SYTYCD Recap – Top 20

Last night was the first voting night for the new season of So You Think You Can Dance. The Top 20 took the stage as 10 couples. Overall, I was very impressed with the level of talent in this year’s Top 20.

After seeing all of the performances, there was only one couple that I immediately felt would be in the bottom three on the results show tonight. Even with their dance, it wasn’t that they were really bad, per se, they just weren’t as good as the other nine couples. All in all, I was shocked at how quickly the show went by last night, even discounting the fact I was fast-forwarding through the commercials thanks to my DVR. ;) If last night’s performances are any indication, we should be in for a GREAT season of dancing!

Here is my recap of last night’s show:

Couple 1: Jeanine and Phillip
Music: “Mad” by Ne-Yo
Dance Style: Hip-Hop
Choreography: Tabitha & Napoleon D’umo

I adore watching Phillip when he does his locking & popping style of dance. It’s so unique and I just don’t understand how exactly he makes his limbs look so fluid. I was very worried about how well he would do going into last night’s show since he hasn’t really had much training in other styles. Fortunately, he lucked out and got hip-hop for the first show. I *loved* their performance! Jeanine did an excellent job given she is a contemporary dancer. She brought her energy levels way up and held her own which is amazing given most eyes would typically be on Phillip.

Couple 2: Asuka and Vitolio
Music: “Hot Honey Rag” from the “Chicago” soundtrack
Dance Style: Broadway
Choreography: Tyce Diorio

I’m a bit worried for Asuka and Vitolio based on last night’s performance. Technically, they did a good job, but I just didn’t necessarily feel a connection between them and with the audience. That connection is key to getting people to pick up the phone and vote. They also had the misfortune of following Phillip which didn’t help things. I think they likely will fall in the bottom three and end up dancing for their lives tonight.

Couple 3: Karla and Jonathan
Music: “Poker Face” by Lady GaGa
Dance Style: Latin Ballroom – Cha Cha
Choreography: Tony Meredith

I was a bit surprised over how much the judges were oooohing and aaaaahing over this dance. There were parts that I really thought were amazing, like when Jonathan did the splits between Karla’s legs, but overall, the dance just didn’t thrill me as much as it clearly did the judges. Even though they’re both talented dancers, I fear they also may end up slipping into the bottom three and will have to dance for their lives.

Couple 4: Randi and Evan
Music: “I Only Have Eyes for You” by Jamie Cullum
Dance Style: Jazz
Choreography: Tyce Diorio

I loved this dance! There was such a wonderful chemistry between them. They both looked like they were having great time with the dance, yet still conveyed the appropriate mood for the choreography. Even though they may be underdogs in some people’s opinion (height & looks issues, not that I agree with those theories), I personally think they are definitely a pair to watch.

Couple 5: Paris and Tony
Music: “Let the Beat Rock” by Black Eyed Peas
Dance Style: Hip-Hop
Choreography: Tabitha & Napoleon D’umo

This is the aforementioned couple that I think will definitely be in the bottom three and will be forced to dance for their lives. They didn’t do a horrible job by any means, but compared to the other couples, they clearly just weren’t as dynamic. One might excuse the lack of hip-hop ability for Paris because it’s not her genre, but it is Tony’s and he just wasn’t very impressive.

Couple 6: Caitlin and Jason
Music: “Jai Ho” from the “Slumdog Millionaire” soundtrack
Dance Style: Bollywood
Choreography: Nakul Dev Mahajan

This dance was definitely one of the highlights of the evening for me. Was it the best technically? No, but I still enjoyed it thoroughly nonetheless. I love when the producers bring in dance styles from other cultures and incorporate them into the show. Yes, it definitely makes it more challenging for the dancers, but I think Caitlin and Jason pulled it off. Was their Bollywood dance as good as Joshua & Katee’s Bollywood dance last year? Probably not, but Joshua & Katee had been dancing together longer as a pair and weren’t doing a Bollywood routine the first week of the season either. I still think it was really good and very entertaining.

Couple 7: Janette and Brandon
Music: “Come Fly With Me” by Michael Bublé
Dance Style: Ballroom – Foxtrot
Choreography: Louis Van Amstel

Ok, let me start by saying I totally don’t get Mia Michaels & Lil’ C saying during the audition rounds that they weren’t impressed with Brandon’s dancing. This guy is a crazy good dancer, and his performance in this foxtrot proved it. Neither he or Janette have a traditional ballroom background, but you wouldn’t know it after seeing them dance this foxtrot. Their lines were beautiful! Janette looked so elegant, and Brandon did an amazing job with the lifts. Given he’s a contemporary dancer that’s used to dancing solo, that’s pretty impressive!

Couple 8: Ashley and Kupono
Music: “Felt Mountain” by Goldfrapp
Dance Style: Jazz
Choreography: Wade Robson

Ok, as Nigel said last night, whether you hate it or love it, it’s hard to NOT watch a dance choreographed by Wade Robson. He is an absolute genius choreographer who has dancers moving in ways that no one else does. I was mesmerized watching Ashley and Kupono absolutely transform themselves into crash test dummies, and how could you not like the little robot dog? ;)

Couple 9: Melissa and Ade
Music: “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx
Dance Style: Contemporary
Choreography: Mandy Moore

This dance was gorgeous!! No, I’m not saying that just because her name is Melissa. I will admit that Contemporary is one of my favorite styles of dance, and this piece did not disappoint! With Melissa’s background in ballet, her lines and movements were graceful and simply exquisite. Ade’s strength made all the lifts seem completely effortless and smooth. They also seemed to have a wonderful chemistry with one another, especially for their first week paired. I loved it!

Couple 10: Kayla and Max
Music: “Jum Bah Day” by House of Gypsies
Dance Style: Latin Ballroom – Samba
Choreography: Louis Van Amstel

Holy crap! This Samba was a-maz-ing! Even though she has no prior ballroom or Latin experience, Kayla rocked it. This girl was born to dance Latin! Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt that she had Max as a partner who is yet another fantastic Russian male ballroom dancer in the history of SYTYCD. He might not be as good looking as Dmitry from Season 2, but he sure can dance!

Well, that’s my recap of all the dances from last night. One can never predict how America will vote, but here are my predictions for the bottom three couples: Paris & Tony, Asuka & Vitolio, and Kayla & Jonathan.

Until next time …