So You Think You Can Dance - 7.15.09

Top 10 week! Now, partnerships are shuffled. Let's see how it shakes down!

Cat is looking lovely in a relatively simple emerald green dress. It looks braided. It's fun. Fabulous earrings. Good look!

Joining Nigel and Mary tonight is Debbie Allen. Mary looks like she is wearing a black doily around her neck, along with some very sparkly jewelry (necklace and earrings) that would have been quite nice with a simpler dress, but now it just looks like they are fighting. Debbie says that she threw her cup o' Hagendaaz a couple of times about the judging and decisions that have been made thus far. This week, Nigel reminds us, the voting is for the individual dancer, not the couple. Everyone will be dancing a solo, in addition to their dance with a partner.

First, it's a group number with the Top 5 girls - Bollywood with Nakul! What fun! (That's maybe why Debbie is wearing an Indian inspired top). The only girl who did Bollywood before is gone now, so this is new for everyone. They have decided to call themselves the Bollywood Bombshells. The costumes are fantastic, as to be expected. See, I like a larger group number for Bollywood dances. They had a part where they had masks on the backs of their heads and danced to show them off. It was very cool. All of them did great jobs on it. Impressive. It got really fast at the end. I love Bollywood dancing. Nigel nearly kissed the choreographer, and fawned over the beauty of these girls, and commended them on a fantastic group number, saying they are lacking nothing. He put them on his hot bangers and mash train, and then backed up and called them hot spicy tandoori. Mary gave us the zinger of "Bollywood, Bolly-WOW!" Right. Debbie just loved the dance, and said that the girls inhaled the cultural fusion. Or something. She thinks this is the best Top 5 girls ever. I think it mught just be.

Kayla & Evan (Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Kiss from a Rose by Seal) It's a problem, because Evan is the shortest guy, and Kayla is the tallest girl, and she'll be dancing in heels. Melanie put Kayla's heels on Evan to see how that worked. Um. Not so much. For the actual dance, they worked well. The rise and fall was there (although the camera work was dizzying, so maybe it was more the camera rising and falling than them. I barely noticed he was so much shorter than her. Her dress was beautiful, and he looked just dapper. He did a very nice straight lift near the end, and her lines were just perfect. I wonder if they put him in lifts? They did! Evan had lifts, and Kayla was in flats. Or barefoot? Wonderful solution. Nigel wanted more close holds. That's a choreography issue, not a dancing issue, Nigel. He thought that they danced it well, and applauded Evan's partnership, and Kayla's lines. Mary thought that Evan was lacking in power and his leg action was not right, saying he was plopping his feet down instead of gliding. She did like Evan's lifts, saying he made them look effortless. She gave Kayla big wows, and called her fabulous. Debbie called it a wonderful surprise and told Evan he "handled his big woman." She seems charmed by Evan. She called Kayla white lightening.

Voting numbers are for the solo order - 1-866-TEMPO-##

Brandon's Solo: It seemed well choreographed and he did a lot of spinning around and around, but it showed off his style pretty well.

Janette & Ade (Hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. Song: Love Sec Magic, by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake) Ade is the funk doctor in the dance, bringing funk to Janette. I hate his pick. I hate his pick. He used it to hypnotize her. He brought funk to her by ripping off her skirt to reveallittle hot pants. She played the character very well, and though the fact that he is so much taller than her made them look a little off in their synchonization. I wish that Nigel would call Napoleon & Tabitha what sounds like "NappyTabs." Not so good. Nigel then made an inappropriate and unfunny joke that made Mary shriek. Not ok. Mary then screamed that it was funky. Woo. That's a quote, unfortunately. Debbie said that "these children wore me out." She gives some love to Tabitha and Napoleon.

Randi's Solo: She looked like she was wearing a nightie, or an ill-advised bridesmaid's dress, but she did a nice job. She's super cute.

Kupono's Solo: He's doing more than spinning around and grabbing his shirt this week, and his solo was really funky and I liked it. He reminded me of Mark. That's a good thing. He made his costume himself. He need to stick with dancing, because it looks like he was caught in a fishing net and escaped with a sharp knife. Not good.

