So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.15: Finale

Of course before we get to who actually wins, we will see lots of repeat performances over the next 2 hours.

Judges'  Favorite Dances

Mary
Casey & Jessica's "First Kiss", choreographed by Travis Wall

Nigel
Rudy & Allison's (All Star) "Dirty Diana", choreographed by Ray Leeper

Adam
Zack & Ricky's "The Antidote", choreographed by Pharside & Phoenix

Debbie Reynolds
Ricky & Valerie's "Turn Down For What" aka the "Voodoo Dance", choreographed by Pharside & Phoenix

Jenna Dewan Tatum
Rudy & Tanisha's "You Need", choreographed by Sonya

Tara Lipinski
Emilio & Jasmine's (All Star), "Get Low" aka "The Snake Dance", choreographed by Nappy Tabs


Dancers' Favorites

Zack
His dance with Amy (All Star), choreographed by Sonya

Valerie
Her dance with Zack, "Sing" by Ed Sheeran

Ricky
His dance with Jessica, "The Vow"

Jessica
Her dance with Robert (All Star), "When I Go", choreographed by Travis Wall. One of my favorite performances of the entire season.


America's Favorite Hip-Hop Routine
Serge & Carly's "Senile"


Cat's Favorite
Ricky & Valerie's "Oh Darling", choreographed by Travis Wall


The Results
4th Place: Zack
3rd Place: Jessica (Noooooo! I wanted her to win!!!)
2nd Place: Valerie
WINNER: Ricky

Well, if Jessica wasn't going to win, I'm so glad it was Ricky. Congratulations Ricky, Winner of Season 11!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.14

The Top 4 Dance in the Finale. The winner will be announced next week.

As if 2 dances a week aren't enough, this week, they each have to do 5! They will dance with each of the other dancers, plus a dance with an All-Star, and then their solo!

Valerie & Ricky - African Jazz
Not only do they have crazy outfits, but crazy body paint to look like tattoos all over! Lots of very interesting lifts, and really crazy body movements. You never knew what was going to happen next. Really impressive, because that choreography was ridiculous!
OK...they cheated...now as they are standing up close, Ricky's just wearing a flesh-toned leotard that has the paint on it.

Jessica & Zack - Broadway
Kind of a boring routine for me. I liked the use of the steps, but it was kind of on the boring side for me.

Valerie & Zack - Contemporary
It must be Zack...I think he just makes everything boring. I really wanted to like this, but I just wasn't getting anything out of it. Valerie said it would be unlike anything America has seen yet? Um...no...there was absolutely nothing special about this routine.

Jessica & Ricky - Jazz
I really liked this routine! I hope one of these 2 is the winner!

Jessica & Valerie - Bollywood
I love Bollywood! It had to be hard to dance with those long head vails on and those really long skirts! They did an amazing job. They both had a lot of energy throughout. They could have been a little more in sync in places, but overall it was really good.

Ricky & Zack - Hip-Hop
I always love when 2 guys are dancing together. Everything is always just taken to another level. Neither one of these guys are hip-hop guys, but they were both hitting it so hard! Especially Ricky! I was really impressed! He looked like a gangster! I loved all the lifts and throws. I was a little grossed out by the weird head-to-crotch freeze move. I don't really care for that when it's a guy and a girl, and I really didn't care for it with 2 guys. But, that move aside, I really liked it.

Valerie & Aaron - Tap
Everyone knows I really don't like tap. A tap to Sammy Davis, Jr. with those ugly old fashioned clothes was not going to make me like tap.

Ricky & Kathryn - Contemporary
This was such a beautiful dance. They were so beautiful together. Every movement was so light and effortless. The ending was really cool.

Zack & Aaron - Tap
Oh yay...another tap routine. I had forgotten that Zack was even a tapper. I'm sorry, but this routine was just stupid.

Jessica & Robert - Contemporary
Yes, Travis Wall! Perfect song, perfect choreography, perfect dancers. This was so good! So moving! So beautiful! That ending...where she grabbed his hair and thew him to the ground...wow!

Jessica was one of my favorites ever since her audition where she danced to It's a Man's World, and she whipped her hair like crazy. I just thought that was one of the best auditions I had ever seen. I think it was smart to do her solo this week to the same song, I love her, and I really hope she's the winner this season!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.13

Top 6 perform with each other one last time, and then also with an All-Star partner. They each will also perform a solo.

Valerie & Ricky - Broadway
Woah, look at those blue shoes he's wearing! Oh man...the music...I just can't...The dance was cute, but oh man...

Valerie & tWitch - Hip-Hop
This is going to be so much fun to watch! It looks like there's going to be a lot of humor...which tWitch is great at. I love the wedding theme. For a tapper, she pulled this off amazingly well. I loved it!

Ricky & Anya - ChaCha
This was just hot, hot, hot!!! The whole thing was great. He did a great job with the lifts, and he seemed to nail all the moves effortlessly.

Jessica & Casey - Disco
I love their purple outfits! Boy, they didn't waste any time getting into the big crazy, fast-spinning lifts! It has to be super hard to be spinning that fast, and then changing positions of the lift. Ridiculous! They made all of the lifts look really easy and they flowed very smoothly. Fun routine!

Jessica & Ade - Jazz
This looks more like hip-hop than jazz! And those crazy outfits are definitely hip-hop. This was one strange number. I kind of liked it, but it was so weird!

Casey & Makenzie - Contemporary
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! They floated and moved so smoothly. They had great chemistry. He showed a lot of emotion and was totally believable. Loved it!

Jacque & Zack - Foxtrot
And here we go with the old-fashioned music....blech! The foxtrot has to be my least favorite of all the ballroom dances. It's just so boring! I like the way they played up their characters and how they interacted with each other...but that was about it.

