So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 16 Perform

Hey all it's time for another week of SYTYCD. After last week's stunning elimination of Max anything can happen so all the couples must bring their best. We'll also get our first taste of the new pairing Kayla and Kupono.

Kupono gets nice cheers in his opening solo. Caitlin looks like she is wearing a bird on her tiny shirt. Brandon does a cool flip in his solo. Ade's popularity seems to be growing. Evan looks so cute with his spins.

Tonight's guest judge is Toni Basil, aka the woman who sang "Hey Mickey" in the 80s. She seems to be dressed for a funeral though. Apparently she is receiving a "Living Legend of Hip Hop" award- really- she's a legend? I don't think she's been around long enough to be a legend but apparently she popularized street dance which I did not know. I'm guessing she'll be a big fan of Phillip and Kupono (and too bad Tony is gone because she would have liked him too). Mary says this group is better than ever and points out how some of the bottom groups from the first week did great in the second week- I'm guessing she means Jonathan and Karla and Vitolio and Asuka, though I still didn't like Jonathan and Karla's dance last week. Nigel says the judges shape the top 10 but it is hard to tell who will be there. I agree last year it was much more obvious who the top 10 would be. I think Evan, Phillip, and Brandon are locks, and their partners likely are as well. Kayla I think should make it too along with Melissa and Ade, though one bad dance and any of these people could go, as we found out last week.

Jonathan and Karla- They are doing hip hop with Dave Scott. I've never seen his choreography so I don't know what it is like. Tonight we find out what the contestants would do if they weren't dancing. Karla would be a journalist (like I hope to be too!!!). She minored in journalism at New York University, which is a really good school for you non-NYers. Jonathan wants to be an acrobat, which is a good job for him considering all the flipping he does. Right away in rehearsal they get black hats to do Scott's interpretation of a love story. Apparently it has a Bonnie and Clyde kind of feel to it. Karla is taking to the character of the dance well but Jonathan seems fake since he's trying too hard. Plus he's too cute to be a gangster! The song is "By My Side" by Jadakiss/Ne-Yo. The choreography is cool and they hit all the moves but they are not always together. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be or not but if they are Jonathan seemed a bit late at times. He also did not hit the moves as hard as Karla and, like Dave said in rehearsals, he's really not believable as a gangster. Karla though really did impress me with her movements and swagger. Nigel said the routine was too ironed out and not exciting- but that sounds like a criticism of the choreography, not the dancers. He also says they had no chemistry and points out the lack of unison, including on some head nods. I didn't acutally notice that part but I did notice other times they were not coordinated. Wow he calls it a "Sunday school picnic". Then he gets booed and yells back to the audience that he bets they will be in the bottom three. I agree with him (unless of course they get all the sympathy/judges' backlash votes now) but I never heard him say that out loud before. He's turning into Simon Cowell. Mary doesn't think they got in touch with their inner gangster. I thought Karla did, but not Jonathan. She says the best part was Jonathan's flips in the middle of the dance (which were really good- he should join the circus!). Toni agrees they didn't work well together and were not hard-hitting enough. So basically they agree with me, though I still thought they could have praised Karla a bit more. Anyway between their lack of popularity to begin with, their poor routine tonight, and them going first, I agree with Nigel about them being in the bottom three.

Asuka and Vitolio- I'm worried they are going so early in the show- it might make them easily forgettable. Asuka would be a jewelry maker if she didn't dance, and if she did make the ones she is sitting in front of then she has great taste. Vitolio would be a singer in a band, with an afro and purple leotard to boot. Let's just say he should stick to his day job. They are doing jazz with Mandy Moore. The routine is fast, and Asuka is out of her ballroom element. She gets frustrated in rehearsal and cries in Vitolio's arms. He comforts her like a good partner. Aww. They are so cute together. They dance to "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar- isn't that a rock song more than a jazz song? Anyway Asuka looks like a rockstar with her black outfit and makeup. The dance is very hard-hitting and they both are trying really hard to get at that, but I think Asuka falls a bit short. Like Jonathan in the previous routine she is outshone by her partner. Also I don't think they were that in sync either but it was hard to tell with the speed of the dance. I did like it better than the first dance though, and the lifts were great. Nigel saw the contrast between how sweet Vitolio was in the clip and how strong he was in the dance. He loved the routine. Wow I'm surprised I didn't think it was that good. He says the routine was simple but they did it well. Mary thinks it was really good but not as good as last week. I agree. She points out the lack of synchronization like I did. She also likes how they have improved their chemistry and partnership. Toni thinks they have potential to be great but warns them to focus more on emotion over technique. Odd since I think they need to work on technique more than emotion. Anyway I agree with Mary in that they were good, not great. Certainly better than the first group but they still may be in trouble with their lack of popularity and their early spot in the pecking order.

