So You Think You Can Dance Recap: Top 18 Results

Hey all glad to see I actually have some followers on this blog. I really appreciate the fact that you like my blog enough to keep coming back. Anyway on to this week's results show. I'm glad to see from reading other blogs that I was not the only one who did not like Jonathan and Karla's routine, though I do seem to be the only one who did not like Melissa and Ade's. Still both of the duos doing Shane's routines, Ashley/Kupono and Jason/Caitlin, should be in the bottom. After that it's hard to tell.

Cat looks much better tonight in a stylish white button down blouse and pants.

There are rumors the highly anticipated Katie Holmes dance routine will be aired tonight. It was supposed to be for the 100th episode later this year but since the cat is out of the bag (yay Internet!) some think the producers might just show it tonight instead. I've never seen Katie sing or dance but I want to see what she can do.

The group routine is choreographed by Mia, as Nigel spoiled last night. The song is "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder and features all the dancers in black leather and face makeup that makes them look like animals. Lots of leaping across the stage, especially by the guys. A bunch of guys have a small group solo in the beginning and look fierce. I think that Ade in the front looking creepy yet powerful. Three girls follow but don't pack as much of a punch. Then they all dance in unison looking like a combo of Frankenstein's monster and Dracula. Mia's style isn't really my thing but there were moments (particularly the group male solo in the beginning) that were really cool.

First up is a montage of Lil C's comments from last night- aka his "Dictionary of Dance". Very appropriate seeing as a topic on the blogs today was Lil's odd rambling comments that often made not sense. The crowd and dancers seemed just as confused as we were doing the montage. Even choreographers Shane and Brian? (the guy who did the pop dance number) seem perplexed. But Lil C gets a hug from Nigel to cheer him up.

The first three couples are Melissa and Ade, Jason and Caitlin, and Phillip and Jeanine. Interesting. Melissa and Ade are clearly safe, but that means one or maybe both of the three worst couples last night is safe as well. Melissa and Ade are first, and sure enough they are safe. No surprise there. I still didn't love Melissa last night but Ade is starting to grow on me. I'd guess Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom and Phillip and Jeanine are safe but I hope both are in the bottom to be honest. Jason called their dance from last night a "hip not". Ha! Hopefully Cat will say now that at least one of them are in the bottom. Sure enough she says only one of them is safe. I like Phillip and Jeanine better overall though after watching replays of their dance last night I can see the poor technique the judges were talking about. And like I thought they are safe thanks to Phillip's popularity. Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom and in danger of going home. This is bad news for Asuka/Vitolio and Jonathan/Karla, one of whom will likely take the third spot in the bottom three now.

Mary is not surprised but is disappointed at how poorly they did after doing so well the week before. I still didn't think their Bollywood routine was that good though... She says they are great individually and will have to show that in their solos.

After the break the next three couples are out on stage: Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Kupono and Ashley. Dang that means Jonathan and Karla are likely safe and Kupono and Ashley are in the bottom. So Asuka and Vitolio are likely couple number three in the bottom even though they were one of my favorites last night. For some reason people don't like Asuka but she and Janette are the only two females I really like this year. Brandon and Janette are indeed safe (shocker!) and I love the excitement on their faces when they find out. Now I'm assuming Kupono and Ashley are in the bottom since their routine was worse and Kupono is not popular enough like Phillip to save the two of them despite a bad routine. Apparently their nickname is Ashono! Awesome! Though one or both of them may go tonight, which would defeat the point of the nickname. Funny though- their routine looks better in the clips we see tonight than it looked last night. But either way they are indeed in the bottom, and Jonathan looks so cute celebrating in delight. So both of Shane's numbers were not popular with viewers- but those were the obvious picks for the bottom three. The next duo should be the interesting one.

Lil C has a similar reaction to Mary before- they were great last week but bad this week. He adds it shows what happens when dancers go outside their comfort zone. Except Jonathan was outside his own style this week and the judges (though not me) loved him. The good think about this is I get to see Kupono's solo, which I loved in his first audition. I don't really care about Ashley but I hope he stays.

Now for the final three groups- but first a treat for Evan, who is on the far left with Randi and thus likely safe. A "familiar face" auditioned for season 6 of this show. Yay it's Ryan!!!!!!!!! We get a clip of his audition, and his tap routine (minus the whoopie cushion) is even better than his audition from this season. And he gets a ticket to Vegas!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait for the fall now!