Jacque & Will - Contemporary
A ball for a prop has to be so difficult. Anything can happen, and it could just go rolling away. They did an amazing job. I loved all of the work with the ball...really cool and unique. I just wish they would have used it through the whole dance. I really liked the whole dance. Then the 99 red balloons actually fell on them! I totally believed their chemistry...really good!

Zack & Fikshun - Hip-Hop
Love seeing Phillip Chbeeb back as a choreographer! And great to see winner Fikshun back! What an interesting concept, of having them recreate an inkblot. I love the images they created with their bodies...so unique...so Phillip. So many intricate things going on...so cool!!!!

Going Home
Jacque and Casey

The Final 4 in Next Week's Finale
Jessica, Valerie, Ricky and Zack

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.12

Top 8--Michael Jackson Night

Ricky & Jaimie - Contemporary
Yay for a Travis Wall routine! His flexibility and extensions are almost super human. He did exactly what Travis wanted him to do. I hated the song, but the dance was really good.

Valerie & Ryan - Samba
Great song choice for this style of dance. The beats and rhythm really fit well. She had pretty good hip action and the Samba Rolls looked pretty good. They were very fluid. I liked the routine, but it did seem a little slow.

Casey & Comfort - Hip-Hop
This is a really interesting story--dangerous/deadly spider. Comfort looks so fierce! Hip-hop might not be his style, but he adapted really quickly. He was hitting so hard! His faces were over the top, just like the choreographers wanted. I think he did a great job, and it was a fun routine. I love the end with him getting stuck in the giant spider web.

Tanisha & Nick - Contemporary
Totally didn't know this was a Michael Jackson song ("She's Out of My Life")...I only know it as a 98º song. The dance was beautiful, and they had a good connection.

Rudy & Allison - Contemporary?
This dance was really hot!I loved it! Allison was amazing! Rudy has never looked this hot. That last throw twist was incredible! I didn't see that one coming! Sounds like the crowd loved it too...they're going nuts!

Zack & Makenzie - Broadway
This was a fun routine. I think he played the character very well. They had good chemistry and were in sync for pretty much all of their side-by-side moves...and there were a lot.

Jacque & tWitch - Hip-Hop
With tWitch in the routine, you know it's going to be good. Right away, I'm loving it! They look so good dancing together. She kept up with him every step of the way. She was really feeling it. I haven't really had a favorite girl in the competition, but I think she's my favorite.

Jessica & Will - Contemporary
I do not remember Will...at all. Maybe he didn't have such long hair when he was on the show before? This dance had some really interesting body shapes and movements. It was a really cool dance. I enjoyed it a lot. They both have such different looks, so it was interesting watching them dance as a couple.

Bottom 4
Tanisha and Jacque
Casey and Rudy

Going Home
Tanisha and Rudy

I am SO BUMMED that Rudy is going home! He had such an amazing routine tonight! He was so devastated! I feel so bad for him! I, however, am not sad to be losing Tanisha...she always bugged me.

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.11

The Top 10 will now be performing with All-Star partners each week.

Bridget & Brandon - Bollywood/Disco
What a combination: Bollywood and Disco. All those disco lights are enough to give you a headache! Not to mention all of the spinning above his head that she did. This dance never slowed down, it was constantly moving. They only time they stopped was to do lifts. Wow, what a number!

Tanisha & Ryan - Argentine Tango
This dance was lacking something for me. It was a little boring. There weren't a lot of the signature leg hooks, which I always enjoy.

Emilio & Jasmine - Hip-Hop
This routine was ridiculous! Jasmine is such a beast! Emilio really brought it, too! Really great routine! I loved the end with him ending up like the snake in the basket.

Valerie & Ade - Jazz
I didn't get much out of this dance for some reason. It just wasn't very memorable.

Rudy & Jenna - ChaCha
This was a very hot and steamy ChaCha! I love the song Maps by Maroon 5, so this routine really had it all. They had great chemistry that was very captivating and fun to watch. I loved the little looks that they gave to each other...it was a great connection. Jenna was one of my favorites last season, and she continues to just be awesome!

Jacque & Cheon - Contemporary/Ballet
This combination is a first for the show. I don't normally care for ballet, but pair it with Contemporary and have Travis be the choreographer? That's a winning combination in my book. The lights and shadows gave such a cool effect to their dancing. It was so graceful, and they both just floated across the stage.

Ricky & Lauren - Jazz
It's so nice to see Lauren Froderman back on the show again! Fast paced, and so much movement! Ricky kept up with Lauren. I loved the floor work they did with their legs, that was really cool and interesting.

Casey & Kathryn - Broadway
Broadway just doesn't interest me unless it's a fast, upbeat number. This one was just slow and boring to me. I didn't really care for it.

Jessica & tWitch - Hip-Hop
Gotta love tWitch!! Jessica's got her work cut out for her being paired up with him! I love tWtich playing an old gray-haird man...and he's got a fake belly! That's hilarious! She managed to match him step for step.They had really great chemistry and their timing was great. That was a very cool and fun routine by NappyTabs! Best one of the night I think!

Zach & Amy - Contemporary
The basis for this dance is very sad, as Sonya based it on someone she knew who had passed away. Zach did an amazing job. It was beautiful. All of the leg extensions and held poses were crazy! So much core strength to do that. The ending was so moving.

Bottom 4
Guys: Emilio and Zach
Girls: Bridget and Jacque

Going Home
Emilio and Bridget

I'm so sad to see Emilio go!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.10

Top 14 perform, 4 will go home. The bottom 6 will each dance a solo.

Bridget & Emilio - Jazz
I love the song and costumes and the overall feel of this dance. It had a great beat to it. Their synchronicity was great. Their was a lot of intricate choreography, and it looked like a very difficult dance. Very fun!

