So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 10 Perform

Hey all I can't believe we are only a few weeks away from crowning America's Favorite Dancer. Tonight the dancers are given new partners and for the first time will be eliminated solely based on audience votes. That means Ade, Evan, and Brandon should be safe for the guys and Melissa and Janette safe for the girls. Anyone else going home would not surprise me, though I think Jason and Randi have the most to worry about. Jason has been subpar for weeks, and Randi may have been relying on Evan's popularity to get to the top 10.

Speaking of Evan, I wonder what will happen if he gets paired with Melissa? She's at least six inches taller than him. His height may also hurt him in the long run, but it seems his popularity is so great he can overcome anything.

Loving Cat's green dress tonight. It looks stunning on her and reminds us to save the planet at the same time!

Ade's solo has lots of cool spins. Brandon's is just a lot of spastic movements- has he been watching Kupono too much? Jason's was very cool as well. And hey Kupono makes a phone with his fingers at the start of his! Great idea- he needs all the votes he can get!!!

Tonight's guest judge is Debbie Allen. I didn't see much of her last year since she couldn't judge with Will on the show but she seems to know a lot about dancing and is well respected by contestants.

Nigel says he is somewhat pleased to lose control over the votes because the show is about "America's Favorite Dancer". Mary says any type of change for the dancers will be hard, especially having to deal with height disparities and trust of new partners. Debbie admits she threw her ice cream at the TV a few times this season after judges' comments but says her top 3 girls and top 3 guys are still in it. I'm guessing those are Brandon, Evan, Ade, Melissa, Kayla, and Janette, though I could be wrong. She adds that whoever leads a lasting impression on the audience should win.

Nigel reminds us we are now voting for individual dancers, not partners. Then the bottom guy and bottom girl will be eliminated tomorrow night.

Tonight each contestant will have two dances- a solo plus a paired dance with a new partner.

But before we see who the new partners are (of course the producers want to drag it out as long as possible), we get group numbers. First the top five girls do a Bollywood routine by Nakul Dev Mahajan. Hopefully it's better than Jason and Caitlin's Bollywood routine earlier this season. The dance incorporates folk elements from India and includes a cool looking prop that I missed the name of. Kayla points out that attention to details is key. Jeanine adds that it's a group effort so nobody can go in trying to shine individually. Nakul gives them the nickname "Bollywood Bombshells", and it seems to stick. Kayla is excited because the dance is really girly.

The song is "Dholna" from the Pyar Ke Geet soundtrack, and right off the bat I love the costumes. The start out slow and then immediately move into the fast part of the dance, with Melissa really seeming to hit the hardest. They then turn around and dance with mustached masks on the backs of their heads. The only bad thing is now I can't tell who is who. They eventually turn back around and do more insanely fast dancing, at which Kayla (who is in the front) really shines. But there really were no weak links in this dance. Everyone was great, and they all seemed in sync with each other. A fun way to start the night

Nigel says Nakul was cool and then thinks these girls are some of the most beautiful ever on the show. He then says there really was no one that stood out since everyone danced well with great personality. While I did single out Melissa and Kayla, that's mainly because they were in the front of the dance at the time- but like I said all five were terrific. He also loves the costumes. Mary calls it "Bollywow" and loves how fresh Nakur made Bollywood for the crowd. She could see anyone of them in the final. I think it will come down to Melissa and Janette in the finals, but that's more based on popularity than talent. Debbie agrees this is a close race and loves how much they articulated the Indian culture in the dance. She then adds this is the best top 5 ladies ever, which I can't argue since I didn't watch the first three seasons.

Now we finally get the first couples routine of the night. So is there a guys' routine also later in the show? I'm guessing so or that really wouldn't be fair to the ladies, having them learn two routines while the guys only learn one. Anyway tonight's first couple is...

Kayla and Evan- It will be interesting to see how the votes go with these two since Evan is so popular while Kayla is not. I know the votes are individual but you figure one partner's votes could influence another's.

Kayla loves having a unique partner. Evan is worried since Kayla is apparently the tallest girl though to me she really doesn't look that tall at all. I thought Melissa was taller but I guess not. This could especially be a problem in ballroom dance, according to Evan, since girls dance in heels. And of course they get ballroom- a Viennese Waltz with Tony and Melanie.

Okay in rehearsals (with Kayla wearing heels) the height difference is much more noticeable. Already these two got a bad break being paired together and then getting a somewhat boring dance. Evan is trying to dance tall, but Kayla is looking for smaller heels. At one point the two switch shoes! The heights are more even now (Evan is in fact taller) but Evan can barely walk in the heels. He has gained a newfound respect for girls who dance in those all time. I'm a girl and I don't even think I could do that- I can barely walk in heels. Kayla even jokes she will bend her knees a lot during the dance so Evan looks taller. This should be interesting.