Melissa and Ade- Melissa would continue to be a pilates teacher and get her own studio. Ade would be a sound engineer on TV shows, but when he tries holding the giant microphone for Melissa he hits her in the head! Again, stick to your day job. They are doing a rumba with Tony Meredith. It's a love dance that requires sensuality and emotion along with technique. They really struggled at first, and Melissa claims they are overwhelmed. The song is "Emotion" by Destiny's Child. Yay I like this song. Rumba is one of my least favorite ballroom dances because it always seems boring to me. This one isn't that exciting but they do dance it very well technically. They are probably the best so far, but that's not saying much. Ooh they messed up a bit in the middle when Ade started turning Melissa the wrong way. Also the chemistry was not always believable though it picked up towards the end in that regard. Nigel says Melissa was sexy in her skimpy shiny dress (which she was) and then jokes "what a different Ade makes". Yay puns! He thinks Ade was there for Melissa in the dance and they danced it well. Mary is buying the emotion they sold and she totally believed it. I didn't always believe it but at times it was really good. She adds how Ade was not too stiff and had great technique, which he did. I'm surprised they haven't mentioned the mistake yet, but maybe it just looked like one but was actually part of the routine. Toni says it was beautifully done and then takes time to compliment Tony's choreography. I still was not a huge fan of this dance but like I said I think it's just because I don't like that style. I do agree it was well-danced though, which should keep them safe for another week.

Janette and Brandon- Brandon would be a lighting designer of sets. Janette would be a loan processor. Apparently she is a finance major and enjoys working with numbers. Okay that part I get, seeing as I'm a math major (yes, I study math and journalism- odd combo I know) but even for me a job as a loan processor does not sound exciting. Brandon agrees with me. This week they are doing hip hop with Dave Scott again. Hopefully they'll do better with his routine then Jonathan and Karla. Janette is a rock star and Brandon is a hip hop dancer who wants to be a rock star, so the routine is a mix of rock and hip hop styles. Brandon and Dave got into dancing matches during rehearsal. Apparently he has skills as a popper too. Who knew? The song is "What a World" by Common. Wow Janette does look like a rock star with her black leather leotard and tall black boots. Janette starts out doing rocker poses in a chair while Brandon shows off some fast hip hop steps. Wow is there anything he can't do? Then they get up and do some unison moves that seem more like rock than hip hop but either way they are both nailing it. I think I liked their dance last week better but this was still great and the best dance so far. Brandon even does some break dancing on the floor. Nigel thinks it was like 50 Cent and Cher- is that good or bad? He adds Brandon impressed him with the hip hop, which he really did, and that Janette was a great rocker despite being a salsa dancer, which she was. Mary thinks they really hit it and again compliments how well they did out of their elements. Toni thought the juxtaposition of hip hop and rock was a great strategy and thinks they really nailed it. These two have become my favorite couple and while I didn't love the choreography the dancing itself was amazing and should definitely help them stick around for a while.

Kupono and Kayla- I love Kupono but he hasn't impressed me thus far with his dancing in the live shows. Hopefully that will change this week with a new partner. Kayla loves modeling, and has done some for dancewear. She wants to get into more high fashion modeling as well. Hey she should go on America's Next Top Model too! She especially loves getting made up. Kupono loves costume designing. He basically mismatches different things together, but at least he is staying true to his unique (though odd) style. They hated being in the bottom three last week, and Kayla was shocked to be there (as was I). They are doing a Viennese Waltz, a very technical dance, so Kupono might be in trouble. They also might have trouble doing such a romantic dance after only being partners for a week. They struggled in rehearsals, as Kupono doesn't have the upper body strength for the lifts. More bad news for him. They just want to pull the audience in emotionally. The song is "Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel. Wow Kupono is actually really graceful- he looks so pretty doing the arm swoops (sorry for the lack of technical terms). I actually spend most of the time watching him but Kayla looked pretty good as well. Plus the routine seemed to go by really quickly for me which means I enjoyed watching it. They seemed to do all the lifts pretty well though I think I saw a slight stumble in one of them. But otherwise the only other flaw was a lack of chemistry but I think that will grow over time. Nigel points out how a waltz is a hard routine to wow people with but says this was a beautiful routine, which it was. And I totally agree that a waltz is not a dance that gets people on their feet. But even so I still enjoyed it. He also liked the flow of the dance but adds that it won't get people to stand up and cheer for it. In response some audience members do just that- awesome! Mary says it was elegant and flowing and believable. I don't totally agree on the believability but I agree on the elegance and flow. She also points out how great it was that two contemporary dancers pulled this off. She does recommend Kupono work on heel leads but still seemed to like his effort.There is also some Kayla praise, though not as much as last week. She even puts them on the hot tamale train, which gets Kupono and Kayla excited. They do deserve it though with the elegance of that dance. Toni really liked the routine but points out to choreographer Jean Marc that it is pushing the envelope to have dancers to a waltz with no shoes (which Kupono did). This reminds me of that shoe controversy with Lance Bass on Dancing with the Stars, when his partner Lacey Schwimmer (a former SYTYCDer) choreographed a routine with neither of them wearing shoes and they got points taken off for it by one of the judges. But Toni still loved it, especially how Kayla was in the moment on stage and how well they did as new partners. This was my second favorite of the night so far and hopefully they should be safe for another week.