Tanisha & Rudy - Contemporary
What a beautiful dance. So flowing and effortless. It seemed a little short though, I would have liked to have seen more.

Jacque & Zack - Paso Doble
I love Pasos, and the vampire theme is really cool. The dance definitely had a very dark theme. The song was a rockin' and it was a really cool combination with this dance style. I didn't think Zack would have it in him to be so dark and powerful. He really surprised me.

Emily & Teddy - Broadway
The music was so painful to listen to! I hate that style! Music makes or breaks a dance for me, and this was just unbearable!Trying to get past the music, the dancing seemed fine. I thought they could have added a little more character to it, though, it seemed a little boring.

Jessica & Casey - Contemporary
You know I'm going to love this, because it's a Travis Wall routine! And I wasn't disappointed. It was another beautifully choreographed piece. It wasn't one that will go down in history as one of the best, but it was really nice. They are a new couple, having lost their partners next week, and they had great chemistry. And that kiss...that was something.

Carly & Serge - Quickstep
Being a ballroom guy, I'm sure Serge has had some prior experience with the Quickstep, which I'm sure helped him. This was a really fun routine. It was definitely quick, and the music was fun. Her dress looked really heavy at the bottom and it looked like it would be really hard to dance in.

Valerie & Ricky - Hip-Hop
Interesting theme: Voodoo. They both did a great job with the characters. They were hitting hard and were in synch. You can't ask for more than that in a hip-hop. I loved her moves into and out of a split. The moves were so intricate and unique. I've never seen anything like it before--as Nigel put it: "a leg wave in side split". And then him pulling her one leg up...that was crazy.

Bottom 6
Girls: Carly, Emily, Jessica
Guys: Serge, Casey, Teddy

Going Home
Carly, Emily, Serge, Teddy

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.9

 Top 16

Valerie & Ricky - Bollywood
Always love me some Bollywood! And this did not disappoint. As always there were some really tricky parts of the choreography. It was fast and crazy. Loved it! And Ricky's split at the end? Ridiculous!

Bridget & Emilio - Contemporary
Yes, Travis Wall! An empty bed frame...interesting prop. They did a great job with the lifts. There was so much stopping and holding poses. That had to be really difficult. That takes such strength and control. Some of it looked like they were in slow motion. What a tough piece, and they nailed the emotion. Very nice!

Tanesha & Rudy - Hip-Hop
Tanesha's outfit=ridiculous! Lots of leather (or make that a little bit of leather). I think they both showed a lot of swagger, and they were really smooth, flowing and in sync. I didn't love the song or the choreography, but they did a good job considering the normal styles they are coming from.

Jessica & Marcquet - Foxtrot

So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.8

Top 18

Jacque & Zack - Hip-Hop
I love this song (Sam Smith's "Stay With Me"). I love the beginning part with them laying on the floor. I love hip-hops like this that are sweet, and have a nice flow to them. The choreography was very well done to match the song. I really liked it!

Jourdan & Marcquet - Contemporary
Marcquet is still one of my favorites. I just love everything he does. Jourdan is so flexible! Her legs are ridiculous! The choreography was a bit weird and all over the place. I didn't feel like it really told a story...I didn't really get it. It was still danced really well though.

Jessica & Stanley - Jazz
This seems more like a Bollywood or African Jazz number than a Jazz number. I think they conveyed the illusion of flying on the magic carpet really well. This was such an interesting piece. I didn't care for the music. I'm still not sure how I feel about the piece as a whole.

Bridget & Emilio - Jive
Hello Pasha! Always good to see him on the show again! This is a great song for the Jive. They played their characters really well. They could have had a little more bounce and a little more sharpness in their kicks and flicks. Overall, it was a very fun routine, and they handled the dance moves and choreography really well.

Emily & Teddy - Contemporary
I did not like this music at all? What language was that? It sounded like gibberish. The music was so distracting it was hard to focus on the dancing. I liked their lifts, but honestly, there didn't really seem to be much else to the dance...it was kind of boring.

Brooklyn & Casey - Jazz
This was a very cute dance. There were a lot of really technical parts, and they really nailed them.

Valerie & Ricky - Viennese Waltz
Lacey Schwimmer! I almost didn't recognize her with her hair so blonde! They both danced so gracefully, and floated across the floor like they should for this dance. I think they did a great job. I really liked it!

Carly & Serge - Hip-Hop
Cool costumes! They look like the bad dojo crew on Karate Kid at the Halloween dance. They both were getting down and dirty. They were hitting hard when they needed to, but it was a little too loose at times. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, but it seemed like it could maybe be a little cleaner and more together.

Tanisha & Rudy - Broadway
They did a really good job with their props, the canes. They didn't drop them at all, and they used threm throughout the whole routine. They were in sync pretty much the whole time...canes and all. It was a fast number, and I think they did a really good job.

Bottom 6
Bottome 3 Girls: Bridget, Jourdan, Emily
Bottom 3 Guys: Stanley, Emilio, Teddy

Going Home
Jourdan & Stanley

Nigel said they decided to go with the 2 people who had the least votes from America in last weeks votes.

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.7

So...I'm totally bummed. I didn't realize it until an hour into the 2-hour show, that for some reason, my DVR was not recording the show! I started it recording at 9:00, but that means I missed the whole first half. And, thanks to FOX, they don't make the show available OnDemand, and my cable provider isn't on their list...so I can't watch the episode online or on the FOX app. Thanks a lot. So, until the episode becomes available, I won't be able to watch what I missed. As a result, I'm only able to recap the dances I was able to record. I do have the list of all the new pairings. So, with that out of the way...

Last week, the Top 20 were paired up with someone else from their style of dance. No one was eliminated last week, so all 20 will be dancing again. They have now been paired randomly with another dancer.

