta re-watch that. Ellenore is praised for being a chameleon and being uhh-mazing at everything. The judges love them and say they are one of the first “WOW” dances of the season.

Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras – Pop Jazz by Laurieann Gibson - “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga (VIDEO): Dear Tyce, follow Laurieann’s lead to see how a REAL diva choreographer acts. I love her with the shouting and the pink headphones, and the “Boom KAT!” beat counting. Whip these whippersnappers into shape, Laurieann! She wanted them to be fierce and give goosebumps. I didn’t get goosebumps, but it was an okay number. Not the worst of the night, but not really something to write home about. Nathan was wearing suspenders like a Newsie off of work and Mollee was wearing a bad 80’s party dress - wtf? The routine was also peppered by odd little moves like *piano playing gesture*, *boxing fists*, *hippity hoppity in one place*. And um, these two are the “youngest couple” and painted to be very PG-rated, so I threw up a smidge when I think they were simulating doggie style or some other such bedroom behavior. Grossssss. Can I just point out that for all of the judges’ talk that Mollee & Nathan are soo young and immature at barely 18 and 19, but hello? Jeanine Mason - yknow, last season’s winner? She was also barely 18 at the time and she was super fantastic and mature. So no excuses! Age ain’t nuthin but a number. I’m falling off the Nathan wagon, y’all…He’s so cute, but he’s been underwhelming. Boo.

Tomorrow night, one lad and one lassie will be cut from the competition on So You Think You Can Dance. Tune in and be sure to fill out the poll on your way out: WHICH TOP 14 COUPLE GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE?

Oh geez, watching So You Think You Can Dance tonight reminded me of how Ameriker (as Cat says) and I don’t really ever agree on reality TV voting. Four of my favorite dancers were part of tonight’s Bottom 6: Karen Hauer, Pauline Mata, Peter Sabasino, and Ellenore Scott. (Kevin Hunte and Ryan Di Lello were also in the bottom).

That’s not to say that Pauline & Peter and Ellenore & Ryan weren’t technically weak and didn’t deserve to be there, but I was still *frowny face*. Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras really should have at least been in the Bottom. They were supah dupah poopahs last night with that weaksauce Salsa (get it?).

Videos (by myduckbears3) and recap below - zoom zoom!

GROUP DANCE: The show opens with our Top 16 performing a “tribal” Hip Hop dance by Dave Scott. What was going on here? Chichen Itza was projected on the background screen (still HATE this new, flashy-flashy, massive stage btw), suggesting they were Mayan warriors, but then they held up these Polynesian, tiki mask things– ehhh, best not to read too much into it. I’ll learn history from Wikipedia instead. VIDEO

We learn that the Bottom 3 couples who must DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES are: Pauline Mata & Peter Sabasino, Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello, and Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte. VIDEO

Nigel tears Nathan a new bunshole for skating by the Bottom 3 solely because giddy tween girls are like OMG I <3 NATHAN 4EVS!!!! XD and not judging him fairly on his dancing. I mean he and Mollee were a STEAMING. SLOPPY. MESS. last night. Nigel was actually very fair about it, and I got some sick satisfaction out of him telling Nathan he was immature and wasn’t going to grow as a dancer if he thought fangurl love = accomplished dancer. You could tell the comments really sobered Nathan out of his usual nervous defense mechanism - like his *flirty eyebrow arch-arch* and “I felt HOT! *guffaw*” sorta comments. VIDEO

We are treated to an increeeeeedible performance by a trio of dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It was tremendous: compelling, strong, passionate, sensual - all of the things ya know I love in a dance. And did you see that first gal’s calf muscles? Hello, doctah! Totally inspiring. VIDEO

Next, our Bottom contestants DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES in solo numbers. Ellenore’s solo is a little too gimmicky and character-focused for me. Reminiscent of her Vegas audition, but I want more dance content and less of her “oh, teehee, one minute please!” pantomiming. Ryan’s next doing a Jive in a soldier’s uniform. He has charisma, but I dunno if it was a DANCE FOR YOUR LIFE sorta solo. Pauline comes out like a little firecracker! She’s able to pull off cute and sexy and is giving it everything she’s got. It’s stronger than Ellenore’s solo. Peter tippity tap dances a capella, which is awesome, but he has a very stern look on his face the whole time and is lacking that twinkly-eyed charm I know he has - what a shame (Bottom guys’ solos: VIDEO; Bottom gals’ solos: VIDEO).

