by Kylene Hamulak

 

Am I the only one having a hard time believing that we've only got eight dancers left in the competition? Having already said goodbye to some of our favorites (Audrey last week was a tough one for me), every dance is crucial for the remaining contestants.

 

The All-Stars are back pairing with our contestants, and joining Nigel and Mary on the panel is Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who previously joined the show during the audition phase. We'll have two performances from each dancer - one with an All-Star partner, one as a solo routine. Between the pressure, the All-Stars, and Mitchell, this should be a great show!

 

Dancer: Tiffany
Style: Jazz
Song: I Was Here - Glee Cast
Tonight's extra feature with each contestant is a chance to learn more about how they grew up. Tiffany grew up in Florida, so she tells us there are three things you HAVE to love: the beach, boats, and water. I'm confused as to why she didn't throw Disney World in there. Or oranges. Or old people who drive like 12 mph, but fine, we'll go with her three. She and her older sister bonded over their love of dancing, and the home movies are kind of adorable. I'm just getting into her solo, which is beautiful, when I hear the familiar tones signaling the end of her time - apparently these routines are a "dance for your life" sort of situation, so they're really short, with no critiques.

 

Dancers: Witney, with Season 4's tWitch
Style: Hip Hop
Song: My Homies Still - Lil Wayne
Choreographer: Luther Brown
tWitch is so good he makes everyone else look like a backup dancer, so this is an interesting pairing. Witney does a good job, but it's hard for me not to see her as a ballroom belle, especially with tWitch doing his thing. Nigel is impressed with her "urban attitude," and thinks she lived up to the "East Coast hip hop." Mary calls it spectacular and like fifteen other adjectives, so she liked it. Jesse calls Witney brilliant, and shares a few of his favorite moves.

 

Dancer: Will
Style: Contemporary
Song: Better Man - James Morrison
Will immediately shares two fun facts that I would NEVER have guessed - he got in trouble for being a class clown, and he was a little chubby. REALLY? I'm shocked by this news. "This news" being, like, the two reasons I've grown to really love him as my favorite boy dancer this season. (Selfishly, I hope this kid finds a way into the cast of on Newsies on Broadway. Soon. Where all the boys I love go to dance.) He's great. His solo great. Keep him around.

 

Dancers: Cole, with Season 2's Allison
Style: Contemporary
Song: Possibly Maybe - Bjork
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
50 Shades of Cole? Seems like it might be, as Allison "fights" for the heart of a sadistic and cruel Cole. You know Cole takes his characters very seriously, and tonight is no different - it's a powerful routine, and he does a great job. Jesse says, "I'm shaking and I need a cocktail." He loved it. Mary tells Cole if he keeps dancing like that, he'll "probably" be in the finale. Nigel calls it powerful and dramatic and compliments Cole for his uniqueness.

 

Dancer: Lindsay
Style: Ballroom
Song: Senorita - Bond
Lindsay's mom owns a dance studio, where Lindsay and her equally adorable sisters dance. Know who else dances there? Or, rather, teaches dancers there? Mark Ballas and his mom. No wonder she kicks ass in the ballroom.

 

Dancers: Eliana, with Season 6's Ryan
Style: Quick Step
Song: That Man - Caro Emerald
Choreographer: Jonathan Roberts
I'm a big fan of Quick Step, and also of this routine. Eliana is totally engaging to watch, and these two make a great pair. Mary says she was spectacular, and she thought it was fabulous. Jesse also thought it was fantastic and thinks her range of emotion is extraordinary. Nigel says, "whatever you're asked to do, you turn yourself into that style of dancer. And that is remarkable."

 

Dancer: Chehon
Style: Ballet
Song: On the Nature of Daylight - Max Richter
Though he grew up in Switzerland, Chehon was born in Chicago. Along with his brothers, he was adopted by a family who has supported his desire to dance, even allowing him to study dance abroad when he made the request at only 14 years of age. That's some pretty serious dedication, and Chehon's emotional reaction to his mom being at the show is evident in both his routine and the tears he fights back giving out his number.

 

Dancers: Lindsay, with Season 7's Alex
Style: Jazz
Song: Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Damn it. As I was watching two perfect bodies perfectly perform a perfect routine, I almost forgot to actually watch the dancers! Technically, it's a great performance, though I'll admit it wasn't the standout of the night so far for me. Nigel thinks the technique was tremendous, but he says he didn't feel the tension between the two. (Honestly, though she's adorable, I sort of wonder if this will be an ongoing theme with Lindsay, as I think it's come up before.) Mary agrees, and she wants to feel that extra level. Jesse gives her gold stars technically, but also would've liked more of an emotional connection.