The New Top 20 Pairs:
Brooklyn Fullmer and Casey Askew
Malene Ostergaard and Stanley Glover
Jacque LeWarne and Zack Everhart
Bridget Whitman and Emilio Dosal
Jourdan Epstein and Marcquet Hill
Valerie Rockey and Ricky Ubeda
Carly Blaney and Serge Onik
Emily James and Teddy Coffey
Jessica Richens and Nick Garcia
Tanisha Belnap and Rudy Abreu

Dance Recap of Half the Dances
Note: if/when I get to watch the other half, I will update this post with recaps of those dances as well.

UPDATE 8/17: I finally am able to watch the first half of this episode, so I'm now adding the recaps I didn't get to watch, which were the first 5 couples.

Tanisha & Rudy - Jazz
Look at Rudy's hair! Not a bad look. This piece is so intense! I love all of the strong and sharp movements. That split lip into his arms was really cool,and I loved the fallout back to the floor.

Valerie & Ricky - Contemporary
They did so much laughing and giggling in rehearsals, I didn't know if they would be able to pull it together for the performance, but they did. That backwards slow fall from her standing on his legs...was...RIDICULOUS! How is that even humanly possible?! The strength that had to take...holy crap! Ricky did an amazing job, and his extensions are so great.

Bridget & Emilio - Hip-Hop
Bridget had the moves, but she wasn't really hitting it. She was a little too soft, mostly in the arms. Emilio was great.

Jessica & Nick - West Coast Swing
So great to see Benji Schwimmer again! Jessica injured her shoulder in rehearsals, but she didn't seem to show any signs of it during the performance. The lifts in this routine were crazy...and totally Benji. I've never seem some of the stuff that they not only attempted, but executed. Very cool.

Carly & Serge - Contemporary
Beautiful dance. I loved their chemistry together. Not much else to say about it...just great.

Emily & Teddy - Hip-Hop
Their moves are really in sync. I liked their characters and their playfulness with each other. The smooth and funky style of this hip-hop suited them really well.

Malene & Stanley - Broadway
I did not care for the music at all. The phones with extremely long cords was an interesting prop. But, it allowed them to do some really cool things with their bodies. That part was pretty cool. I think they did a a really good job with it.

Jourdan & Marcquet - Jazz
I don't know what it is with me and table routines, but I ALWAYS get excited when I see that there is a table on stage. Every table routine that I've ever seen on this show, or even on Dancing With The Stars..it's always been really fun. I'm also excited that Marcquet is getting to do this one. He's one of my early favorites. Unfortunately for this routine, they didn't actually use the table all that much. I loved the split she did and then he flipped her around, that was crazy! There was a lot going on in this dance. It was almost more like a hip-hop dance than a jazz number. They did an amazing job.

Brooklyn & Casey - Argentine Tango
This is one of my favorite ballroom dances. I love the footwork in this dance. Her legs were perfect for this dance. Her leg hooks were so sharp and fast. The lifts were very well done as well.

Jacque & Zack - African Jazz
This is visually stunning and confusing! They are all painted in swirly colors from head to toe, and they are dancing in front of a wall with the same colors and designs. It reminds me a lot of Gotye's music video for "Somebody That I Used To Know". Very cool, but could give you a headache if they keep twirling like that in front of it. The choreography in this is really cool, and they are going all out. They are very together in all of the movements. Very cool!

Bottom 3 Girls: 
Brooklyn
Jourdan
Malene

Bottom 3 Guys:
Serge
Casey
Nick

Going Home:
Malene and Nick

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.6

Everyone gets to dance in their own dance styles for this first week of competition. That means, everyone should do very well.

Brooklyn & Serge -- ChaCha
It's so nice to see Dmitry again! The choreography is hot, like usual, from Dmitry. That last lift/flip was crazy! Very fun routine.

Emily & Casey -- Contemporary
Yay for Travis Wall! You know when he's the choreographer, you're going to get an epic routine, with killer music to go with it. And...yep...John Legend's "All of Me". I loved the yellow/orange lighting. They were beautiful together, and it was very romantic. I could have done without all the audience screams throughout the whole routine. Was it just me or did the audience seem louder than normal? It kind of drowned out the music at times...kind of ruined the moment. But, it was danced beautifully, and I loved the ending.

Valerie & Zack -- Tap
I've never really been a fan of tap. I did like the staircase--that added a little bit more to make it interesting. But I still find tap just kind of distracting.  The great song choice also helped (Ed Sheeran's "Sing").

Bridget & Stanley -- Contemporary
Love this routine! It flowed so beautifully. They were so in sync on the parts that they were separated.

Jacque & Jourdan -- Ballet
They went for a very traditional ballet. Not my cup o' tea at all. As far as ballerina's go, they were really good.

Malene & Marcquet -- Samba
Hello Louis van Amstel! This was a really fast Samba! Marcquet's legs are crazy fast! Their Samba rolls were really good. Great routine, a lot of fun to watch.

Carly & Rudy -- Contemporary
This contemporary was more powerful than the other 2 tonight. I liked it just as much as the other 2. It was very good.

Emilio & Teddy -- Hip-Hop
Love Christopher Scott! Interesting choice of prop: the mop. I liked the use of the mop. I was kind of confused by the music choice with that prop though...until they said "night shift"...then I got it. It was a little bit of an odd combination. And kind of weird for 2 guys dancing it together. I think the choreography could have been a little more difficult, but it was clever.

Jessica & Ricky -- Contemporary
Sonya! Love her choreography! I'm glad she's back again this season. The slow movements they did and hand to hold were crazy! I think this might have been the hardest routine of the night just for that alone. This was just amazing! Wow!

