Another Shocker: Jesus and Jessi Eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance

Another week, another shocker on So You Think You Can Dance.

I'm not surprised that Jessi Peralta was given the boot last night -- in fact I predicted she would be eliminated even if she was well enough to dance, which she was. Her performance with Pasha was fun to watch (although, to be honest, I preferred the version he danced with Bette Midler the night before), but what was up with that solo? She dug her own grave on that one, as she barely moved during her 30 seconds of performance time. To be fair, none of the girls (save, perhaps, Anya) was especially impressive during their solos, but Jessi was definitively the weakest. She seemed shocked that she had been eliminated -- she shouldn't have been. All she had to was read Idol Thoughts and she would have known she was going home!

While Jessi's elimination didn't ruffle me, it was the elimination of Jesus that got me a little emotional. Granted, he was facing off against Neil and Danny, two of the competition's strongest dancers, so despite the fact that he hasn't misstepped once throughout the competition, the judges did make the right choice. It's just a big ol' bummer that we're stuck with Cedric for one more week, while a beautiful dancer (with a beautiful spirit) is sent packing.

I guess all is not fair in So You Think You Can Dance.

Also not fair (or right) -- Fergie's outfit and obviously lip synched performance. Enough with Fergie on these shows -- she was on the SYTYCD finale last season, she showed up on Idol. I'm over her.

Remember, no show next week -- the Top 14 will be back to dance on July 11 at 8PM.

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So You Think You Can Dance Top 16 - Who is Going Home Tonight?

Another Thursday, another elimination. After two straight weeks of surprises (Ricky and Faina, we hardly knew ya), who's it going to be this week?

You can read my full recap and rankings of last night's show here.

Bottom 3 Couples:
Sara and Jesus
Neil and Lauren
Shauna and Cedric

While it's entirely possible Danny and Anya could slip into the Bottom 3, I'm guessing the fact that Sara and Jesus performed first might put them in jeopardy tonight, along with the still underperforming Neil and Lauren, and the trainwreck that is Cedric. What could save Cedric? Mia Michaels' brilliant choreography, for one, along with the fact that about five minutes of time last night was devoted to debating the merits of keeping him in the competition. Will Debbie Allen's generous offer to provide him with a scholarship to her dance academy mean people won't feel bad about sending him home, or will it mean that they'll want to keep him around for his uniqueness and the drama he brings to the show? If somehow Cedric and Shauna manage to avoid a Bottom 3 showing, expect Danny and Anya to fall to the bottom.

Eliminated Boy: Cedric
As long as he and Shauna are in the Bottom 3, he's going home, no two ways about it.

Eliminated Girl: Jessi
Who knows if baby oil girl will have recovered enough to make it back for tonight's elimination show? Even if she does, I'm guessing she's going to get the boot tonight. If, somehow, she manages to recover in time and save herself, prepare to say goodbye to Ms. Shauna.

Read my full recap and rankings of last night's show here.

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So You Think You Can Dance Recap and Rankings: Top 16

Another evening of great dancing on So You Think You Can Dance, with some drama thrown in on the side. Gotta love Wednesday nights!

Debbie Allen is on the panel tonight, and she's got lots to say. No seriously, a lot to say. Is it just me, or did the woman go on and on? No matter, really, since (a) she was in Fame , (b) she was pretty entertaining, and (c) she even offered Cedric a scholarship to her dance academy (although something tells me he reamed Nigel out for prompting her to do so on the commercial break).

As a side note, I kind of love the judging panel on this show. Choreographers are used to having to explain what works and what doesn't work, so there is an eloquence that is completely lacking on American Idol. So bravo, Nigel, loopy (but remarkably coherent) Mary, and the rest of the gang.

As for the drama -- Jessi Peralta has been rushed to the hospital, and Nigel, in a weird, sinister way, reports that her EKG was not normal. Oh yeah, and if she isn't better in 24 hours she's cut from the competition. This is the dance world, people -- no time for feelings.

Here's my rankings and comments...check back tomorrow morning for my prediction of who will go home.

1. Pasha and the old fat lady
Ok, to be fair, she's probably not fat, she just seems rotund compared to the Barbie dolls on this show. But enough about her -- how about that Pasha? Ooh baby, baby. He was clearly in his element here, and was sexy as all get out. I was never really into Dimitri last year (the European ballroom archetype), but I am most definitely into Pasha. And I hope Jessi is better by tomorrow -- as much as she is not my favorite, this would be a pretty shitty way to leave the competition.

