SYTYCD 14 Top 6 Perform – Live Blog and Performance VIDEOS

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: TOP 6 TO 4: Top 6 contestant Koine Iwasaki (L) and all-star Marko Germar (R) perform a Contemporary routine to “You’re The Last Thing On My Mind” choreographed by Mandy Korpinen & Elizabeth Petrin on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airing Monday, September 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. ©2017 FOX Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose

Join me here tonight as 6 becomes 4 on So You Think You Can Dance. Wow. We’re at that point already? On a side note, I’m very grateful to be here, and have power, and cable for tonight. I live in Orlando, FL, and there are still millions without power in the state, and many living in flooded areas or other unsafe conditions. It’s been amazing to see the support online from all over the country. I’m very grateful to get to do this tonight, and thankful for your support. :)

Cat says be prepared for an episode of sensational dancing. That’s already been the last 2 episodes.

The Top 6 and All-Stars- Prism
Some cool visuals here for sure. A very avant garde performance, set to a somewhat avant garde track. White cubes on stage. Very unique. I wonder who choreographed this? Travis? Christopher Scott? It ends with Cyrus holding a cube. Cyrus standing alone. A premonition for tonight’s results? – Click to Watch Performance VIDEO

Your remaining Top 6 are Kaylee, Lex, Taylor, Logan, Koine, and Kiki. Who did America send home? The judges have no say tonight. The bottom two will go home.

That routine was choreographed by Christopher Scott. Felt like it. Cat congratulates Mandy Moore and Travis Wall for their Emmy wins. Each dancer has 3 routines. Once with their all star, once with another contender, and one solo.

Even though they’re kinda pointless now, our judges are Nigel, Mary, and Vanessa.

1) Lex and Gaby- Samba with Sasha- Chillando Goma
“Sexy Lexy Take Two!”OK, so there was that one moment where Lex played Bongos on Gaby’s butt, but in general, this felt like a street dancer doing ballroom. I could tell he was out of his style. A lot of the “ballroom” moves were really slow. He was slow rolling, and on some other moves. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Mary says the routine ricocheted all over the floor. She tells Lex that it was one hell of a butt bongo, and his commitment to that was overwhelming. She calls him out on some technical issues, but says it was still absolutely terrific, and the last 20 seconds were on fire. Nigel asks Lex if he’s ever taken any classes, and he says “not really”, but his mom was a professional ballroom dancer. Nigel urges him to take some ballroom lessons. Vanessa says he doesn’t need classes, because he murdered that routine. She thought it was beautiful. “You crushed it!” – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO
You can vote for LEX!

2) Kaylee- LOVE.
Kaylee’s mentor is her father. He was a boxer, who took dance as part of his training. Her dad trained her to be a boxer. Not my favorite Kaylee solo. It was a bit all over the place, and not really rooted in an idea. I’m usually not disappointed by her, as she’s my favorite, but I was this time. Man. The first two dances tonight… just meh.

3) Koine and Mark- Contemporary by Mandy and Elizabeth- Leave This Thing…
They’re using a giant closet for this routine. Should be interesting. It’s two doors with a bar and a “hanger”, which allows for some cool tricks, and impressive visuals. But mostly, this dance capitalizes on the incredible partnership that Marko and Koine have had this whole season. If these two AREN’T dating, I’d be shocked. Their chemistry is so palpable. A really strong dance with more than a few WOW moments. NOW the show has started. Nigel calls the choreography “thoughtful and creative”. Nigel says Koine was brave, and it flowed beautifully, and she’s never not pleased him while dancing with Marko. Vanessa says Koine has been stepping it up each week, and there are so many incredible moments. Koine flexes her muscles. Mary says Koine was at harmony with herself, her partner, the music… it was one of her favorite routines of the season. – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO
You can VOTE for Koine!

4) Taylor- Unravel Me
Taylor’s mentor is Michelle Wagner- She says Michelle took her in under her wing at her dance studio when she was little. Well, Taylor certainly is doubling down on the sexy side that has gotten her through the past couple weeks. As far as a dance piece, I didn’t enjoy it. The song was an odd choice, and she did nothing with it, except writhe around like she’s trying to get cast in a Fifty Shades sequel. Sorry, but true. There were a few “technique” moves thrown in, but mostly she’s pushing further into her newfound confidence that the judges keep commenting on. Hey, if it ain’t broken…

5) Kiki and Jenna- Jazz with Ray Leeper- Proud Mary
Jenna hopes for sexy Jazz this week. She wants more “Daddy Kiki” this week. She knows what it takes for Kiki to win, lol. Man… this isn’t very good. It’s also not Jazz. This feels almost like a straight forward Ballroom routine. There are SO MANY ballroom moves in here, and then every move that isn’t looks really uncomfortable when Kiki does it. I like Kiki, but he’s the weakest overall dancer left. Vanessa thanks Ray Leeper for making them move and groove. Vanessa thought it was a blast, and thought they were really clean. She loves watching him dance. Mary says “learn, earn, and get a return”, and he deserves every thing he’s gotten… including the hot tamale train. I guess we’re not talking about how not Jazz that was? Nigel says they gave great lines, and talks about how Kiki and Jenna kiss at the end of every routine. Wow. He got a HUGE pass. – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO
You can vote for KIKI!