After the break, Karen lets loose with excellent musicality and flingy-flingy hip shaking. There is a bit of haughtiness to her though, and this may indeed turn off younger female voters, as Nigel mentioned. Kevin wraps things up with some Michael Jackson-inspired moves and he’s fun to watch. He’s not the strongest Hip Hopper I’ve seen, but better than Peter tonight.

ELIMINATED: Pauline Mata & Peter Sabasino. The Quickstep IS the dance of death, huh? So much for “SEASON 6 IS THE YEAR OF THE TAP DANCERS!” because all three are now eliminated (don’t get me started - Bianca Revels, you should still be in the competition). What a bummer. I thought Pauline did a much stronger solo than Ellenore, but to be honest, I would’ve been sad to see either gal go. Y’all know I wish Mollee was the one to leave instead. VIDEO

Until next week’s So You Think You Can Dance recap, y’all!  Oh and be sure to check out the new poll-y poll below: WHAT DID YOU THINK OF NIGEL’S CRITICISM OF NATHAN TRASORAS?

Tonight’s Top 16 dance-off on So You Think You Can Dance was a mixed bag, baby. Maybe I’m getting cynical on account of the bloggin’, but I wasn’t on the same page as the judges, who seemed to be WOWed and uhhh-mazed by everything. Also, the Top 12 from Season 5 were in the house (saw a lot of Jeanine Mason, Melissa Sandvig, Ade Obayomi, Evan Kasprzak and adorable Kupono Aweau). Unfortunately, they didn’t perform, so we just saw them grin and wave at the camera every chance they got. Videos of the dances (from MJ) and my thoughts ahead:

MY BOTTOM 3 COUPLES: Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello, Channing Cooke & Victor Smalley, and Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras

Karen Hauer & Kevin Hunte – Hustle by Maria Torres - “Come to Me” by France Joli (VIDEO): Oh fellaaaas, Karen wants everyone to know that she is DIVORCING from her husband (remember they auditioned together?). Smart move, girl. You don’t wanna be tied down during your national debut.  They Hustle which just reminds me of disco and do alright. Kevin was still the weak link of the pair. Judges love them (as do I), but probably give them more props than necessary.

Ashleigh Di Lello & Jakob Karr – Jazz by Mandy Moore - “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (VIDEO): Ah, the “cane dance”. Okay, in the words of Tim Gunn, I was “woeful and a bit perplexed” about this dance. The judges were jumping up and down over it (suddenly really fawning over Ashleigh), and I like Mandy’s work, but c’monnnnn, this was just a ridonkulous excuse to use a prop (a cane) to try and get…props. I mean, much like last week’s Hip Hop tennis match, this was contrived and even less relevant to the performance (at least the tennis rackets were tied to the story last week). What was the cane symbolizing? Why was it there? A little backstory could’ve done wonders for me beyond Mandy’s “How can I challenge the crap out of my dancers AND get the judges’ attention - oh look! Aunt Bessie left her cane behind! *inspiration strikes*” The dance was supposed to be a trio of “Jakob, Ashleigh and the cane”. It was more like Jakob & the cane… oh and Ashleigh. She hardly engaged with it. I must admit that both of them (Jakob & Ashleigh, not the cane) looked pretty hot (or hawt) in the androgynous, 80’s glam style. Some of the movements were reminiscent of last season’s Wade Robson “robber” dance between Janette Manrara & Brandon Bryant (VIDEO). Be sure to re-watch THAT - tres genius.

Pauline Mata & Peter Sabasino - Quickstep by JT & Tomas - “Hey Baby! (Shake Those Hula Hips)” by Big Kahuna & the Copa Cat Pack (VIDEO): Aw, these two are a cute, smiley, dimpled couple but would they survive the “Dance of Death”? Well, thanks to clever choreography and a simple storyline (Peter’s a soldier who falls for Miss Hawaiian Hula Honey Pauline), these darlings skate by despite weak technical delivery. Adam, who was extra rambly tonight, makes a weird comment that the choreographers made use of Pauline’s “natural ethnicity” by putting her in the role of a hula girl. Hm. Isn’t she Filipina, not Hawaiian? I could be wrong, but Adam was sorta bugging tonight. Tick tock, tick tock - keep your feedback concise and leave unnecessary racial and ethnic comments out of it when possible please, Mr. Shankman.