Randi and Evan- Like Kupono, Evan was an early favorite of mine but he has not impressed me the past few weeks. Kupono did so tonight, and hopefully Randi will do the same. Randi wants to be an elementary school teacher, specifically special education. Evan wants to own a custom car shop on the heels of us finding out last week he is a gear head. They are doing a Mia Michaels routine. Randi's behind is the center of the dance, which is kind of odd, though I'd expect nothing less from Mia. It is supposed to be a cat-and-mouse love story with a Mia Michaels spin. I am very hit or miss on Mia routines so let's see how this goes. Mia fears it seems cliche in rehearsals. The song is "Koop Island Blues" by Koop featuring Ane Brun. The song title sounds like it should be in a Mario video game. The routine was just... odd. They both danced it very well, and Evan looked better than he has in weeks but I just didn't get the story at all. It just all seemed weird for me, though I blame Mia for that, not the dancers, who were both very good with what they were given. Nigel says the routine was simple but beautifully danced. I agree on both counts. He adds there wasn't a great idea behind it but you could interpret it many different ways. It also was memorable, which is definitely was. Mary says they were terrific, which they were. She loved how they kept the character going throughout the dance. And Evan gets props for finally being a leading man. Toni says she would love to work with Mia if she was a dancer on the show and states they lived up to the great choreography. I hated the choreography but really liked the actual dancing. I don't know if everyone will like that routine but Evan's popularity should ensure they stick around.

Jason and Caitlin- Let's see if they can bounce back from their bad routine last week. Caitlin wants to be a broadcast journalist. She does a little teaser as a news anchor and is actually pretty good. Jason would be playing soccer, which is apparently is his second love (after dance of course!). They are doing a paso doble with Jean Marc and France. It's a very exciting routine, unless the waltz we saw earlier in the night. The two have to pretend to hate each other in the dance. Jean Marc ripped off Jason's sneakers and Caitlin's skirt before they started dancing. Why would you come to dance rehearsal in sneakers anyway? The song is called "O'Fortuna" by some orchestra with a long name. Ooh Jason has his shirt off. And Caitlin balances on one leg and one knee while in Jason's lap. This routine is really intense, in a good way. I can't keep my eyes off Jason with that evil look in his eyes. He looks so fierce in that outfit. Caitlin seemed to be overshadowed by him a bit but I think she did a good enough job. This was another of my favorites of the nice, mainly because of the great passion in the dance. Nigel thought Jason performed too much to the audience a bit, which I guess I get since he looked at the camera a lot. But he thought many other things were exceptionally good, namely Caitlin's lines and flow. Mary thinks it was a strong performance but warns Jason lost his posture and character a bit at times. Toni enjoyed the performance of the characters even though they at times struggled with their technique. I didn't notice the poor technique as much but that could hurt them despite the strong performance.

Phillip and Jeanine- Phillip wants to be an inventor. So both of his careers are not very lucrative haha. Jeanine wants to be an actress. Apparently she did some commercials and independent films as well. They were both shocked to not be in the bottom three, but I wasn't because of Phillip's popularity. They are doing a Broadway routine (yay!) with Tyce. Hopefully it is better than Tyce's routine for Asuka and Vitolio early in the season. Phillip has to jump over a couch in the routine but is too scared to do it. Wow he really looks like he is flying when he does it in rehearsal. The song is "Moses" from "Singin in the Rain". Boo I don't like old Broadway- I like more current stuff. Love them reading a SYTYCD book while on the couch together. It's a cute, fun number. Kind of reminds me of "I Love Lucy" a bit. They even get to throw pillow feathers all over the stage. And yes, Phillip does safely jump the couch. Not my absolute favorite of the night but certainly good enough to get them through to next week. Haha Phillip ripped his pants in the routine (but we can't see anything too risque). We do see a bit of his butt hanging out. They should have done that for Randi in her routine with Evan. Nigel says they needed to bring lots of personality, and while he thinks Jeanine did Phillip did not as much. I did find myself drawn to Jeanine most of the dance, and that's probably why. Mary is allergic to down feathers but not to that routine. She too notes Phillip's lack of technique and how great Jeanine was. Toni thought it was adorable but didn't live up to the Gene Kelly standard. She says they can't let the feathers upstage them, whatever that means. And they were better this week than they were last week of course. If they could stay out of the bottom three after their poor performance last week they should sail through to the top 10.

My favorites were Brandon/Janette, Kupono/Kayla, and Jason/Caitlin. I liked all the other dances though the first two were my least favorite.

So that's it for tonight's show. The bottom three are getting tougher and tougher to predict. I think Jonathan and Karla and Asuka and Vitolio will be there almost certainly, and deservedly so. I don't know who else I would put in the bottom. Brandon/Janette, Evan/Randi, Melissa/Ade and Phillip/Jeanine are really popular so I think it will come down to Kupono/Kayla and Jason/Caitlin for the final spot in the bottom three. I thought both were great but the former wasn't the most exciting dance and the latter lacked in technique according to the judges.

