Kupono and Randi were eliminated in So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 Episode 17, and tonight the top 8 dance.
Mia Michaels and Ellen DeGeneres both join the judges. What Ellen knows about dancing I’m not sure. Oh, and Nigel’s a doctor. Like how Bill Cosby’s a doctor, although at least he delivered babies on the TV.
Group Dance
Style: Fusion
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Routine: It’s a rave
Song: Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne
Nigel: Great opening. All terrific.
Ellen: I can do that.
Mary: Great dancing. Great costumes. Great choreography. Nobody to pick on.
Mia: Loved it. Had a blast.
This week the boys will be picking their partners out of hats.
Evan Kasprzak & Janette Manrara
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Routine: Getting people to shut up
Song: Move (Metronomy Remix) by CSS
Nigel: Evan’s finally delivering more. Janette is absolutely wonderful.
Ellen: I can do that, too. Amazing, like the wine I had before I came out here.
Mary: Really good job by Evan, although he could have been a little rougher toward the end. Janette just can’t take a wrong step out there.
Mia: Evan made a step in the right direction, but still needs more. Janette’s my favorite this season.
Brandon Bryant & Jeanine Mason
Style: Waltz
Choreographer: Hunter Johnson
Song: May It Be by Hayley Westenra
Nigel: Such a demanding routine, and the music sounded like pulling teeth (I was distracted by the music because I quite liked it, though I can see where it would be called slow). Didn’t really get as much as expected.
Ellen: I forget my point, but I thought you two were fantastic.
Mary: It was a sloooow waltz. Takes unbelievable control. Respectable considering. Lines could have went further.
Mia: Next time, Brandon, don’t dream about birds and bunnies. Not magical. Too many hiccups.
Ade Abayomi & Melissa Sandvig
Style: Chacha
Choreographers: Tony Meredith & Melanie Lapatin
Song: Yeah (Como Goza Mi Morena) by Chino Espinoza Y Los Duenos Del Son
Nigel: Pretty good. Melissa turned out a little too much and was over the top being sexy. Ade’s got great stature but could have sizzled a bit more. Lovely choreography. Well danced.
Ellen: Are you carpenters? Because you nailed it.
Mary: Ade’s bum was perched up so high, bum apparently being a term she’s heard from Nigel. That caused both of their feet to slide all over the place. A little below what was expected.
Mia: Ade’s worst performance this season. Thrown all over the place and not down and dirty. Melissa did excellent for a ballerina.
Jason Glover & Kayla Rodomski
Style: Broadway
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Song: Mr. Monotony (from Jerome Robbins Broadway) by Kim Criswell
Nigel: Jason’s toes and feet were terrific. Kayla’s lines are beautiful as usual.
Ellen: These are good seats.
Mary: Seemed to flow effortlessly. Jason was cool and suave… and some grunting noise. Kayla’s riding first class.
Mia: Amazing. Want Jason to work on his upper body. Kayla should sing and act to take Broadway to storm.
Evan Kasprzak & Janette Manrara
Style: Rumba
Choreographers: Tony Meredith & Melanie Lapatin
Song: Heartless by Kris Allen
Nigel: Smooth and very sexy, but hard to get votes with that routine. Janette’s got the sensual feel down pat. Evan looks drowsy.
Ellen: Evan is a special guy, apparently. Janette is amazing.
Mary: Evan did a really good job. On time and well connected. Janette is little miss fire and spice and flavor.
Mia: What Evan brings to the stage, there’s not a lot of people that bring that. Evan was sexy, but with a Zoolander face. Nothing more to say about Janette.
Brandon Bryant & Jeanine Mason
Style: Pop Jazz
Choreographer: Laurieann Gibson
Song: Battlefield by Jordin Sparks
Nigel: That’s all I’m asking. Exactly what we want. Jeanine was fantastic staying with Brandon, who was strong. Hooray. At last.
Ellen: Make it appealing to join some kind of armed forces.
Mary: Strong. Powerful. Dynamic. Just hit it all the time.
Mia: Danced in a place that was more than dance. Brandon’s such a powerhouse, and Jeanine kept up with him. Wow.
Ade Abayomi & Melissa Sandvig
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Routine: About a woman who has breast cancer
Song: This Woman’s Work by Maxwell
Nigel: That’s why I love dance so much. It can express so many emotions without use of words. If this isn’t an Emmy nomination next year, it will be a surprise. One of the most memorable routines on this show. Ade’s strength gave Melissa the courage to do a lot of the jumps, and Melissa’s maturity let her perform the routine.
Ellen: The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Mary: Don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Gift of love, compassion, and hope.
Mia: What an important piece of work. Wish I had the strength Ade had in this piece for my daddy. Melissa is an angel.
Jason Glover & Kayla Rodomski
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Shane Sparks
Routine: Zombies
Song: They’re Everywhere by Izza Kizza
Nigel: Very sort of Michael Jackson inspired. Got something together there. Enjoyable.
Ellen: Keep dancing like that, and you’ll have your own talk show some day.
Mary: Really hit it hard. Loved every second of it.
Mia: Favorite piece from Shane on this show. Disturbingly hot.
Kayla: 1-888-TEMPO-01
Jason: 1-888-TEMPO-02
Janette: 1-888-TEMPO-03
Ade: 1-888-TEMPO-04
Melissa: 1-888-TEMPO-05
Evan: 1-888-TEMPO-06
Melissa: 1-888-TEMPO-07
Brandon: 1-888-TEMPO-08
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 Episode 19, which airs Thursday at 9/8c on Fox.