Good Monday Everyone :)
Tonight’s the night we find out which four dancers have made the finale of season sixteen of So You Think You Can Dance. The top six will take to the stage and be joined by All-Stars in a two-hour extravaganza before America and the judges decisions are revealed. It is bound to be a night of high drama and high talent as all six performers give it everything they have to earn your votes.
Last week was the high point of the season thus far. Our first two-hour show brought some incredible routines with quite a few dancers having their best night of the competition. Unfortunately, it was the end of the road for Benjamin & Anna, with Ezra & Madison joining them in the bottom four. And while the judges seemed determined to tell us that Bailey & Madison are this season’s top couple, Gino & Sophie knocked all of their routines out of the park, giving the presumptive front runners some competition.
But will that continue to play out tonight? Or will Ezra & Madison have a breakthrough evening while others falter? Will the addition of the All-Stars bring up the dance quality or will it show who is actually lacking in ability? And above all else, which two dancers will just miss the cut on making the finale in the cruelest boot of the season? Let’s answer all these questions and get the show started.
Once again, here is the voting information you need…
Three ways you can vote:
(1) With the FOXNOW app for mobile phones.
(2) At the website fox.com/dance/vote
(3) By using the text number 21523 – Send a text to that number using the dancer’s first name. Example: text Mariah to 21523 to vote Mariah.
A limit of 20 votes for each method. Voting ends tomorrow morning at 9AM Eastern.
It is So You Think You Can Dance by way of The Walking Dead for our opening routine. Zombie dancers! But talented zombies. The All-Stars are with the top six for this. Choreography there by Pharside & Phoenix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvbZkSAcTI
The top 6 will be back four more times tonight- with a partner, solo, in a new group, and with an All-Star. That’s a lot of dancing.
Bailey & Koine – Broadway – Al Blackstone
Cute number. Bailey did about as well as I expected. He wasn’t tasked with anything earth shattering here, which I guess is very smart of Al Blackstone. So what he was told to do, he did do decently. My eyes were continuously drawn to Koine who remains a stunning dancer. But all in all, I can totally see the audience eating this cute number up.
Dom tells Bailey that he is an amazing dancer so he believed the character and performance. Laurie would buy a ticket to any show that Bailey is in. Nigel thinks Bailey is a forty year old with a face lift. He says he is outstanding. Mary calls Bailey the entertainer of the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQowaPkOxFI
Mariah out with her solo. That was better than we saw last week and actually had content I would remember later on. Good on her because I have a feeling the girls solos are going to look very similar tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRrUShpeDys
Gino & Comfort – Hip-Hop – Luther Brown
Damn. Fantastic hip-hop number from Gino. That blew his first number of the season in this style out of the water. If you never told me he was a legit hip-hop expert, I would have thought he was. So groovy and swaggy throughout. And he matched Comfort- who is a total beast every time she steps out on the stage. Clever choreography as well from Luther Brown.
Laurie gives props to Luther for the choreography. She said he felt the funk in his trunk. Nigel thinks he was one hundred percent better than the last hip-hop number. Mary says Gino has come out fighting tonight. She calls it amazing. Dom calls it brilliant and labels Gino a star.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrbHKwWiASo
Madison & Lex – Jazz – Mandy Moore
Oh Mandy Moore. You stress me out so much with your definition of a jazz number. But it is what it is. Hey, Madison has a certain ability every single time she dances to make you watch her. And Lex has that as well so it was hard for me to not want to concentrate on one or the other. I enjoyed the weirdness of it and the funky dancing even if I wasn’t totally jumping out of my chair. I do think that Madison needs memorable numbers tonight and this, at the very least, was that.
Nigel compliments Mandy and Lex. He tells Madison that like Gino, she has brilliant technique but doesn’t always let her emotions go- but tonight she did. Mary says Madison latched onto the vibe and she loved the chemistry. Dom says Madison proves movement is more important than moves and that was her best routine. Laurie feels the music got away from her a bit and she wants her to let go a little more. Nigel disagrees. Laurie notes she is the sole judge with a different opinion here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VmlIbrZD1w
Another good ballroom solo by Ezra, though a little manic. Last week was a drop better for him in that department but again, it is so hard for a ballroom guy (or girl) to do solos as they just excel when they have an actual partner to play off of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQsq9ik_D8o
Sophie & Kiki – Samba – Pasha Kovalev
First, dumb song choice for a samba. Truly. Sophie was a bit tentative here, which is quite surprising. But maybe it was the song. She had to remain in a certain pocket due to the tune and wasn’t really able to fully let go. And trust me, samba’s are usually a lot more high energy and fun. It was a good attempt though and Kiki was a decent partner. I just wish the choreography went in a different direction and echoed a more traditional party dance samba. Different tastes I guess.
Mary says they are lucky to have Pasha and Kiki in the house. She felt Sophie looked like a professional dancer. She tells her to be careful on the samba rolls but she thought she did amazing overall. Dom didn’t like when she sang the lyrics in the dance but he feels she is blowing up at the right time. Laurie simply says incredible and well done. Nigel feels she relaxed into it and it was a lot of fun to see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqXVJ1e61Uk
Mariah & Fik-Shun – Hip-Hop – Misha Gabriel
Fun number. But I have to be totally honest. I had a very hard time not watching Fik-Shun and only Fik-Shun. That’s not to say Mariah was bad or anything but he is just so good at what he does and he made that number. I feel like Mariah was just sort of there as a supporting player and he was the lead dancer. I enjoyed the number but damn, that rehearsal footage put my expectations so damn high that I was expecting more.