2. D-Trix and Sabra
Ok, I am officially on the Dominic bandwagon. That rumba was hot! And D-Trix looked mighty fine filling out those tight pants, I must say. I can't figure out what to make of Sabra -- I love her when she is dancing, but I can't connect to her when she's not. Regardless, this rumba hit all the right spots.

3. Hok and Jaimie
Last week these two were my least favorite couple -- tonight, they blew me away. Shows what a different style of dance and a fierce choreographer can do. Wade Robson said he wanted to create his own kind of ballet, and he did -- it was pretty genius. Hok was spellbinding, and Jaimie, who is probably my least favorite in the competition, was, I must admit, beautiful to watch. Can Wade just choreograph all the dances?

4. Shauna and Cedric
Actually, Wade can choreograph half of the dances and Mia Michaels can choreograph the other other half. Loyal Idol Thoughts readers know I am kind of obsessed with Mia Michaels (I even signed up for her mailing list at miamichaels.com), so any dance she has created I am most likely going to love. And she did not disappoint tonight, bringing a beautiful story of goodbyes to the stage. Shauna was luminous (I even had visions of last season's Allison while she was dancing), but Cedric once again dropped the ball. He was emotionally moving (his crying moment was quite nice), but he just didn't match the energy and level of technical prowess Shauna was bringing to the stage. All in all, though, a beautiful piece.

5. Lacey and Kameron
Quickstep is boring. Yeah, I said it. However, for a quickstep, this performance was surprsingly enteraining. Both Lacey and Kam looked especially dashing tonight, and I am starting to think that while Danny and Anya may have the most technical prowess, these two are the most versatile -- they haven't faulted yet.

6. Sara and Jesus
I expected Sara to excel at this style, but Chuy was a very nice surprise. I bought him as a crumper, and I enjoyed this performance. I'm worried that because they performed first in the evening they may get lost in the shuffle, though, and find themselves dancing for their lives tomorrow night.

7. Anya and Danny
Last week's number one couple took a dive this week, finishing just outside of last place. What happened? They weren't bad, per se, they just were completely un-believable as a hip hop pair. Danny's dancing was beautiful, but I didn't buy for a second that they weren't a contemporary and Latin dancer attemting hip hop. I don't think they are in danger of going home, but I also think they've shown they are fallible.

8. Neil and Lauren
I want to love them so bad -- Neil is absolutely adorable, and Lauren clearly has tons of potential. So why haven't they dazzled me yet? Neil showed signs of life last week during hip hop, but this tango, while technically well-danced, was far from sexy. And it wasn't for lack of trying -- they were making the faces, but the soul of the dance wasn't there. They need some contemporary, so they can show what they can do. Otherwise, I'm afraid they might not last.

Individual Rankings:
1. Pasha
2. Dominic
3. Hok
4. Shauna
5. Sabra
6. Jaimie
7. Lacey
8. Jesus
9. Kameron
10. Sara
11. Danny
12. Lauren
13. Neil
14. Anya
15. Cedric

SPOILERS: Dance Styles For So You Think You Can Dance Top 16

You know the drill -- if you want to be surprised, stop reading now!

Here are the dance styles for tomorrow's Top 16 show:

1. Jesus & Sara: Krump
2. Cedric & Shauna: Contemporary
3. Kameron & Lacey: Quickstep
4. Danny & Anya: Hip-Hop
5. Dominic & Sabra: Rumba
6. Neil & Lauren: Tango
7. Hok & Jaimie: Jazz
8. Pasha & Jessi: Cha Cha

Thoughts?

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: Top 18

First, some random thoughts that entered through my mind during the first 5 minutes of So You Think You Can Dance:

-Ya know, Cat Deeley is really growing on me. I'd put her at #3 behind Seacrest and Probst on the list of best reality show hosts. Yeah, I said it, Phil Keoghan -- what are you gonna do about it?

-Yay, Mia Michaels is on the judging panel! Boo, that means no Mia Michaels choreography! But, Yay Mia's brutally honest, unfiltered, brilliant thoughts!