So who do you think is going home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 20 Perform

Hey all so now the top 20 have been finalized and America will get their first chance to vote for their favorites. Going in there are plenty of people we haven't seen yet, and I think all of them are in trouble tonight. Also apparently Tony is pretty unpopular for his lack of technique, though I thought his Nigel photo dance was very creative. He is the one guy who has gotten screentime who may be in trouble.

Cat says it was a "Vegas Week like no other"- why is that? Because so many got cut? But lots of people get cut every year...

Now we get our first glimpse at the top 20 in alphabetical order. Ashley seems kind of blah right away, but I love Ade's spin. Brandon already has a very loud cheering section- and he does a split!. Caitlin is wearing very little clothing. Evan also gets loud applause, though not as much as Brandon, and I didn't like his solo as much. Jason gets loud cheers as well for someone with little airtime. He too has great spin moves. Jonathan gets few cheers but does a cool flip to get extra attention. Kupono and Kayla got fewer cheers than I thought they would, as does Max. Melissa does her whole "naughty ballerina" biting her nail thing. Hmm Brandon even got more cheers than Phillip- I guess Brandon is the early favorite to win. Tony does a weird shaking thing for his solo, and also gets a lot of cheers.

That whole thing where the audience yells out "judges" before they are introduced gets a bit annoying after a while.

Tonight's guest judges is Adam Shankman- yey I like him!

Nigel tells the contestants to feed off the great audience, and admits the judges are nervous too. Somehow I think the contestants are a tad more nervous. Mary tells Cat it is so hard to cut two people each week. Adam states he is a part of the dance community, and is also working on three films, including Step Up 3D, with Twitch, Katee, and Joshua. Wow I might watch that movie even though I didn't see the first two just to see the top 3 from last year!

Same format as last season- 1o couples each randomly pick a style. Bottom three couples dance solos tomorrow, and judges pick one guy and girl to cut. They don't have to be from the same pairing. Format remains like this until the top 10, with all couples staying the same until then unless eliminations break them up. In that case the dancers whose partners were cut will form a new team. Got it? Hopefully I did since I had to look up blogs from last season just to remember how this season works (last year was my first time watching the show).

First we get a montage of auditions and Vegas week, set to "You Found Me". We even see Mary crying at Brandon's audition and saying he had to make the top 20 or she would die. Good thing he made it then! They're not showing Kupono's to-do list from last week- that was the best part! We do have to see Evan's brother get cut again though :(.

First two pairings are Phillip and Jeanine and Asuka and Vitolio. That was good of the show to pair early favorites with those who got little screentime. If they put all those with no air time together then those groups won't last too long. Janine will last a while now that she's with Phillip.

Jeanine and Phillip- We see a short clip of Jeanine's first audition. It was okay but didn't blow me away. Apparently she used to be really bad at dancing but stuck with it because she loves it. Phillip is a self-taught popper. The two are doing hip hop with Tabatha and Napoleon- hip hop is good for Phillip, not sure about Jeanine. The routine is about a couple that can't fall asleep until they work out their issues. Jeanine is really bad at hip hop, according to her. Phillip is outshining her in rehearsals based on my observations. She does better in the live routine though, set to "Mad" by Ne-Yo. I still find myself drawn to Phillip, but Jeanine is certainly holding her own. She seems a bit dainty at times with the movements, but overall she is pretty good. Adam calls it "un-freakin-real" and agrees that Jeanine held her own despite having no hip hop training. He says no one will ever dance like Phillip. Mary acts like she will disagree with Adam, but of course she doesn't. She says Jeanine held her own and Phillip taught them a chemistry lesson. Nigel concurs Jeanine kept up with Phillip and has made a good first impression on the audience. I still think Phillip outshined her a bit but they were so good together they should be safe for sure.

Asuka and Vitolio- Asuka took dance classes in ballet and jazz at first and then moved on to ballroom/Latin in college. Vitolio's mother died, so he grew up in an orphanage, as we heard about last week. They are doing Broadway with Tyce, a tough first dance for ballroom and contemporary experts. The routine involves Vitolio directing silent movie actress Asuka. They look really good in rehearsals, though both must learn how to lock for the first time. It will be hard to top that last number though. They dance to "Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago. They do an okay job but I didn't get the wow factor that I got with the first number. Also the choreography (which I know was not their fault) didn't really match the music for me. All I could think of was Velma and Roxie dancing their hearts out in Chicago, this whole silent movie thing just didn't work for me. But the dancing itself was decent. Adam says it must be hard to follow the previous number, and that the character nature of the dance felt artificial after the prior emotional number. That's totally true. But he says they danced well. Also true. Mary feels a bit disappointed and thought it was too safe. In other words, it had no wow factor, like I said. Nigel says the lines were great but it lacked personality. I can see that as well. I fear these two may be in trouble this week even though Asuka was one of my early favorites.

