So You Think You Can Dance Top 12 Performance Show Recap

Hey all sorry I didn't blog the results show last week but I fell asleep kind of early. Anyway I was SHOCKED Phillip and Jeanine were in the bottom three, though it shows he's not as popular as I thought. However Evan is pretty popular if he could survive dancing in one of the weaker routines in a strong night. I did think Kupono's solo was subpar but I'm glad the judges gave him another chance, and Vitolio and Karla weren't going to last much longer anyway. I did think Karla going home was the right call as well, since she was the worst female soloist of the night imo.

Tonight each duo dances twice so that they can fill two hours of airtime/so audiences can see who performs most consistently in different styles.

Love Ade's spins in his opening solo. Melissa is en pointe again. Brandon does an awesome flip! Kupono's solo is better than his dance for your life solo last week!

Cat is rocking the glam look tonight with the black dress and red lipstick.

Tonight's guest judges is the (apparently widely hated on the blogs) Tyce Diorio. I agree he was very harsh in his audition round critiques but I don't yet see the hatred of his choreography that is common. Though I haven't seen routines from him that I have loved yet either....

Melissa and Ade 1: They are doing a disco routine by Doriana Sanchez. They will have to be pretty amazing to compare to Brandon and Janette's routine a few weeks ago. Melissa is getting dizzy with the spins. They were so nervous they kept laughing in rehearsals, and Ade says it will be really good or really bad.

The song is "Move on Up" by Destinations. It seems a bit slow compared to the previous disco which is maybe why I'm liking it but not loving it. They are nailing the moves and the lifts and seem to be having a lot of fun doing it though. Melissa does a split WHILE BEING LIFTED BY ADE!!! Wow that hurts just to look at. The lifts were the best part of the dance for me, though the rest was by no means bad. Oooh Melissa takes a bit of a spill at the end, but luckily the music had already stopped.

Nigel loves the energy and excitement and thinks it was a great way to start off the evening. Mary says it was a disco pick-me-up, calling it well-executed, especially with the lifts. She adds it was the first time Ade let go, and Melissa was not stiff despite being a ballerina. Tyce calls it "freakin' great". He says Melissa has grown throughout the show and Ade embodied the spirit of the era.

Why is Gabi Rojas in a commercial for Fox?? Just saying. Do love the shot of Kris's shocked look when he won AI though.

Kayla and Kupono 1- They are starting off with Mia Michaels contemporary. The piece is about addiction, which as she points out is a common idea that viewers will relate to. Kupono is the item Kayla is addicted to. I'd love to be addicted to him!!!! But Kupono doesn't like being a negative idea since he knows people who were actually addicted to drugs. Aw he breaks down crying in the clip- sympathy points!!!

The song is "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. Wow she has another song besides "Love Song"??? I usually don't like Mia's routines but this just made me say "Wow". It was so emotional yet beautiful and Kupono really did look like an evil addiction with Kayla his struggling victim. I loved the part where Kayla reaches her hand up in the air while Kupono grabs on tight but really the whole routine was just stunning. My only complaint is I don't know if they were completely in sync in the beginning but otherwise I loved it.

Even Mia is in tears!!! Nigel thinks Kayla's dancing is superb but she needs to stop covering her eyes with her face. He says Kupono was dark, especially when he smirked (so true). Mary says Kupono stayed in character the whole dance and Kayla was flawless (guess they didn't get the memo that bloggers are not liking the Kayla pimping by the judges). Tyce says he feels like he had an experience more than a dance. He adds Kayla is a beast and Kupono is a bit too feminine in his movements (boo!) but sold it with his face. They are on the bubble for making the top 10 but that dance might save them.

Jason and Caitlin 1- They are doing a foxtrot with a jazz twist. Jason is a macho man chasing after the elegant Caitlin. Caitlin is glad to not be in an alien costume this week. Jason struggles with posture but Caitlin thinks they will do great.

