So You Think You Can Dance - Dance-Off! Rants-Off!

Top 20 Performance

Okay, this So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 is a pretty good top 20 group, but there's still so many dancers that I'm still having a hard time remembering who is who but it will be fun watching the teams compete over the next few weeks as we figure out who really CAN dance the different styles week after week.

Judges tonight: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty

Now we get to the good part. The Top 20. The Pairs dance-off!

Jaimie and Hok - Hip Hop - choreographed by Shane Sparks - "Tambourine" - Eve

Not completely together and she's not perfect at this but considering it's so not her style (she's contemporary), she tried and was pretty impressive knowing that (in what will probably seem a repetitive comment throughout the night). Hok (hip hop) totally lucked out dancing his own style this first week cause he's awesome at it.

Here is the video clip of Jaimie and Hok's Hip Hop routine.


Hok and Jamie


Anya and Danny - Jive - choreographed by Tony Meredith - "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne

Danny (contemporary) is my last year fave Travis Wall's adopted brother. Danny is pretty damn good but I think Anya (ballroom) outdanced him even MORE. And to a song that doesn't seem like it would have been easy to dance to. Some cool tricks between the two too! Mary will later claim these two as the safest couple from elimination of the night.

Here is the video clip for Anya and Danny's Jive routine.


Anya and Danny


Lacey and Kameron - Contemporary - choreographed by Mia Michaels - "Dancing" - Elisa

Lacey (swing and latin ballroom) and Kameron (hip hop/ contemporary) are really good dancers, and they knock this out of the park, but I wonder, are they really amazing? or is Mia Michaels just an AMAZING choreographer who knows how to choreograph to the strengths of the dancers? Lacey sure keeps the Schwimmer name in check and proved that she isn't in the finals just for being sister to last years winner. Kameron seems really strong and if he's a prop (as Dan Karaty said), he can prop me up anytime.(Oh and Travis sighting!)

Here's the video clip for Lacey and Kameron's Contemporary performance.


Lacey and Kameron



Sabra and Dominic - Disco - choreographed by Doriana Sanchez - "No More Tears (Enough is Enough) " - Donna Summer and Westlife (when the hell did THIS duet happen? I LOVE Westlife! How did I miss this?)

Sabra (contemporary) has only been dancing for FOUR years? THAT'S IT? That's impressive considering seeing how she moves! Plus I think I'm totally seduced by her 'fro. Cute performance, and again, I think the girl outperformed the guy (Dominic, b-boy/ hip hop) but neither was perfect but it wasn't horrible at all either. (Oh and Donyelle and Ivan sighting!)

Here is the video clip of Sabra and Dominic's Disco routine:


Sabra and Dominic


Ashlee and Ricky - Argentine Tango - Alex de Silva - "Sentimiento Tanguero" - Trio Federico - Berlingieri

Something about Ricky (contemporary) bothers me. Oh well, since it's a boring performance, partly because I don't really care for they style, but not helped by the two dancers (I mean, Ivan was able to make it exciting last year). I feel bad for Ashlee (contemporary/ jazz) cause I felt a bit more from her but still, as they say, it takes two to tango and that wasn't quite it. Dan Karaty will later predict this couple's demise tomorrow night as the worst couple of a strong top 20 group.

Here is the video clip of Ashlee and Ricky's Argentine Tango routine:


Ashlee and Ricky


Sara and Jesús - Pop Jazz - choreographed by Wade Robson - "Cabaret Hoover" - The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack

Again, give good dancers a good choreographer in Wade Robson, add some good choice lighting effects, and WOW, what a fun routine. Oh damn, Dan just repeated what I just typed. (Oh! Dimitri sighting!). Not always together and again, I think the girl Sara (b-girl/ hip hop) outdanced the boy Jesús (contemporary/ jazz) but considering her usual style is closer than his, it's still not a bad first dance from him.

Here is the video clip from Sarah and Jesús' Pop Jazz routine.


Jesus and Sara


Jessi and Pasha - Smooth Waltz- choreographed by Tony Meredith - "Come Away With Me" - Norah Jones

I like these two dancers Jessi ( hip hop) and Pasha (latin ballroom) already but I still find ballroom a little boring. Amazingly, these two are SOOOO SMOOOOOOTH that they glide across the stage and held my attention the entire time. I guess that's a good sign, no? Hey, Dan Karaty just said the SAME THING that I just typed again... for like the 5th time tonight...well at least I know I'm not totally off!

Here is the video clip of Jessi and Pasha's Smooth Waltz routine:


Jessi and Pasha


Faina and Cedric - Hip Hop - choreographed by Shane Sparks - "Get It Shawty" - Lloyd

Faina (latin ballroom) is sister to last years Top 20 dancer Stanislav (who exited as the first guy and was thought to be a mistake but now looking back, thank GOD we kept Ivan around). Cedric (hip hop) again, like Hok earlier in the night, lucks out dancing to his own style. Faina, while not completely together with Cedric, is quite amazing considering she's from the ballroom world. She's not great but decent for her first hip hop and can you blame her for not synching up to Cedric? Didn't he say he'd help?

Here is the video clip of Faina and Cedric's Hip Hop routine.


Faina & Cedric perform Hip-Hop dance


Lauren and Neil - Salsa - choreographed by Alex de Silva - "Friday Night Rhythm" - Mazerati 5

Neil (contemporary) is a little stiff at times but overall a cute enough showing from the two cuties on their first routine. Not one of the better routines of the night but not the worst performance either. Still, the two are such cutie pies that Neil and Lauren (contemporary/ jazz) could be this years Ivan and Allison. Uh... now Nigel just compared Lauren to Allison (in da house!). Didn't I just type that?

Here is the video clip of Laruen and Neil's Salsa routine:


Lauren and Neil


Shauna and Jimmy - Broadway - choreographed by Tyce DiOrio - "Ease On Down The Road" - The Wiz soundtrack

Shauna (contemporary) is great but Jimmy (contemporary) was AWESOME and probably the most unexpected of the night. I didn't think he had it in him. I'm very impressed. Still, the two are really on the beat TOGETHER. Of course it helps that it's such a fun routine (again, by one of the stonger choreographers Tyce) . Shauna and Jimmy may be the most unexpected couple of the competition now. I didn't think these two would work well together but that was sure a lot of fun!

Here is the video clip of Shauna and Jimmy's Broadway routine:


Shauna and Jimmy


Wrap Up
Man, so many good performances to choose from at this point! I loved me some Season 2 last year but really, I was only excited during the Top 10. This year, I'm already excited at the Top 20 point with more good pairings to choose from. It might be quite hard to see some people go this year (where last year, there was a bunch I needed out (ahem... Ben, Joy) right away).

Best Pairing of the Night - Um... one of the following (I can't CHOOSE!?!): Kameron and Lacey, Anya and Danny, Jessi and Pasha, Sara and Jesús, Shauna and Jimmy

Worst of the Night - Ashlee and Ricky

Check Here for the latest on So You Think You Can Dance
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Favorite Video Clips
Song List
Live Tour - Toronto
Live Tour - Buffalo, Pics, More Pics

All photos from Joe Viles/Fox