Karla and Jonathan- Uh oh, two new faces paired together. That puts these two behind already, though Jonathan will get the "cute guy" vote. Karla was in two Broadway shows, including the tour of Wicked, but she wanted to challenge her self with new styles. Jonathan is a salsa dancer who started dancing when he saw the first season of the show. Well they have good backstories, I'll give them that. Their first dance is a cha cha, with Tony Meredith. Jonathan must flirt with Karla in the dance, though he is so young-looking that it may be hard for him. He wants to do so well that Mary will scream. Aw he's so cute! They're doing a cha cha to "Poker Face"- really? I mean it's a good song and all, but for a cha cha? They are better than the last number but still missing a little something for me. Karla was impressive with her hip shaking but I felt something lacking from Jonathan- maybe it was that sex appeal. The judges must disagree though, as they are all clapping. Adam points out a few flaws, particularly with Jonathan, but overall was happy for them and said Jonathan was dancing more like a man. Mary gives Jonathan his desired scream, and calls it "a whole lotta rough and a whole lot of fun". Nigel says no one knows who they are, until tonight. That routine should keep them safe for another week at least, though I still didn't like it as much as the judges did.

Randi and Evan- another favorite versus newbie pairing. Randi made it to the top 20 in her third year auditioning, and is a typical country girl. Evan of course auditioned with his brother and hopes to do him proud. He too is overwhelmed being in LA. They are doing jazz with Tyce, a style that is good for Evan's Broadway specialty. It's a love story routine, yet Randi is married, which is a bit awkward. Evan apologizes to the husband in advance- awesome! They dance to "I Only Have Eyes for You" by Jamie Cullen, who I don't know. The dancing, however, is really good. My second favorite routine of the night after the opener. I'm not sure if I totally believe the chemistry throughout the whole dance, but the dancing itself was amazing. Randi's husband is not in the house, so Evan won't get beat up after the show. And hey Ryan is in the house! Along with their geekier-looking other brother. He even has a shirt that says "The Other Brother". Their family is awesome! Adam points out how short they are, but their lines were so long it seemed like they were eight feet tall. He thinks Evan can conquer every style. He even adds it was the best routine Tyce has ever done. I actually didn't love the choreography but that's just a taste thing. Mary says the two of them were at the bottom of her pack before this routine but now they have risen up. She thinks they will be around a while. Nigel calls it fantastic, and he thinks people will talk about the pairing for a while. They would have been safe even with a so-so routine because of Evan's popularity but now they will be near the top of the pack votes-wise.

Paris and Tony- Both got a bit of screentime before this, though Tony got more. Paris has danced her whole life but was recently in a car crash, so one of her legs is numb from the knee down. Tony started out doing sports and dance, even getting a scholarship to play lacrosse but he turned it down to dance. They are doing hip hop with Tabitha and Napoleon also. That should be good for Tony- if he's bad in his own style he is screwed. But Tony is struggling with the fast choreography, more so than Paris. They dance to a Black Eyed Peas Song I don't know called "Let the Beat Rock". This definitely is heavier hip hop than the earlier hip hop number, but this one is just as entertaining. I think Tony loses it a bit at the end but they both still did a great job. Neither one of them stole the spotlight- I was glued to both of them the whole time. Adam thought it was really good, but he hated the costumes. He also tells them to attack the beat more. He doesn't want Tony to get by as the cute guy on the show, but I thought that was Jonathan's role. Mary doesn't think it will be memorable, but I disagree. She says Paris was just good, and Tony didn't hit it hard enough. Nigel also liked Paris but thought their "stank" stank and didn't feel believable. I actually loved their routine, though I do understand how they don't think it was hit hard enough. Between Tony's unpopularity and the fact the routine is in his own style I think they will be in the bottom, and his poor technique might not help him in his solo.

Caitlin and Jason- They should be early favorites considering Jason's sudden popularity and Caitlin's considerable face time. Caitlin had to survive losing her sister earlier in Vegas week and dancing for her life. She used to be a gymnast before moving to dance. Jason was another athlete who moved to dance later in life. They are doing Bollywood- cool! It's a tough routine, and Caitlin is struggling with the finger movements. The choreographer (don't know his name) thinks he might be giving them too much for week one, but thinks they will pull it out. OMG they are dancing to "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire- I love this song! They are doing the movements well and are really in sync even in such a fast dance. My only complaint is I don't get any personality from them. Jason stood out more towards the end but Caitlin was by no means bad. Ooh they kiss at the end- and he has lipstick all over his face! Adam says they were awesome and thinks Jason made it look effortless. He also thinks Caitlin did well, better than he thought. Mary is glad Bollywood came to Hollywood, and was impressed by Caitlin's handstand early on. She says Jason has charisma, and I agree- he's becoming one of my favorites. Nigel says it was fantastic, and says "Jai Ho" to them back! I think they will be around for a while because of their inherent fan bases but they certainly should be safe after that.