The song is "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. Hey I've actually heard of this song! Well they must have given Kayla smaller shoes since the height difference was not that noticeable. Evan looks dashing in his vest and combed back hair, and he's actually dancing better than he has in a while. He is being outshined by Kayla with her beautiful twirls and lift poses, but overall Evan held his own in a tough genre. He did looks a bit choppy at times though. Aw he gives her a rose at the end (albeit a squished one).

Nigel agrees with me that they look the same height, and it turns out Kayla is dancing with flats and Evan with slight heels. Nigel though thought it looked more like a fast waltz than a Viennese Waltz, but that's more choreography than it is the dancers, isn't it? Yet he thinks the lifts were beautiful, Evan was a strong partner, and Kayla had great lines. Mary picks Evan apart for his turns and lack of power and says he didn't glide enough on the floor, which is probably the choppiness that I saw. Still I didn't think it was as bad as she said. She does compliment him on the lifts. She adds Kayla had better movement and quality along with great lines, and that she grows every week. I still don't get the smugness that others see in Kayla, or why people think the judges are pimping her too much when they have praised others just as much. Debbie thinks Evan handled his "big woman" well and that she greatly enjoyed it. She loved Kayla aka "White Lightening" from the first time she saw her, yet she feared audiences wouldn't accept Evan aka "Gene Kelly" (who apparently is hearing this nickname for the first time and is so touched he is crying). But clearly, (as she admits) she was wrong about him.

Overall it was a solid way to start the evening, though perhaps unmemorable with them being the first act of the night.

The partner dances and solos are going to alternate throughout the night. First up is Brandon, whose solo we are seeing for the first time. The song is "In Your Eyes" by Jeffrey Gaines. As usual he is great. His arm and leg movements are super fast, and you can really feel the passion, which apparently is something the judges have critiqued him on in the past. Apparently though the judges don't comment on the solos, as Cat segues right into Brandon's phone number.

The next new couple is Janette and Ade. Two of the favorites get paired together- good for them, bad for everyone else.

Ade is happy to have a little firecracker for a partner, though again these two have height issues. Ade is the tallest guy, and Janette the shortest girl, though this difference is more noticeable than Evan and Kayla's. Janette though loves Ade's fun personality. They are doing at TabNap hip hop number, which is good since the height difference won't be as noticeable. In the dance Janette thinks she has no funk, so Ade will hypnotize her so she has more funk. Janette actually struggles with the funk in rehearsal, which surprises me since I think she is the best female dancer. Tabita says she must step it up or they will "funk up" the routine. Ha! She seems to do better towards the end of the clip though.

The song is "Love Sex Magic" by Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake, a song I have heard of but never actually heard. Ade starts out with a great solo and then uses his patented hair pick to hypnotize Janette. She seems a bit robotic and stiff in her moves, though that may be part of the routine. In the rest of the dance she does a pretty good job but Ade is so amazing that I couldn't really keep my eyes off of him. It was still very enjoyable.

Nigel says they were both great and loves how TabNap used the height difference to their advantage by having Janette go between Ade's legs. Yet he does this all with two pencils in his head (his version of Ade's pick), which makes it hard to take him seriously. He then promises to use the pick to take Mary out of her clothes later.... Mary says the dance was funky and pure entertainment, which it was. She thought they were well synchronized as well. Debbie says they were mesmerizing together. I didn't like it quite as much as the judges did but it certainly was very good. BTW the height difference is much more noticeable when the two stand next to each other- Janette's head is up to Ade's shoulder!

I went back and watched this dance again and found it much more enjoyable the second time around, particularly the second half when Janette is getting her funk on and not being as robotic.

Next up to do her solo is Randi, another one we haven't seen yet. Her song is "Dream " by Priscilla Ahn. Technically it is very good but I don't quite get the emotion out of it that I got out of Brandon's solo. Though her spins are excellent, I found it a bit boring.

After the break we see Kupono's solo, which hopefully is like the solo he did in the beginning of the show and not like the ones he's done on results shows so far. The song is "Marina Gasolina" by Bonde Do Role. Well it was better than ones he's done in the past but still didn't blow me away. He basically acted like an animal and did some crouched dancing. It did seem to go by faster than Randi's dance, which I think means for me it was more entertaining, though still nowhere near as good as Brandon's.

The next new partners are Jeanine and Jason. The two are excited to work together since they are such good friends but both could be in trouble with their weak fanbases. They do both think they have similar dance styles, and Jeanine looks forward to seeing Jason's naked chest all day!
Ironic that the two who lost partners last week are paired together, seeing as they would have been partnered together anyway if the duos were not split up.