Evan apparently didn't know about this and teared up as the clip ended. And there's big brother in the crowd holding up six fingers for season six. Hopefully Evan will be safe this week so they can be happy together.

Anyway on to the results. The other two duos in limbo are Asuka and Vitolio and Max and Kayla. Actually of the three Evan and Randi were my least favorite, but I love Evan overall. Max and Kayla were my least favorite of the three, and though I know some didn't like their routine I think they will be safe. I hope Asuka and Vitolio will be safe instead, but I doubt it. First up are Evan and Randi and sure enough they are safe, to the delight of Ryan. OMG ASUKA AND VITOLIO ARE SAFE!!! Happy dance!!! They look delighted, though some of the other dancers, namely Melissa and Randi, look as shocked as me.

This should be interesting now. No way the judges said Kayla home, and Max is probably safe too. But any combo of the other four could be out. I'd rather they send home Ashley and Caitlin but since they can't do that I hope Kupono stays since I have liked him from the beginning.

Nigel is partially shocked. He points out that the bottom three are completely different from last week, which shows how close a race this is. He thinks a lot of people did not understand choreographer Brian's work, which makes sense since I saw on the blogs many who did not like their dance because it was so "out there".

This week's special guest dancer is a Bollywood dancer whose name I can't spell or pronounce. It starts out really slow but then as the beat picks up she goes into a ridiculous amount of spins in a row. The rest of the dance is a lot of body shaking while the dancer stands in place. She did the dance well but I'm more of a fan of fun, faster Bollywood dances.

The solos:

Caitlin- The song is "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele. Hey this is the song Kris Allen did on Idol that made him my favorite. Anyway the dance is solid, though for me not amazing. She has some nice moves and then a cool flip thing at the end.

Jason- The song is "Superman" by Robin Thicke. Yay another current song, though this one I don't know. Now this dance made me say "Wow". He has great leaps and beautiful lines throughout. I think that may have just saved him, which is bad news for Kupono.

For what it's worth both of these two got huge cheers after their solos.

Ashley- The song is "By Your Side" by Coco Rosie, whoever that is. It was okay but she spent much of the solo dancing around the stairs and looking kind of like a strip dancer with her clothes on. Her bright red lipstick doesn't help her in this regard.

Kupono (please be good, please be good!!!)- The song is "Many Moons" by Janelle Monae. I love him but I'm not feeling this solo. A bit too fast and a bit too much running around and not enough dancing. I think both he and his partner are in trouble.

Both of them seemed to get less cheers than either Jason or Caitlin after their solos.

20 minutes left in the show- I guess the producers are saving the Katie Holmes dance for the 100th episode.

Kayla (no way she gets sent home unless she literally falls- and even then she might be safe)- The song is "Walking on Air" by Kerli- again never heard of the song or artist. It was actually a good song choice since she did look like she was trying to walk on air during the dance. It didn't blow me away but it was as good as Kaitlin's and better than Ashley's so she should be fine. Though even she did not as many cheers as Caitlin and Jason.

Max- OMG he's dancing to "Footloose"!!! He should get saved just for doing that. The dance is a jive, and the kick portions are just fabulous. The rest is solid but not spectacular, but like with Kayla I don't think the judges would have sent him home unless he was really bad.

My favorite of the six was Jason's. Caitlin and Kayla were a tie for first on the female side. Sadly I think this should be the end of Ashley and Kupono, as their routines paled in comparison to the others, in my opinion.

While the judges deliberate we have special guest Kristinia DeBarge, who admittedly I have never heard of. Apparently Katy Perry, One Republic, and Lady Gaga all made their first TV appearances on this show. And perhaps not coincidentally, all of them have also been on Idol in the past two seasons.

She sings her hit single "Goodbye". Oh I've heard this- it's the song that rips off that "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye" chant I always hear at sporting events. I didn't realize she sang this- that's what happens when your local radio station plays the same songs over and over yet rarely says what each song is called/who sings it before they play it. Kristinia is wearing VERY short shorts and has a cavalry of backup dancers. She even dances along with them and does pretty well. I don't love this song but there's a lot of songs I didn't like at first that started to grow on me over time ("Poker Face" and "Boom Boom Pow" among them). And the ripped off chorus is actually kind of catchy.