Janette and Brandon- Yeah two of my favorites are paired up! Janette is Cuban and learned salsa at home. Brandon of course auditioned when he was 14 and again last year, and he made Mary cry at his audition. They are doing a foxtrot with Louis Van Amstel from Dancing with the Stars. Well DWTS can take SYTYCD finalists as pros, so why can't SYTYCD take DWTS pros as choreographers! Luckily for Brandon he's not working with Mia or Lil C, his two detractors, this week. At first it was easy for them, but as they got more into the routine they found trouble. They dance to "Come Fly with Me" by Michael Buble and they look dashing in their costumes. Foxtrot is not one of my favorite styles of dance but the pair do it really well. I can't take my eyes off Brandon, but Janette seems to be holding her own. And what a great lift at the end! Adam says America must be sad to see Brandon dance in clothes, but it works. He says it was lovely even thought it came after such a high energy number. He also praises Brandon's character in his performance, which totally did come out in this number. Cat asks Mary to give her an eyebrow, and Mary says she can't because of her Botox- that gets a big laugh from the crowd but to me that was really random. Anyway she says Janette was elegant Ginger Rogers and proved she can do slower numbers. She adds Brandon is a powerhouse with those lifts, and says those who can't see his talent are crazy. Nigel thought Janette's grace was beautiful, and compliments Brandon's frame, thought criticizes his small feet- just a minor critique to get Brandon to improve. They too are likely safe for a while with Brandon's popularity, but after that number they should get plenty of votes.

Ashley and Kapono- Ashley made it to the top 20 after her fourth time auditioning. Kupono is the Hawaiian dancer who did crappy jobs for his father to pay the bills. They are doing jazz with Wade Robson. The number is about crash test dummies blown up and put back together- a crash test dummy love story! That's kind of weird... So they are doing the robot a lot? The music is a song called "Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp, and wow they really do look like crash test dummies in those outfits. That was really weird but I liked it. They even added a crashing sound effect for the ending. The crowd doesn't sound too impressed though. Adam says this routine was really diverse, but it was hard to watch the dancing because of the weird concept. He adds their technique was great, but Wade is one sick puppy! Mary bought the concept 100%, and gives props to a motor dog I didn't even notice. She says it was entertaining, which it certainly was. Nigel says Wade is a genius, and he knows the routine will be memorable. He adds the dancers adhered to the characters given to them, and the dancing was secondary to the story. That is totally true, but the dancing was still good enough that they should last another week.

Melissa and Ade- Ade really impressed me with his brief solo in the beginning so hopefully he will do well with Melissa. Melissa is strictly a naughty ballerina, but is also very muscular. She is also the oldest dancer at 29. Ade is a contemporary dance from Chapman University. He hopes to be a sound engineer if he doesn't become a dancer. They are doing contemporary with Mandy Moore, which is right up Ade's alley. Melissa promises they will keep it clean for the show. Ade's pick in his hair gives him powers, as he only does well when it is on (according to Mandy). They dance to a version of "Right Here Waiting", another one of my favorite songs. Ade's shirt is open!!! Anyway he starts out a bit heavy in his movements but they pick it up at the end, and it turns out really beautiful. And their lifts were really great as well. Adam starts crying and says the routine was "special". He says Melissa is just getting better with age, and Ade has great power yet is quiet. Mary screams for the thousandth time tonight and loves the power of the movements. She thinks Ade is a gentle giant and Melissa was great as well. Nigel says how great a top 20 this is. That's true- only one really subpar dance tonight. He compliments Ade's power lifts and how America has more to look forward to with the two of them.

Kayla and Max- Kayla was raised partly by her grandparents, who screamed when she got through to Vegas. Max is a ballroom dancer originally from Russia. His younger brother died in a car crash five years ago- sympathy votes! They are doing a samba with Louis, and apparently Louis knows Max from way back when. He should do fine, but it will come down to how well Kayla does. She has never done ballroom before, but she is getting double the training from Louis and Max. They dance to a song called "Jum Bah Day" that I don't know. The dance is fast and sexy, the way a samba should be. I think Max is doing better but Kayla is holding her own with the ballroom dancer. Adam is in tears again as to how good it was. He says Max is lucky for getting ballroom first and for getting Kayla. He admits he could not take his eyes off Kayla. Mary says they are on her hot tamale train and stands up and screams some more. Nigel even has earphones so he can withstand her this year! She is losing her voice from yelling so much. Nigel adds it was sensational and mentions how Kayla has been at the top of the judges' list in every round. He makes sure to mention how great Max was as well, though he mentions he was not as sharp as he has been in the past.

My favorites of the night were Jeanine and Phillip, followed by Evan and Randi. Honestly I liked all the numbers except Asuka and Vitolio's, who should be in the bottom for sure. Tony and Paris will also likely be in the bottom even though I liked their routine. It's hard to tell who the third couple will be, but I will get Kupono and Ashley just because their dance was of the "love it or hate it" variety. If I had my way Karla and Jonathan would be in the bottom instead of those two but I don't think that will happen.

Check back in tomorrow for my results show blog! And feel free to post your comments below!

