Eliana Girard. Chehon Wespi-Tschopp. Tiffany Maher. Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer. When So You Think You Can Dance season 9 ends, two of these performers will be chosen as America’s Favorite Dancers. We find out exactly who wins in the So You Think You Can Dance season 9 finale.
Of course, So You Think You Can Dance has two hours to fill and therefore will not just hand over the names of the winners right away. That would be against the code of reality television if nothing else. So instead, we will get a lot of dance entertainment — singer Carly Rae Jepsen is scheduled to perform and Nigel Lythgoe hinted that we will see more dancers from the Dragon House.
And there will be some encores of some favorite dances seen throughout SYTYCD season 9.
Click here to see our picks for the 9 best dances of So You Think You Can Dance season 9.
Who did America choose as its favorite girl and favorite guy dancers? Let’s find out!
This is a very dramatic beginning. Although it was cool to see all those past winners flash by. And is this crazy dancing to the roar of the fans live or was that last week? I should probably remember the costumes. I don’t. Sorry.
Everybody’s Back!
And I do mean everybody. The entire Top 20 start out the show with dancing intros. This means we get to see:
Alexa and Daniel
Amber and Nick
Amelia and Will
Audrey and Matthew
Janaya and Brandon
Janelle and Dareian
Lindsay and Cole
Witney and George
Eliana
Chehon
Tiffany
Cyrus
Did you remember all of them? I admit it took me a second to remember who Nick was.
Oh right. The results! Thanks Cat — we wouldn’t have remembered. Actually, I did kind of forget for a minute there.
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Even though they’re not actually judging anything, we get six judges for the SYTYCD finale:
Lil’ C
Adam Shankman
Debbie Allen
Tyce Diorio
Mary Murphy
Nigel Lythgoe (aka “Nije,” as Cat calls him)
Also, shout-out to the lighting people and their Emmy!
Opening Number
Choreographers: Christopher Scott and Sonya Tayeh
Music: “Torn” by Nathan Lanier
After a very, very dramatic intro package, the dance gets to start. It seems to involve dancers in dark-colored costumes getting blown by a brisk wind while the spotlights go wild.
Only prettier, of course, because this is dance.
Honestly, Nigel is right about this dance — it’s pretty incredible.
It’s good that Cat Deeley doesn’t have to pick winners. I think she’d rather die than choose between all her darling dance babies.
Anyway, next dance. Nigel’s choice.
Audrey Case and Matthew Kazmierczak
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Style: Contemporary
Music: “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
Good choice, Nigel. I totally picked this as one of the top 9 dances of the season! Even with the cheesy Titanic connotations, I absolutely loved this one. Easily the best performance of the season from both dancers.
Now Lil’ C gets to pick.
Witney Carson and tWitch Boss
Choreographer: Luther Brown
Style: Hip hop
Music: “My Homies Still” by Lil Wayne feat. Big Sean
Oh yeah. This was a good one too. I think the idea of Witney being any good at hip hop was so unimaginable that my brain refused to retain a memory of it.
My brain is foolish and wrong. The dance is pretty good.
Now, Debbie Allen gets to pick her favorite routine. Debbie Allen has tall hair tonight.
Tiffany Maher and George Lawrence II
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Style: Contemporary
Music: “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last
All right. I admit that I don’t remember this dance particularly. Or maybe I just thought there were enough Tiffany and Sonya Tayeh dances in the top 9 of the season.
OK, we’re going back to the auditions now? Well, some of them were pretty cool.
Cool Audition #5 — Leroy Martinez
I adored this guy when he auditioned. Totally reminded me of a modern-day Oliver Hardy. And I still wish the judges had given him more of a chance.
Enough of the auditions! Back to the judges’ picks! Adam Shankman raves and picks…
Cole Horibe and Lindsay Arnold
Choreographer: Jason Gilkison
Style: Paso Doble
Music: “Unstoppable” by E.S. Posthumous
Had you forgotten how absolutely terrifying Cole can be? This is a decent reminder. Sure, he had scarier dances, but this one works. It also shows just how short-changed Lindsay was by being “the other blonde ballroom dancer” this season.
Tyce Diorio has the next pick. Of course he picks the most over-the-top, crazy couple:
Amelia Lowe and Will Thomas
Choreographers: Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo
Style: Hip hop
Music: “The Lovecats” by The Cure
I seem to recall there being some criticism about calling this “hip hop.” Not entirely without basis. Still, it is a fun dance. Plus, there’s a dumpster!
Cool Audition #4 — Bree Hafen
And her adorable, dancing children! She really was good. Too bad she wasn’t so good at other styles. Wait — how can they show that without the dancing of baby Stella? Boo!
