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.