SYTYCD Recap: The Top 20 Revealed

Hey everyone it's the moment we've all been waiting for- the announcement of this year's top 20 on So You Think You Can Dance. I'm hoping for Brandon, brothers Evan and Ryan, and ballroom dancers Asuka and Ricky (and yes I know I spelled Asuka's name wrong in my blog last night) to make the group. But we start off with salsa dancer Janette, who looked impressive in her brief solo for the judges.

I just realized how much she looks like Cheryl Burke. She also just got into a car crash and broke up with her boyfriend a few weeks before Vegas. Hopefully her luck will change this time around. Nigel loved her first audition and thinks she works very hard. This sounds like it will be good news. And it is! Janette is the first person to make the top 20 this season. We didn't see much of her doing the other styles but she has the energy and skill to go pretty far.

Next up is Diana , complete with a stuffed monkey to give her luck. I don't remember her from the first auditions but she seems pretty good in the clips we see. She can't believe she has gone this far. Debbie starts out sounding like she will give good news, saying how much potential Diana has, before pulling the rug out from under her and saying Diana is being cut. Well I figured as much since we didn't see much of her throughout Vegas week. Lil C urges her to keep going, and Nigel says she has improved since she came to Vegas, and tells her to come back next season. Diana though is devastated by the news.

Next up is the lively Vitolio from Miami. He grew up in Haiti and was raised by his grandmother. But she did not have a job so he was put in an orphanage and eventually had to dance for money. I don't remember him from the early rounds either but he has a great body. That sob story will be sure to get him votes if he gets through. Lil C says some dancers take a while to show up in Vegas, and Vitolio didn't come out until their group number. Then he tells him he is in the Top 20, and gets a warning from Nigel to bring out his personality in his dancing. He will especially have to do that with such little screen time in the early rounds.

The next half hour was a bunch of cuts. An Asian guy I don't recognize is cut for not exceeding expectations. Another guy I don't know is cut for lack of experience/training (apparently his name is Henry). A cute contemporary female dancer is also cut, and she promises to come back again.

Next is Kayla Radomski, the girl who got loud cheers from her grandparents when she got through in her first audition. I wasn't a big fan of hers in her audition but since they showed her early on she probably is getting through. Kayla is really nervous facing the judges. Mia goes on about how much she loves male dancers, but then says how Kayla has moved all of them from the beginning. Yep she's going to get in the top 20. Mia makes it official, and Kayla is somewhat calm about it.

After the break we see that one of my early favorites, Hawaiian Kuponohi'ipoi Aweau (and yes, I had to go to my last blog to see how to spell his name), has made it this far and is facing the judges. He even cut his hair to have a more "dancer" image. Before going up against the judges he shows us his list of things to accomplish today, the last of which says "Make the top 20". I really hope he makes it- I loved his solo in Seattle. I love that "breathe" and "smile" are also on his list. Adam says his hair was distracting in Seattle, and Mary adds that his dancing was too feminine in Seattle. Adam said he was much better in Vegas and then says producers will have to learn how to put his name on the screen because he is in the top 20!!!! Yeyyyyyyy!!!! Aw he even shows the judges his to-do list from earlier. He is so cute, especially with that new haircut- I hope he does well in the live shows.

Montage of dancers getting through- Paris Torres (remember the name, not the dancing), Jeannie? Mason (don't remember her at all), a black guy I don't recognize, Carla Garcia (again, don't remember her at all), and a baby-faced guy named Jonathan I also don't recognize. Hey maybe one of them will turn into the next Kris Allen and win the show despite no screen time before the live episodes.

Next up is Brandon. I really hope he makes it after trying for so many years, and after Mary basically guaranteed he would be there (then again, Nigel said the same about Natalie, and look how that turned out). A reminder of how Lil C and Mia are still not impressed with him for some reason. Mia says he annoys her and that he seems to "fake smile" when he dances. She still does not see the talent the others do, but then Debbie stands up for him, saying that she doesn't care about his personality when he dances. Lil C also says he has not been impressed, but then Mary interrupts him and says he is not cocky at all. Only four judges voted him into the top 20 (gee wonder which two said no...), but that is enough to get him through. He is popular with the public so I think he will go far on this show. He promises he will show Lil C and Mia his true skills when he works with them later. The other contestants seem truly happy for him as well.

Tony Bellisimo is next to hear his fate. He's the guy who put Nigel's photo in his briefcase for his funny solo, and impressed the judges in the later rounds too. Turns out his brother is in Afghanistan right now... yey more sympathy votes! I hope this guy gets through as well. Nigel says his technique isn't as good as it should be, but he is a charismatic guy. But... he's going to the top 20 anyway! Wow Nigel had me for a second, and Tony looks shocked as well. Good for him though- the guys' competition is going to be really tough this year. That's ten people through so far- halfway there! Nigel warns him that essentially he is the worst dancer they are letting through technical-wise.

More yeses- ballroom dancer Maksim (yey! I liked him in the audition rounds too!), Kaitlin Kinney (not one of my faves, but I figured she'd get in), a girl named Melissa I don't recognize, and Jason Glover, whose audition was not on TV but who got some screentime in Vegas week, where he did well in every round.

