Finally, the So You Think You Can Dance train arrives in Sin City. The dancers have worked hard to make it to the season 10 Las Vegas round. Now, the pressure is on to impress the judges and advance to the top 20. Who will move on, and who will go home? Let’s find out!
Our esteemed judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe are joined by director and choreographer Adam Shankman, singer and songwriter Jason Derulo and Stephen “tWitch” Boss. Two dancers are unable to compete in Vegas due to injuries: Taylor Ward and Hampton “The Excorcist” Williams.
Solos
First up are the solo routines. There are 159 dancers performing solo routines for the privilege of actually getting their room key. Contemporary dancer Malece Miller shines in her solo, and moves on.
Donovan Gibbs, a hip-hop dancer from the Austin auditions, does not advance. Salsa dancer Katlyn Rodriguez, Shane Garcia and Darlesha Goggins also are sent home without even unpacking.
Street dancer Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall makes it through, and a super-excited “tWitch” delivers the good news.
Hip-Hop
Napoleon and Tabitha, also known as “Nappy-Tabs,” are the choreographers for the hip-hop round. They promise a fast and nasty routine. Animator Jade Zuberi impresses everyone, and his group is put through to the next round.
Toshihiko “Toshi” Nakazawa is sent home.
Shanshan Qiao-Rothlisberger, the Mongolian bowl dancer, is put through because of her swag factor, even though she does not nail all the elements of the routine. Tyrone Cobham, Jr. and Alexis Juliano, both tappers, make it to the next round. Jenna Johnson and Armen “Armen Way” Avetisov, as well as another male ballroom dancer, head to the next round.
Jazz
A new judge joins the panel for the rest of the Vegas auditions: Hannah Simone from New Girl. She takes over for Jason Derulo.
Sonya Tayeh is the choreographer for the jazz round, so buckle up, people! She tells the dancers that she wants the dance to highlight strong partnering. When it is time for the judges to return and watch the performances, she sits the dancers down for a chat. She does not feel they are ready to perform, informing them that they will practice all night and perform first thing in the morning. She also tells them not to make a fool out of her. Yikes! I’m even intimidated at home!
As the night progresses, some dancers have wandering attention spans. Malece Miller is partnering with “Armen Way,” and he drops her on her head. She is taken away by ambulance.
Before the performances begin, Nigel Lythgoe lets the dancers know that since they were not good enough to perform last night, the bar is raised even higher since they have had so much time to practice.
Contemporary dancer Amy Yakima from the Detroit auditions shines in the routine, prompting Adam Shankman to place her in his top 20 list. She moves to the next round, as does “Fik-Shun,” Alexis Juliano and Jenna Johnson.
Jade Zuberi’s partner, Sydney Miller, has some concerns about their partnership, and she asks Sonya if she can dance with another partner. Sonya is really angry. Sydney manages to make it through, and Jade has to dance for his life.
Malece Miller, who is cleared to dance, partners with “Armen Way” once again. All the judges look concerned during their performance. Malece receives compliments and the news that she has made it through. An emotional Mary Murphy informs Armen that she is fighting to keep him, and allows him to continue on.
Shanshan Qiao-Rothlisberger has her dreams dashed, and she vows to return again.
Jade Zuberi’s entertaining animation routine does the trick, and both “tWitch” and Sonya are on their feet. He moves on.
Ballroom
The dancers have one hour to learn the routine, choreographed by all-stars Dmitri Chaplin and Chelsea Hightower. Not surprisingly, Jenna Johnson stands out in her field, and moves on in the competition. Jade Zuberi and “Fik-Shun” are stand-outs as well and make it to the next level. Tommy Tibball and Sydney Miller are sent home.
Group Dance
The dancers are put in groups and select their music at random. The first group consists of Alan, Gene, Kayla, Jasmine Mason and Jenna. Their hauntingly beautiful dance, inspired by the Boston bombings and the acts of heroism that occurred, moves the judges to tears. The entire group moves on.
The next group is comprised of Jasmine Harper, Derek, Chrystiane, Jarvis, Viktoria and “Fik-Shun.” Derek decided to call it a night fairly early to get some rest. The judges feel the routine is horrible, and Derek and Chrystiane are cut. The rest of the group advances to the next round.
The next group, which includes Jennifer, Tucker, Amy, Mariia and Markus, decides to use chairs in their routine. After some initial disagreements between Jennifer and Mariia, the group’s performance moves Adam Shankman to tears. (Yes, again!) The entire group makes it through.
The final group of the night consists of Makenzie, Carlos, Carley, Sarah and Vitaly. The judges feel like the choreography is immature, and they are unhappy with the performance. Sarah and Vitaly, who punches the wall on his way out, are sent home. The others go on to the next round.
Contemporary
With 59 dancers left, it is time for choreographer Stacey Tookey to put the dancers through their paces. Jennifer Jones from the Boston auditions and Misha Smagin team up to perform together. They are both cut.
Jade Zuberi is in the position of having to dance, once again, for his life. A weepy Curtis Holland receives a shock when he is told that he’s moving on. Malece, Jenna and “Fik-Shun” also make it through.
Dorian “BluPrint” Hector teams up with Jasmine Harper. Jasmine, who used to date Cyrus from season 9, performs well and earns her way to the next round. “Blu-Print” and Jade will have to battle it out to see who will make it to the next round. In this battle of the animators, Stacey Tookey makes the call and chooses … both! The audience erupts in applause.
A Few Last Words
Finally, the dancers take turns telling the judges why they should continue in the competition. Armen says that he has changed to be a better person. The judges decide to send Armen home and keep the other four male ballroom dancers.
So, after eight more dancers are cut, 33 advance to the Green Mile and a shot at the top 20.
So You Think You Can Dance airs Tuesdays at 8pm on FOX.
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(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Kim has been covering television entertainment since 2013. She is addicted to Real Housewives, Pump Rules, Dancing with the Stars, and many more shows.
