So You Think You Can Dance Review: A Sad Dip On This Rollercoaster Ride

So You Think You Can Dance, I definitely missed you while I was gone, but I can’t deny that it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster with the show this season. I’m sad to be cheated out of 10 dancers I maybe, could’ve, would’ve fallen for, but somehow, this season’s top 10 has been an extremely solid, strong and kind of surprising group of dancers. I’d forgotten how much I missed some of the past contestants, still I totally resent them for often drawing my attention away. I like the idea of mixing up sexes, adding an impressive glut of new choreographers and invigorating the format, yet all these shakeups haven’t made up for the fact that this short season has made me feel more disconnected from each individual contestant. So it’s only fitting that this rollercoaster go straight into a super loop with Alex Wong’s injury. Why, world?! Just when I was about to call a finale contender. BAM! Another dancer bites the dust. So while I try to get over what could have been, please check out how the dancers who could twirl on two legs fared.

TOP 8
LAUREN and Pasha | Cha-cha | Jean-Marc and France | “Telephone” by Lady Gaga and Beyonce
VaVaVoom! This perky little one oozed sensuality and who knew that was hiding behind her invisible pom-poms. Lauren was completely sexy, in control of her body, and fiercely in character. Yes, I was able to completely focus on the contestant and not the all-star, and when you’re Pasha, that’s a success. Now if only Nigel could keep the creepy “full bodied” comments to himself.

JOSE and Lauren | Contemporary | Mandy | “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS
I was extremely disappointed by this routine, not because it wasn’t beautifully choreographed, but because I was not excited by any of the things the judges fawned over (once again…). Nigel even pointed that out, defending himself for being so “nice” to Jose by saying it was because Jose danced from his heart. Mia went so far as to say she should be so ego-free as Jose, and Adam called him one of the most beloved… Yes! I get it. Jose is a sweet, happy guy. I like him, okay? But I’ve seen B-boys really show their heart not only with a great personality but through their bodies at the same time. It’s much nicer to watch. Jose didn’t do anything every single other SYTCYD hip-hoppers couldn’t have done at this point in the competition and done it better.

KENT and Comfort | Hip-hop | Dave Scott | You’re Not My Girl” by Ryan Leslie
Man, did I want to enjoy this performance and believe Kent to be this booty-smacking bandit, but every now and then his body would do something effeminate or he’d fall out of sync, and he’d lose that swagger he’d been building during the routine. I appreciated his commitment and effort, as always. Nigel said that Kent sat in the groove, but Mia missed some of that Dave Scott funk. The slow beat was smooth, but hard to really get into.

ADECHIKE and Courtney | Jazz | Mandy | “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” (Rae & Christian Remix) by Dinah Washington
Sometimes the best part of a night is seeing a contestant shake their fears and nerves and fight. I felt that from Adéchiké, and so did Nigel, who loved his character and only wished to see more jazz in the choreography. Mia and Adam, on the other hand, felt a donut hole of emptiness and a character replay, respectively. It’s not that I’m so keen on Adéchiké, but he is growing and that should be commended, plus he’s a good dancer. Jose still gets more leeway which makes Adéchiké’s critiques all the more confusing.

BILLY and Katie | Broadway | Spencer Liff | “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” from Cats
I’ve never been a big dog-person, and Cats always reminds me of childhood, captivated by these singing, dancing and mysterious creatures, Macavity being the coolest of them all. The routine was slinky, a little sexy, a little frisky, completely feline. Having lost Alison, as a partner, due to an old injury rearing its ugly head, I worried for him. Then, hearing he was paired with an old fav got me even more worried. Would Katie’s return shade him? But he danced so gracefully and freely, I was just transported back to those youthful memories.

ASHLEY and Dominic | Hip-hop | NappyTabs | “How Low” by Ludacris
Another great choreographed number! NappyTabs is back…FINALLY. Adam dubbed Ashley a quiet contender and I agree. Small leaps ahead will always fare better than large steps backwards and foward. Mia loved it, though she missed the deadly eyes, but from my 35 inch, the eyes are so small, all that’s important is that stealth yet hard movement and she hit every beat.

ROBERT and Kathryn | Jazz | Sean Cheesman | “Sinking Feeling” by Roisin Murphy
Fear is all I could feel after watching the early, botched body flip during this number and seeing Kathryn plop her butt onto the floor in the first half. I was a bit blinded to the rest of the performance. The idea was cute, toy dolls come to life, so I get the judges fascination. Yet, I was surprised to see so little critique of Robert’s somewhat shaky execution. Then, Nigel delved into his frustration as to why Robert is in the bottom. He trolled the internet and found that people make stuff up about people they don’t know. (Really, Nigel? This is new?) Apparently, all the haters think Robert is arrogant when everyone who knows him thinks he’s one of the nicest and hardest working dancers. Okay, can we talk about dance, Nigel?