Tanisha & Nick -- ChaCha
Can't go wrong with Enrique Iglesias. The choreography to this fun, upbeat song was great. The flip and her splits were absolutely ridiculous! She grabbed her leg, pulled it up to her head and then did a death spiral to the floor! Nuts! So much fun!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.5 (Meet the Top 20)

The audition rounds are over, and we're on to the LA callbacks. 157 dancers made it through their audition cities to this next round.

Round 1: solos -- 36 cuts, 121 dancers left at the end of the round

Round 2: hip-hop choreography

Round 3: jazz choreography -- 65 dancers left at the end of the round

Round 4: ballroom choreography

Round 5: contemporary choreography -- 50 dancers left (29 boys and 21 girls) at the end of the round

Round 6: groups -- 44 dancers left at the end of the round

Round 7: final solos

Top 20 - 10 Girls and 10 Guys
Note: as soon as Fox posts photos of all the dancers, I'll update this post with those so you can see what each of these dancers looks like...because I'm sure, if you're like me, you can only picture a couple of them.

So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.4

Atlanta Auditions

Straight Through to LA
Mariah Reives - 18 - Sanford, NC - Jazz

Erik "Silky" Moore - 24 - Orlando, FL - Hip-hop

Kelly MacCoy - 18 - Cincinnati, OH - Jazz

Christopher "Mr. Strange" Griffin - 25 - Atlanta, GA - Animation

Conrad Dechabert - 26 - Louisville, KY - ? Contemporary/Jazz?

Ricky Veeda - 18 - Miami, FL - Contemporary

Marissa Milele - 18 - Nashville, TN - Contemporary

Angelina Granitz - 18 - West Palm Beach, FL - Contemporary

Chistina Moya-Polacios - 18 - Miami, FL - Contemporary

Through to LA after Choreography
Elaine Kimble - 26 - Kansas City, MO - Contemporary

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.3

Los Angeles Auditions

Going Straight To Los Angeles (callbacks)
Serge Onik and Alla Kocherga - 25 and 24 - Upper Saddle River, NJ and Los Angeles, CA - Ballroom

Casey Askew - 19 - Seattle, WA - Contemporary

Jourdan Epstein -24 - Plymouth, MN - Ballet

Armen Way and  Malene Ostergaard - 28 and 25 - Glendale, CA and Studio City, CA - Ballroom

Going to Los Angeles (callbacks) after performing choreography
"Johnny Waacks" Gibson - 22 - New York City, NY - Waacking

Philadelphia Auditions

Going Straight To Los Angeles
Bridget Whitman - 18 - Tempe, AZ - Contemporary

Landon Anderson - 18 - Springville, UT - Ballroom
--Auditioned with his partner Jenna, who was on last season. Nigel announced surprised her and told her that she was going to be coming back as an All-Star this season! That's awesome! I loved Jenna!

Stanley Glover - 19 - Chicago, IL - Contemporary

Going to Los Angeles after performing choreography
Amir Sanders - 21 - Baltimore, MD - Ballet

Shafeek Westbrook - 24 - Upper Darby, PA - B-boy

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.2

Chicago Auditions

Going Straight To Los Angeles
Paul Brushaber - 18 - Mokena, IL - Puppeting
Emily James - 21 - North Kingstown, RI - Contemporary
Franchesca Bass - 18 -Crown Point, IN - Contemporary
Jenna Scaccia -18 - Chicago, IL - Ballet

Los Angeles Auditions

Going Straight To Los Angeles
Jessica Richens - 18 - Yorba Linda, CA - Jazz
Jana "Jaja" Vankova - 22 - Chatsworth, CA - Animation/Krump
Justine Lutz - 19 - Minneapolis, MN - Contemporary
Deise Mendonica - 23 - Santa Barbara, CA - Ballet
Mauricio Vera - 27 - Santa Barbara, CA - Ballet
Haile Payne - 19 - Roy, UT - Jazz Funk
Sebastian Serra - 24 - Orlando, FL - Contemporary
Marie "Mary Poppins" Bonnevay - 27 - North Hollywood, CA - Popping

Going to Los Angeles (callbacks) after performing choreography
Valerie Rockey - 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Tap
Dani Platz - 18 - Moropark, CA - Contemporary

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 11.1

It's almost summertime, and that means it's time to bring a little fun dancing into our living rooms! It's the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance! The season will start like it always does, with auditions in front of the judges in hopes of getting a plane ticket to Los Angeles (not Vegas like normal...and not Hollywood...that's American Idol).

In year's past, I've skipped recapping the auditions completely, and I've also critiqued each dancer we see. I just don't have it in me to get that in-depth for the auditions. So, for now, while we're in the audition phase, my recaps will be very basic. If you don't like that...let me know, and I'll go back to the in-depth recaps.

New Orleans Auditions

Going straight to Los Angeles
Shelby Rase - 19 - Covington, LA - Contemporary
Tanisha Belnap - 19 - Payton, UT - Ballroom
Megan Marcano - 22 - Houston, TX - Contemporary
Trevor Bryce - 18 - Orlando, FL -  style??? (he gets the strangest music award, and most interesting musical interpretation award...it was hilarious and AWESOME!)
Novien Yarber - 22 - Hunstville, AL - Contemporary
Marcouet Hill and Brooklyn Fullmer - 18 and 18 - Provo, UT and South Jordon, UT - Ballroom

Chicago Auditions

Going straight to Los Angeles
Nick Garcia - 18 - Miami, FL - Latin Ballroom (best friend of below)

Rudy Abru - 18 - Miami, FL - Contemporary (best friend of above)

Going to Los Angeles after performing choreography
Caleb Brauner - 21 - Blue Springs, MO - Contemporary (He's back! He showed up in New Orleans after not making it last season. He got to go to choreography in New Orleans, but they cut him...so he showed up in Chicago, and finally made it! I was so bummed when he was cut last season, because I really enjoy his unique, quirky style)

New Element of the Show: Dance Crews
For some reason, Justin Bieber was chosen to present some dance crews from across the country. They are competing for Twitter votes. The crew with the most votes will get to perform on the finale.