Kathryn McCormick & Legacy Perez – Broadway by Andy Blankenbuehler - “I Wanna Be Like You” by Swingin’ Fireballs (VIDEO): The judges did pick up on the same distraction I did here - Kathryn’s performance was very corny. She could have brought a lot more to her taken-for-granted housewife character - some sass, some ferocity - but no. She played it with a sort of permanent, “Awww, you scamp! Why I oughta…” smirk. I really liked Legacy’s back somersault into a headstand as he fell back into the easy chair though. Judges are in lurve with him.

Channing Cooke & Victor Smalley – Contemporary by Stacey Tookey - “Be Be Your Love (Live at KCRW)” by Rachael Yamagata (VIDEO): Thank god that Nigel had the sense to give Channing & Victor a dose of reality. It should’ve been an INCREDIBLE performance: they’re both very strong Contemporary dancers, this Rachael Yamagata song is (to quote Adam) uhhh-mazing and it dealt with that classic Contemporary theme of a “toxic” couple who push and pull and “yes!” and “nooo!”… but there was a real lack of chemistry and performance. Channing’s been a real disappointment to me since her audition. She’s very guarded and I prefer my dancers to wear their hearts on their sleeves. If this was their “comfort zone”, that’s not a good sign - it was a very generic dance and I wasn’t…inspired, yknow?

Ellenore Scott & Ryan Di Lello – Hip Hop by Lil C – “Lost Boyz Anthem” by J-Squad (VIDEO): Loquacious Lil C (hear that judges?? His name is LIL C, not “Little C”) kind of gave these two a stinker of a number. They were supposed to be robbers/burglars, but they were both dressed in white snowboarding garb, so what was that about? I found Ellenore way more convincing here and thought she deserved more kudos from the judges. There were times when they weren’t synchronized, and it became pretty boring…but I blame the choreography and the obnoxious music which consisted of something like “*siren wail* *keyboard tinking* *beeping*” on repeat. I wouldn’t want to see Ellenore go home though - she has a lot of offer to this competition.

Mollee Gray & Nathan Trasoras – Salsa by Gustavo Vargas - “Quimbara” by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco (VIDEO): Whoa, JANK-O-RAMA. That was pretty damn awful, and y’all know I love me some Nathan. He is getting a little bit too stupid-frat-boy-cocky and needs to reel it in. Dear Nathan, I wanna be your #1 fan, so try to take this piece of advice to heart: HUMILITY. Yes, you’re effin gorgeous (erm, except tonight, when your hairstyle made you look like a 57-year-old uncle), but you have a lot to learn and Jakob is a much stronger Contemporary dancer. If you really want to win, then come back down to earth and win us over with that eager, “I just love to express myself through dance” attitude. The judges won’t shut up about these two being the “dream team” (I dunno about that), but this Salsa was a total NIGHTMARE (see what I did there?). Out of synch, Nathan was doing these exaggerated, bent limb movements, Mollee was a hot (still immature) mess, the shimmying was Jack nasty *sigh*. Can you tell I’m disappointed?

Noelle Marsh & Russell Ferguson – Afro Jazz by Sean Cheesman - “Frog Dance” by Mickey Hart and Planet Drum (VIDEO): Woohoo, last dance of the night! It’s the first time SYTYCD US featured Afro Jazz. I think it was a success. For me, Russell was the star here in the role as the frog. Those leaps! Lordy, lordy! Noelle did great in the really fast-paced part, but I felt she faltered in a few spots in comparison to her partner. It had the judges (afro) jazzed up though - I think we’ll be seeing more of Sean Cheesman in the future. Oh, and Adam made another semi-awkward racial comment when he said sarcastically, “When I think ‘African Princess’, the first person I think of is Noelle!” Get it? Cuz she’s white? Har har har hmmm… :-/

Am I being a Scrooge or was tonight pretty uneven? Do you agree with the judges? I feel like they’re trying too hard to pimp out certain dancers even when they aren’t that strong. So far I’m tiptoeing onto Team Karen Hauer, but will America agree with me? So many questions!

Tomorrow night, we find out the guy and gal who will be eliminated on So You Think You Can Dance. See you then and fill out the poll on your way out: WHICH TOP 16 COUPLE GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE?

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).

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.

