'So You Think You Can Dance' Recap - Top 20 Perform (Part II)

Let me start by saying I don’t review the group numbers but tonight’s three routines were top-notch, especially that amazing Team Street see-saw routine. But while the group numbers were on point, tonight is the night when the dancers get to break from their usual styles which usually means some stumbles along the way.

Like I’ll do each week, I will write a recap of each dance and give it a rating of zero to five stars. Feel free to comment below with your favorite/least favorite routine of the night.

Yorelis (Team Street), Darion (Team Stage), Hailee (Team Stage), Salsa – * *
While this salsa number should have felt like a sexy, fiery night of passion it read more like an awkward first date. Yes, the ladies showed some spark (OK, a lot of spark), but Darion’s lackluster performance sputtered and fell a mile short. Between some clunky partnering, a stuttering lift-gone-wrong and a generally blah and uninspired performance, Darion is either out of his league or just having a bad night. Points for that death defying leap, though.

Ariana (Team Street) & Derek (Team Stage), Jazz – * * * ½
I’m not sure I fully understood the story Ray Leeper was trying to tell with his stylized jazz routine. Synching the staccato opening chords with staccato tableaus was really original and fun, yet the piece fully gelled. Perhaps I’m not sure who the characters were – as their movement felt ultra stylized, I almost felt like they were wind-up toys – or exactly what they wanted. Perhaps, too, this was due to competent but not very exciting performances from Ariana and Derek who showed technique but not a lot more.

Virgil (Team Street), Megz (Team Street), Alexia (Team Stage), Contemporary – * * * *
The strongest number so far (in more ways than one) was Dee Caspary’s dark and beautiful study of the power struggle between these talented dancers. While it was a more everyday power of the sexes or there was something darker (dare I say supernatural) going on is up to you, but either way the routine was fierce and fun and performed very, very well with no real gaps between Stagers and Streeters.

Lily (Team Street), Burim (Team Street), Gabby (Team Stage), Edson (Team Stage), Bollywood – * * * *
This was like an Indian-spiced Redbull! With overflowing energy and some cheeky performances, this quartet delivered a very solid, entertaining routine. That being said, the pace was so quick, the moves so intricate and the camera blocking so busy that I found it hard to keep tabs on each person individually, so maybe I was missing a few stumbles along the way.

Asaf (Team Street), Kate (Team Stage), Neptune (Team Street), Broadway – * * *
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I’m a big Post Modern Jukebox fan, so I loved the nod to PMJ, especially ‘cause it brought me back to watching Joey Cook each week on Idol. Man, I can’t wait for Joey to collab with them. Anyway, onto this show. I also really loved the idea for the piece – jazz instruments come to life – I just wished Spencer Liff’s choreo was executed a bit better. While there were truly great moments, Kate’s performance was a tad too icy throughout while Asaf seemed a good two counts behind for the first half of the piece.

Jaja (Team Street) & Jim (Team Stage), Hip-Hop – * * * * *
Using the language of Hip-Hop to tell a mature, sedate, lovely love story is damn near brilliant and Jim/Jaja lived up to it beautifully. Could Jim’s popping have been a little tighter? Could Jaja show her emotional on her sleeve a bit more? Does it even matter? I really don’t think so. This was as original and beautiful as a duet can get.

Marissa (Team Street), Moises (Team Stage), JJ (Team Street), Jazz – * * * ½
Another trio battle of the sexes routine sees Moises battling it out with Marissa and JJ. In the iteration, I bought the steps and technique (especially from Moises, who showed off his classical training) but the acting style seemed to be off. While the pre-performance package explained the story as a scorned lovers revenge, it came off more like a sexy, S&M romp. It just wasn’t quite dark or angry enough to read revenge.

Bottom Six:
Darion, Ariana, Derek, Lily, Neptune, Moises,

Who Should Go Home:
Darion & Ariana (Well, Asaf & Darion, actually)

Who Actually Went Home:
Darion & Lily