Since So You Think You Can Dance season 14 started with just 10 dancers in the live shows, we are down to just eight. And while that may seem like a lot, it also seems like we’re fast approaching who will be crowned winner.
This week, the contestants get to dance with each other, bringing back the real feel of So You Think You Can Dance before the All-Stars get involved. In the previous week, Dassy, Mark and Sydney were in the bottom three, with the judges sending Sydney home. But will the judges save Dassy if she’s in the bottom three again?
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Bold Opening
Before the Top 8 and the All-Stars take the stage, Cat Deeley announces that for the first time this season, the contestants will be dancing with each other. Then, the group performs a dance choreographed by Mark Kanemura to “Call Me Mother” by RuPaul. It’s a bizarre, but fast-paced routine that is a great way to open the show. After the dancers are introduced, Cat lets us know that they will be performing two routines tonight – one with their All-Star to a random genre and one with each other.
No Story – Nowhere to Hide
Up first are Marko and Koine doing a jazz routine from Mandy Moore. What’s unique about this routine is there is no story! Both are thrilled to just go out and dance without any story to tell. Moore explains, though, that there is nowhere to hide on the stage with no story.
The whole time the pair are dancing to “HandyClap” by Fitz & The Tantrums, though, they look like they are having a blast and have great chemistry. The judges agree, with Mary calling it simply fabulous, and Nigel enjoying Koine’s personality in her dancing.
Lit Trip to the East Coast
Luther Brown takes Robert and Taylor – or rather “Tay-lo” and “Bob” – on a trip to New York City in a hip-hop routine. While I feel that Taylor seemed a bit awkward in the routine to “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B, the judges love it. They all agree she does better than the previous week, with Vanessa calling it a lit performance.
Slow & Fast
Next up are Gaby and Lex, who is thrilled to have a Mandy Moore routine in his own genre – contemporary. The story is Lex is a guy who is his own worst enemy. And he nails the routine with Gaby to “Work Song” by Luke Wade. It is quite possibly the strongest performance by Lex so far this season, and the judges agree, with Mary saying he annihilated it. She calls his leaps incredible, and Nigel calls Lex stunning to watch.
Right behind the slow, emotional performance though, is a fast-paced and technical Cha-Cha number by Val Chmerkovskiy for Kaylee and Cyrus. Kaylee is not too thrilled by the ballroom number, but says that Val is a great teacher and she picked up the techniques pretty quickly. And it shows. She nails the number to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. Mary is so surprised, fearing that Kaylee wouldn’t be able to handle a ballroom routine, but says she loves Kaylee’s confidence. Nigel applauds Val for using Kaylee’s strengths throughout the number, and Vanessa says Kaylee and Cyrus crushed it.
Sexy Lock-Up and 2D Art
Comfort and Mark tackle a Spencer Liff Broadway number. The routine, Liff says, is a metaphor for the many ways love can bind you. He adds that Comfort has Mark’s heart captive and he’s trying to break free. The number to “Criminal” by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox feat. Arian Savalas is sexy and provocative with a rope and handcuffs. And despite Mark’s great performance, I do get lost watching Comfort during their routines because she’s just so good. All of the judges agree that Mark keeps getting better and better each week.
Kiki and Jenna get assigned a Travis Wall jazz number, and it’s a bizarre one. The story is set in the 1950s and about a wife wanting her husband’s promotion check. It’s a 2D art set and the costumes are just insane to “Pop Hd” by AtomTM. Vanessa calls the routine animalistic, while Nigel loves the angles of the pair.
Strength in Lifts
Dassy and Fik-Shun get to be creepy in a contemporary number by Jaci Royal. Dassy haunts Fik-Shun’s dreams, and the routine requires a lot of strength. As they perform to “Breathe” by Son Lux, Fik-Shun lifts, tosses and throws around Dassy in such a fantastic way. It’s exciting and interesting. All of the judges agree that it’s a strong performance by Dassy.
Last up in the All-Star routines are Allison and Logan, as they perform a Christopher Scott lyrical hip-hop piece. It is probably the best performance of the night to “Say You Won’t Let Go” by Boyce Avenue. It’s a fun, energetic and lyrical number. They do a great job telling the story of a husband and wife just having fun at home. All of the judges agree that Logan is born to dance.
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Dancing with Each Other
Before the So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars can rest and watch their partners perform with each other, they tackle a Jaci Royal piece to “Truth” by Balmorhea. It’s a powerful piece that involves lots of lifts, turns and several pieces of Plexiglas. It’s pretty impressive as they hold each other up with just the pieces of Plexiglas and manage to tell a powerful story.
First up in the contestant-paired numbers is Lex and Taylor with a classical jazz piece by Spencer Liff. They are birds in the routine to “An American In Paris” by James Levine & Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While I don’t particularly care for the piece, all of the judges absolutely love it, with Nigel calling it one of the best dance routines ever on So You Think You Can Dance.
Koine and Kiki are paired together for a Val Chmerkovskiy salsa piece. It involves several tricks, which have Koine a bit nervous, but the pair nails the routine to “Danca Molengo” by Bondedo Role Feat. Rizzle Kicks. Not only do they get all of the salsa moves, they perform all of the tricks with such ease. They are both great dancers, but when paired are, to quote Vanessa, “on fire.” Mary sends them on the hot tamale train, while Nigel compliments Val on his bringing a different level of ballroom to the program.
Kaylee and Logan tackle a Travis Wall routine. Kaylee represents Logan’s shadow during the piece to “Shadows” by Woodkid, and that’s a strong task to take up, but she does a pretty good job. While Nigel does offer some technical advice to Kaylee and praises Logan, both Mary and Vanessa think the pair did a great job.
The last SYTYCD pair to perform together are Dassy and Mark, who were in the bottom three last week. Choreographer Christopher Scott says he prepared a difficult piece to bring them back to life. He does this by incorporating umbrellas into the routine to “Tilted” by Christine and The Queens. And despite Dassy breaking several umbrellas during rehearsals, she does an amazing job during the performance. It’s a good, fun routine, but I’m not sure it’s enough to save them. However, the judges love it.
The Bottom Three
After last week’s votes, the bottom three in danger are Kaylee, Dassy and Koine. Before announcing who is going home, Nigel takes the time to compliment each dancer. Then he tells Koine to get out of the lineup, as he doesn’t even know why she’s in the bottom three. And because the whole point of the show is to get to one winner, Nigel sends Dassy home.
Dassy has been in the bottom three for the past three weeks on So You Think You Can Dance, so it was only a matter of time before she was sent home. I’m surprised that Fik-Shun’s partner was sent home, but her performances just weren’t that strong in the end.
I’m a huge Kaylee fan, but I’m not surprised she was in the bottom three. The judges have been hard on her too, but I feel she’s getting stronger each week, and her cha-cha this week, she nailed. I imagine that Taylor could possibly end up in the bottom three next week, as I didn’t think her performances were that great.
What did you think of the Top 8 performances? Did you like that the contestants go to dance with each other for the first time this season? Which performance was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
So You Think You Can Dance season 14 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Want more news? Like BuddyTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
