Hooray! So You Think You Can Dance auditions are over and the actual competition has begun. This week the Top 20 danced in pairs, in their favored dance style, to compete for a role in Broadway's On the Town and the title of America's Favorite Dancer.
Singer/dancer Jason Derulo joined Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe on the judging panel. While his comments were not as in depth as some of the dancers and choreographers who judge (i.e. Adam Shankman, Twitch, Kenny Ortega, Debbie Allen), he took the process seriously and offered thoughtful critiques.
The performances included:
Brooklyn and Serge - Cha Cha choreographed by Dimitry Chaplin, performed to "Hell Yeah" (Midnight). Serge stood out in this number (and not just because he was sweating profusely!). Brooklyn did not come off as strongly as he did.
Emily and Casey - Contemporary choreographed by Travis Wall, performed to "All of Me" (John Legend). Emily and Casey performed a dance about a couple arguing. Emily's extensions were lovely! I had forgotten how charming Casey is.
Valerie and Zak - Tap Dance choreographed by Anthony Morgierato, performed to "Sing" (Ed Sheeran). Valerie and Zack did an ambitious number involving a staircase. It did not have the speed and lightness that I like in tap, but it was a fun number. Loved Valerie's red tap shoes!
Bridget and Stanley - Contemporary choreographed by Bonnie Story, performed to "Doesn't Mean Goodbye" by Jon McLaughlin. Stanley has star power - love his presence on stage. He had great elevation with his leaps.
Jacque and Jourdan - Ballet choreographed by Marat Daukayev, performed to "Pas de Deux - Black Swan" (Tchaikovsky). The girls were both dressed in black. They look very much alike, and neither really stood out in this number. Their synchronicity was off a bit at the end.
Malena and Marcquet - Brazilian Samba choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, performed to "Morning Drums" (Gregor Salto). Loved everything about this performance. Samba rolls! Marcquet is a star!
Carly and Rudy - Contemporary choreographed by Stacy Tookey, performed to "Take It Easy" (Jetta). Rudy's goofy personality in the pre-dance interview is charming. He does not have the technical skill of some of the other dancers.
Emilio and Teddy - Hip Hop choreographed by Christopher Scott, performed to "Nightshift" (The Commodores). The lyrical hip hop number was about a janitor and security guard dancing after hours. It was fun! Emilio has a great personality on stage.
Jessica and Ricky (pictured above) - Contemporary choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, performed to "Vow" (Meredith Monk). I think Ricky is the dancer to beat this season. This number was amazing! I loved the move where he carried Jessica on her back, while she was in full standing position. Nigel said that this dance was "another level entirely," and I agree completely.
Tanisha and Nick - Cha Cha choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, performed to "I'm a Freak" (Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull). Fun number but not as dynamic as the other Cha Cha by Malena and Marcquet.
Two dancers will be eliminated next week. Who is in danger? There are a lot of contemporary girls, and I think they sort of run together. I also believe that the two ballet dancers will cancel each other out with votes, probably sooner than later. I think we may see the following dancers in the bottom three:
Brooklyn
Emily
Jourdan
Serge
Teddy
Nick
I'm looking forward to next week's show already! Did you watch SYTYCD last night? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, below.