Last night’s So You Think You Can Dance episode of Vegas week was probably the most entertaining of the season so far (I hope it only goes up from here). Why didn’t they show us all of these fab dancers during the auditions? There’s a lot of talent this season and fingers crossed that also includes better shiny, happy personalities compared to Season 5’s snoozy gang. Video clips (by MJ) and recaps below:

First, each dancer performs a solo in their own style:

Nathan Trasoras (Contemporary) – I’ve made it no secret that I’ve had a semi-cougar crush on this newly-turned 18-year-old from Southern California since his audition last season. Back then he was too young to participate but Nigel promised him a free pass to this season’s Vegas audition. Nathan is still squeal-y adorable with his rosy cheeks and Taylor Lautner resemblance. He does what seems to be his signature move again - a big pirouette spin which ends in a sweeping leg (but I’m no dance expert). He’s not the best dancer in the bunch, but has a great center of gravity, excellent charisma and a positive attitude - I think he’s perfect for the show (ya hear me, Nigel??). I hope he makes it to Top 20.  VIDEO

Ellenore Scott (Contemporary) – Ellenore is a deliiiight! Again, why were they hiding her all season? Talk about having both “personality” and skill, she combined them perfectly in her solo. It was cheeky, exquisite and her musicality was superb. Hope she makes it far. VIDEO

Sadly, two early favorites are cut without much fanfare: Allison Becker, the deaf dancer, and Thomas Hamilton, the crack baby who wanted to use dance to get out of his crummy town. Their solos just weren’t strong enough for the judges. VIDEO

The gay male ballroom dancers, Willem de Vris & Jacob Jason perform together, but Jacob is cut and peaces out without saying goodbye to Willem. Add another tally to the “awkward goodbyes” category. VIDEO

The surviving dancers learn a Hip Hop routine with Tabitha & Napoleon and perform in pairs.

The dorky, “whimsical” Teddy Tedholm (remember? Mr. Clown Pants from Boston?) manages to pass the Hip Hop round, but my favorite b-boy from the auditions, ridiculously strong and mind-blowing Jean Lloret, doesn’t make it. *frowny face* I love his personality much more than b-boy Legacy’s, and hope he tries out again next year. VIDEO

Tap dancer Ryan Kasprzak (brother of Season 5 Top 20 contestant, Evan Kasprzak) barely gets a pass from the judges! Uh oh, and here I thought it’d be smooth sailing for him this season. The judges put pressure on Ryan to work a lot harder for the next challenge: a super-speed Latin ballroom number choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. VIDEO

Ballroom wears down a lot of dancers. Newbie Contemporary dancer Billy Bell (of “swayed back” and “banana bunch fingers”) gets clocked in the nose (*cue Marcia Brady clip - “Oooouggh! My nose!“) by his partner’s elbow (I think it’s salsa-hip hop-pop lock dancer Christina Santana) and ends up with a gushing, bloody nose. It’s better than a missing toenail *still gagging*, so I’m fine. VIDEO

Oh. Em. Gee! How much fun was it to watch Krumper Russell Ferguson perform the ballroom number with World 10 Dance Champion Iveta Lukosiute? Their dance backgrounds are so different, but they have excellent chemistry and the judges can’t believe that Russell totally holds his own with a ballroom star like Iveta. Both pass to the next round. VIDEO

On the other side of things, b-boy Legacy and Jonathan Litzler, the tumbler-Contemporary dancer from New Orleans, don’t impress the judges and are asked to DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES (yay, it’s back!). We also see that bloody-nosed Billy Bell passes the round with his partner, even though they hardly got to practice. Skills. VIDEO

Ryan Kasprzak dances the ballroom round but still doesn’t win over the judges. He’s cut. So much for that. I wonder if Nigel was so hard on him because they were simultaneously filming Season 5 and lil bro Evan was totally overstaying his welcome while better dancers were getting sent home…We watch Ryan “say goodbye” to his fellow dancers for what feels like ages. One thing’s clear: he’s a popular guy on campus with other dancers. VIDEO

Time for Jonathan Litzler and Legacy to DANCE FOR THEIR LIVES. Legacy scrapes through, while cutie patootie Jonathan doesn’t convince the judges that he was really DANCING FOR HIS LIFE, so he’s out (though begged to try out again next year). VIDEO

We get clips of Nathan Trasoras and Atlanta’s “excellent technique, but no personality” dancer, Amber Jackson, passing the Ballroom test, while Teddy Tedholm and “I get winded just watching him” New Orleans Bouncer, Shelby “Skip” Skipper get the axe.

Next week: More high-pressured, stresstastic Vegas Week episodes. Blood, sweat and tears tears tears. I love the clip they keep showing of choreographer Laurieann Gibson barking, “Your life is on the line… NOW DANCE!” So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 is chugging along… NOW WATCH!