'So You Think You Can Dance' Recap - Top 10 Perform

Tonight is a pivotal one for So You Think You Can Dance. Tonight we separate the dancers and introduce the All Stars. With such a great roster of All Stars, it really does separate the men from the boys and shows us exactly how much charisma and technique they really got.

Like I 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.

---Solos---

Virgil – * * * *
While Virgil’s solo was more trick heavy than technique heavy, he showed off his stellar musicality and muscular form of street dance.

Neptune – * * * *
Those damn Jello legs, man.

Gaby – * * * * ½
Perfectly emulating the Empire song with her taps, Gaby’s use of the stage and rhythmic taps were on point.

Jaja – * * * * ½
Any way you cut it, Jaja is a superstar.

Jim – * * * * ½
Did the music match the choreography at all? Do I care? Not one bit.

Hailee – * * * *
A bit all over the place but exceptionally strong nonetheless.

Derek – * * * * ½
I think we don’t give Derek enough credit for being a great technician. Too bad he can’t seen to harness that talent into a more captivating performance style.

Megz – * * * * ½
Fierce, hard-hitting and totally Megz.

Edson – * * * *
Slick and just a little steamy, Edson got his groove on.

---All Star Routines---

Hailey (Team Stage) & Brandon (All Star), Broadway – * * * ½
It is true that Haley has a certain Lady Gaga vibes and so using a Gaga vocal to score Haley’s first outing tonight is a smart one. But while it is true that Haley had a old Hollywood charm about and while it is true that Haley lights up the room, there was a certain sloppiness to her performance that I’m surprised the judges didn’t mention. Perhaps it was the ultra-fast (and perhaps a touch too chaotic) choreo, but not all the moves seemed executed to their best and you can intermittently see Haley counting steps. Dance should feel effortless and you could feel the work and the sweat a bit too much here.

Derek (Team Stage) & Kayla (All Star), Jazz – * * * *
In this sexy battle of the sexes routine, Derek goes to war with all-star Kayla, which loyal viewers of SYTYCD know is a losing battle. That’s not to say that Derek didn’t perform the material well, although he could have been a touch more magnetic and masculine, but it’s very hard to not be dwarfed by Kayla. Strutting her stuff and executing an incredibly over-the-back roll with ease, all eyes seemed to be on the All Star here rather than the competitor, who failed to fully stand out.

Virgil (Team Street) & Comfort (All Star), Hip-Hop – * * * * ½
Last week, Derek and Megz’s routine showed us that hip-hop doesn’t always need to be gritty and hard-hitting, sometimes it can be a goofy Jazz Age romp or, as this one shows, a light-hearted, flirty ode to young love. With some inventively fun choreography and two incredibly likeable performers, this was purely a joy to watch.

Megz (Team Street) & Marko (All Star), Jazz – * * * * ½
While Megz is capable of far more than this cheesy, ‘70s-like routine, who can fault a routine that’s just a bundle of fun energy? That’s really it, simple but effectively performed with bucketloads of charm.

Edson (Team Stage) & Jamie (All Star), Contemporary – * * * * *
Lit with only a circle of iridescent light and filmed in one continuous shot, this stirring routine is my favorite bit of Travis Wall choreography so far this season. Edson really did step up to performing with an All Star and performed pretty flawlessly, perfectly partnering with Jamie. The emotionality and connection between them was rock-solid, cementing a really noteworthy performance.

Neptune (Team Street) & Jasmine (All Star), Hip-Hop – * * * * ½
Jasmine is one of my all time favorite SYTYCD ladies and it’s great to see her back. With a kooky, Frankenstein-like number that mixed Transylvania with krump, Neptune stood up to Jasmine and handled the tricky choreography with ease. That song, though. Let’s just say I’ve heard dishwashers make more melodic music.

Jim (Team Stage) & Jessica (All Star), Contemporary – * * * * ½
What a gorgeous song, first of all, perfectly worked into this simply gorgeous routine. Yes, we can all go blue in the face saying how excellent Jim is – he is without a doubt the best dancer this season – but it is true Jim should have connected more with this piece. He needs to be more vulnerable, more open. He needs acting lessons. He needs some help, but not a lot.

Jaja (Team Street) & Alex (All Star), Bollywood – * * * * ½
Bollywood can the Kiss of Death for SYTYCD dancers, but Jaja slid by on pure charisma and a smile that can light all of Los Angeles. I’m no Bollywood expert and, unless someone falls on their face, I doubt I’d know good technique from bad. But Jaja and Jim looked so at east on the floor, performing their hearts out.

Gaby (Team Stage) & Joshua (All Star), Hip-Hop – * * * * ½
First we got Frankenstein hip-hop and now we’ve got Kabuki krump. Why the choreographers chose to go all Memoirs Of A Geisha for this one is beyond me, but this cultural mash-up was pretty mesmerizing.

Bottom Four:
Derek, JJ, Megz, Edson

Who Should Have Gone Home:
Darek & JJ

Who Actually Went Home:
Edson & JJ