6) Logan- Infinity Street
Logan’s inspiration is his sister. She started dancing before him, and he credits her for giving him the courage to start dancing. Best solo of the night so far, BY FAR. Logan actually made that a unique solo, and listened to the song he was dancing to. It really felt like he was telling a story, and he was emotionally invested in that solo, and not just showing off. Loved it.

7) Kaylee and Cyrus- Hip Hop with Philip Chbeeb- Die Trying
Philip says this dance is about the addiction to “the climb”. No, not the Miley Cyrus song. They have a metal ladder square on stage as a prop. Philip is a very unique vision, and this routine is definitely “lyrical”, and full of character and emotion. It capitalizes on the great partnership Kaylee and Cyrus have, and their chemistry is insane in this again. A very cool dance that feels like it has something to say. Mary says “give it up” for Philip Chbeeb. Very creative beginning. She loved every second inside the box. The She says it was like a painting. It wasn’t her favorite, but she thinks a lot of other people will love it. Nigel says he’s one of those people. He says it’s fitting that unique dancers got a unique choreographer. He says it’s one of the best routines they’ve done. Nigel says that no matter what happens, stay true to who you are. Vanessa says it had a groove that was undeniably cool, and she loved watching it. – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO
You can vote for KAYLEE!

8) Koine- Why I Love You
Her brother is her inspiration. He’s the most giving person she knows. He was a figure skater, and their parents couldn’t afford for both him to skate and her to dance, so he quit skating so she could dance. Awww. Her solo is very sweet, kinda like the polar opposite of Taylors. I don’t think she quite had the connection to the song that Logan had, so Logan still wins the Solo round for me, but Koine’s was Ok.

The All-Stars- Floreana- Choreo by Andrew Wingard
I mean the costumes here are pretty to look at. It almost has a cirque du soleil look to it, but the dance itself is just OK. We’ve had some truly stunning routines this season in the group categories, and this one is definitely a tier two routine for me. It’s just fine, but I wouldn’t call it back, if you know what I’m saying. But, again, mad props to costuming. – Click to Watch Performance VIDEO

9) Taylor and Robert- Hip Hop with Keone and Mari-Numb and Getting Colder
They talk about Nigel wanting Taylor to find those extra special things. A very odd routine. I kinda liked it, but I didn’t love it. I appreciated both Robert and Taylor’s commitment to the routine, it just only had a few moments of flash for me, and a lot of poses. Nigel says they are two of his favorite choreographers. Nigel says they nailed it tonight. Vanessa says it was one of her favorite Taylor routines. She was confident, and animalistic, she couldn’t look away. Mary loved it. She says they were so strong and articulate. She says Taylor is a star, and makes Mary happy she became a dancer. – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO
You can vote for TAYLOR! 

10) Lex-Brother
Lex’s inspiration is Zak Ryan Shlegel. Zak has been training Lex since he was nine. I always wonder how much of Lex’s dances are choreographed and how much is improv. There are moments that are pure brilliance, and some of his movement is breathtaking. But there can be these little moments that are manic and feel like he’s trying to think of the next power move to do. It adds to his overall “uniqueness”, and while I liked this, I still gotta give the edge to Logan.

11) Logan and Allison- Contemporary with Dee- The Other Side
Logan likes that this is a very dark piece. He’s excited to dance contemporary finally with Allison. The routine is very dark. It starts out with minimal lighting, and they are wearing mostly black. Logan is incredible in his style. Of course, so is Allison. I don’t think Allison and Logan have quite the connection some of the other All-Stars have, but they’re both incredible dancers, so I’m not sure that mattered too much here. I still really enjoyed the dance. Vanessa thanks Dee for the sexiest contemporary routine she’s ever seen. She says Logan always blows her away, and Allison “WOW”. She says they were both on fire tonight, and she loved the floor crawl at the end. Mary says that Logan had had so many different exits out of his pirouttes and turns because he can do it. She says his partner work showed his strength. She says he’s turned out to be a fabulous partner. Nigel says Logan’s technique is undeniable, but he still wants more emotion and vulnerability from Logan.
You can vote for LOGAN! – Click to Watch Performance and Solo VIDEO

12) Kiki- Summertime
Dance runs in Kiki’s family. His parents met through dance, and are dance teachers, and his brother dances. Kiki wanted to be his brother. His brother stopped dancing to push Kiki further, because he thought Kiki could go further than him. Awww. Kiki always does a good job of making his ballroom solos interesting. I again have to question if he listened to the song at all. He could have been dancing to anything. Him taking his shirt off at the end is a desperate attempt at pulling votes in, lol. I wonder if that was even his idea. He’s been so shy about the “Daddy Kiki” thing this season.