-Really? Their "inspiration for dancing"? Gag me.

Okay, on to the performances...

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic night of dancing, with last week's top teams (Lacey/Kameron and Anya/Danny) repeating their previous successes, and a couple performances that were marked improvements over former showings (D-Trix/Sabra, Neil/Lauren). A couple teams stumbled, but most were so good that it was fairly difficult to rank the performances.

Difficult, but not impossible. Here goes...

1. Anya and Danny (Viennese Waltz)
These two literally took my breath away tonight. Independently they are brilliant -- together they are magical. Okay, that was really dramatic, I admit, but seriously, they were dazzling tonight, especially considering they were dancing a style that could be a real snooze. I would not be surprised if these were the last two standing 8 weeks from now. I can't wait to see what they do next.

2. D-Trix and Sabra (Contemporary)
This performance really surprised me on a couple of different levels -- I wasn't confident D-Trix was going to be able to handle a style that didn't call for him spinning around on his head, and I had sort of written Sabra off as a boring dance-girl. But there was serious emotion in this performance, a real connection between the two dancers, and some really moving moments. Sabra is no longer ignore-able, and I don't think we can call D-Trix a one-trick pony any longer.

3. Lacey and Kameron (Broadway)
I definitely have goodwill left over from last week's sensational Mia Michaels creation, and it's true, Kameron is providing some stiff competition for Neil as my SYTYCD boyfriend (in the tradition, of course, of Travis and Nick Lazzarini), but I loved this performance start-to-finish. I thought it had plenty of pizzazz, and some really sharp movement, and it was totally in the spirit of Fosse's Chicago. Lacey surprised me yet again, showing a sexy side I didn't think she had in her, and Kameron's slow-mo backflip made me gasp out loud. I'm definitely a fan.

Oh and by the way, who knew Lacey had abs like that?

4. Pasha and Jessi (Jazz)
I forgot to include Pasha on the list with Neil and Kameron -- he's getting more adorable by the week. And it certainly helps that he danced his ass of tonight, entertainingly throwing himself into Tyce's wacky choreography, which I loved every second of. Jessi was really good, too -- the second week in a row that has been the case. I still can't say I'm completely in her corner, though -- there's something about her that just bugs me, I'm not sure what it is. But let's just say I am firmly in Pasha's corner.

5. Neil and Lauren (Hip Hop)
Lauren disappointed me a bit (I wish she had hit her moves just a little bit harder), but Neil blew me away, really embracing the role of the hip-hopper, and pulling off the moves with aplomb. I agree with Mia, I almost wish Lauren wasn't even there so I could just watch Neil -- he was that skillful and entertaining. I know Lauren has it in her, I just don't think we've seen it yet. But Neil definitely did not disappoint.

6. Chuy and Sara (Paso Doble)
So, I agree with the judges the the music threw off the dance. But still. Sara is a b-girl, and she ripped it up in the paso doble. Okay, sure, Faina or Anya probably could have danced it way better, but she really held her own, and she was committed through and through. I really respect her, and I hope she sticks around for awhile. And Chuy was awesome! Strong, masculine, sexy -- he had it all.

7. Shauna and Jimmy (Hip Hop)
This is probably my least favorite couple of the night, but I can't fault the performance itself -- it was, as Nigel said, fun, and, to be truthful, more skillful than the two pairs in the numbers 8 and 9 positions. Problem is, I just don't care that much about either Shauna or Jimmy, in part, of course, because we don't know anything about them (unlike, say, Hok, who has had easily 30 minutes of screentime over the last two years). But, having said that, they haven't yet done anything to stand out or endear themselves to the audience. Their dancing was fine...so what?

8. Faina and Cedric (Fox Trot)
There's a reason why I put this pair in the #8 spot and not in last, and it can be summed up in one word: Faina. She was absolutely dazzling tonight -- gorgeous, sensual, playful, elegant. I loved her. Of course, she was dancing with Cedric, who was awkward, uptight, and uncomfortable to watch. Not exactly a match made in heaven.

9. Hok and Jaimie (Samba)
I love Hok -- I think he's charming and spirited, and he's a surprisingly good dancer for a b-boy'er. But this dance tonight was a hot mess. I can't pinpoint exactly what didn't work, but on the whole, it just was a bust. And is it just me, or does Jaimie come off as a little vapid to you? I love Hok, and I admire his effort, but Jaimie strikes me as a kind of soulless dancer. Definitely my least favorite of the night.