And now finally it's time for the results. First up are the girls. Hmm Nigel says they were not unanimous on either the guys or the girls. Odd, since I thought this week the solos were more clear cut than last week. Then again a lot goes into their decision besides the solos I'm sure. The judges loved Caitlin's quality of movement and control in her solo. They felt Ashley had great Hollywood glamor in her solo but it had no substance. They thought Kayla has been great in the past but had too much going on in her solo. I see where they are coming from but I'd rather have a solo with too much like hers than with too little like Ashley's. And the judges agree, sending Ashley home. I wonder who was the one who did not vote for her. I'm guessing whoever did voted for Kayla instead, though all three of them loved her last night.

I forgot this was the fourth time she had auditioned for the show. I feel bad that she got cut so soon but her solo really did have little dancing in it.

Now time for the guys. The judges loved Jason's solo- they called it the best on the series to date! Do they mean best this season or best ever? I don't know if it was best ever and I even think Vitolio's last week was a bit better than his though it was close. They don't even keep him waiting and send him to safety. Not surprising- his was the best solo of the night for sure. The judges felt that Kupono's solo had little substance, though they like the different characters that he takes on in a dance. They think Max works really hard and understand how difficulty it is for a ballroom dancer to do a solo. It sounds like they are setting up to cut him, which would surprise me but make me happy since I do like Kupono more than Max. And indeed they do cut Max. Wow that's a shocker. I didn't even think he would be in the bottom three, plus I thought they wanted more ballroom dancers since they don't have that many this year yet they have Phillip to do hip hop dancing like Kupono. While I do like Kupono more overall I do think the judges got it wrong based on the solos tonight. Plus I thought Max and Kayla were locks for the top 10. The best thing for Kupono is he is partnered with judges' favorite Kayla now so hopefully he won't be in the bottom three anymore.

Anyway that's all for tonight's show. What did you think of tonight's elimination? Did the judges make the right decision? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 18 Peform

Hey all so it's time for the next round of performances on SYTYCD. It will be hard for the contestants to live up to the greatness of last week. Also I think going in Asuka/Vitolio and Karla/Jonathan are in trouble because of their lack of fan bases.

Cat is wearing a red dress with a giant bow/ruffles on one side. It looks really weird and unflattering on her, as beautiful as she is.

Love Brandon's flip in his solo in the beginning. Vitolio does some cool hip hop moves to try to increase his fan base. Jonathan does a semi-cartwheel and looks very cute in a T-shirt and jeans- guess he's going for the tween vote. Asuka and Karla get by far the least amount of cheers. None of the solos really stood out to me except maybe Brandon's.

Tonight's guest is Lil C. He seems to be a good judge from what I've seen, though he of course is one of the judges who is lukewarm on Brandon. Hopefully Brandon can make Lil C change his mind. He thought last week was a very solid beginning, whatever that means. Cat and Mary make more jokes about her botox line from last week. Nigel tells the dancers to show off their strengths, not their weaknesses, especially those who will be doing solos tomorrow.

The theme of the pre-performance packages is the contestants revealing their partners' secrets to the audience.

Randi and Evan- Randi has a dog that she treats like a child, including calling him and putting him on speakerphone. Aw that's really cute. Evan loves cars- he even built his own from scratch. That's cool but not as interesting as Randi's secret. They got the jive, one of my favorite ballroom styles. Neither of them have done it before though. Louis Van Amstel teaches them to show their personality in their dance. The dance is also very "fun", so much so that it is said 14 times in their short package. The song is "Shake a Tail Feather" by Ray Charles. It definitely was "fun" and fast, and they were very in sync on their kicks. The only complaint is that Evan's arm was sometimes awkward while he was stretching it out and he looked a little bit off in parts. Still it was a great way to start the show.

Hey Ryan's in the crowd again! Lil C says Evan looked a little too smooth and subtle, so he needs to work on his approach a bit more, while Randi was a firecracker. I agree, she was great and showed why she was picked for the top 20. I actually thought she outshined Evan but Lil C thought they were equal. Mary says it was "fun" and the "fun" counter on the bottom of the screen goes nuts. She adds that jive should have been their best dance but it fell a bit short. I agree. She also agrees with me and states that Randi did better than Evan, particularly on the kicks where she says Evan was sloppy, but she still enjoyed it. Nigel gives props to Louis after he got none last week. He also was disappointed in Evan and says he didn't have enough bounce in his kicks. Weird since I thought his kicks were the best part but I agree it wasn't as good as last week but still solid and fun He thinks Randi did a better job tonight but loves them as a couple. Aka- don't forget to vote for them! They were good not great but they should be popular enough to get through to another week.

