by Danae Young

 

This week on So You Think You Can Dance, the pressure continues to rise as the remaining eight contestants compete for a spot in the top seven. Each contestant did a performance with an all-star as well as another performance with another contestant.

 

Unfortunately, Alex was hurt in rehearsal and was not able to perform tonight. If the doctors decide he cannot perform next week either, he will ultimately be eliminated. As for this week, he will be placed in the bottom three.

 

Dancers: Lauren and Pasha
Style: Cha Cha
Choreographer: Jean-Marc and France Genereux
Song: “Telephone” by Lady GaGa and Beyonce
Lauren matured much more this week. She came out with strong energy and a sexy outfit. She came out as a completely new and more confident dancer and the dance was pure perfection.

 

Dancers: Jose and Lauren
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS
Jose struggled a little with getting close and personal with Lauren in rehearsal but there was no sign of that in his performance. This was a totally intimate side of Jose. He did an amazing job technically as a dancer but also with his emotional connection to the dance.

 

Dancers: Kent and Comfort
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Dave Scott
Song: “You’re Not My Girl” by Ryan Leslie
Kent had to bring the gangsta side out in himself this week. Yes, it’s hard to picture that side of Kent, but he really did a great job. He even busted out some break dancing in the routine. He has a very “Justin Timberlake” sort of look and Nigel thought he did a great job not overacting.

 

Dancers: Adechike and Courtney
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby? (Rae and Christian Remix)” by Dinah Washington
The dance was very seductive and playful. There was a bar accompanied with stools on stage used really well as props. Adechike was the bartender and Courtney was the lonely girl at the bar. Adechike managed to stay in character very well, but there was a lack of dance skill in the performance.

 

Dancers: Billy and Katie
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Spencer Liff
Song: “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” by Cats (original Broadway cast)
The routine was filled with lifts and tumbles, and yet they managed to stay so soft on their toes throughout the performance. They were also incredibly in sync when they were side-by-side. Billy did such an amazing job this week and he was definitely at his prime. Best Billy performance so far!

 

Dancers: Ashley and Dominique
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo
Song: “How Low” by Ludacris
These two ninja assassins are after each other in their performance. Ashley needed to make sure she intimidated the judges this week. You almost couldn’t tell it was her out there because she looked so tough. She really embraced the character and she hit the stage hard.

 

Dancers: Robert and Kathryn
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
Song: “Sinking Feeling” by Roisin Murphy
They were living dolls that come to life for an adventure. They started off a little stiff and became much more fluid through the routine, which was part of the character, of course. They messed up a little bit so it wasn’t the most easy-flowing routine but it was very cute and clever.

 

Dancers: Adechike and Alex
Style: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Song: “Mourya Re” by Don the Chase Begins Again (soundtrack)
Seeing as how Alex is injured, Nakul’s assistant filled in for him. The routine was fast paced, but very fun to watch. Adechike looked a little out of place in certain parts while others he did an amazing job.

 

Dancers: Lauren and Kent
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: “Collide (Acoustic Version)” by Howie Day
The two of them had to play the role of two people saying goodbye after their prom. The storyline was beautiful and it really fit these two perfectly. They have great chemistry and they danced very well together.

 

Dancers: Robert and Ashley
Style: Quickstep
Choreographer: Jean-Marc and France Genereux
Song: “Man with the Hex” by The Atomic Fireballs
The dance was about a powerful man, Robert, and a woman, Ashley, who is trying to take that power. Robert had a little trouble with keeping his elbow up throughout the dance. However, he managed to dance well and stay in character. Ashley did much better than Robert, but together they didn’t do as well as I expected.

 

Dancers: Jose and Billy
Style: African Jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
Song: “The Hunt” by Mickey Hart
The story was about a hunter, Jose, and it’s prey, Billy. The boys did an awesome job performing together. Their styles really balanced out well in the routine. Unfortunately the judges felt they could’ve performed much better.

 

Find out who's going home on So You Think You Can Dance, Thursday at 9/8c on Fox.
 
(Image courtesy of Fox)
 
Follow Danae at twitter.com/danaeyoung
 
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