Individual Rankings:
1. Danny 2. Anya 3. Faina 4. Neil 5. Pasha 6. Lacey 7. D-Trix 8. Sabra 9. Chuy 10. Kameron 11. Jessi 12. Sara 13. Lauren 14. Shauna 15. Jimmy 16. Hok 17. Jaimie 18. Cedric

What do you think of this list? Does it resemble yours?

Check back tomorrow morning for my prediction of who will be going home.

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SPOILERS: Dance Styles for This Week's SYTYCD

You know the drill -- if you want to be surprised about the dance styles for this week's So You Think You Can Dance...

STOP READING NOW!

Here they are:

Neil and Lauren — Hip-Hop
Pasha and Jessi — Jazz
Hok and Jaimie — Samba
D-Trix and Sabra — Contemporary
Cedric and Faina — Foxtrot
Kameron and Lacey — Broadway
Danny and Anya — Viennese Waltz
Jimmy and Shauna — Hip-Hop
Jesús and Sara — Paso Doble

There should definitely be some challenges for the contestants this week, namely Pasha performing jazz, D-Trix attempting contemporary, and Jesus and Sara taking on the paso doble.

It'll be nice to see Neil and Lauren try and redeem themselves with hip hop after their dismal salsa showing last week, Lacey and Kameron should have no problem with Broadway, and I'm betting Hok will actually take pretty well to the samba.

What do you guys think? Anything jump out at you as a potential masterpiece or a disaster-waiting-to-happen?

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Thoughts on So You Think You Can Dance's Top 20

Tomorrow night is the night!

As any real fan of either American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance knows, the real competition doesn't start until the contestants get onstage and perform in front of the voting public. We are finally ready to move past the manufactured tension, manipulative backstories, and bickering group members to see what kind of real talent this year's show has in store for us.

Bring it on!

So, here is some info on the contestants (from the press release for the show), along with my thoughts on this year's Top 20 (made only slightly more difficult by the fact that there are a solid handful of contestants that we have not yet seen dance at all -- damn producers!):

Anya Garnis
Age: 25
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from New York, NY. Anya has been living in the U.S. for six years after growing up in Russia. She has been dancing with partner Pasha Kovalev, also a finalist, for nine years.
I Say: There's no question this girl can move -- she and Faina will likely be in competition for the season's best female ballroom dancer. With her thick, muscular legs and sexy performance style, she reminds me a bit of last season's Natalie -- which is a good thing!

Jaimie Goodwin
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Virginia Beach, VA. Jaimie danced in competitions with Season Two contestant Travis before coming onto the show.
I Say: I don't even know who this is. Have they shown her dance?

Lauren Gottlieb
Age: 18
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer who currently lives in Sherman Oaks, CA. After moving to California, she landed a spot dancing with Shakira at the Grammy Awards. She has been dancing since she was 2 years old.
I Say: One of the season's strongest dancers, and already a major personality on the show (thanks to her stint helping Tyce choreograph last year). I wouldn't be surprised to see her around in the Top 4.

Sabra Johnson
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Roy, UT, with training in Ballet and Jazz. She hopes to pursue dancing as a professional career.
I Say: Um, who is this girl?

Ashlee Langas
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Tyler, TX. Ashlee has spent her life dancing in all sorts of settings from dance theaters to high school productions.
I Say: Not to be redundant, but, um, who? Oh wait, this is the one who the judges "like her personality and looks." And her dancing?

Shauna Noland
Age: 18
Contemporary dancer from North Hollywood, CA. She has been dancing for 15 years and also has an avid love of singing.
I Say: She did some nice turns...but we've only seen her dance for about 12 seconds, so that's all I can say at the moment.

Jessi Peralta
Age: 24
They Say: Hip-Hop dancer from Valley Village, CA. She has danced in front of President Bill Clinton at the Apollo and has performed at Madison Square Garden.
I Say: I didn't fall for the baby oil trick as hard as the judges did, but there is no doubt this girl has the performance chops. Does she have the technical dance skills, though?

