Here we go! The first show with an elimination in it! Let's get this season started already!
Cat Deeley welcomes us from a slinky 1940s-Hollywood red dress and explains that the baseball playoffs (which are extending all the way into November for no reason anyone can figure out) mean that the judges will be picking the eliminations for the first couple of weeks.
The dancers do their usual thing while Cat calls out their names. I wonder if it annoys the sound guys to have to turn on the stage microphones for the tappers. They miss the beginning of Phillip's part anyway.
The judges, as you may have heard, are Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe. And Nigel's still got the empty "Paula Abdul" chair, because I guess he thinks that America is crazy in love with Paula. He just wants her to come on the show, where she is welcome to judge, dance, or choreograph. Man, I was rolling my eyes a second ago, but can you imagine how crazy a Paula Abdul-choreographed routine would be? I'm already looking forward to the part where the dancers fall asleep for thirty seconds and then jerk upright, babbling about seeing each other's inner light! This has to happen.
Nigel praises last night's show, which I liked a lot. And now for the bad news: Billy Bell is sick. Word on the street is that he's got mono. So he's out of the show, and everybody's very sad about that. And! Noelle's knee is horribly damaged and can't dance tonight, so her choreographer Melanie will be standing in for her tonight. Noelle's got a week to recover or she's out.
So tonight, we're assigning the pairings, then seeing the dancing. Then the judges decide on a bottom four, who will all do solos. Then the judges cut one male and one female dancer. (See, I'm trying to avoid saying "one guy and one girl", since most of the dancers are adults. Even Mollee and Nathan are supposedly 19.
First pairing! Channing (who continues to talk about being a tomboy) and Phillip (who's not only a tapper but also a spoken-word poet). They're dancing jive, choreographed by Jason Gilkison. The footwork, we are told, is fast.
They dance to "Rockin' Robin" by the Jackson 5. Where was this song during all that Michael Jackson talk last season? It has a lot of kicks and spots where Phillip sits there and watches Channing shimmy. She also does these weird flappy movements at one point which I think are supposed to be bird wings. Adam declares the pairing "classy" and says that he was surprised by Channing's elegance. He does object to the way they both dropped character when it came time to do a lift. Mary is willing to go as far as "not bad" and complains about the lack of energy in the legs. I like Mary so much more when she doesn't like a routine, because that's when she busts out the useful commentary instead of the shrieking. Nigel wanted sharper retractions with their fleet kicks, which I don't have any idea what that means. He also recommends more chemistry between the dancers.
The pairing is Ashleigh (Mrs. Ryan, who had a back injury once) and Jakob (from a tiny town in Florida, which he left for New York pretty much as soon as possible). They'll be doing a Tyce Diorio "sultry Broadway" routine. Jakob is mildly worried about sexing up Ashleigh when her husband is right there. They're dancing to "Hit Me With a Hot Note (And Watch Me Bounce)" from the Sophisticated Ladies soundtrack. I hate to say, I like this more than the usual Broadway routines on this show, possibly because I could imagine actually seeing it as part of a show. Jakob does some very impressive jumping and flipping. It's a trifle distracting that Ashleigh appears to be about twice his age. Adam starts by praising Tyce's choreography and then starts babbling about how amazing Jakob is. He recommends that Ashleigh reach with her hands, rather than just opening them. Mary calls it phenomenal, sexy, and sultry. And "perfect". Nigel gives Ashleigh some measured praise and then calls Jakob "one of the most gifted dancers we've ever had". Then he changes the subject to what a shame it is that Billy Bell isn't here. He appears to believe that Ashleigh will be riding Jakob's coattails.
up! Ariana (seen here on a tractor) and Peter (an Italian from Philadelphia, which presumably means that he's welcoming the chance to watch the World Series over the week) will be dancing a hip hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon (wearing silly hats). They're playing emotionless robots who become overwhelmed by sexy thoughts.
The music is "Black & Gold" by Sam Sparro and the dance is mildly robotic at first. Then it gets more frenetic, but not all that interesting. Frankly, I was kind of distracted by Ariana's shiny gold pants. Adam objects to the way they weren't dancing the same way. He squeezes in a shout-out to Taboleon, then gets back to complaining about the dance they choreographed. Mary thought it should have been more Bucc and less sloppy. Nigel points out that as a contemporary dancer and a tap dancer, they were both working out of their genre. He was disappointed in them.
Now, Russell (awesome krumper who considers himself a good role model) and Noelle (the tragically injured, who apparently says "y'all" a lot). They've got a foxtrot by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Noelle cheerfully says that for all she knew, a foxtrot could have involved imitating an actual fox. And there's obviously some worry about a krumper learning the foxtrot.
