'So You Think You Can Dance': June 23, 2010: Cat Deeley Hosts

There were ten dancers dancing, but soon there will be nine.

The competitors put on a good show Wednesday night, but judge Nigel Lythgoe hopes to see more from the girls because he doesn't want them to get booted off the show. And I thought it was just me who favored the boys, but we'll see after viewer votes are tallied.

So You Think You Can Dance? Why, Yes I Do!

Actually Cristina Santana, 24, danced first and set the bar high. Judge Adam Shankman told Santana she'd danced with confidence and commitment and had set the stage on fire, which is exactly what I was thinking. Indeed, she twirled across the stage with grace, and I don't think she'll be shown the door anytime soon.

Ade`Chike` Torbert, 23, danced barefooted and barechested, but needs to put more power and joy into his performances, the judges said. Judge Mia Michaels told Ade`Chike` that dance was not only an art form, but a heart form.

When Alex Wong, 23, danced with all-star Lauren, they looked charming in navy blue outfits, perhaps because it was a novelty to see two bodies on SYTYCD fully clothed without exposed skin. But the costumes weren't such a hit with the judges, with Michaels saying they looked more like winter outfits than summer ones.

Here Come De Judge! and Eat it up!

I was getting a creeping suspicion that Michaels and Shankman were nothing but props for Lythgoe because they typically echo whatever he says, however, I was proven wrong when Michaels disagreed with Lythgoe on Robert Roldan's routine.

Lythgoe said Robert looked magnificent, had good carriage and had taken on the "dominant role of the species," but Michaels said it was the other way around, that Anya had devoured Robert. Shankman added that Roldan looked stressed out. At 19, Roldan looks mature beyond his years, and of all the dancers he and Anya looked most like a man and woman, while the others looked like the kids they are. But, what do I know?

Twenty two-year-old Melinda Sullivan's dress reminded me of a mermaid's, if mermaids wore such things. Michaels wasn't too wild about the dress, but Sullivan got overall good reviews from the judges.

Speaking of outfits, Lythgoe made a crack about Kent Boyd's outfit, and Michaels said Boyd's dance partner had eaten him alive. Apparently it should be the other way around in the dance world, but for some reason most routines ended with the female on top. This didn't escape the notice of host Cat Deeley, who cheered for the girls on top.

Billy Bell or Billy Badass?

Speaking of which, is Billy Bell really Billy Badass? Michaels said no, that act wasn't flying. Bell and all-star dancer Comfort, used a picnic table and backpack as props, and I have to agree that Bell is not a badass, but he could be on his way to a beefcake.

Lythgoe, playing the crotchety old man, announced his hatred for the krump music, and said Bell didn't come across as the warrior he should have been. Deeley reminded Lythgoe that he wasn't supposed to like the music, that it was for young people.

Ashley Galvan, 19, danced in her nightgown. At least that's what her short white outfit looked like, but it could have been worse if she'd worn flannel pajamas with bears on them, not that any young person would go out in public wearing such things. The judges said she could use some improvement, but Shankman pronounced it a "pretty fab" performance overall.

Bollywood, Here I Come--Maybe

Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz, 23, wore a Genie get-up for a Bollywood number. It looked like a workout, a hot and sexy one, but it missed the mark with Lythgoe. This journey took you to India, but you only made it to South Africa, he said. A plus for Ruiz was his smile, which all the judges liked. "If there were a prize for the brightest light on this show, you would win," said Shankman.

Lauren Froderman and her all-star partner danced to Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy," about an abusive relationship. Lythgoe "believed" the performance, Michaels called it outstanding and Shankman thanked her for listening to the advice she'd received from him the week before.

So who will go and who will stay? I say Santana will stay, and I really hope Roldan and Boyd will, too, but voters are a fickle bunch so you never know. Stay tuned.

Dancers and Specialties

Cristina Santana (salsa)
Lauren Froderman (contemporary)
Ashley Galvan (lyrical)
Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz (breaking)
Melinda Sullivan (tap)
Ade`Chike` Torbert (contemporary)
Kent Boyd (contemporary)
Billy Bell (contemporary)
Robert Roldan(contemporary)
Alex Wong (ballet)

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