Last week, the judges made the controversial decision to send Stephanie home instead of Anna. They also sent Eddie home, but most people agreed that was the right call. What curveballs await us this week? 5 contempos, 2 hip hoppers, and 1 baller remain. Welcome... to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!
Top Eight group number: Latin Mashup, choreographed by Jonathan and Oksana Platero to “Himno del Carnaval,” by District 78 featuring Agina.
The routine starts out with three of the four female dancers on the balcony and I immediately assume someone is injured. My fears are not realized. Madison is just on stage doing flips and tricks with the boys. The girls' costumes look so beautiful here, but the boys look kinda basic, in tropical print shirts and colored slacks. It's a good group number with at least one truly insane move where Mariah is sitting on Benjamin's shoulders and then launches over his head through the air to be caught by Gino. That was nuts. How on earth did they practice that without killing her? These kids are fearless. We also get the audience waving glow sticks at the end and trying to stay on beat. I love when the judges wave glow sticks on the beat, regardless of what chaotic movement the non-dancers in the audience might come up with.
Cat comes out looking incredible in in this kinda ruby-strawberry-colored dress by Sant Laurent. It looks so sexy and also really soft and comfortable. She's also wearing these insane platform boots by Sant Laurent, because she wants the camera operators to really work to get everyone's faces in the same shot when she's standing next to these tiny dancers on stage. She explains that since I was just saying how much easier this show is to recap when it's only an hour long, they've jumped back up to a 2-hour runtime. Tonight we get two duets by each couple, plus quick solo numbers for each contestant, and then two group numbers with 4 dancers each. Then after all that, 2 more dancers get eliminated. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the solos because they're so brief and there's so much else to get to tonight but my order of preference for them from greatest to least went like this: Gino (legit incredible, Standing O from the judges), Bailey (legit exciting), Mariah, Benjamin, Sophie, Madison, Sara and Ezra.
Benjamin and Anna: Routine #1 - Tahitian dance choreographed by Tiana Liufau to "Maua Taki” by Te Vaka.
This is a tricky style. If you're don't have it down, it kinds looks like you're flailing around with pompons. And if the pompons get weird, the rest of your arms and legs can look a little chicken dance-y. The execution of this routine veers into that. Benjamin fared slightly better here than Anna, but there was awkwardness to be found all over. Judges: Nigel continues to compare and contrast from seasons past, saying Mark and Lauren did Tahitian better a million seasons ago, and these two weren't really in their characters. Mary loved it, but once again lists off a bunch technical issues for Anna. D-Trix thought both of their hips didn't lie. Laurieann felt Anna was committed this time after she got the tough critique from her last week. Let's see if they can make up some ground in the second routine!
Madison and Ezra: Routine #1 - hip-hop choreographed by Randi and Hef to “Space” by Dizzee Rascal.
Dancers! In! SPAAAAAACE! They are being dropped in from the ceiling y'all. That's a first. There is a really fun move where Ezra propeller spins Madison in the air. They both seem to having a good time. There's something a little out of pocket in the attitude of the piece. I think they're telling just slightly different stories with their bodies. It's good, but it's not killer. Mary thought it improved as it went on, but there were parts she just wasn't feeling. D-Trix declares Madison an amazing hip-hop dancer and I don't know I'd go that far, but he'd know better than me. Laurieann loved it, and Nigel thought they performed it brilliantly. The judges seemed to be more impressed with it than I was. But I enjoyed it!
Mariah and Bailey: Routine #1 - cha cha chá choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin “Ce Soir? (Hugel remix)” by El Profesor featuring Laura White.
Dmitry Chaplin in the house with two bad ass dancers from the Moulin Rouge! I love the shapes these two make with their bodies. They are sharp and powerful. Bailey struggles on all the lifts though. You can see the effort on his face. I still enjoyed it overall. D-Trix calls out Bailey's struggle in the sweetest way possible. He's been there! Laurieann thinks Bailey is a dancer beyond labels. Nigel agrees it's the first time Bailey seemed uncomfortable with the task at hand, but doesn't seem think it will hurt him with votes. Mary thought the routine showed some technique flaws, but thinks Mariah is a NextGen Xena Warrior Princess regardless.
Gino and Sophie: Routine #1 - Contemporary choreographed by KC Monnie to “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen.
With their partners eliminated last week, it's time for these two to develop some instant chemistry. They both get to dance in their own style tonight, which shouldn't hurt. The routine is a story personal to Monnie, reflecting his coming out of the closet. The routine is beautiful, if a little bit literal in it's movement and connection to the song. Laurieann thinks this new pairing is magical. Nigel also likes their chemistry. He also compliments them on their solos and takes a moment to dump on Lara Spencer for laughing at boys who take ballet. You knew there was no way he was gonna let that slide. Mary seems intent on bringing this number back for an encore in the Season Finale. D-Trix thought they did a great job and that they rose to the occasion of suddenly working with new partners after last week's elimination.
Benjamin and Anna: Routine #2 - Broadway choreographed by Al Blackstone to “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Tank and the Bangas.
We're getting a different look at these two after Tahitian routine, and it really suits them. It's Anna's best performance, by far. There's a gentleness in their movement that suits the music and the tone of the piece very well. The chemistry feels effortless. Nigel is a fan and hopes it resonates with viewers (provided they can still vote for these two next week). Mary felt they transported her to a different era and it was just right. D was expecting full out BROADWAY! but his breath was taken away with their quality of movement. Laurieann may have come up with a new t-shirt slogan with, “Tempo is one thing. Feeling is everything.” Love her!
Madison and Ezra: Routine #2 - Argentine tango choreographed by Miriam and Leonardo to “Despues Que Te Fuiste (A Daniel Berard)“ by Pepe Motta.