They dance to "Minnie the Moocher" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. This sounds like the song they play at football games but with a weird beat to it. The routine has great lifts but seems a bit lackluster to me, especially from Caitlin. It is danced okay but doesn't blow me away like the last routine did. Though that could be because the last routine was so great. Nigel says Caitlin made it look easy and Jason had good footwork. He adds it was better than rehearsal. Oddly he seemed happier with Caitlin's performance than I did. Mary agrees they made it look easy and Caitlin looked like she was floating. Tyce (after beating Mary in a snapping contest) says they captured the essence of the dance but thinks they could have glided more. It was danced well, but I already don't like foxtrots and it kind of paled in comparison to the emotional previous dance.

Jeanine and Phillip 1- They are doing a Russian folk dance I can't spell with Youri Nelzine and Lilia Babenko. Well at least they didn't get hip hop again. The routine seems very fast from the rehearsals. The story is a playful competition between the two.

The song is a Russian song called Kalinka by Baryna. The costumes though make Jeanine look like a giant doll. Jeanine gets an awesome solo at the beginning and towards the end but the rest was a little weird for my tastes. Phillip didn't always seem to be hitting as hard as his partner and they didn't always seem together in the unison parts. Jeanine does do an awesome close-to-the-ground spin at the end. Nigel says it felt like there wasn't enough material in the dance, calling it too folky for his taste- though he seems more critical of the style than the dancing. Mary says Jeanine made it look effortless and believable though agrees the material was a bit simple. Phillip had some tough movements as well but as a whole she agrees the dance was not difficult. Tyce says they did well with the dance for what they were given and even Phillip did well. I disagree on that point but I agree the dance as a whole did not really work, which could hurt them with voters.

Evan and Randi 1- They are doing a TabNap hip hop routine where Randi finds out she is pregnant. Evan is happy there is acting in the piece, while Randi is nervous about the little details of the dance.

Yay they are dancing to "Halo". Already I love the song choice. And Evan is going to propose to Randi- how cute! Hey Evan can do hip hop- who knew? The dance is a bit light for hip hop but still very entertaining. I loved Evan's proposal midway, and they stay in unison throughout. Not a wow moment but still a solid job. Randi to me was more believable but Evan held his own.

Nigel loves how TabNap let them be themselves while doing hip hop. He also says they are one of his favorite couples. Mary didn't think they could do hip hop but agrees they did a great job. She was waiting for Evan to make a mistake but he didn't. Randi stood out as usual. Tyce thinks Evan needs to find a bit more but Randi did a great job.

Brandon and Janette 1: They are doing an authentic Argentine Tango, a sexy dance according to Brandon. They have a hard time being intimate with each other since they are good friends. Janette and the choreographers all speak Spanish but Brandon doesn't so they had conversations in Spanish to confuse him. Hilarious.

The song is "Libertango" from the Forever Tango soundtrack (apparently that's an old Broadway show). I am not a big tango fan so I was kind of bored but the dancing was really impressive. They had great lines and emotion throughout and I loved the kicking parts in particular.

Nigel gives them a standing ovation, and the other three join in. Wow that's like when Simon stood up after Adam Lambert did "Mad World" this year. Janette gives the choreographers some love. Nigel thinks it was as close to perfect a ballroom routine as he's seen on the show. Mary says the temperature is rising and calls it outstanding. She says Brandon has not disappointed her yet and Janette is flawless. And they get tickets on the hot tamale train of course. Tyce loved the attention to detail and compares it to orange juice (in a good way). I didn't love it as much as they did but that's because I don't like tangos that much. However, I can and do appreciate how well it was danced.

After round one my favorites were Kupono and Kayla, and everyone else was solid except Phillip and Jeanine, who were hurt by odd choreography. They'll have to step it up in round 2 to stay out of the bottom three for a second week in a row.

Cat reminds us next week the partners are switched up, so these may be their final routines with each other. So for the packages before round 2 we hear what each dancer will miss about their partners.

Melissa and Ade 2- Melissa has so much fun with Ade and starts crying thinking about leaving him. Ade thinks Melissa is an amazing dancer so he'll miss having her as a partner. Their last dance is a waltz. Yay another type of dance I don't like :(. Melissa is concerned about the details of the dance, and Ade is focusing on having the right amount of passion. The choreographer thinks Ade's strength and Melissa's grace will be a good combination for the piece.

