This week on So You Think You Can Dance the Top 20 performed, and two dancers were sent home.
The guest judge this week was Misty Copeland, prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre.
The show opened with a fun group number to "New York, New York" from On the Town, choreographed by Josh Bergasse. Emilio had a scene stealing bit with a baseball bat.
After the opening number, the judges appeared in baseball jerseys as a tribute to the upcoming MLB All-Star Game on Fox.
Then the bottom 6 dancers were announced: Brooklyn, Jourdan, Malena, Casey, Nick, and Serge. The final decision would be made after all 20 dancers performed as planned.
This week the partners were switched, and the partnerships will remain the same until the Top 10, unless a dancer is eliminated.
Tanisha and Rudy performed a Sonya Tayeh jazz number to "You Need" (Bengsons). Sonya called the number "grimy and aggressive." The dancers wore punk rock costumes. Misty told Tanisha, "You are fierce, girl." I also think Tanisha was a standout in this routine.
Valerie and Ricky danced a Travis Wall contemporary number to "Oh Darling" (Gossling). It was about the one that got away. Travis commented, "Ricky needs to pull Valerie up to his level." I enjoyed this dance, especially Ricky.
Bridget and Emilio danced a Luther Brown hip hop number to "Work" (Iggy Azalea). It was about a guy's flirtation with a nerd girl turned "bombshell." It was fun and light, but not particularly memorable.
Jessica and Nick danced a Benji Schwimmer West Coast Swing number to "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. (Thank you show for including some older music for viewers who are over 40.) I love Benji, and was happy when he won Season 2. I often watch the show with a group of friends, and we had a running joke that season. There was a girl who appeared in the Season 2 audience with a huge sign that said, "I baked cookies for Benji." After that we made cookies (several times) while we watched the show. And yes, they were of course for Benji. Despite this Benji fandom, I have to say that the West Coast Swing number fell apart. Nigel criticized the choreography and the dancers.
Carly and Serge performed a Sonyah Tayeh contemporary dance to "Latch" (Sam Smith). It was a tribute to unbreakable love and it was beautiful. Serge really stood out as a strong, emotive dancer.
Emily and Teddy performed a Dave Scott hip hop dance to "Don't" (Ed Sheeran). The dance was about a sexy flirtation, but I did not see much chemistry or connection between the dancers.
Malene and Stanley performed a Spencer Liff Broadway jazz number to "I've Got Your Number" (Nancy Wilson). (Yes, I love this song -- it is exactly my cup of tea!) The dance was prop dependent, with telephones on long cords. The idea was fun and retro but the performance was lackluster. I was disappointed, as Malene and Stanley are two of my early favorites.
Jourdan and Marcquet performed a Sean Cheesman jazz number to "Work Work" by Britney Spears. It was about a sexy interrogation. Marcquet is such a dynamic dancer. Misty called Marcquet out on his facial expressions (too serious) and Nigel called Jourdan out on her facial expressions as well (too smiley).
Brooklyn and Casey performed a Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo tango to "Gallo Ciego" (Luis Bravo's Forever Tango). I really liked Casey in this number.
Jacque and Zack performed a Sean Cheesman African jazz number to "Dibiza" (Danny Teraglia). The costumes, makeup, and backdrop were bright, groovy colors. This number was a real standout - lots of fun and very high energy.
The judges called the dancers in the bottom 6 onstage. Malena and Nick were sent home. I am disappointed about Malena, as she was my favorite of the ballroom girls.
The judges will continue making the final decision (counting in the votes by viewers) until the Top 10. Then the decision will be solely up to the viewer votes.
Did you watch SYTYCD this week? If so, what did you think of the dance performances? Were the right dancers sent home?