Argentine tango always has great potential to bring the fire. Do these two have the heat? You know, I thought they did a good job. But it was going for a different type of intensity than fire. There was an intentional coolness from the color palette and lighting. So their emotional intensity and strength felt really appropriate. I thought they both did well. This kind of routine makes me wish someone would choreograph an Argentine Tango to the old theme song from "Mystery!" That would be SO GOOD. Mary knows the difficulty of the choreography, and gives her approval on a job well done by these two. D-Trix thought they were amazing. Laurieann thought it was cinematic and also lets out this vocalization that is amazing and leaves even the always-prepared Cat a little unsure of how to proceed. Nigel was impressed with Madison's strength and Ezra's partnering. Good work, team!
Mariah and Bailey: Routine #2 - Contemporary choreographed by Mandy and Elizabeth to “Slide” by James Bay.
Not unlike fiddlers, they’re dancing on the side of a roof. The prop is enormous. They had it in rehearsal. When did production start building it? Where was it stored? How many people did it take to move it on and off the stage? It's essentially just a big ramp, but then there is also smoke coming out of the chimney? Clearly, I'm distracted from the dancing with the roof onstage.. It was really well-executed and Bailey is emotional at the end. D-Trix calls it one of his favorite routines the history of the show. I don't rank it quite that high. Laurieann takes time to applaud Bailey's personal character, and tells Mariah to let her full light shine. She felt Mariah was holding back for Bailey's sake. Nigel thinks the roof prop didn’t overwhelm them when it could have, but I'm still obsessed with the roof and I hope it gets it's own spin-off series. Mary wants them to be partners for the rest of their lives. Enjoy the next few weeks while you can, Mary! That's all you get!
Gino and Sophie: Routine #2 - Jazz choreographed by Jonathan Redavid to “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” by Elvis Presley.
Typical Tinder situation where you go on a first date, but the person you're meeting is secretly a thief. Instead of a roof for a prop, now we get a hat. The hat may be Gino's downfall. It's distracting him in rehearsal. If they didn't point it out in the rehearsal montage, Gino's Hat Issue might not have been as noticeable in the routine, but now I'm looking for it and it's there. I think Sophie is phenomenal here. I wish I had a deeper connection to her starting in the audition episodes of this season. I feel like I didn't see her until Top 10 Girls and wasn't rooting for her to make it, and now she's so strong but I'm emotionally invested in other dancers. Standing O from the judges. Laurieann declares Gino and Sophie the new couple to beat. Nigel agrees that they’re giving Bailey and Mariah a challenge. I quietly remind the judges again that the public does not vote for couples on this show. Mary calls a special Hot Tamale Train heading express for Jazz City. D-Trix thinks their two best performances overall were tonight. Sorry, Gino’s best moment this season remains his jive with Stephanie. But these two are great together.
Benjamin | Gino | Madison | Mariah - Group Routine: Contemporary choreographed by Talia Favia to “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish.
It's a fun routine, but somehow I thought the dancers looked small on a big stage. It's a different side of contemporary than we usually get on this show. It had elements of jazz and hip hop. The move when the girls pulled off the guys sweatshirts was cool. Nigel thought Talia did a great job with such strong contempo dancers. Mary thought it was powerful, and tough. D-Trix of course loved the abs, because that's his thing. Laurieann wants to hire all of them right away, but she'll have to wait a little while because they're all obligated to do the SYTYCD National Tour, coming to a city near you this fall and winter!
Cat has the results! Gino is safe, which means Benjamin is in danger! Meanwhile, Mariah is safe and Madison is in danger. I didn’t see that one coming. I thought the bottom two would be Sophie and Anna, but now I’m guessing Sophie is safe and Anna will ultimately be eliminated. But the judges surprised me last week, so we’ll see.
Anna | Sophie | Bailey | Ezra - Group Routine: African jazz choreographed by Sean Cheesman to "Rebirth” by Lord KraVen.
I liked this second group more than the first. Better costumes and lighting. I felt they filled the stage. Really strong work and unlike the last group, no one is dancing in their signature style. Mary was feeling it. D-Trix praises them all for the amount of dancing they learned this week. It really was a big jump from last week. Laurieann could feel the effort and commitment coming from each of them. Nigel loved it too, but also takes a moment to applaud Bailey's earlier solo, which was incredible. Nigel loves that this show proves there isn't a society across the globe that doesn't dance!
Cat has the results! Ezra is in danger, which means Bailey is safe. No surprise there. Sophie is safe, and Anna is in danger. No surprise there either. I think Anna is done, but it's a toss up for Ezra or Benjamin. Ezra was saved last week, so this might be the end of the road.
Final Results - Benjamin and Anna are eliminated!
Nigel tells the dancers that are in the bottom that America hasn't voted for them and they have to figure out what they're doing wrong. America has voted for them though, just not in as great numbers as their competitors. The way he says it here is harsh. The judges are unanimous tonight in their decisions. For the guys, Ezra stays. Benjamin is going home. For the girls, Madison stays and Anna is going home. BenAnna has been eliminated! Gino Sophie, Bailey and Mariah have all avoided the bottom so far this season. Will they be the final four? Will Ezra or Madison be able to have a breakthrough in voting this week? Tune in and see!
I didn't get to vote this week because I was at Opening Night at the US Open. I hope the rest of you did though! Tonight's Routines Ranked in Order of My Preference:
1.
2. Gino and Sophie Contemporary
3. Gino and Sophie Jazz
4. Bailey and Mariah Contemporary
5. Ezra and Madison Argentine Tango
6. Bailey and Mariah Cha Cha Cha
7. Ezra and Madison Hip Hop
8.
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