The song is "Natural Woman" by Mary J. Blige. First of all, I didn't realize someone besides Aretha sang this song. Second of all, this song for a waltz? Really? But it doesn't matter because the routine is great. It was beautifully danced, and this coming from a girl who doesn't like waltzes. Melissa had great grace as expected but Ade showed some as well. Plus he had some great spins towards the end. The strong lift in the middle was another highlight. I even liked it better than their disco earlier. Another solid job by them that should ensure their placement in the top 10.

Nigel thought it was beautiful and played to their strengths. Melissa had great lines and Ade showed his great strength in his upper body. He wishes Ade had more rise and fall in his feet but still thinks it was beautifully danced. Mary adds Ade makes lifts effortless with the lifts but he didn't have enough power in the rest of the dance. I agree but I thought he was supposed to be acting graceful- I guess not. But her eyes kept going to Melissa, who she calls mesmerizing despite her older age. Mary doesn't want their partnership to break up, but Nigel wishes he could break up with Mary for a week. She calls him an "English Muffin" in return! Ha! Tyce thinks Ade needed to work a bit harder to match the strong music since he made it look too effortless. Okay.... He still thought it was well danced though.

Kupono and Kayla 2- Kayla will miss Kupono's positive energy. Kupono will miss Kayla's comforting sweaty hands and feet. I love him! Their final dance is a Broadway number from Joey Dowling. It is a simple "love at first sight" dance. It's another dance with strong acting, which they did well in the first dance. Kayla thinks it will be entertaining once they get the characters down.

The song is "The Dance at the Gym" from West Side Story aka the really long dance number in the show. The dance is fun and done well but I thought the choreography was a bit cheesy. Plus something seemed missing that I can't really put my finger on. I loved the part on the stairs, but it was not nearly as good as their first piece.

Nigel says they just danced the movements but their was no true emotion in it. They danced it well but it needed more. I kind of agree. Mary thinks they did a good job but agrees they could have done more. The synchronization was good, and Kupono did well outside his style. Of course she compliments Kayla as well. Tyce agrees they needed to make the dance part of who they are but agreed it was danced well. This dance might hurt them especially since it was their second dance of the night so I think they'll end up in the bottom as a result. They were probably going to be there anyway but this dance sealed it. There's no way they'll send Kayla home but Kupono needs to step up his solos or he'll be going back to Hawaii.

Jason and Caitlin 2- Caitlin will miss Jason's calming hugs. Jason will miss Caitlin's quirky personality and jokes. They are doing a Mandy Moore lyrical jazz routine. The two are going to be in their own style of contemporary so they can show off their skills more. The dance apparently has a bit of everything, and both are confident in how it will turn out.

Oooh Jason comes out shirtless- that's a good start! The song is "Show Me Heaven" by Maria McKee. The dance starts out with a lot of walking and not a lot of dancing but once the dancing starts it is pretty good. I feel like something is missing though- I think it's that I didn't connect to the piece emotionally like I did with Kayla and Kupono's first piece.

Nigel says they worked hard and it was technically good but lacked in chemistry. Exactly! Mary didn't see magic in the piece despite some bright spots. She thinks the world will love Jason's face and he makes it effortless. She also compliments Caitlin's lines. But she adds at the end the piece was not memorable. I agree with that as well. Tyce says they were in sync and had good lines but thinks they played it safe too much. I think that routine plus a decent but also not memorable foxtrot should ensure them a place in the bottom three.

Phillip and Jeanine 2: Jeanine will miss Phillip's heart, and Phillip will miss Jeanine's uplifting positive spirit. They are doing a jive with Tim Meredith. Ooh a ballroom routine for the popper- wonder how he will handle it? Phillip is a sailor coming home being teased by his love interest Jeanine. Apparently the routine has lots of crotch grabs and chests in faces. Jeanine hopes their second chance at ballroom is better than their first (the tango a few weeks back when they should have been in the bottom but were not).

The song is "Stuff Like That There" by Bette Midler, aka the song that got Kelly Clarkson famous on Idol Season 1. Anyway the dance is okay but Phillip still seems to be struggling with the ballroom dances, as he appears heavy and awkward during the routine. He also seems to trip at one point though I can't tell if that was part of the choreography or not. It was better than his tango though. Jeanine seemed to do well though I mostly focused on Phillip because of his past struggles in this genre. Though to give Phillip credit he got into the character well.