So Noelle's injured, which means that Russell will be dancing with Melanie to "Vagabond Shoes" by Vic Damone. Look, I'm no ballroom expert, but I think Russell nails it. He moves with confidence and style and grace. Melanie blows Russell a kiss and gets off the stage. Adam is amazed by Russell, and Cat tells him not to put Russell in a box. Yeah! No box! Adam uses words like "effortless" and "beautiful". Mary, who is a ballroom expert uses words like "respectable" and "cool". She has some specific things for him to work on, which is nice because it keeps her from shouting. Nigel says that Russell is an example of why dance needs to be taught in schools. He has a couple of complaints about Russell's technique, but he liked the overall lines.
Our pairing is Bianca (who moved from Detroit to Los Angeles to dance, and has a tiny dog) and Victor (who dances entertainingly), who will be doing Travis Wall contemporary. The story involves Victor ignoring Bianca while she throws herself at him.
The music is "Wasted Time" by Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Incidentally, the backdrop is much less distracting than it was yesterday. Bianca throws herself into the dance, and there are some interesting spots where the dancers are intertwined in unusual ways. Like when Victor is on his hands and knees and Bianca's standing on his back. Adam brags about how great Travis is and tells Bianca she did very good for being out of her element. She should drop her shoulders, apparently. And she needs a long neck and better toes. Victor, on the other hand, is amazing and brilliant. Mary is happy that Bianca finally made it to the Top 20 and likes her passion and chemistry. Also, Victor is great. Nigel felt that the connection between the partners was the best so far tonight.
Karen came from Venezuela when she was eight years old, which kind of overshadows all these other "I went from Place X to Place Y to follow my dream!" stories, and she's paired with Kevin, who's also a model. Tony and Meredith are back with a cha-cha. They figure that Karen will be fine, but Kevin might have trouble. Let's find out!
They are dancing to "Push It" -- the Glee cast version. This, um, isn't traditional cha-cha music, is it? Also, nice use of FOX cross-promotion there. The dancing seems fine to me, but maybe a little slow. Adam gives Karen a "yikes!" but I think he means it in a good way. He couldn't take his eyes of Karen's sexiness, which even he thinks is atypical for a gay man. Although he doesn't say "gay", because God forbid we allude to that on a freakin' dancing show. He didn't like the last lift sequence, which he felt was "a little self-conscious". Mary loved everything about Karen's performance. She is on the Hot Tamale Train. Kevin needs more leg action to get on the train. More shrieking, and I think I thought of another thing the sound guys on this show probably hate. Nigel thinks Kevin danced "very well indeed". Then he gets down to the important task of heaping praise on Karen.
Ryan (Mr. Ashleigh) is a fitness nut. We know. Ellenore tells us a story about her father and her pregnant mother dancing together in a show, so she can claim to have been a dancer since before she was born. The number looks a little Up With People-y, except with a slight pop-lock addition. We don't get to see much of it. They'll be dancing a contemporary jazz routine by Sonya "Think You Can Dance" Tayeh. I would like to take a moment to address statement last night that "Teaching girls to be sexy is really hard for me because I'm not sexy at all." For the record, I think Sonya is totally hot. So there. Anyway, this is a number about angelic creatures and dark overlords and stuff. Ellenore throws down the gauntlet: "I think it's going to be one of the best pieces I have ever performed and maybe even So You Think You Can Dance has ever seen." Ah, hubris! It's a tragic flaw, you know.
Here they go, dancing to "Arcadia" by Apparat. It's very Sonya-y, with odd costuming choices (Ryan's shirtless in leather pants, which seems like a crowd-pleasing idea) and herky-jerky movements and the guy carrying the girl around while she kicks her legs out. I'm not sure I get it, but I like the dancers' commitment to whatever it was. Adam tells Sonya that she rocks his world and Ellenore/Ryan that they were very exciting. Mary dug the chemistry and praises the way Ryan was focused on his partner rather than playing to the audience, camera, or judges. Nigel gives up on criticizing technique in a weird genre like this and just says that he enjoyed it. As Ryan and Ellenore stand there and listen to the criticism, I think they look like refugees from Thunderdome. I chalk it up to all the feathers. And I should emphasize that I approve of that. We need more people dressed like they're from Thunderdome.
We've reached the part of the show where Billy Bell was supposed to be. His replacement is Brandon Dumlao, who will now be paired with Pauline. Pauline takes a lot of pictures. Brandon is a hip hop dancer, and is just trying to catch up with events. Good luck! They're doing a smooth waltz by Jason Gilkison. They dance to Whitney Houston's version of "You Light Up My Life", and they're supposed to be defying gravity. I know pretty much nothing about the smooth waltz, so I can only report that A) the song is in 3/4 time, and B) Pauline smiles a lot. Also, neither of them fell down that I noticed. Adam points out that Brandon's only been here a day and a half and praises some beautiful moments. He mentions Pauline's smile specifically, so I'm pleased that I picked that out. Basically, good job. Mary agrees that the situation was very difficult for both of them and praises their chemistry. Brandon's dancing wasn't really good enough for Mary from a technical point of view. Nigel tells them that he does like them and appreciates the situation. Having said that, he didn't think the dance was actually lighter than air. It was pretty, but not strong enough for him.
