'So You Think You Can Dance' Recap - Top 16 Perform

I was away on vacation, so forgive this day late review. But we got a big night of So You Think You Dance to get through, so let’s get going!

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.

Jaja (Team Street) & Hailee (Team Stage), Jazz – * * * * ½
Ray Leaper highlighted two of this season’s best girls in a fierce, athletic and sassy female empowerment routine. Both are incredibly charismatic dancers and, while it is true that Jaja fell a bit short in the technique department next to a Stage wiz like Hailee, they worked together really well to create a really fun and dynamic routine.

Neptune (Team Street) & Alexia (Team Stage), Hip-Hop – * * * ½
This boy-meets-girl story by way of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest routine was fun and flirty and inventive, especially with its use of the padded wall. But while the concept was great, the execution felt rather sloppy. The two seemed in and out of synch during the piece and many moves felt haphazard. Perhaps it was live show jitters, but there was something in this routine that just failed to fully come together.

JJ (Team Street) & Derek (Team Stage), Argentine Tango – * * * * ½
Do to a back injury, poor Derek had to sit this week out and was replaced by the piece’s choreographer Leonardo. I thought that having a seasoned ballroom dancer would show off Whacker JJ’s flaws, but the Team Streeter exceeded all expectations with a wonderfully nuanced and sensual performance. I’m no Argentine Tango expert, but it seemed every leg flick was executed just right. My only quibble, and perhaps this is a dumb one due to the Derek situation, is that the sexual chemistry between the two dancers fizzled more than it sizzled. JJ was great on her own, but there didn’t seem to be much connection between the two. That makes sense, given that the two didn’t have much rehearsal time, but it downgraded the routine by a half star.

Ariana (Team Street) & Jim (Team Stage), Contemporary – * * * * *
With shades of Mia Michael’s “Gravity” and ”Dreaming With A Broken Heart” routines (which are two of my all-time favorites), this Sean Cheeseman number has Jim personifying Ariana’s depression. While it may seem high concept, this contemporary piece packed a big emotional wallop. Incredibly athletic and intense, this piece was both technically difficult and emotionally complex. But both dancers were more than up to the task. Of course Jim was brilliant technically (gotta love those leaps or “tour jetes” as ballet expert Jason Derulo put it) but Ariana was right by his side, executing the whole thing brilliantly. It didn’t quite match the perfection of “Gravity” but this will surely be a highlight of the season.

Virgil (Team Street) & Gaby (Team Stage), Broadway – * * * * *
Old style, Golden Age Of Broadway routines doesn’t get any better than this. With a swanky sophistication rarely seen nowadays, Al Blackstone tailor-made this routine to suit tapper Gaby and hip-hopper Virgil (who really did channel Sammy Davis, Jr. big time). Yes, Virgil did outperform and outshine Gaby – the guy just shines out of every pore – but this routine was so much fun and so elegant, I really can’t complain.

Asaf (Team Street) & Kate (Team Stage), Jazz – * * *
First of all, I just love how each contestant is telling cutesy, funny little stories from their lives and Kate’s is that she basically went into Witness Protection after nearly being kidnapped by a serial killer. Wow, way to bring the mood down, girl! But while her package was a bit of a downer, Kate made the best of a bad situation during the routine. She sparked with good energy and performed the (somewhat lackluster) choreography with spicy ease. Asaf, on the other hand, felt overwhelmed and ended up underperforming, letting his chiseled abs carry most of the routine. Perhaps I’m reading into it too, given that the package also highlighted the rehearsal drama between the two dancers over a difficult lift that, unless I’m mistaken, never made it out of the rehearsal room, but I couldn’t help but watch this routine with very critical eyes towards Asaf. As an audition for an Iraeli Magic Mike spin-off, it was fine but as a means to get into the top 14, it fell way short.

Yorelis (Team Street) & Marissa (Team Stage), Hip-Hop – * * * ½
I hate to say that I agree with Jason (who normally just parrots the other judges in increasingly dull ways) but there was something missing in this piece and a lot of it has to do with the amazingly high caliber of dance showcased tonight. In no way was this Christopher Scott hip-hop routine bad, it was just surprisingly bland. In a night of five-star steak diners, this just felt like a turkey sandwich. Fine, more than serviceable but just ultimately forgettable.

Megz (Team Street) & Edson (Team Stage), Contemporary – * * * * *
I thought Ariana and Jim’s routine was the best of the best until this one comes up. With some startlingly beautiful imagery, this troubled romance duet was performed pretty flawlessly by Edson and Megz, who brought out a vulnerability and grace far beyond what I’d expect from a somewhat masculine hip-hopper. Without a doubt, this is another stirring routine that will likely make my Best Of list for the season.

Bottom Six:
JJ, Derek, Ariana, Kate, Asaf, Marissa

Who Should Have Gone Home:
Asaf & Kate

Who Actually Went Home:
Asaf & Marissa