by Kylene Hamulak

 

Losing four dancers in last week's elimination, the competition is down to just eight pairs - sixteen dancers. The show opens in black and white with a routine to Jun Miyake's "Here and After" in which all the dancers are dressed Charlie Chaplin-esque (it's either Chaplin or Hitler, so I'm erring on the side of caution). It's kind of neat and interpretive, with a bright red umbrella passed around the stage providing the only pop of color.

 

Christina Applegate is a special guest on the judging panel this week with Mary and Nigel. Leading into each of tonight's routines, the dancers have been asked to share with the audience something we don't know about their partners.

 

Dancers: Tiffany and George
Style: Hip Hop
Song: "Out of My Mind" by B.O.B. featuring Nicki Minaj
Choreographer: Napoleon and Tabitha
Tiffany chooses to tell us that track star George peed his pants during his first meet. I'm going to keep that in mind in case there are any loud noises during their routine. George, the gentlemen, chooses to tell us that Tiffany is smart in addition to being pretty. Their routine is described as "adventures in babysitting" and looks pretty cool with the bright colors and tight moves. Nigel thinks it was a perfect open to the show, and he was especially happy with Tiffany's performance. Mary loved it and thought it was perfect for the two of them. Christina suggests that the slower parts should be "soupier" (don't worry, she's not even sure it's a thing), but liked it.

 

Dancers: Amber and Brandon
Style: Jazz
Song: "Dr. Feelgood" by Aretha Franklin
Choreographer: Ray Leeper
Brandon tells us that Amber is a hair stylist (that really does make SO much sense now, as we see a collection of her hairstyles), while Amber reveals to us that Brandon is one of the main dancers in Step Up: Revolution. After losing their partners last week, I'll forgive them for the somewhat dull tidbits. Brandon is wearing a Newsie cap, so I'm already a fan of this routine. And it just gets better from there. It's a very sexy routine, and they make a great pair, especially for their first dance. Christina liked it so much the censors couldn't even let us hear her thoughts at first, and when she pulled it together it was nothing but rave reviews. She notes that she forgot that Brandon was a stepper - you know what? So did I. Mary calls it sultry and soulful and says she couldn't be more pleased. Nigel calls it baby making choreography and though he has some advice, he thinks overall they were both excellent.

 

Dancers: Janelle and Dareian
Style: Cha Cha
Song: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen
Choreographer: Pasha Kovalev
According to Janelle, Dareian is a daredevil. I think that's sort of appropriate given his name, right? Janelle, on the other hand, likes to write raps. I'm not sure it qualifies as ACTUAL rap, but ok, we'll go with it. I thought it was an odd song choice, but the routine was cute. Mary is critical of the dancing. Though she was impressed with a couple of the tricks, she felt they were lacking a real connection, and the footwork was off. Christina agrees that they gave their best effort, but it wasn't a great dance for her. Nigel is also critical of Dareian's feet and didn't really feel the connectivity of them as a couple at all.

Dancers: Lindsay and Cole
Style: Contemporary
Song: "Wild Horses" by Charlotte Martin
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Lindsay tells us that, in addition to his dancing, Cole also takes his acting very seriously. But we already knew that based on his performance last week. Cole gives us something better - Lindsay has a foot phobia. I can't blame the girl for that! Their routine is a struggle between darkness and light, and it's great. Although I like her, I've had my questions about Lindsay compared to some of the other girls, but this dance was a very strong one for both her and Cole. Nigel calls Lindsay fantastic and calls Cole a genius. Mary tells Lindsay she was mesmerizing, but her real praise comes for Cole. "I can't wait to see what this guy does next!" she says. Christina calls Cole an enigma, and says she was pleasantly surprised by what Lindsay could do.

 

Dancers: Amelia and Will
Style: Jazz
Song: "You!" by The Creatures
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Accordingly to Amelia, Will wishes he was in a boy band. The fact that they gave me a teeny clip of *NSYNC during this package? Makes me love this pair even more than I did before. Will tells us that Amelia stays so pale by applying "SPF...like...a HUNDRED" every time she goes out so the sun never touches her skin. These two are adorable. Have I mentioned that? The routine is odd, but it works for them. They're just so in tune with each other, and each of them is such a strong dancer. Christina calls them "The Dream Team" and praises them for embracing their styles. Nigel says he didn't feel like they connected in the routine. Mary thought it was very good, even if it wasn't as strong as previous routines. She calls Will one of the best partners in the competition and says Amelia is phenomenal to watch.