ADÉCHIKÉ and ALEX(minus the Alex part) | Bollywood | Nakul | “Mourya Re” Don The Chase Begins Again soundtrack
I felt pure happiness while watching this performance, and I don’t think there’s a greater compliment when watching dance. Of course, the judges jumped right on Adéchiké for not being deeper in his plies or being sharper. Thankfully, Cat stepped out and said the judges seemed sweeter on Jose a few weeks ago for throwing his own flavor into a Bollywood dance, and even got the crowd cheering for Adechike and booing the judges. Mia, though, said Jose has the heart thing that captures everyone, and boo-hoo she missed Alex Wong. (Thankfully, some of that playback Adam is always talking about must have convinced Mia to eat crow and apologize during the results show.)

LAUREN and KENT | Contemporary | Travis | “Collide” (Acoustic version) by Howie Down
The pair, with all their youth and naiveté, were perfect compliments. Lauren and Kent both have the technical prowess and each brought their best qualities, Lauren’s power and athleticism and Kent’s earnest and openness. Travis, was back in form, with a fluid and heartwarming emotional piece about a first love, something so many of us have felt and still remember. The judges loved it, and we all agree for once.

ASHLEY and ROBERT |Quickstep | Jean-Marc and France | “Man With The Hex” by The Atomic Fireballs
It’s the dread quickstep, the dance of death. And though it was an admirable attempt, I couldn’t really get into the dance, the music or the partnership. (Though I could feel differently for them in a different style.) No one really critiqued Ashley, though Nigel gave her praise and most of the time the judges spent fussing over the music fighting the steps and Robert’s good but short effort. Where’s the tough love now?

BILLY and JOSE | African Jazz | Sean | “The Drum” by Mickey Hart
It doesn’t always happen, but this time I truly felt the choreography but not the performances. The concept of a jungle hunter and a jaguar was visually intriguing, and understanding their powerful, untamed motions through dance so fascinating, but both lacked a certain punch and Jose’s lacked conviction too. Okay, so I felt a little tingle in my heart during his yappy, smiley package. (See judges. I’m not made of stone!) Still, even when Sean handed him b-boys moves that seamlessly fit into the afro style, Jose didn’t seem to muster up enough energy to get up off the floor or to scare a pussycat. Unsurprisingly Mia was blinded by his pearly whites once more, and Billy, who at least had some gusto, got love too, but everyone else thought the two were flat.

THE RESULTS ARE IN
So Billy and Ashley find their way to the bottom two. I’m flabbergasted, but then, the only other person I would have put in the bottom was Jose (maybe Robert). And someone’s got to go. Ashley certainly has had the least amount of screen time, but Billy is another story. Overall, he danced beautifully and was saddled with two, count it TWO, cat numbers. After watching his moving solo (while still recalling Ashleigh’s sneaky awesomeness as of late), I started to get angry at Alex Wong’s last, big jump and at America for putting the judges in this position, and really angry at the judges for not just a adoring great dancer but really standing by the concept of molding someone less trained into some multi-talented dancer extraordinaire. Still, everything about the results show was out of our hands, as Alex’s lacerated Achilles tendon would keep him out of strenuous dance for at least 3 months. Billy and Ashley just got a wake up call that America’s got their eye on them and not in the best way.

Even though, I have a love-hate relationship with this season, I’m still extremely impressed by the level of dance most people are putting out. Even some of the more lackluster are proficiently stunning. I think the fact that so many have a contemporary or ballet base makes all the difference. And you could see it in Mia’s heavenly, contemporary number to “When We Dance” by Sting. I could have dealt without all the smoke so that I could actually see everyone’s feet, but the ethereal routine was beautiful.

Vets Anya and Pasha’s burned the floor and set the stage on fire. I never thought about the fact that I’d never seen the longtime partners perform together on the SYTYCD stage. The last time they danced together (on the show) was during their season 3 audition when they first danced “Magic Carpet Ride” (No Comprende Edit) by Mighty Dub Katz. While I may not have noticed, this hotness I can never forget. Then, my spirits were lifted once more when In The Heights Broadway stars grooved to “96,000” and all-stars danced around Natasha Beddingfield, in what seemed like oodles of performance fun, while she sang a breathy “Touch”.

Like I said earlier, I’ve been on a big rollercoaster. I was pleased by an all-around, solid night of choreography, ecstatic to not lose Billy or Ashley who are both rapidly growing on me, sad to not see Jose pushed by the judges, utterly crushed to say goodbye, so soon, to the burgeoning Alex. (As you’re reading this, I’m most likely still weeping.) At least, the ride isn’t over yet.

For another take on this episode, including Mia Michael’s controversial comments about Adéchiké’s performance, read Anyone Got A Muzzle? by Trisha Huntsman.

Season 7, Episode 12 & 13: Top 8 Perform & 1 of 8 Voted Off (originally aired July 7 and July 8, 2010)

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro