When you think about it, it was kind of cruel for the SYTYCD judges to make us sit through a Carrie Hilson performance and a Lady Gaga video just to reveal at the end of the show that, although there were seven dancers up for elimination last night, no one was going home. That's right: For the first time in SYTYCD history, the judges decided not to eliminate anyone in a single week. Next week, two couples will be going home (supposedly), but as the competition heats up and the dancers get stronger, the judges' jobs are only going to get harder, right? What if, in a few weeks, four couples have to go home, then six, then eight...oh hell, just make all 20 America's favorite dancer and give them a giant house and a reality show already.
There's not a lot to this recap, except that one of Carrie Hilson's giant fuzzy earrings got caught in her mouth and the new Lady Gaga video features foggy alleys and fire escapes.
After reviewing last night's performances, the bottom three couples are revealed to be Jordan and Tadd, Miranda and Robert and Jess and Clarice. Mitchell, who couldn't perform last night because of an injury, is also up for elimination. The seven prepare to "dance for their lives" for 30 seconds to help the judges make their decisions (I guess it didn't help. Overachievers).
We finally get to see Mitchell dance. He does a beautiful contemporary routine, pairing slow, deliberate extensions with quick leaps and pirouettes.
ext up is jordan, who performs another strip-jazz combo, complete with shiny fringe on her bra. So far on this show, I haven't really see her do much else, and I'd really like to know how she handles a straight-up contemporary or ballroom routine. The camera faces the judges, and we just barely catch a glimpse of Megan Mulally shaking her jumblies at Mary in jest. I LOVE her.
Tadd's hip hop routine is a little messy, in my opinion and looks like he just made it up as he went along. I realize he's a freestyle artist, but still. This is a competition. Step it up (see what I did there?).
Clarice comes out and does something, but I'm too distracted by that thing on her hip to notice? Is it a feather? Toilet paper? What? Oh, and it looks like she might have messed up a little on that final extension.
Broadway dancer Jess is up next, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorites this season. At first, he seemed to have had a little bit of arrogance about him, but he's worked hard to take the judges' advice and it's really paid off. He gets some real height in his leaps, he clicks his heels in the air and he smirks as he pushes his fedora down over his eyes.
Miranda does some more leg extensions, but her routine doesn't really seem to have a defined purpose; it's like she's wandering around onstage.
Robert's hip hop routine closes it out, and he proves he's a great performer, perfectly punctuating the music with his dance moves and timing his finish with the weird "So You Think You Can Dance" that signals his time is up.
Nigel asks Robert and Mitchell to dance again before lining up the dancers to dole out the compliments. Time and again he tells them "I don't know what you're doing here this week," and eventually breaks the news that no one's going home. And there is much rejoicing.
Next week: Four dancers get sent home (?).