Nigel says the choreography was great and that Phillip was the best he's been out of his own style. I guess that's true but it's not really saying much since he wasn't that good in any style in the past. Then he praises Jeanine as belonging in the top 10. She should be here next week, though Phillip is more of a question. Mary guarantees Jeanine will be there next week and Phillip surprised her by not crashing, which apparently he did in rehearsal. She also throws some praise Jeanine's way, saying she was on fire an on the hot tamale train. Tyce calls it fantastic, saying Phillip makes up for poor technique with good performance and that Jeanine is a star. Go figure the one week I don't like Phillip they are surprised. I guess their expectations were low which is why they were impressed just that he didn't fall. They still may be in trouble though because of their first dance and the popularity of Evan/Randi, Ade/Melissa, and Brandon/Janette.

Evan and Randi 2: Randi will miss Evan's goofy look of seduction. Evan will miss laughing with Randi in rehearsals. Their last dance is a samba with Pasha and Anya, and Evan is nervous about his hips. Randi is afraid to look stupid doing sexy moves.

The song is "Ritmo De Bom Bom" by Jubaba. Wow does Randi look hot in that costume! Overall I think they do a decent job. The hip action was excellent and Evan was better than I expected. I didn't really believe the sex appeal between the two but it was danced well. Very jungle-like at the end, which I'm guessing was the point.

Nigel says Evan is not a hot samba king but Randi is attractive. He says the routine was not as hot as he would have liked it, and I agree though I still enjoyed it moreso than the jive. Mary says there was a slow sizzle involved but it wasn't dynamic enough from Evan, who she thinks didn't push it hard enough. Tyce says Evan needed to study past dances to see how to do the dance but Randi carried the dance. Mary then puts Randi on the hot tamale train. I personally would have switched the critiques for the last two dances- I liked Evan more than they did and Phillip less than they did, but both could be in danger this week.

Brandon and Janette 2: After weaker performances from the other couples in round two they should be guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Brandon will miss how Janette brought him out of his shell. Janette doesn't think she would have gotten as far as she did without him. Their final dance is a Wade Robson dance routines. They are playing thieves, with Brandon the calculated one and Janette the crazy one. The dance is very cartoon-like, which could be good or bad. Brandon loves how Wade brings the story to life. Wade says they have to let go during the dance.

The song is "Ruby Blue" by Roisin Murphy, whoever that is. It is a cute, fun piece, complete with robber outfits and masks. It is a far cry from their romantic tango earlier, which shows how versatile the two are because this was danced solidly as well. The two are very in sync throughout and really throw themselves into their characters. I really liked the part where the went down the stairs in unison. The choreography wasn't as intense as last time but it was still a solid job that should keep them safe another week.

Nigel says they do everything brilliantly. He is impressed with how Brandon dealt with the negative comments from some judges and with how Janette kept up with him despite her comparative lack of training. He then adds he'd be shocked if they weren't the top vote getters tonight. Careful Nigel- don't let the fans get complacent. I do agree it will be down to them and Melissa/Ade for most votes tonight, but since Brandon is so popular they will likely win out. Mary calls it spontaneous combustion and says they painted clear pictures. She also praises their character work and synchronization. Brandon is her champion and Janette delivers every week. Tyce enjoyed it and compliments how they handle everything thrown at them. He even calls them technical excellence.

Kelly Rowland and some random DJ to perform on the results show tomorrow night.

So that's it for an interesting performance night. My favorite dance of Round 1 (and of the night) was Kayla and Kupono's contemporary piece. My favorite of Round 2 was Melissa and Ade's waltz followed by Brandon and Janette's jazz. Melissa/Ade and Brandon and Janette should be safe for sure but the rest could get interesting. If there's any justice Jason and Caitlin (not memorable) and Phillip and Jeanine (weird first dance and poor technically second dance) will be in the bottom. Kayla and Kupono's first routine was so great it might save them but their second routine was only okay, while Evan and Randi had one solid and one not-so-solid routine. I'm hoping they are in the bottom but it might be Kayla and Kupono instead.

So who do you think will be in the bottom tomorrow? And who should be? Did you love Kayla and Kupono's contemporary as much as I did? And did you think the judges were too nice to Phillip and too harsh on Evan? Post your comments below.