They are doing a contemporary dance choreographed by former contestant Travis Wall, who is choreographing for the first time despite being a huge fan favorite based on the cheers. Lucky for them two of the weaker dancers get their own style this week. The story is two best friends hooking up for the first time. Travis though is putting in all these flips and lifts that the two of them haven't done before, leading to lots of spills in practice. The chemistry is key for the dance to work, especially since Jason's poor chemistry with Caitlin doomed her last week.

The song is "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz. Great singer, though I don't know this particular song. The routine starts out with Jason giving Jeanine a locket and her stretching her leg up straight in the air like it's nothing. The routine has lots of great lifts and Jason does some high jumps but it's kind of boring for me, though danced very well. At the end Jason puts the locket on Jeanine and they make out on the floor! They definitely have more chemistry than Jason and Caitlin did.

The audience (including Travis) is on their feet, along with the judges. Uh oh- that's bad news for Kupono and Randi, and maybe even Evan and Kayla. Nigel says the choreography was great and only made better by the two dancers. He correctly points out that Jeanine finally has a partner who can keep up with her technically and that Jason was great as well. He adds that they have both become stars tonight. Mary is at a loss for words, so Nigel wants them to do the same routine every week so she can shut up! When she speaks she says that they are both stars and breaks down in tears describing how great it is for Travis to come back. She adds Jason has great strength and power, brought out by Travis, and that Jeanine has grown every week as well. And they even get a spot on the hot tamale train, yet she does a silent scream instead (finally, a silent scream!!). Debbie says she's known Travis since he was young and tonight demonstrates how the show is connecting dancers around the world. She thinks this was a magical pairing, and she can't wait to see it on the tour. Watching this dance again, I do like it better the second time around, though I wasn't as blown away as the judges were. Still it was certainly good enough to keep them here another week, which like I said before is bad news for the dancers on the bubble this week.

Next to do her solo is Melissa, set to "Gabriel" by Lamb. The rock music doesn't seem to fit the ballet dancing, but she does dance it well, especially en pointe. Solid, but not spectacular..

Cat then introduces Evan's solo, the first time the Broadway dancer had done one this season. The song is "Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart" by Rufus Wainwright. Why are the Broadway songs on this show never ones I have heard of? His solo is actually one of the most entertaining of the night, complete with tap dancing, splits, and a flip at the end. Plus the facial expressions were adorable!

Another solo! Well might as well do a bunch now since there are only two partner dances left. Kayla's song is "Rock Your Soul" by Elisa. Her solo seems much less hectic than her previous ones, and she shows great lines and flips, though like Randi's routine it was a bit dull.

Only two couples left to be revealed. Hopefully Kupono is paired with Melissa or he could be in real trouble since Randi is also on the chopping block. The next new couple is:

Randi and Kupono: So it kind of worked out that the favorites got paired up and the non-favorites didn't. Evan and Randi disappointed a bit earlier, but after Jason and Jeanine's great routine (and subpar solos from both of them) these two are going to have to hit it out of the park to stick around.

Kupono loves Randi's cuteness, and Randi loves Kupono's presence but fears they won't be able to get chemistry in such a short amount of time.

They are doing a paso doble with Tony and Melanie. Randi is terrified- all she knows is that she is the cape and Kupono is the matador, and Kupono is scared as well. I have a bad feeling about this. They struggle in rehearsals and go into panic mode. Tony thinks they have to work on the passion of the dance.

The song is "Dies Irae" by Karl Jenkins. When I hear "Dies Irae" all I think is the backing vocals in the beginning of "La Vie Boheme" in "Rent". They actually do better than I thought they would considering the pre-performance clip, though that's not saying much since I thought it would be a train wreck. The dancing itself is good but I've seen paso dobles hit much harder than this. They have the intensity in their faces but not so much in their bodies. It's kind of like a paso-light. And even the facial intensity goes away after a while. And Kupono does show his lack of strength when he really struggles to lift Randi off the ground. Overall it was still a decent routine technically but it didn't blow me away. The cheers aren't loud from the crowd, which really isn't good.

Nigel says the choreography was good but the dancing didn't match. He doesn't think Kupono was strong enough for the routine, and also calls it light like I did. He also thinks they had a lack of chemistry and passion and that the routine felt inauthentic. Ouch I didn't think it was that bad but it certainly wasn't great either. Mary says they didn't rise to the challenge of new partnerships and that it was not strong or authentic. She thinks Randi was there more than Kupono was but mediocre is not good enough. She thinks the song was more intense than the dance. Debbie thinks there were moments of awkwardness but thinks they needed more time to grow as partners. I think they should have gotten a bit more praise for their technique but I agree the emotion was not there, especially when watching the routine back a few times. These two are locks for the bottom three and are most likely going home, unless by some miracle Evan's fans suddenly turn on him.