Jeanine & Jason (Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wahl (I miss his blond hair). Song: If it Kills Me, by Jason Mraz.) It's the former partners of last week's eliminated people. They danced it beautifully. There was passion and feeling. When their chracters finally gave into the passion, and she ropped his shirt open.... I got chills. And they ended with a very convincing kiss. Nice. Amazing. Wow, Travis. Just wow. Nigel was so excited to see Travis coming back to choreograph, and said it was fabulous work made better by the people who danced it. It was stunning. Mary was left speechless. Thank you, Travis!!! Sadly, she found her voice and screached that they are stars, and broke out into tears with love for Travis. I muted the hot tamale train. Debbie said that the show has gone beyond competition and has entered the realm of just being a conversation of dance. She them told people they want to buy tickets for the tour.

Melissa's solo: I love this ballerina. She's just amazing. I hope she sticks around for a good long time.

Evan's solo: It's hard to show Broadway in the short time allowed in the solo, but I think he did a pretty good job. He's just so darned likeable.

Kayla's Solo: She again took Nigel's advice and has her hair back. Her lines are undoubtably stunning. I don't think the song choice was good - it was very repetative - but she did a beautiuful job.

Randi & Kupono (Pasa Doble, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins) They are both a bit confused, nervous, and overwhelmed with the pasa doble in rehearsals. She's rocking a brunette wig and it helps with the character, actuall. Her dress was fantastic. The strobe lights went a'flashing, and they rocked it out. It could have been so much bettwe. He looked kind of pained in the lift, and I don't know if he meant to drop her at the end. Nigel said he didn't know if the dancing was as good as the choreography. He didn't think that Kupono had the strength, and I agree. He was also unsure to the wig on Randi, and didn't like the coupling, and didn't think it felt authentic. Mary didn't think it was believable, and thought that Randi did a slightly better job than Kupono, but called it mediocre. Debbie agreed with the others.

Ade's solo: He removed his shirt for our viewing pleasure. My husband didn't understand the slow song and the frenetic movement.

Janine's solo: This girl knows how to do a solo. She engages the audience, and gets a lot of feeling into the dance. I love her.

Jason's solo: His solo was very cute, but i hate when they stay way in the back of the stage. He's charming. He made Cat attempt a southern accent, which is something she should never do again. Ever.

Melissa & Brandon (Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Song: Aquarius from Hair) They look like perfect flower children. Melissa's face is so expressive and beautiful. The flowers in her hair suit her. They just seemed to float together. And they got a smoke bomb at the end. Fancy. Cat claimed to smell patchouli. I hate patchouli. Nigel gave some love to Tyce. He also said that the dance was done beautifully and brought back memories for him. I can see Nigel as a bit of a hippie. Mary squealed her love for them. Debbie said they evoked the harmony of the dance.

Jeanette's solo: Hot salsa momma! It's hard to do a solo salsa, but she showed off her hip movements admirably. Good for her!

Time for a Top 5 Guy's group routine! They are doing an African dance, choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Rehearsals were a bit rough for some. Poor Evan looked kind of weird in African Tribal wear. He did his best, though. The Bollywood routine was much better. These guys just looked not grounded enough, and they didn't really get down into the earth... still, it looked completely exhausting. Nigel loves African dance and gave some love to Jeffrey Page. He singled Evan out, saying the poor boy looks like a dancing milkshake, but still said that he didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Mary screached her love for the dance, and thought Evan was a cutie, and he held his own in something so clearly not his own genre. Debbie loved that Jeffrey's choreography was pure and authentic, and she thought that the guys did a great job with it, because it is not easy.

So, after tonight, I think that Kupono and Randi could be in trouble, though Evan might also be down there. Kupono and Randi gave the only really weak couple's dance, and based on solos, Randi might be gone.

Jeanine & Jason's contemporary by Travis was my favorite of the night. It was beautiful. Melissa & Brandon were up there, too.

What do you think?