Melissa and Ade- Melissa is married, and her sister married her husband's brother. So does that means her husband is her brother-in-law? I always get confused with those kinds of things. Ade's real name is Adetokunbo Isaac Kayode Obayomi. No wonder he goes by Ade. Yet people still pronounce this shortened name wrong too! This week they have a jazz routine with Sonja, who gets a big cheer when she pops up on screen. The dance is about a girl playing hard to get and a guy who hates to lose. So a lot of back and forth between the two dancers I guess. I'm kind of torn on Sonja's routines- sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't. It looks cool in the package, though they are struggling through the pain. They dance to another song I don't know "24 Hours" by Terry Poison. I thought Ade was really good but Melissa seemed a bit too dainty and not powerful enough at times. Ade really shone with some lifts and a leapfrog jump over Melissa where he landed on his feet. Also I didn't really love the routine itself- it seemed more like jumping than dancing, but maybe that's just me. Lil C says it was "buck", his signature term. He predicts Ade could be a favorite to win, and if he dances the way he did in that last number he might be. Though early faves like Brandon, Phillip, and Evan will be tough to beat. He thinks Melissa tried to submerge into the character, though I don't know if she succeeded. Mary decides to give them some tough love- because it's tough to find anything not to love. Another fakeout by Mary. I still didn't think Melissa was that good but then again it was hard to focus on her with Ade being so good. Nigel thinks Melissa equaled Ade's strength, and I disagree, at least at some points in the dance. But Ade was so good and the comments were so positive they should be around for a while.

Caitlin and Jason- Jason used to be obsessed with Michael Jackson. And we get some awesome home video of a four-year-old Jason in Jackson garb and wig doing the moonwalk! Caitlin talks like a baby and a velociraptor (not at the same time). No cute home movies of her though... They are doing hip hop with Shane. I didn't like Shane's group routine last week but maybe I'll like this one. By the way, I didn't know Shane was black. He tries to emphasize chemistry and character, though Caitlin accidentally pulls down Jason's pants in rehearsal. Dang even the hip hop song I don't know- "Missin You" by Trey Songz. The song is slow and kind of boring which takes away from the routine, and the movements are slow to go along with it. Caitlin does have a great solo in the middle and then does a ground flip thing right after it. They also had great chemistry but I found the routine itself kind of dull and not memorable. Lil C did not love it- he did not understand the end of the number, and calls it a "nightmare". Ouch. He thinks it was corny because it was danced so sharply. I didn't think it was that bad- I just found it not memorable at all. Mary says it was like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears because they danced so differently so it wasn't in sync. I didn't notice that at all but the replay in slow motion does show how Caitlin was more flowing and Jason more sharp. She can't understand why they were so off when last week they were so good. I didn't think they were that good last week either and I found some other bloggers who agreed with me. Nigel says Shane did a different style of hip hop to make them look good, and he did that. I agree with what Nigel is implying here- the routine wasn't the greatest but the two of them danced it well. Still they may be in trouble this week, though I doubt the judges would send them home unless their solos were really bad.

Janette and Brandon- Janette had bad teeth when she was young. It was really just giant front teeth, though you can't tell now. Brandon has never worked out a day in his life, even with his great body. I'm sure he gets that body from dancing, but that is still pretty amazing that he got those muscles from dancing. They are doing dreaded disco with Doriana Sanchez. Usually disco routines are unpopular with viewers, though these dancers are so popular hopefully that won't happen. The routine is really fast and Janette has trouble with it at first, and she doesn't seem too confident they will get the routine. Usually when someone says that the routine turns out great. They dance to "Loving Is Really My Game" by Brainstorm, which may or may not be a current song. And it looks really good to me. I hate disco but this is my favorite routine so far. It is fast and fun like the earlier jive but I think they both dance it better than Evan and Randi did. Brandon was the standout with his flips and lifts, though I think Janette held her own with such a strong partner. The crowd doesn't seem too enthused though. Lil C starts talking about labor and then says he saw the birth of progression in both dancers. He thought it was amazing. Yeah the judges liked it too!!! (or at least one of them did). He points out a mishap at the end that I didn't notice but sure enough the replay shows she tripped at the end. I didn't notice at all though so she hid it well. Mary thinks the routine was on fast forward it was so fast. She's never seen a disco that fast but thinks they both nailed it. She jokes Janette needs to work on her flexibility (she did some splits) and that Brandon needs to work on his strength (he did several strong lifts). They embodied everything disco ever was. And we get the first Mary scream of the night. Nigel says he would scream too if he could and calls it one of the best disco routines ever on the show. That's probably true since all the past disco routines have sucked. Apparently the choreographer was in Dirty Dancing and Nigel adds that this routine had more in it than the big lift routine at the end of the movie. That's high praise indeed. It certainly was the best of the night so far and no doubt they are safe for another week. And the best part is Brandon got Lil C on his side!!