The next solo is Ade. He is dancing to "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. Finally a pop song! And extra bonus points for going shirtless! He has a great flip along with nice lines, though the dancing doesn't quite match the music in my opinion. Still it was a solid routine, though not as good as his solo from last week. Cat mentions that Ade did something during his solo, though I'm not sure what it is.

After the break we see Jeanine's solo, set to "Violento (Up Mix)" by Bailongo! Wasn't another dance on this show set to the same number? The dance is cute and sexy but doesn't quite match the intensity of the music. Still pretty good though.

Our final male solo is Jason, dancing to "Train Fare Home" by Muddy Waters. His solo isn't as intense as I would like it but with his strong partner dance he should be safe.

Now it's time for our last couple, Melissa and Brandon. So two of the strongest dancers are paired together. The dancers feel the same way that I do, though Melissa worries about her height difference with Brandon. Even with that these two should shine together.

Their first dance is a Tyce Broadway routine. OMG they are dancing to "Hair". I'm excited now- a show I've actually heard of!! Too bad everyone one the other blogs I read hates Tyce's numbers- maybe these two strong dancers will change their minds. For those who don't know the show takes place in the 1960s and is all about hippie culture. They had some interesting poses, and Melissa's chin hit Brandon's behind right away, so they bonded quickly.

The song is "Aquarius". Yay one of the songs I know too! I'm loving Melissa's outfit- she looks like she could be in the show. The routine is kind of boring at the start, though it does get much more enjoyable once the lyrics start. The two are dancing it very well, and really embodying the spirit of the era. I especially enjoy the crazy flips and poses they do throughout the dance almost more than the dancing itself. Awesome smoke effect in the end, though you can't really see Melissa behind the fog. Overall it wasn't their best but still a good enough job to keep them in for another week.

Nigel talks about how big a deal it was at the time for black and white dancers to be dancing together like they were in the show. But, he notes, they had more hair than Brandon does. He loves how Melissa's ballet and Brandon's gymnastics were worked into the routine. Mary says it was unbelievable and groovy and they were stars of the show. Debbie says they are both powerful and technical and worked well together despite their differences.

The last solo of the evening is Janette's, who dances to "This is Miami" by Sander Kleinenberg. She is hot and sexy, especially with those hips. Man is she shaking those things! It's hard to do a salsa dance solo, but this was actually my favorite female solo of the night.

All that's left is the top 5 guys who are doing an African dance by Jeffrey Page. I've never seen African dance on this show so this should be interesting. Jeffrey wants the dance to be about men showing off to women in the crowd. Kupono will likely struggle with the masculinity, and pale-white Evan is also struggling. The dance is quick and hard, according to Brandon. The dance is all rhythm, not counting, which is tripping up the dancers. Jeffrey tells them to rely on pure movement and not on what they learned in class. But it has to be rhythmic or it will be bad.

The song is "Balant Funk" by Ayanda Clarke and Shawn Kelly. And thank you to Jeffrey for having them ALL dance shirtless! Evan has the worst body of the bunch so he even points to his sticking-out belly during the routine. The dance is crazy fast with lots of flips and tricks. It's so fast I can't even keep track of who's doing what, though at first glance it seems they all were doing well. Evan seems to struggle the most but he still does an admirable job. The dance was a bit repetitive at the end, so I liked the girls' routine better, though that's more a matter of taste.

Jeffrey gives them a standing ovation from the crowd. Nigel loves African dance and says that routine was one of the toughest ever on the show. He says nobody stood out as a sore thumb, just like with the girls, and I agree. Mary loves the costume and energy and thinks Evan held his own in a tough genre. She also mentions his pointing to his chubby stomach. She also thinks it was entertaining. Debbie says this dance is the origin of other styles on the show and is impressed with their stamina during that tough routine. Nigel calls it much better than Russian folk! I feel bad for whoever choreographed that routine last week.

Tomorrow night two dancers go home and the Black Eyed Peas perform.

My favorite partner dance was Ade and Janette's, though I actually thought of them were good (yes, even Kupono and Randi's). Brandon, Janette, and Evan had my favorite solos, though none of them stuck out as being terrible. Kupono's was one of the weakest but even this was stronger than his previous ones.

As for the results show, I think Kupono and Randi are locks for the bottom three and are likely to go home, though the rest of the bottom three should be interesting. Jason and Jeanine might be there because of their lack of popularity, though they don't deserve to be. Evan does deserve it but likely will be safe after his solo and because of his overall popularity. Ade and Kayla could also be in the bottom because of smaller fanbases, but it likely won't matter as Kupono and Randi were the only dancers who got poor critques tonight. Well other than Evan but if he's survived the past two weeks he should survive tonight which was actually one of his better nights of late.

So thoughts on tonight's show? What did you think of the group numbers? Did you think the judges were a bit too harsh on Evan, Kupono, and Randi like I did? Any chance Kupono and Randi don't go home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 12 Performance Show Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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