Cat Deeley update: Lovely in yellow, showing off a bit of shapely calf. Tease!
Resident judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy are joined this week by the legendary Debbie Reynolds.
If you'll recall, last week the judges decided not to eliminate anyone. So this week, our entire Top 20 is back to dance again for votes.
Ready?
Ryan Ramirez, 19 year old Contemporary dancer, and Ricky Jaime, 19 year old Contemporary dancer, dance Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore. I didn't see this as a sexy dance of desire for each other. Rather the choreography was more animal and raw. From that perspective, I thought they danced it well. They really focused and emphasized the raunchiness of sexual tension between two inexperienced young people. I thought the piece worked that way, rather than the way Mandy described it during rehearsal. Ryan is a power house dancer. And Ricky held his own against that power. He has an excellent ability to portray character. Plus he has tremendous strength as a partner. Well done.
Caitlynn Lawson, 18 year old Contemporary dancer, and Mitchell Kelly, 20 year old Contemporary dancer, dance Contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey. I like the contrast at the beginning of the piece. Mitchell's character was darker, represented by heavy and staccato movements around a black chair. That was contrasted against the more flowing movement of Caitlynn, which I thought represented her desire to be free of the relationship. I really like Catilynn. She throws herself into the interpretation of her character within the story. She finishes everything, and her lines are beautiful. Mitchell's extensions are flawless. They both are so strong technically, but they also are equally strong as actors. They were both wonderful.
Missy Morelli, 20 year old Jazz dancer, and Wadi Jones, 24 year old Break dancer, dance Cha Cha Cha choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux. I think we're going to find that Missy can dance in any style you give her. She just seems to be a sponge for choreography and movement. She instinctively understands what her body needs to do to make the correct frame and hip action. Wadi struggled with his hips and his frame, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Getting the proper hip action for Cha Cha Cha requires the proper placement of your feet, and that takes practice. He had to manage the heels and the clothes that he's not used to. I think he was a very credible partner when strength was required. Wadi seemed a little disappointed with the notes he got from the judges, but if he wants to dance he'll have to understand that those notes are designed to help him improve. 
Iveta Lukosiute, 30 year old Ballroom dancer, and Nick Young, 19 year old Tap dancer, dance Bollywood choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan. I don't mind this style when it is danced well, but I'd really rather not have it. I think they both had trouble with finishing off the movements, mainly because a lot of the choreography was designed to be very fast. So in trying to get the steps coordinated and organized, I thought some of it was rushed and shuffled. There were also some issues with their side by side synchronization. I'm never sure how the shapes and frames are supposed to look in Bollywood, so I can't really say whether they had it right or not. I thought they danced with plenty of energy and personality. I like their chemistry together. The performance was entertaining.
Miranda Maleski, 19 year old Contemporary dancer, and Robert Taylor Jr, 31 year old Hip Hop dancer, dance Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo. I think the choreography suits his particular style, which looks very free and loose but is extremely well controlled and stylized. I'm surprised by how well Miranda found those moments to slow the movement. Those are the details that non-trained hip hop dancers might rush through. But I like that she concentrated on them. She really stepped up this week. I liked the way they went from soft, to fast, to hard, to jittery. The characterization was supposed to be woodpeckers, and I thought both Robert and Miranda captured that in their movement. Their musicality was wonderful as well. Nicely done.
Clarice Ordaz, 19 year old Jazz dancer, and Jess LeProtto, 18 year old Broadway dancer, dance Contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey. Once again I'm impressed by how quietly they seem to dance. They both have such control in the air. I liked their emotion in the piece. They danced with a simple joy, which made the story sweetly romantic. They did not demonstrate power in the lifts and tricks, I think mainly because they are too well matched in height. I liked the performance as a whole despite the struggles they had with some of the intricate lifts. The worry I have for them is that they did not stand out this week, and last week they were in the bottom three after what I thought was an outstanding performance. 
Jordan Casanova, 19 year old Jazz dancer, and Tadd Gadduang, 25 year old Hip Hop dancer, dance Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux. Jordan was beautiful, but I was impressed with Tadd. His lines were exquisite. He was such a strong partner. He made a frame for Jordan to dance in and he controlled the dance throughout. That was really wonderful. The choreography was difficult, and they managed it effortlessly. They both had such a wonderful musicality and a smoothness in the way they went from movement to movement. It was classically elegant and included everything I want in a Viennese Waltz, from subtle rise and fall to a romantic fairy tale. I expected Jordan to be good and she was, but Tadd was a revelation and a pleasant surprise. Excellent.
Melanie Moore, 19 year old Contemporary dancer, and Marko Germar, 22 year old Jazz dancer, dance Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore. These two dance like professionals. It looked so effortless and casual. I know they were working hard because that choreography was so jam packed with difficulty. But they made it look like it was nothing. There were so many little details in the piece, and they nailed each one of them. And I loved that they were able to incorporate the hat recovery after that split jump/lift so that I barely noticed anything was wrong. There really aren't enough adjectives. As individuals they are both incredibly good, but in combination they compliment each other so very well. I don't think there is going to be a style they can't dance expertly. 
Sasha Mallory, 23 year old Contemporary dancer, and Alexander Frost, 21 year old Contemporary dancer, dance Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. Tab and Nap's best routines are the ones with deep emotional stories, told lyrically. When the dancers are able to interpret that artistic vision, then the routines can sometimes transcend dance. In terms of hip hop, Sasha was terrific. She dances with such power, and that was on display to excellent effect in this piece. Alexander didn't fare as well from a technical standpoint, but I thought he danced with a passion that the judges said was missing last week. I thought the routine worked as a complete story. The emotional connection between the two of them sold the whole piece, and so the technical struggles they had are forgiven.
Ashley Rich, 22 year old Contemporary dancer, and Chris Koehl, 21 year old Hip Hop dancer, dance Broadway choreographed by Spencer Liff. I really enjoyed that. Chris showed off some amazing strength and dexterity, working with the bars. Ashley was hot. Their chemistry and connection to each other was much better than last week. The choreograph was creative and entertaining. I think having that barrier between them made them focus more on developing the chemistry between them, and I felt they were much more in tune with each other this week. Chris really held his own in the piece. He stepped away from his comfort and was outstanding. Ashley was a revelation. She reminded me why she was chosen for Top 10 gals. They both stepped up and joined the competitive party this week. Well done.
Lots of different routines and styles, all well performed. And we still don't know who to choose!
But, tonight there will be four dancers eliminated. I don't envy the judges at all. Check back tomorrow and I'll have the scoop for you!
Later gang!
