by David McAlpine

Last night went down as arguably one of the best opening performance nights ever on FOX's summer favorite "So You Think You Can Dance." But, as my favorite fabulous host Cat Deeley says, one guy and one girl still have to leave.

The top 20 kick off the show with a Heroes-inspired hip-hop dance, choreographed by Shane Sparks, to "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas. It's already evident that this group has a ton of talent and, like Cat says, the elimination is going to be "really, really tough." How insightful, Cat.

Next is a montage about partnerships, since very few of this year's contenders have ever worked with partners before. There's talk of respecting boundaries, communication, comfort level, hard work, and commonalities (like making...animal noises?), but at the end of the day, it comes down to effort. And a little bit of sweat.

Cat breaks the tension pretty early in the show, bringing out the first three couples: Kayla and Max, Randi and Evan, and Jeanine and Phillip. Kayla and Max samba'd a HUGE scream out of Mary (and Kayla's never done ballroom before!), Randi and Evan got very flattering remarks from the judges, and Jeanine and Philip taught America a chemistry lesson. How could ANY of these three be in the bottom three?! I guess it's just a testament to how competitive this season is. Cat tells Kayla and Max they're safe, putting the other two couples on edge. However, they have nothing to worry about, since Cat tells them they're all safe! All is right in the world of reality TV for now.

FOX wastes no time as four more couples appear on stage: Caitlin and Jason, Melissa and Ade, Ashley and Kupono, and Paris and Tony. Caitlin and Jason spiced up the stage last night with their Bollywood routine, and obviously enough for America since Cat tells them they're safe. Melissa and Ade added a touch of class to the stage with their flowing contemporary routine, which earns them a spot in next week's show as well. Ashley and Kupono brought a whole new world with their Wade Robson dance and truly impressed the judges, while Paris and Tony made the judges question whether or not America would remember their dance. Cat tells Paris and Tony that they're in danger this week, while Ashley and Kupono survive to dance again.

Adam tries to make Paris and Tony feel better by telling them that he went on Twitter after the show and there was "so much love" for them. Then he tells them he thinks it was because they were charming, not because of their dancing. Ouch, backhanded to the max.

The last three couples, Asuka and Vitolio, Karla and Jonathan, and Janette and Brandon, line up, knowing two of them are joining Paris and Tony in the bottom three. Asuka and Vitolio tried to bring the Broadway stage to the "Dance" stage, but after Jeanine and Philip's hip hop routine, the judges thought they failed to deliver. Cat tells the two they're in the bottom three, which Mary says doesn't surprise her. The last two each performed a ballroom routine: Janette and Brandon with a foxtrot and Karla and Jonathan with a cha cha. Janette was compared to Ginger Rogers by Mary and earned rave reviews from the judges, while Karla and Jonathan elicited a solidly loud sound from Mary (and had the best song, in my book). Unfortunately for Karla and Jonathan, America put them in the bottom three as well, lining up the six dancers that have to perform solos tonight.

In an attempt to be cultural, FOX decided that, every week, they're going to feature a different dance style from around the week. This week, it's the Argentine Tango, preformed by Miriam LaRicci and Leonardo Varionuevo.

First up for the solos is Paris, performing to "It Doesn't Hurt" by Katie Thompson. Her contemporary performance seems lackluster and without passion, but perhaps it'll keep her. Tony is next, dancing to "Early In the Morning" by The Gap Band. His hip-hop style is definitely an audience pleaser, but doesn't seem to exhibit anything special to make him stand out. Third is Asuka, dancing to "Did Ya" by BoA. Honestly, I think ballroom dancers have it the hardest when it comes to the solo performances, but she had a huge burst of energy that showed she really wants to be here. Next up is Vitolio, dancing to "We Belong Together" by Gavin DeGraw. His contemporary solo is powerful, passionate...and shirtless.

The last girl to perform is Karla, who dances to "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. Her contemporary solo doesn't seem like anything special, but feels stronger than Paris'. Jonathan comes out last, dancing to "Krazy" by Pitbull and Lil' Jon. After some backflips and gymnastic moves, he finishes off the solos with a bang, leaving the judges to go backstage and deliberate. At this point, I'm hoping Paris and Tony go home.

Sean Kingston takes the stage next, with his hit (and my new jam) "Fire Burning." I found it enjoyable, and it really makes me want to see him in concert. It almost takes my mind off the fact that someone besides Paris or Tony might be going home tonight.

It's decision time, and Nigel says the result is unanimous for the girls. He addresses Karla first and tells her that she needs to bring more personality to her dances, but she's safe this week. Nigel says their decision is based on everything that they've seen from Asuka and Paris since day 1. He thinks Asuka had a hard time making a solo from her ballroom dance background, but that she shined on stage tonight. However, he doesn't think Paris gave it her all tonight and doesn't measure up to the other contemporary dancers in the competition, so Paris is the first girl headed home, to the tune of "Already Gone" by Kelly Clarkson.

On to the guys, which was unanimous from the judges as well. All of them felt that all three underperformed and that none of them would last if that was the best they had. Nigel said Vitolio lacked the personality that America has seen him have, but he's staying another week. The judges though that Tony couldn't lock in his solo, while Jonathan showcased his gymnastics, but not his dancing ability, leading them to look at what they saw in Vegas. With that, Nigel announces that Jonathan is safe and Tony is headed home, accompanied by "On Your Own" by Green River Ordinance.

Tune in and see how the Top 18 fare in their next set of dances on So You Think You Can Dance, Wednesday at 8/7c on FOX.

(Image courtesy of FOX)

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