Up first is the Season 5 winner from the show America's Best Dance Crew -- Poreotics! I loved them on that show. They already won one show, can they win another? I sure hope so...they are awesome.

Syncopated Ladies are the other crew being presented this week. Tap dancing...I'm not impressed.

Early voting shows the Ladies are at about 70%...seriously?! I thought it was a complete no-brainer that people would vote for Poreotics. They are so cool and fun, and those ladies were just boring. I'm shocked. Come on people, tweet for Poreotics!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 10.18 - The Finale

Tonight's Season 10 finale was full of great encore dances from all of the top 20 dancers. And we finally have our winners, after a season of extremely good dancing.

Judge's Encore Picks:
McKenzie & Paul - Mandy Moore's "Edge of Glory" (Paula's choice)
Fik-Shun & tWitch - Luther Brown's "Hello Good Morning" (Adam's choice)
Alexis, Aaron and Curtis - Anthony Morigerato's "You Really Did It" (Nigel's choice)
Hayley & Nico - Sean Cheesman's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (tWitch's choice)
Tucker & Robert - Travis Wall's "Medicine" (Mary's choice) (such a good one, loved this one!)

Finalist's Choice:
Jasmine - "Blurred Lines" with Marko, choreographed by Ray Leeper (personally, one of my favorites of the season!)
Aaron - "I'm Kissing You" with Kathryn, choreographed by Stacey Tookey
Fik-Shun & Amy - "After Party", choreographed by NappyTabs (they both picked the same dance)

Other Encores:
Top 10 Guys - "Sand" (I loved this routine, and it was even better this second time around...it's just too cool!)
Jasmine & Comfort - "Who Runs the World (Girls)"
Jenna & Mark - "I Am the Best"
Amy & Travis - "Wicked Games" --voted Travis's best dance of the season (it's always amazing getting to watch him dance)

Original Number
Top 10 and All-Stars - "Lobster" (The music was the B-52's and it was done as a beach theme, and it was spectacular! Loved it!)

WINNERS!
America's Favorite Guy: Fik-Shun (Woohoo! I'm so happy!)
America's Favorite Girl: Amy (She's deserving, but I REALLY wanted Jasmine!)
It was announced that Amy received the most votes overall. And how funny is it that they were partners during the season!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 10.17

We're down to the final 4, and next week the winners will be revealed.

Partnering w/ Each Other

Aaron & Amy - Jazz
First of all, what the heck is Amy wearing (or not wearing)? I wouldn't really classify this as jazz...I'm not really sure what it was, but they were really good! Amy had some really unique movements and poses that were really cool.

Fik-Shun & Jasmine - Contemporary
Another great concept from Travis Wall--under water. They were so fluid and flowing with their movements, I could totally see what Travis was going for. Fik-Shun again, just proves how great he is at adapting to different styles, and different partners...who happen to be bigger and taller than him. Very nice job. I loved the ending where it really looked like they were floating away from each other.

Amy & Fik-Shun - Tango/Paso Doble
Stunning and powerful! I loved the opening lift! Very cool Tango/Paso Doble fusion. I think they did a great job, but the dance seemed really short!

Aaron & Jasmine - Samba
I love Dmitry, and his choreography! I love Jasmine's purple dress! She really got her shimmy on in this dance. Aaron pretty much just stood there while she literally danced circles around him. I'm surprised that in a finale, Mary actually agreed with me...she didn't think he had very good technique.

Aaron & Fik-Shun - Broadway
The moving conveyor belt was a cool feature to have for this dance. Fik-Shun obviously added more fun facial expressions and character than Aaron, but I think they were both pretty evenly matched technically.

Jasmine & Amy - Jazz
I'm so excited to see Mark choreographing another number! He is one of the most unique choreographers there are. Very strange concept, so you know it's going to be a great dance. It's got a lot of Lady Gaga-esque elements, which is to be expected. The outfits were really crazy. They paired up really well and really did look like Siamese twins. They couldn't have been more in sync than they were...it was crazy!

Dance With All Star--They get to choose the style

Aaron & Melinda - Tap
I've said it before and I'll say it again...I am NOT a fan of tap. Therefore, I didn't like this at all. I can appreciate it as a style, but I just do not enjoy watching it. Most times, the tapping noise just distracts from the routine rather than add to it, and this was the case in this number.

Jasmine & Comfort - Hip-Hop
Interesting for her to choose a different style than her own, but she is good at everything, so it doesn't really matter. I didn't care for the music at all--I've never liked that song, but she killed it. They made a good pair and she kept up with Comfort every step of the way.

Fik-Shun & tWitch - Hip-Hop
This is going to be awesome. They were so in sync and it was a very cool routine. I wish they would have picked a different song, though. I immediately thought it was like Fik-Shun was tWitch's Mini Me. Nigel said it was like tWitch and tWitch Jr.

Amy & Robert - Contemporary
I love the story, I love the song. Very beautiful. I love when he pulled her back from off the edge of the stage. The backbend over him was amazing...what control! And Robert's one-handed lift at the end was crazy!

Solos

Jasmine
I really hope Jasmine wins. She is just phenomenal. She dances with such heart and emotion, and her lines are unmatched.

Fik-Shun
I just love watching him. It doesn't matter what style it is, he just has so much fun with it and gives it his all. How cool was his Gangnum Style! Loved it! Best solo of the season! Good of him to pick a popular song to relate with people. Everyone had to love that! I really hope he wins!