Next is Ashley, who has auditioned four times for this show. though I don't remember her at all. Mary says they have seen improvement in her and fakes her out a bit before saying she made the top 20. Good for her for sticking with her dreams for so long.

Another girl we haven't seen before- Randi Evans, who literally ran away with Nigel when she got through in Denver. Mia says she is a bit uncertain and not strong, but notes her commitment to her unitards- a way to break the tension in the room. Then Mia says America will love her since Randi has made the top 20. What's with all the people we haven't seen making the top 20? There's only a few spots left and still no Evan and Ryan, or Phillip Chbeeb, or Asuka and Ricky (unless they were the ones cut before that I didn't recognize).

Wow only three spots are left- that means at least a few of my favorites are getting cut.

Next to hear his fate is Alex Wong. I heard a rumor he might have to drop out of the show because the ballet company he works for won't let him compete. He was impressive in Vegas, though I'd rather he get cut and Evan and Ryan both get in. I think he's going to make it though- the judges love him too much. Nigel says he is one of their favorites, but he is under contract with the Miami Ballet, and so they can't let him go through. Well that stinks for him but maybe now both Evan and Ryan will get through- though I'm thinking Phillip Chbeeb will along with only one of the brothers (likely Evan). Alex says he likes ballet but he wanted to do other forms of dance. Nigel does say he can come back to the show when his contract expires. All the judges tell him to keep looking up, and Nigel reminds him he is working for a great ballet dancer at the Miami Ballet.

Four more dancers are cut- including Ricky Sun. Too bad I liked him but with so many good males left I figured he wasn't going to make it.

I think the last three to get in with be Phillip, Evan, and Asuka.

Five people left for three spots- Phillip, Evan, Ryan, Asuka, and a blonde girl. Phillip is called up next, which means he likely is getting in, leaving the two brothers to fight for the last male spot.

Phillip apparently taught himself to dance in his bedroom. He comes in limping a bit, and the judges ask if he is hurt. He says only emotionally. Then he adds how much he learned during Vegas week. Adam says he has improved during the week, and that he loves dance as a whole. Sure enough, he is in, which sadly means Evan or Ryan is out. He even walks out popping his arms for the judges.

So it all comes down to two girls and two guys for two spots- one male and one female. As Ryan says, it's either bowtie or straight tie for the male spot. For the girls it is contemporary dancer Deanna (who I don't remember), and one of my only female favorites, Asuka. I hope the fact that we haven't seen Deanna means Asuka will get in.

The girls are up first- might as well save the dramatic brother elimination for last. According to Debbie, one was exciting to watch, while the other didn't take enough risks. Then she says Deanna is out, which means Asuka is in! Wow that means my only real favorites who are getting cut tonight are Ricky and one of the brothers. I know Asuka is popular as well, and as one of the only females who got through who has gotten much screen time, I think she will do well.

Now it's down to the brothers, who are already in tears, promising to support each other no matter what. Maybe they'll pull an Idol and have a Top 21- here's hoping! Though I don't know how that will work for the partners.

Ryan realized during this week that his own fear was all that was keeping him from auditioning in the past. He has always been told he was too fat, short, and bald to be a good dancer, but now he realizes that is not the case. Nigel says they both are so similar that there was only room for one this season. I disagree- one is more Broadway/jazz and one is more tap, so that's different enough for me. Nigel says Ryan should be proud- wow did they really pick him over Evan??? Nope- he continues that Ryan's choreography got Evan through to the top 20. I do think Evan is the better dancer, even though I like Ryan's style better. Nigel tells Ryan he should not worry about his unconventional looks, and even says he should wear a hat less often and show off his baldness. Nigel seems to tell Ryan to come back next year, and I hope he will.

So the top 20 consists of Ade (the African guy I didn't know before), Ashley (girl who auditioned four times), Asuka (last girl in and one of my favorites), Brandon (Mia and Lil C's disappointment, another of my favorites), Caitlin (blonde whose sister Megan was cut last night), Evan (last guy in, one of my favorite guys), Janette (sexy salsa dancer who may become my favorite if she continues to impress me), Jason (lots of screentime during Vegas week), Jeanine (this show's Kris Allen?), Jonathan (David Archuleta look-alike), Karla (no clue who she is), Kayla (cute grandparents), Kupono (Hawaiian guy who made to-do-list- loved his first audition, early favorite of mine), Max (aka Maksim- another of my favorite guys), Melissa (a ballet dancer I'm assuming, based on her tutu), Paris (impressed the judges in first audition, me, not so much), Phillip (popper who I'm sure is one of the early favorites to win, though popping is not my thing), Randi (will get cute blonde vote), Tony (humorous choreography, now needs to add more technique), and Vitolio (homeless Haitian guy).

I think this is a guys' season for sure, with Phillip, Evan, and Brandon being early favorites, and I think locks to make the top 10. The girls' are more wide open, though I'm sure Kaitlin and Asuka will get lots of votes.

Thoughts on tonight's show? Do you agree with the top 20? Who do you think got snubbed? Post your comments below.