Mary Murphy is up to make her dance choice now.
Cheon Wespi-Tschopp and Kathryn McCormick
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Style: Contemporary
Music: “Eli, Eli (A Walk to Caesarea)” by Sophie Midman
Holly-cost? Interesting pronunciation, Mary Murphy. But mocking of judges aside, this is the sad one with the suitcase. Very good, but too tragic for me to really love.
OK, they’re letting the Top 4 dancers pick a routine too. Eliana is first.
Eliana Girard and Alex Wong
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Style: Contemporary
Music: “Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Nancy Sinatra
Well chosen, Eliana. Such a great performance!
Awesome Audition #3 — The Ninja Twins
They actually were pretty good. Even if they were way too old and deserved to be on a very different kind of reality show.
Cat Deeley gets to pick one too!
Tiffany Maher and Brandon Bryant
Choreographer: Doriana Sanchez
Style: Disco
Music: “You Make Me Feel…” by Cobra Starship feat. Sabi
How did I forget this one for the top 9? It surely deserves at least an honorable mention! Sigh… Too many good dances.
Chehon gets the next pick…
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp and Anya Garnis
Choreographers: Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo
Style: Argentine tango
Music: Breathing Below Surface by Jesse Cook
OK, I know this didn’t get put in the top 9. Even writing that, I kept thinking that Chehon’s tango really ought to be one of the best dances. But it never was. Oh well!
After a general hip-hop montage, the stage gets taken over by a bunch of rather good dancers.
tWitch Boss, Comfort Fedoke, Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer and Christopher Scott
Style: Hip hop (the animation kind)
Choreographer: Christopher Scott
Music: “Holy Ghost” by Messinian
This is funky stuff. It’s cool.
Tiffany’s turn to choose now!
Tiffany Maher and Ade Obayomi
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Style: Contemporary
Music: “The Power of Love” by Celine Dion
This is that pretty, throwing-Tiffany-all-over-the-stage performance. It almost makes up for the fact that the music comes from Celine Dion. Almost… (OK, it totally does.)
Awesome Audition #2: The Exorcist
This guy was probably totally insane. Fortunately, he was also a pretty incredible dancer, so we can forgive the nuttiness.
Now we get a performance from the crazy people who produced Cyrus…
Dragon House
Music: “Cryosleep” by Cyberoptics
This is very cool. Except that it might give me nightmares about robots coming to steal our souls and use them for dancing purposes. That small gold man is especially terrifying. Still, it’s a cool sort of terrifying. Kind of like a horror movie.
Now we will forget that this is a dance show for a minute or two so that the big-name singer can perform. That would be Carly Rae Jepsen singing “This Kiss.” To give So You Think You Can Dance credit, there is actual dancing happening during the song. Still…
Audition montage now. Followed by competition montage. They like montages.
Finally, Cyrus gets his pick. You’ll never guess what he picked…
Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer and tWitch Boss
Choreographer: Christopher Scott
Style: Animation
Music: “Like a Criminal” by District 78
When originally performed, I wanted to like this show more than I actually did. Not sure why. It seems a bit better this time. I think it might be the choreography that doesn’t quite work for me.
Just one more routine before the final results come! This one is another…
Group Routine — The Top 10 and the All-Stars
Choreographers: Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo
Style: Ummmm… hip hop?
Music: “Circle of Life (and that other one with an odd name)” from The Lion King
There are big rocks on the stage. Some of the dancers have tails. One of the dance moves was essentially an artistic version of leapfrog. This is certainly one of the most interesting dances we’ve seen on So You Think You Can Dance. Even if I have no clue what just happened.
RESULTS!!!
Maybe… There may be a little stalling first. Like retrospective montages. Of course.
Anyway, the girls — Eliana Girard and Tiffany Maher — are up first. Which means we get to see all of the footage of Tiffany we’ve never seen before. She really was there before the Green Mile!
And…
Eliana Girard has won So You Think You Can Dance season 9!!!
Now for the guys. We saw plenty of both Chehon Wespi-Tschopp and Cyrus Spencer during the audition process, but now we get to see it again.
And…
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp has won So You Think You Can Dance season 9!!!
That’s a bit of a shock. But a well-deserved shock. Ballet dancers all around!
Thus, with hugging dancers, Cat Deeley’s attempts to get all of her lines in before the end, and a whole lot of confetti, So You Think You Can Dance season 9 comes to an end.
So long until next season! (You know, assuming FOX is awesome and gives SYTYCD another season…)
Was it the ending you wanted? The ending you expected? Who would you have picked for the top girl and top guy of the season? Leave your comments below!
(Images courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