Amy
I love her opening pose! I don't know how she held it so long! She really is a beautiful dancer.

Aaron
Again with the tap...not a fan. I hated the way it ruined the Jason Mraz song. The tap did nothing but distract from the song, which distracted from whatever performance he was trying to give. As far as tap goes, I didn't think that he even had much going on technically. I don't know why the judges just ooh and aah over tap and how good they think it is.

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 10.16

The dancers are all doing 3 routines this week: solos, duet with an All-Star and together as partners. No one is named in the bottom, and the vote will solely be from America...the judges are not voting at the end of the night's routines.

Duet w/ All-Stars

Paul & Kathryn - Jazz
Whoa, that opening was so crazy! Kathryn is huge! She had a big long dress on, as she towered over him, and then it was revealed that she was standing on a ladder, which was completely hidden by the dress. The music is very interesting. It's quirky and fun. He is doing an amazing job-you completely forget he's a ballroom dancer.

Hayley & Joshua - Hip-Hop
Wow, it's been a long time since we've seen Joshua! She was with him on every single move, and was hitting it hard. She definitely had swag! Doing a boxing theme, it would stick out quite a bit if she wasn't hitting it hard. Definitely a knock out!

Aaron & Melanie - Broadway
Fun music to dance to: George Michael's "Faith". His technique is always really good, but I STILL find him really boring. I don't know why! He adds character and facial expressions to his dancing, but for some reason, I just don't connect with him at all.

Fik-Shun & Witney - Foxtrot
They are the most unlikely of couples, but...wow. Again, he is completely transformed into this style that is so different than what he is used to. I say it every week, but he is just so much fun to watch! From what I could tell, I think his frame was great, but we'll see what Mary has to say about it. I loved Witney's flip over him at the end! He did a nice leprechaun-esque heel kick, that was so high off to the side!

Jasmine & Neil - Contemporary
Yay Neil! I think I'm going to love this routine: Love Neil! Love Jasmine! Love Contemporary! Recreating a storm on stage...brilliant! And the music from Unfaithful which also had a "stormy/windy" scene, was absolutely spot-on! The raw emotion coupled with all of the wind and trash blowing on the stage...throughout the ENTIRE routine, mind you...was so cool! Best of the night! What a tribute to those who lost everything!

Amy & Alex - Bollywood
Bollywood numbers are always so fun! I loved her jump onto his shoulders and how he dropped her, that was so cool! Lots of fast moves, as you would expect from a Bollywood number. I will never understand how these dancers can pick up this style in such a short amount of time...it just boggles my mind! Incredible! Not only that, but the athleticism and energy required to be able to do it physically, is just ridiculous!

Paired as Partners

Paul & Hayley - Contemporary
First of all, I have to say what an interesting version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"...wow...so different! The dance was beautiful They made a great pair, and I loved their chemistry.

Amy & Fik-Shun - Hip-Hop
Reunited again! What an interesting outfit she was wearing, not only for hip-hop, but dancing in general. It was a really good routine, and they still worked very well together. There was a lot of fast movements, into really slow, slow motion parts. I thought they handled the transition from one to the other very well.

Jasmine & Aaron - Jazz
I love this concept, of her being stuck in the mirror. Very strange outfit she was wearing. Again, her legs are bent in ways that no human should be able to bend their legs! This was such a different routine, but it was so engaging, I didn't want to take my eyes off of them! So incredibly unique and creative, and they killed it!

Going Home
Hayley and Paul

Next week is the performance finale, with the final 4. Out of the final 4, there will be one guy winner and one girl winner. I'm hoping that Jasmine and Fik-Shun are the winners!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 10.15

I am so excited for this week! The amazing All-Star partners are going to be choreographing their own routines! So exciting! Plus, I've seen on Twitter that 2 of my absolute favorites--Travis Wall and Mark Kanemura are on tonight!

In Jeopardy
Tucker, Jenna, Fik-Shun, Hayley

Aaron & Chelsie-Jive
Chelsie is amazing, and has really upped her game after being on Dancing With The Stars. She's used o choreographing for her partners, and her creativity really showed in this routine. Personally, I always find Aaron a bit boring, so I did tend to watch her more than him. He had some really high kicks, but his timing wasn't always great. The lifts were a little awkward at times. I think it was just a little too fast for him to keep up with, so he looked like he was always a little behind and trying to catch up.

Fik-Shun & Allison-Contemporary
This piece is a beautiful representation of discrimination and prejudice. I'm pretty sure she is drawing from experience with her being engaged to tWitch. I love the song "Skinny Love" by Birdy!! It's one of my favorites!!! Fik-Shun truly is a beautiful dancer. I just love watching him. I got the goosebumps on this one! They were very in sync when they needed to be. And as always, Fik-Shun added his facial expressions and emotions to the piece that really brings it to life. His parts didn't have as much substance as hers, but like Mary said, she wouldn't have been able to do what she did without him.

Tucker & Courtney-Jazz
Romeo and Juliet...with LIFTS! Courtney looks gorgeous! Love her! The music and the choreography are not what you would think of for a typical jazz piece. It's more contemporary that's a bit jazzed up. The lifts were insane and very fast! She was up one second and flying down the next. It was a really great piece and I loved the ending! This style is right up Tucker's alley. He's all about the big leaps.

After their dance, Nigel brings up what Courtney has been going through...and I had no idea! She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and she recently went blind in her left eye! What an inspiration she is, as she is able to go out there and perform and choreograph the way that she has. Wow

Paul & Comfort-Hip-Hop
Will Paul be able to get down and dirty for this hip-hop? I don't know if he has it in him. So far, he's doing pretty darn good! He is hitting each move and is right in sync with her. I didn't know if he would be able to look tough and hit it hard, but he did. Well done, Paul!

