'So You Think You Can Dance' 7/11/2012 – Top 20 Perform

Last week on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ we got to see who was partnered up in this season’s top 20! I always think it’s interesting to see all the couples. I don’t know how they do it, but they always seem to do an excellent job of putting the top 20 into pairs. This season was no exception.

The show opened with a dramatic performance by the top 20. They danced to “Architect of Mind” by Kerry Muzzey. This was followed by each of the top 20 coming out and performing the usual 2-3 second solo while host Cat Deeley called out their names.

To introduce the couples as well as get to know the top 20 better, each dancer was given 9 seconds to introduce themselves. They could say anything they wanted, and if you watched this episode, you’ll know some pretty strange and interesting things were said!

The first couple introduced was Whitney and Chehon. They danced a Latin routine (Samba) choreographed by Louis van Amstel. The song they danced to was “Jump” by The Cube Boys and Luciana. This was the perfect routine for Whitney. She never fails to please everyone, and this was especially fitting for her since her specialty is ballroom. It is not, however, Chehon’s best genre. He did very well with the choreography, though.

Tiffany and George were the next couple to be introduced. They danced a contemporary routine by Sonya Tayeh, to the song “Turning Page” by Sleeping At Last. This was a very beautiful routine. Mary told George that he is one of the best dancers in the competition this season.

Janaya and Brandon were the next couple. Their routine was choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha, to the song “Take Care” by Drake and Rihanna. This was yet another wonderful performance. It told a story, and really kept you interested. Nigel said that “they smoothed it out for you,” talking about the usual roughness that comes with hip-hop.

Next up were Alexa and her partner Daniel. They performed a jazz routing by Sean Cheesman. Their routine was to the song “Hey Hey” by Dennis Ferrer. This was probably the most difficult routine of the night. There were so many intricate details involved in it. During rehearsals, Alexa got injured a few times because of the difficultly. Fortunately, she and Daniel were able to learn the routine in time for the live show and pull it off without a problem. The only problem Nigel had with the performance was “because it was so intricate, it was difficult to make a connection with each other and the audience during the routine. You have to be honest.”

The next couple introduced was Amber and Nick. Their routine was ballroom, which put a lot of pressure on Nick. Since ballroom is his genre, people were expecting a great performance from him. And he did not disappoint! Though rehearsals may have seemed a bit stressful and chaotic, Amber and Nick put on a great performance. Their song was “Nights in White Satin” by Tina Arena.

Amelia and Will were the next couple introduced. They danced an untraditional hip-hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha, to the song “The Lovecats” by The Cure. I really enjoyed this performance. There were a lot of cool moves and it was just all around a cute routine. It was probably one of my favorites of the night. Like Mary said, “it just makes you happy!”

Next were Janelle and Dareian, who danced an African jazz routine By Sean Cheesman to the song “Jungle” by Hilight Tribe. This was another extremely difficult routine. It was such an exciting routine, and definitely another favorite for me.

Before the last three couples of this season were revealed, a montage of submissions for the upcoming National Dance Day was played. You still have time to get your own videos in, and learn the two official routines for Dance Day on July 28^st!

Eliana and Cyrus were the next couple to perform. They danced a Broadway routine to “Run and Tell That” from Hairspray. Broadway may not be his genre, and he may not have ever done choreography before, but it definitely did not show in Cyrus’ performance. He did a great job, and gave it his all. Nigel told him that he is not yet a great dancer, but he is well on his way. I can’t wait to see what happens with him in the future.

The next couple was Audrey and Matt. Travis Wall choreographed their routine, to the song “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers. Like Mary said, this performance was “absolutely breathtaking.” This was by far my favorite performance of the night, and Audrey and Matt might just be my favorite couple this season. It’s still pretty early in the season to tell for sure, though.

Lindsay and Cole were the last couple to be revealed and perform. They danced to “Unstoppable” by E.S. Posthumus. Their routine was choreographed by Jason Gilkinson. This was a very dark and intense routine, and it kind of reminded me of ‘Zorro.’ It was a great way to end the show! Guest judge Kenny Ortega called it “mesmerizing, electrifying, two of the most fantastic performances I’ve ever seen on this show.” I completely agree!

That’s it for last week’s show! I hope everyone who was able to watch enjoyed it as much as I did! Don’t miss tomorrow night’s episode, where the first guy and girl will be eliminated.