 

Dancers: Will, with Season 3's Lauren
Style: Hip Hop
Song: Dance My Pain Away - Wye Oak
Choreographer: Christopher Scott
Will? Doing Hip Hop? Oh yes. And he's great. He's still a big goofy white kid, but this routine is fantastic, and both he and Lauren own the stage. Mary says his movement was articulate, precise and...perfect. Jesse basically says what I'm thinking, calling Will "an adorable puppy covered in adorable puppy stickers wearing a hat that says I am an adorable puppy." Um, I agree. Nigel loved the concept and says it was a really good job. People, if Will doesn't make it to the finale, I'm gonna be sad.

 

Dancer: Witney
Style: Ballroom
Song: Where Have You Been - Rihanna
Whitney is a Mormon girl with a HUUUUUGE family. So....that's not a surprise. She was put in dance as a child because she had so much energy - nice choice, Mom! Her dad finds it hard to watch her dance, and why wouldn't he? As Nigel tells her, "You're even sexy when you're BREATHING." No dad wants to hear that about his barely legal baby girl.

 

Dancer: Cole
Style: Martial Arts Fusion
Song: Arise - ES Posthumus
Cole grew up in Honolulu as a social outcast, which lead to martial arts. (A young Cole even tells us that he started martial arts so he could defend himself in high school. I want to give him a hug.) His mom says he wanted to be an actor (again, SHOCKING revelation!), so she put him into dance, where he discovered this "Martial Arts Fusion" style.

 

Dancers: Cyrus, with Season 8's Melanie
Style: Jazz
Song: Badder Badder Schwing - Freddy Fresh
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
I feel like every rehearsal package with Cyrus is prefaced with "this is SO not his style, buuuut...." And tonight is no exception. Melanie is terrific, and Cyrus does his thing. Jesse thinks his charisma and spirit will make Cyrus a part of the show's legacy for a long time, regardless of what happens in the competition. Nigel calls him a "people magnet," grabbing everyone in. "America must love you," he says, and notes that he has improved tremendously. Mary says that even though the routine wasn't perfect, what Cyrus does is extraordinary.

 

Dancer: Eliana
Style: Ballet
Song: Infra 8 - Max Richter
Eliana's parents divorced when she was young, and she ended up with her mom, who she is very close to. She moved to New York for ballet when she was just 16. Here's the theme of tonight's show - supportive parents. If my kid shows even a tinge of talent and interest, I'll remember that. (Note: judging from my own coordination? I don't think dancing is going to be the hobby of choice for any future child of mine.)

 

Dancers: Chehon, with Season 3's Anya
Style: Tango
Song: Breathing Below Surface - Jesse Cook
Choreographer: Miriam and Leonardo
So Chehon? He has no idea what Tango is. Really - he said so. So mostly he dances it like ballet, throwing in some footwork for good measure. They sell it though, and the judges loved it. Mary says it was like the perfect storm, building throughout the number, and she puts him "on the train." Jesse calls it a very strong performance. Nigel notes how classical lines came into use in the routine and how connected Chehon and Anya were throughout the dance.

 

Dancer: Cyrus
Style: Popping/Animating
More supportive parenting for Cyrus! Cyrus lost his dad when he was just 10, but he had a mother to give him advice and support. He calls her "a soldier," and credits her for teaching him how good dancing could make him feel.

 

Dancers: Tiffany, with Season 5's Ade
Style: Contemporary
Song: The Power of Love - Celine Dion
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Tiffany dares me not to sing along with the song. I fail within the first five seconds. And maybe it's the song, or the fact that these two are terrific and beautiful dancers, but I love their routine. Great way to close the show, with a standing ovation from the judges. Jesse calls it amazing, saying "the partner work was INSANE." Mary calls Tiffany extraordinary and says it was her best performance of the season. Nigel says it was fantastic, and then he quotes One Direction. "You don't know you're beautiful."

So that's that. Now there's just the elimination to get to, so all the dancers line up on stage for results. Lindsay and Witney are the bottom two girls, with both Tiffany and Eliana safe. Cole and Will are placed in the bottom two for the boys, leaving Chehon and Cyrus safe.

Wait, WHAT?! America, what have you done?! WILL?! After I just spent like three pages telling you how much I enjoy him?

 

Let's just get on with this then....

 

The two ballroom girls are back in the dreaded spotlight, and the judges choose to save Witney, sending Lindsay home. I'm not surprised by the result - Lindsay had a good run, but there's no comparing her to Witney's ability to connect to the audience.

 

So the boys? Well, the judges have decided to keep Cole. Will is going home. And I'm gonna need a moment. (sigh)

 

Ladies and gentlemen, all four of my favorite dancers have been systematically eliminated from the show, which just goes to prove what I've known all along: I am SO not a dancer.

 

Next up? The challenge of deciding who - Witney, Eliana, or Tiffany for the girls, Cole, Chehon, or Cyrus for the guys - will survive to the finale!

 

 

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

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)