Ooh Mia is doing the group dance tomorrow. So Brandon is dealing with his two nemeses in the second week!

Asuka and Vitolio- I hope they do well since I like them but they are unpopular for some reason. Vitolio is obsessed with motorcycles and wants to be a rockstar. Asuka makes spitballs, and Vitolio barely knows what they are- ha! They promise to be better this week. They hope to show personality but that will be hard with a waltz that they will do with Louis. Tough break that the two personality-less people get a slow boring dance. They have trouble getting romantic with each other so Louis makes it a dance on Vitolio's tough journey and upbringing. That's a good strategy I think. The song is "Dream Are More Precious" by Enya. Well at least I've heard of the artist, though not the song. The dance is beautiful, especially the lifts at the beginning and end. I usually don't like waltzes but found this one captivating, and the two of them danced it really well also. I especially loved the emotion on their faces during the dance. Too bad Asuka is really not popular because I think this routine could keep them out of the bottom this week. Mary is speechless- is that good or bad? She's crying, so I guess that's good. She calls it painfully beautiful and says Vitolio danced as honest as she's ever seen him. She points out a few flaws but overall thinks there were more amazing things than bad. Asuka also gets props for her emotion on her face, which really was believable. Lil C points out the choppy steps but says that was canceled out by the sincere emotion. He adds Asuka has dominant submission, which apparently is a good thing. Nigel says anyone not touched by that routine is heartless. He feels like they are a different couple this week- maybe because they actually had a good routine this week! And Louis deservedly gets more props from Nigel. They should be safe based on how they danced but I fear their unpopularity may cause them to be in the bottom if no one else stinks up the joint.

Max and Kayla- Max is the "house dad" in his apartment, as he does all the cooking. Guys who can cook are great, especially for me since I can't cook to save my life. Kayla texts a lot, like every other person in their teens and 20s nowadays. Mostly she texts her mom to say she's okay. Aww. She texts 100 words per minute- that's impressive. They are working with Brian Frideman, who has not been on the show in a few years so I've never seen his work. Apparently it is a pop/jazz style, which sounds cool. Kayla is a princess and Max wants to steal her throne by seducing her. The routine is strenuous on the body, and the dancers are getting battered and bruised. Another song I don't know, this one "Hot Like Wow" by Nadia Oh. This routine is great too. Kayla starts out on the couch while Max shows off for her and then they get up and dance with power and precision. The night started off a bit rough but the last three dances have been really great. At the end Max "kills" Kayla and gets her throne. Lil C says dancing is a language and dancers have to pick up choreographer's vernacular, which both of them did. He can't even critique Kayla because she was so good, and he gives Max props as well. I actually thought there was a short part where Kayla lost her energy a bit but otherwise she was great, as was Max. And Kayla's grandparents are back to cheer her on. Mary was pleasantly surprised by Max but he could not overtake Kayla. I'm not a big Kayla fan but she was great in this routine (mostly). Nigel thinks Kayla is a frontrunner. She probably is a frontrunner for the girls in particular since there are not too many standout girls this year. He adds Max has the problem of keeping up with Kayla but with his character he did tonight. Between their strong dance last week and their perhaps better one tonight they should be safe for another week, and likely a lot longer.

