On this week’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance — the 200th ever might I add — we’re finally introduced to this season’s Top 20. We’re also introduced to the adjudicating styles of princess of quirk, Zooey Deschanel, who looked lovely but in all honesty, had little to add to the panel. And Nigel, in SYTYCD’s constant attempt to change up the show, dropped the very big news that there will be not one but two winners this season! Now there’s no need to choose between your top guy and girl, you can have your cake and eat it too!
Here are the top five moments from this week’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance:
1. Team Ballroom makes it through — Throughout the whole competition thus far, one of the main concerns has been whether ballroom dancers and besties Whitney Carson and Lindsay Arnold would both make the show. And with their matching wavy blonde hair and tanned skin, they could easily pass for twins. They draw out the suspense, bringing both girls in at the same time and calling Whitney’s named first. But even the judges couldn’t split up these two hot tamales and the pair strutted their stuff right into the Top 20 with a fiery ballroom routine.
2. The baseball routine — This season has certainly seen some interesting male dancers make the Top 20, but the trio of popper Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer, martial artist Cole Horibe and stepper Brandon Mitchell were surely a force to be reckoned with. Their All Star inspired baseball routine will likely go down in history as one of the more unique routines to be on the show. Effectively showcasing each of their respective styles, it was my favourite of the small group routines on the show.
3. Travis Wall’s door routine — Now the routines with the big props can be kind of gimmicky, but Travis Wall can do no wrong. His routine, which was inspired by a passage into the afterlife that was meant to mirror the Top 10 girls’ journey to make it to the show, was so ethereally beautiful and managed to flow yet hit every beat of the song. Simply breathtaking. He just keeps getting better.
4. Sonya Tayeh’s top 10 guys routine. — Only Sonya could put a group of hot, athletic male dancers in high-waisted stretchy black pants that Nigel described perfectly as maternity wear. But pregnancy apparel aside, the men still managed to look powerful, confidently lifting each other up (which couldn’t have been easy) with the strength and grace of warriors. And when they all stood at the front of the stage at the end, it was like something out of The Avengers. It’s definitely looking like Season 9 will be all about the boys and I don’t mind.
5. The return of Mia Michaels. — The whole episode was ultimately leading up to the final group Top 20 routine when Mia Michaels would regale us all with a fabulous new routine. Unfortunately, it was a little lackluster and the meaning behind the choreography almost too obvious. The song would say “open your eyes” and the dancers would take off their sunglasses. Not your deepest work, but I don’t have a gajillion Emmys on my shelf, so what do I know? But like a true SYTYCD fan, I’m very glad she’s back and can’t wait to see what she does over the course of the season. To quote Nigel Lythgoe, “Welcome home mama, you’ve been missed.”