Hayley & Dmitry-Rumba
Oh, how I've missed Dmitry! Love him! Please Dancing With The Stars...you NEED to have him as a pro again! What a steamy, sexy rumba! Love seeing those beautiful abs of his! Hayley was good, too :) Very nice routine.

Jenna & Mark-Jazz
Well hello, Mr. Lady Gaga's Backup Dancer! I love Mark, and it's so great to see him back on SYTYCD. I remember him for some of his crazy routines on the show, and as a backup dancer for Lady Gaga, you know he's going to bring the crazy! And holy crap was this routine crazy! The moves were ridiculous! A feast for the eyes, you didn't know what they were going to do next. So creative. It was jazz, but it had a different type of feel, that I'm not even sure how to describe it. It had some like Bollywood stuff, it was kind of robotic and funky, and there could have even been some African jazz in there. Honestly, I don't know why America doesn't seem to like Jenna, and she ends up in the bottom every week. I love her, and obviously the judges and choreographers love her, because they save her every week.

Jasmine & tWitch-Hip-Hop
This is going to be amazing, I think. Superheros...cool! Super tWtich! She is definitely Flexy Girl. I love how they revealed their superhero costumes to the beat of the music. So sick! Jasmine has "win" written all over her. She is so amazing! Her and tWtich were so in sync they looked like twins. Great job!

Amy & Travis-Contemporary
I have been such a huge fan of Travis, ever since he was runner-up 7 years ago (has it really been 7 years?). He had some of the most memorable routines...the "bench routine"...need I say more. I'm so happy that he's had so much success and has come back to choreograph some of the most memorable routines over the past few seasons. I have goosebumps before it even started! I just love him so much! He is so talented! Her leap into his arms was so perfect! I loved every move. It was so passionate and gripping. Wow...just amazing! That's all I can say...it is beyond words. Like Jenna Elfman said, it's "perfection". He is Emmy nominated for a reason.

Going Home
Tucker and Jenna (I really feel like they cut Jenna tonight, just because of all the negative backlash every week when they saved her...sad to see her go).

I feel like I did so much writing about the All-Stars tonight! I guess it's because there were some faces we haven't seen for awhile. And then, the level of choreography was brought to a new level. I think it really stepped up their game and gave the All-Stars a real sense of ownership in getting to put together their whole routine. It was an amazing night of dancing, and I hope they let the All-Stars do more choreographing in the future!

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So You Think You Can Dance, Ep. 10.14

New Format

Now that we are at the Top 10, the dancers are no longer dancing with each other. They will now be dancing with one of the All-Stars.

This Year's All-Stars

Twitch, Neil, Comfort, Robert, Kathryn, Melanie, Brandon, Witney, Marko, Jakob  (4 girls and 6 guys? hmmm...)

In Danger

Tucker, Jenna, Makenzie, Nico

Amy & Brandon-Disco

Wow! That was Insane, with a capital I!! The lifts were so high, so fast! Amy had so much energy, she was whipping and shaking, and so much fun to watch! The last move, the "discolocation" where he drops her just about to the floor, was nuts! And the split/spinning lift, I mean, what else can you say?

Aaron & Kathryn-Contemporary

I don't care for this music at all. Paul did a fine job, especially on the lifts, but I found myself staring at Kathryn, and I forgot I was supposed to be watching him. He wasn't really a lead in this piece, he seemed more like the prop in the background. Maybe that was the intent, I don't know. I think he danced it well, it just wasn't anything spectacular.

Fik-Shun & Melanie-Jazz

Right off the bat, Melanie does the most insane back bend I think I have ever seen! Unlike Aaron before him, I am always drawn to Fik-Shun because he draws you in with his over-the-top facial expressions and sharp movements. He did an awesome job keeping up with Melanie. Great routine!

Witney & Paul-Cha Cha

That was definitely steamy! That lift/split/flip was amazing! Paul had some great solo spins, but I think he could have had a little more hip action going on. It was a little inconsistent.

Hayley & tWitch-Hip-Hop

Love just watching tWitch do what he does best! Hayley kept up well. The tutting was very in sync. Again, another routine with a table that rocked! Very cool routine. I have to admit, that Hayley is one of those who I just kind of forget about her. The girls are all so similar this season, it's hard to tell them apart.

Jenna & Neil-Contemporary

I think I'm going to love this couple! Not my favorite song in the world, unfortunately. It kept me from liking this more than I thought I would. It was beautiful though, and you could feel their chemistry. The last lift and how they just melted to the floor was great. Neil is the best...love him!

Jasmine & Marko-Jazz

This is going to be perfect. Love "Blurred Lines". It's amazing how much great music helps a routine! It was sassy and fun, and they made a great couple.Just like the choreographer wanted, they look like twins! Very cool!

Makenzie & Jakob-Broadway

Broadway numbers aren't usually this steamy and sexy! Whoa! They played the parts very well, and it was really good! However, the song seemed to drag on and on, and frankly I got a little bored towards the end.

Nico & Comfort-Hip-Hop

I always forget how good Comfort is. Who knew Nico had this in him! I almost didn't even recognize him! He was sick! Comfort gives him a lot to try to match up to, but I thought he was with her on every step. I don't know if the judges will like it as much as I did, but, I thought it was great. He's normally so soft and flowing with his movements, but I thought he was hitting it hard.

Tucker & Robert-Contemporary

It's very interesting that both of them have had near-death experiences to draw on for this dance. So moving and beautiful. They were so evenly matched technically. They could have been a little more together on the side-by-side moves, but other than that, it was really good. Another beautifully choreographed Travis Wall number.

Going Home: Makenzie and Nico

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