 

Dancers: Audrey and Matthew
Style: Salsa
Song: "Cinco Salsa" by Sverre Indris Joner
Choreographer: Liz Lira
Ok, if there's any cuter couple than Will and Amelia, it would have to be Matt and Audrey. In something that truly IS surprising to learn, Audrey tells us that Matt only started dancing at the age of 16 - before that, he was a golfer. Matt tells us that nighttime Audrey is the thick glasses, retainer, pigtails type...and "it's really really cute." Let's all "awww" together! They had some trouble in rehearsal, and the judges aren't impressed. Mary thinks it looked uncomfortable, and Christina says that she was a little bit distracted and didn't think the connections were there. Nigel agrees that there were some issues with the routine, but still counts Matt and Audrey as one of his favorite couples of the competition.

 

Dancers: Witney and Chehon
Style: Contemporary
Song: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
What do we need to know about Chehon? He puts orange juice in his cereal and also plays the violin really well. Are the two connected? Only on SYTYCD. Witney, according to Chehon, speaks a little bit of German. Very little. As in...she can repeat key phrases, but not in the proper context. Also, bonus? Witney was actually named after Whitney Houston. Maybe it's the music, maybe it's the choreography, or maybe it's this pair - the routine is beautiful, and it earns a standing ovation. Christina calls it "one of the most beautiful things" she's ever seen in her life. Mary gets choked up, and calls the "catch-jump thing" the most memorable moment on the show to date. Nigel says they were "absolutely flawless" in the routine. Really though - how did they end up in the bottom three last week?

 

Dancers: Eliana and Cyrus
Style: Hip Hop
Song: "Toxic" by District 78 featuring Cheesa
Choreographer: Napoleon and Tabitha
Cyrus tells us about Eliana's love for birds, which she started raising as a little kid. And then he tells us about the time Eliana slept with her bird and accidentally killed it. Eliana shows us Cyrus's belly button...which happens to look like a power sign, which proves (obviously) that he is a robot. These two kids have great personalities, and this routine is kind of awesome. Cyrus is, of course, in his element, but Eliana really holds her own. Mary says it was fabulous. Christina thought it was fantastic and entertaining as well. Nigel calls Cyrus brilliant but praises Eliana for being better than him in parts of the routine.

 

With all the performances completed, we waste no time in getting into eliminations. The three girls in danger are Amber, Lindsay, and Eliana. For the guys, it's George, Brandon, and Dareian. I'm happy to see so many of my favorites safe, but there are a couple of surprises I'm nervous for. Nigel makes the decision to see Amber, Eliana, Brandon, and Dareian dance again.

 

The first solo is Amber, dancing to "This is What Makes Us Girls" by Lana Del Rey. Her partner Brandon goes next, dancing to "I Want It All Back" by Tye Tribbett and G.A. Eliana dances next to "Near Light" by Olafur Arnalds, and Dareian is the final dancer, to John Legend's "Ordinary People". Their routines are so quick, it's hard to really critique them, but all of them definitely gave strong performances.

 

While the judges discuss their decision, special guest performers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater take the stage to present "The Hunt." The routine is to Jungle Jazz from Les Tambours Du Bronx.

 

The three girls return to the stage to hear their fates, and Nigel reminds them how terrible it is that one of them has to go. The judges have decided to save Lindsay based on her growth and potential, and have also decided that Eliana will get another chance. Amber is eliminated.

 

Brandon, Dareian, and George come back to the stage for their results, and Nigel announces that they will be saving George. Dareian also finds out that he is safe as Brandon learns that he is eliminated.

 

Seven pairs remain in the competition - 14 dancers total - and it's interesting that partners will remain the same, as Brandon and Amber were a pair this week. As dancers continue to be challenged with routines out of their comfort zones, it'll be interesting to see who can also continue to grow and rise to the challenge of unfamiliar styles. Some of the favorites had less strong performances already - will we see any shake ups for the next elimination?

 

 

So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX.

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)