MIA MICHAELS WILL CHOREOGRAPH NEXT WEEK! OMG!

13) Koine and Lex- Disco with Doriana Sanchez- Knock On Wood
So, apparently these two either are getting eliminated, or the powers that be want them to be. I thought they had given up on Disco. This is the first partnered Disco of the season, I believe. Surprisingly Lex and Koine have great chemistry, and there are some cool tricks here. This is very much a personality dance, and Koine is serving up her fierceness on a platter. I was thinking this wouldn’t work, but she’s gonna drag this dance across the stage kicking and screaming if she has to. Koine slayed that dance. Lex looks injured. He’s hiding his pain. Mary says it was tough, with all those lifts. Incredible. She says Koine made it look like a walk in the park. Nigel pushes it, and Lex mentions some old injuries, but says he’s OK. Nigel says the kids are scared of Doriana because they know its a non-stop routine, and that Koine is the best performer this season. Nigel tells Lex to take a hot bath and get plenty of sleep. Vanessa is also concerned about Lex. She says it was outstanding, amazing, mindblowing, and they always give their all and adapt to every dance style. She adores them. – Click to Watch Performance VIDEO

RESULTS!

One is immediately safe, one has to wait till the end.

LEX has made the Top 4. Koine has to wait. She’s not necessarily eliminated, she’s just not straight through.

14) Taylor and Logan- Jazz with Mark-
Mark Kanemura is choreographing! Mark says this is a really personal routine, about two people in love, who don’t end up together. These shirts… lol. Not the song choice I was expecting for this song. It’s almost impossible to get emotional to this song. It’s a cool routine, and I like some of the concepts, but… wow… compared to what Mark was describing, I didn’t get any of that. I didn’t feel his story at all. Sorry. Nigel says one of his favorite openers was by Mark, and he says this was a lovely routine. Nigel says this was everything he was asking from Logan and Taylor. Nigel says it was beautiful and they compliment each other so well. Vanessa agrees, she adores the two of them, and there were moments where she felt they were lost in the movements of the dance. Mary says it was a celebration of dance, and she loved every second. – Click to Watch Performance VIDEO

The second safe dancer is TAYLOR. Logan will have to wait till the end of the show.
So far, Gaby and Robert have made the finale (of the All-Stars). It’s kinda crazy considering how hard a time Robert had filling his team. Maybe after Taylor and JT, people will start taking Robert more seriously as a mentor?

15) Kiki and Kaylee- Bollywood with Nakul – Gallan Goodiyaan
Wow. Bollywood. Both of these two were in the bottom, and they’re here to fight for their Top 4 spots. First off, mad love for Kiki, who jumped and moved around with Kaylee on his shoulders for a good while. Like, wow. His strength as a partner is unmatched in this competition. Any lift? He can do it. Otherwise, I thought they did an admirable job. It wasn’t my favorite Bollywood. Vanessa says it took them both out of their comfort zone, and she thanks Nakul. She says it was wonderful to see them in a brand new light, and saw the most joy in Kaylee’s dance. She says they had the best time. Mary says they saw another side of Kaylee tonight, and she was enjoying every second. She says the fact they can still do squats this late in the show. Fabulous. Nigel says they showed commitment, and Kaylee’s boxing helped her be strong in this routine. Nigel says Dancing With The Stars should pick up Kiki after this season. – Click to Watch Performance VIDEO

More results. The third dancer who is safe is KIKI! Kaylee now has to face off against Logan and Koine for the final spot (just as I predicted). Did Kaylee or Koine do enough to knock Logan from the Top 4? Based on tonight, all three did enough. It was Kiki who had a weak routine with his partner, and even Lex who got hit with some “technique” comments. Regardless, we are losing two strong dancers tonight.

We’re back. Who will join Kiki, Lex, and Taylor in the finale? Nigel says two will be disappointed, but they’ll have a great time on tour. Nigel mentions that Travis got turned down the first time he auditioned for the show. (He also didn’t win his season).

The final dancer in the top 4 is… Koine! 

Logan and Kaylee are eliminated.

Marko, Jenna, Robert, and Gaby have made the finale! 

They both get a huge standing O from the audience and the judges. Both Logan and Kaylee give thanks to their respective All-Stars. – Click to Watch RESULTS VIDEO

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: TOP 6 TO 4: Host Cat Deeley (L) announces eliminated contestants Kaylee Millis (second from right) and Logan Hernandez (second fro left) with all-stars Allison Holker (C) and Cyrus Spencer (R) on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airing Monday, September 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. ©2017 FOX Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose

Only two more weeks remain. This weeks votes will combine with next weeks votes, and in two weeks we will crown a winner.

So who is going to win? Lex and Taylor have never been in the bottom. Can Koine or Kiki make a comeback? Join me next week as the Top 4 battle it out.

About SirMac 241 Articles
Contributor to mjsbigblog.com. EIC of macthemovieguy.com, Contributor at houseofgeekery.com. Holds a BA in Film from the University of Central Florida.