Dom thinks Mariah is one of his favorite contemporary turned hip-hop dancers. Laurie calls it magical. She calls it super…. and can’t finish her thought. Nigel disagrees. He didn’t feel it tonight. He thought it wasn’t as strong as her previous numbers. Mary disagrees with Nigel. She feels Mariah always brings the magic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N67zPr9OjKQ
Bailey with a very strong solo set to an unexpected song. He shows off his very wide range of B-boy skills and the audience goes crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwv_EHnetOc
Ezra & Gaby – Contemporary – Robert Roldan
Really good contemporary piece. I could have done without them being dressed in whatever they were put it in but I tried to ignore that. This was one of those heart touching contemporary pieces that has a big backstory requiring a lot of emotional input from the dancers. And both Ezra and Gabi pulled it off. I especially liked that the music was so quiet as to highlight the dancing. Good job.
Laurie tells Robert it was breathtaking. Laurie tells Ezra that he is special and she tells him he needs to remember that. Nigel feels Ezra has freed himself tonight and was honest with himself. He calls it beautiful. Mary says Ezra bared his soul on the stage. Dom calls him inspiring and says the piece is like his journey on the show- get knocked down and come back stronger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM6SEWN3hEI
Sophie & Gino – Broadway – Warren Carlyle
That was adorable. I really felt like that could have been a Broadway number. It was so cheeky and breezy and both danced it with effortless abandon. I think Gino overall handled the quickness of it a bit better but it was a joy to watch. I especially loved how it was playful but not played for laughs and more for technical prowess. Just a feel good routine where you watch two very gifted dancers simply entertain you.
Nigel feels Warren used every inch of the stage. He loves watching these two together and finds them special. Mary says Gino reminds her of Gene Kelley. She wants to buy a Broadway ticket with them. Dom questions the kiss. NO. DON’T GO THERE WITH A SHOWMANCE ANGLE. These two don’t need it. The dancing is strong enough with giving them so fake are they in love angle. Laurie simply calls them the couple to beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99jRCznREFI
Another angelic and ethereal solo from Madison. She needs to find a way to make these look different from one another because they are all looking a little similar I’m afraid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6-2eV_4R50
Bailey & Mariah – Jazz – Ray Leeper
On one hand, I laugh because it is like two teens playing sexy. It just doesn’t look comfortable. I do not think of either in that way no matter what type of clothes they wear or how sultry the moves are. On the other hand, Bailey’ gave his best overall performance in a long time. He was confident and stayed with Mariah the whole time and together, they excelled in what Ray asked of them. Good job.
Mary wants to know what has gotten into Bailey. She tells him they set the stage on fire and she says they are still the couple to beat. Dom calls Bailey Magic Mike. LOL. He is blown away. Laurie stands corrected. Nigel agrees and calls them the most sensational couple. He says they really are the couple to beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9kXbvsRbjE
Wow. Sophie was really saying something with that solo. She told a whole lot in the small time they are allotted to dance. Strong solo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg-f4md6pw8
Ezra & Madison – Disco – Doriana Sanchez
I adore disco. So much fun. So fast. So many tricks. That being said, parts of this were sloppy. Both of them had moments that were wobbly but as fast as they had to go, with as much movement as they were tasked, I feel they should be proud of the result. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lively and entertaining piece that showcased them well enough.
Dom says when he did it, it was so difficult. He gives them praise for the lifts and how fast it was. Laurie calls the show THE best dance show. She tells Madison that she let go. And she tells Ezra he did an amazing job. Nigel saw the sparkle in the routine. Mary says it gave everyone disco fever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB9Wg2xgCIM
For the second week in a row, I am stunned by Gino’s ability to tell such a succinct story within a solo that is so short. Marvelous job. Tonight’s solos were all overall better than last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clnCWq6iPE0
Madison, Mariah, and Sophie – Ray Leeper
That was great. Everything worked there- from the costumes to the music to the lighting to the steps. It was so well danced that it felt like one person. One of my favorite mini-group performances of the show this season.
Laurie says the three of them literally killed it. Nigel hopes each one of them feels they have learned something from the show. He says all three are brilliant. Mary tells them they are all deserving and amazing emerging artists. Dom tells the ladies it has been an honor watching them and they have always been standouts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cojFUhHnI
Gino, Ezra, and Bailey – Talia Favia
Exquisite dancing there. Smart of Talia to showcase Gino so much in that, as he happens to be the strongest male of these three and draws eyes. Compliments to all three though for nailing that. It looked to be quite a challenging routine that had to mirror technique with emotion. Like the girls before, another stunning mini group number.
Nigel is so happy that Talia did that routine because it all came together beautifully. He says Gino was the standout. He is shocked at how brilliantly it was performed. Mary says the dance was one with the universe. She calls it wonderful. Dom feels all three were in the moment giving their best. Laurie says the power of dance is to speak without opening your mouth. She tells all three have the ability to see their dreams manifest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IeeUt1AaVs
*Remember to vote your favorites. The judges can say whatever they please about who they love, who should win, etc…but this is America’s favorite dancer. So if you have a favorite, vote. :)
Results:
Nigel takes into account this evening and America’s vote from last week. They didn’t feel they should go against America’s vote because they agree with it. The first guy into the finale is Gino. The first girl going into the finale is Mariah.
Bailey is in. Ezra has been eliminated.
Sophie is in. Madison is eliminated.
Note – they didn’t say who was in the actual bottom four besides Ezra and Madison. We can assume it was Gino & Sophie but they made it seem like it was Bailey & Mariah. I can’t imagine that though to be honest.
Madison is crying because she is so emotional and thankful. Ezra is always honored. He loved sharing the stage with the contestants and especially his sister.
Tonight’s votes will be COMBINED with next week’s votes (as no one will go home next week) to determine the winner when it is announced in two week’s time during the season finale. Get out the vote. :)
I hope you guys enjoyed the show tonight. I’ll see y’all next Monday night.