Jonathan and Karla- With Asuka and Vitolio's strong routine earlier these two are likely in the bottom three for sure with their limited fan bases. Karla is a great hip hop dancer even though she specializes in contemporary. She even belongs to a famous hip hop group that I've never heard of. Jonathan loves to sing, but he's not very good, according to Karla, and I concur. They don't want to be in the bottom again. They are dancing contemporary, so they better be good in Karla's specialty. They have a new teacher Stacey Tookey, and they will learn a dance about strangers having an accidental meeting and feeling chemistry. Jonathan is having trouble learning a new style; he particularly struggles with the lifts. They dance to "Falling Slowly"- woohoo a song I know! I don't know this version- only the one Kris Allen did on Idol, but close enough. They seemed to dance it pretty well and the lifts were beautiful but I felt something lacking- perhaps the chemistry. Mary says Jonathan did that style better than he did his own specialty of ballroom the week before. I agree, mainly because he really did not impress me with ballroom last week. She correctly points out that they are underdogs, (aka they have had zero prior screen time) but still thought they were amazing. She loved Kayla's lines and Jonathan's feet. Nigel loved Jonathan's center of gravity and says they came back from being in the bottom last week to have a great routine this week. Lil C thought it was in balance and again calls a dance "buck". I didn't like it as much as they did, and I thought the same thing last week when they were in the bottom three. With other strong dances tonight they too may be in trouble with their small fanbase.

Jeanine and Phillip- Phillip is a big nerd, as he is an engineering physics major. Love stories about nerds putting aside their school smarts to become dancers! He even has a collection of reptiles in his room. Jeanine has a teddy bear named Spanky, whom she calls the perfect boyfriend. Okay.... They are doing a tango, but neither of them have ballroom training, so this could be really good or really bad. Phillip accidentally groped Jeanine in rehearsals! Then she kicked him in his privates! Tony Meredith says "I'm nervous" to the camera and Jeanine and Phillip hear him! Like I said with Brandon and Janette's dance whenever it seems really bad in rehearsal it comes out great. The song is "Violento" by Bailango!, which sounds like a great tango song. Tango is not one of my favorite dances but they did it pretty well. Jeanine in particular was good though Phillip lost his posture a bit early on and stomped around a bit too much. Also like some of the early routines tonight it wasn't memorable for me. Mary gives Phillip an A+ in attitude but a C- in technique. Phillip seems to agree with this assessment. Jeanine's technique was better though and she did great. Cat accidentally calls Jeanine Janette- don't feel bad Cat I get them confused too! Lil C says Phillip had no confidence in the routine and it showed. I didn't notice that but I did notice the poor technique the second time around. Lil C says Phillip's knees were too bent, but Mary counters they are supposed to be. Cat goes to Tony Meredith to break the tie, and he sides with Mary. Lil C takes his defeat with grace. Nigel loved Phillip's bent knees. Ha! He points out Phillip's huge fanbase and that the tango is a technical dance. He points out that Phillip showed strain when lifting Jeanette, which I did not notice until the replay. He says it was not good technically but was entertaining, which is probably why I liked it. He also points out that this show is a learning process and Phillip should be allowed to grow more on the show and learn technical dances. They should be in the bottom based on their performance but with Phillip's popularity they likely won't be.

Ashley and Kupono- Kupono has weird OCD- everything must be straight, and he organizes his closet in a weird color-coded way. Ashley vomited on her entire class in first grade. That sucks for her but the story is awesome! They are doing hip hop with Shane, which should be good for Kupono. Plus it can't be much worse than Shane's first routine tonight. Ashley is Kupono's shadow in the dancing. Kupono has a hard time with the slow walks, and Ashley with the fast movement. Kupono breaks out his to-do list again (that thing is adorable) and it says "Find Your Inner Shane Sparks". I love him! (Kupono that is, not Shane). The dance is to "Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas, another artist I've heard of but not the song. I thought the dance was okay but not amazing. I tried watching to see if they were in unison and it looked like they were though it was hard to tell. Mary says it was okay- she didn't hate it but she didn't love it. She adds it wasn't memorable. I agree on both counts. Lil C says there was no synchronization because Kupono was struggling so much. He thinks Ashley did what she could and saved the routine. I didn't think Kupono was bad, I just didn't love the routine. Nigel says it stopped right when he started to like it. He was underwhelmed, and so was I, even though I liked Kupono in his first audition. Nigel points out how great it is to have Shane back even though both his routines tonight sucked (that last part was my views, not Nigel's). He doesn't think the dancers who did Shane's routines brought out the best in them, and I have to agree.

So the middle of the show was good but the rest was only okay. My favorites were Brandon and Janette, Asuka and Vitolio, and Max and Kayla, in that order. The bottom three should be Jason and Caitlin, Kupono and Ashley, and Phillip and Jeanine, though Phillip's fanbase might save their duo from the bottom. In that case I guess either Asuka/Vitolio or Jonathan/Karla might be in the bottom instead.

What are your thoughts on tonight's show? Who do you think will be in the bottom three? And who should be? 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.