Faina Savich
Age: 21
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from Brooklyn, NY. Following in her brother Stanislav's footsteps (he was a finalist in Season Two), Faina grew up in Moscow and has been living in the U.S. for six years.
I Say: Definitely fierce and sexy in her own genre, can Faina branch out far enough to make a real impact on the competition? Her brother, after all, was the first one eliminated last season. Will she suffer the same fate?

Lacey Schwimmer
Age: 18
They Say: Swing and International Latin dancer from Redlands, CA. Following in the footsteps of her brother and dance partner, Benji, who won the competition last season, Lacey has her own style which she hopes to showcase this season.
I Say: So far, I'm not impressed. Perhaps it's because I'm comparing her to her brother, but she's going to have to really step up her game if she wants to get out of Benji's large shadow.

Sara Von Gillern
Age: 23
They Say: Hip-Hop/B-girl dancer from Ft. Collins, CO. She is a dance instructor and was one of 30 people from all over the world selected to be part of the Red Bull: Beat Rider program, which gave her the chance to work with some of the biggest names in the Hip-Hop/Breaking field.
I Say: I like that they've got a b-girl representing, and I like that this b-girl seems like she can actually really dance. I've got high hopes for this one.

Jimmy Arguello
Age: 21
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Miami, FL. After taking his first dance class in middle school, Jimmy, at first focused on running in track and field, changed directions completely and found his true calling in dance.
I Say: What? Who?

Kameron Bink
Age: 20
They Say: Contemporary/Hip-Hop dancer from Coral Springs, FL. Known for his distinct red-star hair, Kameron brings over 15 years of dance training to the show and hopes the experience will bring him new and exciting opportunities as he pursues a professional dance career.
I Say: This kid is cute and he can do a back-flip -- and that's all I know for now. But so far, so good.

Cedric Gardner
Age: 23
They Say: Hip-Hop dancer from New Berlin, WI. He started training at 18 at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then moved two-years later to Los Angeles, where he received a full scholarship with Monsters of Hip Hop.
I Say: What? Who?

Neil Haskel
Age: 20
They Say: Contemporary Jazz dancer from Clarence Center, NY. Neil is currently training in New York City, where he performed in the play "The Times They are A-Changin'" on Broadway and was named Male Dancer of the Year in 2005 by the American Dance Awards Competition.
I Say: With his blonde hair, great spins and cute smile, is this Travis 2.0? We should only be so lucky!

Hok Konishi
Age: 22
They say: B-boy dancer from Los Angeles, CA. Born in Tokyo, Hok spent much of his youth in Oxford.
I Say: Totally charming, and, after three seasons auditioning on the show, very popular. However, he is lacking in technical skills, so expect him to make it to the Top 10, but not much further.

Pasha Kovalev
Age: 27
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from Fort Lee, NJ. Pasha is originally from Russia and has trained with numerous professional ballroom dancers. He has been dancing with partner Anya Garnis, also a finalist, for nine years.
I Say: Season 1's Artem and Season 2's Dimitri, both ballroom dancers, went far in the competition -- will sexy Pasha do the same?

Ricky Palomino
Age: 25
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Phoenix, AZ. Ricky also enjoys singing (he recently recorded his first CD), and he is a master teacher and choreographer.
I Say: Total wierdo, but there's no question this kid can dance. If Mia Michaels loves him so do I!
Dominic Sandoval
Age: 21
They Say: B-boy/Hip-Hop dancer from Roseville, CA. Born in Sacramento, he started his hip-hop training in January of this year.
I Say: D-Trix definitely has the moves, but can he do the choreography? Time will tell.

Jess Solorio
Age: 23
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Paso Robles, CA. Jess makes his own wine at his family vineyard.
I Say: Chuy! I think this guy has a real shot at filling the Travis/Nick L. spot.

Danny Tidwell
Age: 23
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from New York, NY, whose brother Travis Wall was last season's runner-up. Danny was previously involved with the American Ballet Company.
I Say: He certainly hasn't won any personality points so far, but from what we've seen of his dancing, he looks sharp. Will Travis' fans come out in support of his half-brother?

If I had to, completely foolishly, choose a Top 10 simply from this list, I'd go with: Anya, Lauren, Faina, Sara, Danny, Hok, Ricky, Chuy, Neil, and, why not, Jaime.

Who are you excited about?

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