So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 14

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

The top seven couples hit the stage tonight as we see which of these seven remaining couples will make it to the bottom three and be up for elimination on tomorrow night's show. However, tonight's show doesn't immediately take us to the competition, but instead we're taken back in time to see some more auditions. This time instead of favorite auditions of the judges, we're seeing auditions that didn't make it to air the first time around. We see some of the bad, and some of the good that didn't quite make it. One that stands out to me is Shayna Fink, a tap dancer who was just excellent. However, due to a spinal condition that is ending any hope of her dancing in the future, the judges decide to not put her through. Another that stands out is Pandora, the final audition from Los Angeles. If she had more training, she would have been a force to reckon with.

After almost a half an hour of footage from the auditions and a performance by Lil C and the Left Squad, we were ready to see just what the top seven couples had for us. The first couple to go up on stage tonight is Heidi and Ryan. Both had done well so far in the competition. Even though they made it to the bottom three last week, Heidi came out and wowed the judges with her solo? How will they do this week? They have chosen hip hop, and they are working with choreographer Shane Sparks. For the week, they even assumed alter egos to get into character. These to go on stage and they just amazed me. With this performance, Heidi has one me over. Mary and Nigel also enjoyed their performance, but Dan compared their performance to a cheer leading routine in execution.

Next up is Travis and Martha who pick salsa with the luck of the draw from the hat. This puts them working with choreographer Ron Montez. These two have done well each and every week in my eyes, but last week Nigel told them they had stepped down their game last week. Will they be able to step it back with a salsa performance? They do. These two succeeded in improving on their skill and performance. The audience loved them. Next up we see Dimitry and his third partner of the competition, Ashlee. These two pick up contemporary this week, and this puts them working with Brian Friedman. I think Dimitry might have finally found his partner, but what do the judges think? Nigel and Mary are once again positive, but Dan comes out with his negative comments once again. This time going at Ashlee as he tells her she didn't keep to her role at all during the performance.

The fourth couple up tonight is Musa and Natalie, and this week they are saved from the quick step by a disco performance. This puts them working with Doriana Sanchez. Musa has made it this far with no training in dance, but he has amazed the judges each week, not with his skill but his performance. This week he did it once again. Mary even told him last week his dancing was crap, but this week it was caviar. That is definitely an improvement. It only helped matters that these two have some great chemistry dancing together. Next up is a Viennese Waltz with Donyelle and Benji. For this they work with Michael Mead and Toni Redpath. However, these two don't even know the actual name of the dance. Another problem the pair has is that Benji is just not masculine enough. He needs to find his inner Dimitry, as his partner says.

Sixth up we have Allison & Ivan as they select a west coast swing performance. For this performance, we once again see Ron Montez working with them. These two have a bit of a problem getting into the right mind set for the dance. They are too happy for it, and Ron wants them to tone it down just a bit. When they hit the stage, they are just amazing. This was Allison's best performance yet, and Ivan had some improvement. All three judges love these two. Last up tonight was Jessica and Jaymz with a hip hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks. Neither dancer has had much hip hop training at all, so this will be tough for them. It is just that. Nigel calls it Hip Hop by numbers. Mary compliments them trying, and Dan is even more harsher than he has been all night. He basically told them they faked their way through.

Does this mean these two will make it to the bottom three this week? Jaymz actually speaks up after Dan's comments. Could this spell danger for these two if they do make it to the bottom three? That could be the case. Everyone else did amazing tonight, and once again a bottom three is hard for me to choose. I do think we'll Jessica and Jaymz there, but I can't pick two other couples. Dimitry and Ashlee are also a possibility after the judges comments. We'll have to see just who is sent to the bottom three and then sent home by the judges on tomorrow night's show.

Songs on tonight's show:

Lil C & The Left Squad: Spaz Meter The J Squad
Heidi & Ryan: Give it all you got - Afrocrican
Martha & Travis: Tanga - Machita and his Afro-cubans
Ashlee & Dimitry: Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
Musa & Natalie: Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
Benji & Donyelle: Have you ever really loved a woman - Bryan Adams
Allison & Ivan: Don't Happen No More - Pat Benatar
Jaymz & Jessica: I Can Make You Dance - Zapp