Kathryn (from Georgia, likes being outside) and Legacy (street performer) are doing a Dave Scott hip hop number. It's a humorous number where they have to look like they don't understand why their bodies are doing these things. Cat promises that it will be "really old school". Ah, because they're dressed as cavemen. Cute.
They dance to Missy Elliott's "On & On". It starts with some lice-picking and Legacy in particular hits really hard and stays in character well. I think Kathryn might be doing too much mugging for the audience. Some of Legacy's fancy balancing moves are worked in, which is perfectly understandable. The dance ends with Kathryn clocking Legacy with he elbow, knocking him out, and picking lice off him. It's a classic story. Adam points out that this isn't really in either of their styles, since Legacy's thing isn't really choreographed numbers. He praises the chemistry. Then Mary shrieks for awhile, and I'm sure all the dogs that are watching will be enjoying whatever these shrill noises mean. I think she's trying to say that she liked it. Nigel describes it as a "hip hop version of Quest for Fire". You know, Rae Dawn Chong was in both Quest for Fire and Beat Street. I'm just saying.
Our last couple is and Nathan (played piano and trumpet as a small child) and Mollee (claims to be a goofball), who will do a Doriana Sanchez disco routine that Mollee thinks is inspired by Mexican wrestling.
The music is some remix of Gloria Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around". Seriously, she would like the beat turned around. She's very clear about it. You can tell it's disco because Nathan is in a white jumpsuit. And because the background is much crazier and active than it's been all night. The Mexican wrestling element is just because Mollee does a few Hurricanranas on Nathan. They look exhausted when they're done. Adam calls them adorable and is impressed at how they got away with some of those lifts. He admits that he thinks of disco as "social dancing", not "competitive", but he did like that routine. Mary praises the kids' charisma and calls them the "dream team". Nigel blathers about how great disco is. Whatever, grandpa.
Now we watch the night's performances again. This is where we'd be seeing phone numbers, except that America doesn't get to decide tonight. Hear that, America? Nigel Lythgoe hates your democracy! And he blames the World Series! I bet he hates apple pie and mothers, too.
There's no time for any conferring. Nigel says that dancers will be judged on everything they know about them, not just the solo tonight. The bottom four are Ariana, Brandon, Pauline, and Russell. What? Russell? That's crazy. It also seems a little tough on Brandon, who just got here. Well, solos after the break!
Boy, there's a lot going on in this show, isn't there? There's a remarkably small amount of filler.
Ariana's solo is to "Darkest Hour" by Charlotte Martin. It involves spins and jumps and spinning jumps. Cat has to do some stage management: "Let's hear it for her; it's Ariana, everybody! (thank you, sweetie, go and wait over there) Now, showing the judges what he can do, it's Russell!" Russell krumps to "Give the Drummer Sum" by Black Milk. It's cool as hell and I could watch a lot more of it.
Pauline's solo is to "Magalenha" by Sergio Mendes. It's very hip-based. Finally Brandon gets his tiny moment in the spotlight to "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" by John Mayer. I like it, but that's possibly because I feel like he's doomed because he's up against Russell and I feel sorry for him for getting on the show for one episode. So it feels kind of melancholy to me.
Cat sends the judges off to confer. Commercials air and I fast-forward past them. Welcome back! Cat says "hopefully they've made up their minds", which sounds like she's a little skeptical. Nigel says that the judges are unanimous and that both Pauline and Ariana are amazing just to have made it to the Top 20. He praises Pauline's charisma and asks for more passion. Ariana gets sent home and told she needs more charisma and love in her eyes.
Cat tries to get Pauline off the stage, but she's busy hugging Ariana. After Ariana clears the stage, we see a package of Ariana's best moments in the competition, which are all from the Vegas episodes. Ariana says that just being there is amazing and she wouldn't change anything.
Now it's time for Russell and Brandon. Nigel says that the judges were unanimous and has Russell step forward. He urges him to keep learning other styles. Brandon steps forward and is sent home. Man, that poor kid. Nigel explains that he didn't make the original Top 20 because they thought he needed to smooth out the rough edges. The rules of the show are that once you make the Top 20, you can't reenter the competition, but Nigel's going to talk to FOX and the producers to try to get that rule changed so that Brandon can enter again in a later season. Brandon's package includes a shot where he's getting out of a van saying "I just watched myself last night get cut, and now I'm back. It's like a second chance and I'm gonna make the best out of this opportunity." I like him, based on the short time I've gotten to see him. He seems to be in a pretty good mood. On the danceout, Brandon gets some hugs. The end!
Oh, one more thing: this whole show, dancers have been making a heart sign with their hands that I think is going to be their "Season Six" callsign. So watch for that, I guess.
You can email Monty at montykins@gmail.com if that's your idea of a good time.
Get our predictions for who is going to win and become America's Favorite Dancer.