0Season 6

S6.E0 ∙ The Fifteen Best Routines Ever

Wed, Sep 2, 2009

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1Season 6

S6.E1 ∙ Audition Show #1

Wed, Sep 9, 2009

After five seasons, the summer sensation that is "So You Think You Can Dance (Dance... Dance... Dance...)" arrived on the fall schedule Wednesday night with host Cat Deeley promising the best season ever. It might have been more interesting if she said this season would probably rank about third or fourth on the all-time list.The one-hour audition show brought us to Los Angeles, where the contestants were subjected to the same rules fans already know: the best dancers would get a ticket to the next round in Las Vegas, the worst would go home, and the in-betweens would be asked to come back at the end of the day for a bit of group choreography as a last chance to see if they belong.Cole Clemens vowed to be unique and succeeded. He made little use of judge Nigel Lythgoe's standard line of "Cue, music." Cole moved without music and did some kind of living art type of deal that ended with him blowing out an invisible candle in the palm of his hand. After working to contain their laughter, the judges told Cole he wasn't what they were looking for.Mollee Gray, an 18-year-old Utah resident whose mom brought her out to L.A. to make her dream come true, vowed to make her mom proud. She captivated the judges immediately, with guest Adam Shankman saying during her audition that "she is so this show." The judges told Mollee she was great, but still had room to grow. She'll get that chance in the next round after getting voted through unanimously.After a montage of more good dancers who earned their tickets to Las Vegas, we got to see the reunion of two of last season's dancers who were eliminated too soon: Ryan Kasprzak, the older brother of Evan, who finished in third place last season; and Bianca Revels, who vowed that last season was her last chance, came back.Ryan, whose strength last season was Broadway-style dance, took tap dancing head on and did a routine with no musical accompaniment. Adam said it was "perfect" and one of the best auditions he'd ever seen. Nigel agreed and called it "one of the most unique and brilliant auditions" they'd ever seen. Ryan got his ticket punched for Vegas.Bianca was welcomed back and Nigel introduced the idea of a tap battle. He threw down the gauntlet and asked Bianca if she'd battle Ryan. She took him up on the offer, with Ryan clarifying that in tap it's called "trading" not "battling." Regardless of what anyone called it, Bianca will be joining Ryan in Vegas.Christopher Aguilar claimed he had a plan to produce a Fred-and-Ginger-inspired movie and call it "Drum Song." His routine started with an ill-fated backflip in which he landed on his knees. It didn't get any better, but it was amusing as the judges joined in the singing of "All That Jazz." Christopher went away after being told he was "fascinating and interesting," but not good enough for the show.The second day in L.A. brought about even more great auditions, starting with Amber Williams, who danced in honor of her mother, who was left partially paralyzed during a routine operation gone awry. Amber wowed the judges with the lightness of her feet and Mary Murphy called her "a force to be reckoned with." She'd continued to be a force in Las Vegas.Amber was followed by contemporary dancers Alexie Agdeppa and Paula van Oppen, who mesmerized the judges with their routines and moved to the next round.Christina Santana wanted to offer up something a little different, which she called a salsa-hip hop kind of fusion. Nigel said she put a smile on everybody's face and called her audition "thrilling to watch." Christina told the judges she also does ballet, jazz and belly dancing. She might get a chance to show those other moves in the next round.Phillip Attmore, who was roommates with Ryan Kasprzak when they were on tour with "Fosse," said Ryan has a happy face on his butt. Phillip was a tapper and Nigel said it was the year of the tappers as he and the rest of the judges sent Phillip through to the next round.

2Season 6

S6.E2 ∙ Audition Show #2

Wed, Sep 16, 2009

The "So You Think You Can Dance" auditions headed east from Los Angeles, but not too far, as they landed in Phoenix on the quest to find America's favorite dancer for the sixth time.Choreographer extraordinaire Mia Michaels joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy to critique the talent that the desert had to offer.The first pair, "Biggie and Shortie," were sort of a modern day Laurel and Hardy that described themselves as "two clowns" who took 19 hours to make the 15-hour drive from Tulsa, Okla. The oddly matched pair, Brandon "Shortie" Smallwood and Demetrio "Biggie" Bargas, had the judges laughing from the get go, and Nigel admitted he didn't anybody who watched that and didn't enjoy it. Nigel said Brandon was the better technical dancer, but together they were a great act. Mary thanked them for their brief entertainment, and seemed to assume they wouldn't stick around, but Nigel and Mia teamed up to bring Biggie and Shortie back for the choreography, so they'd get another shot to prove themselves later.Sasha Mallory said she auditioned in an earlier season and made it to Vegas, but this time she felt more comfortable because her family was there. She did a contemporary number that seemed to suggest she was having a tiff with a chair. Mia said Sasha showed her strong technique and dance skill. Sasha cried as Mary praised her dancing, her emotions getting the best of her because of the support of her family. Nigel gave her a ticket to Vegas.Katie Muth and Ellie Soto drew high marks and tickets to Vegas in a short montage that led into an audition by Allison Becker, a hearing impaired 21-year-old dancer whose condition stemmed from a bout with spinal meningitis at 16 months old. The judges were captivated. Nigel told her she had beautiful movement and her face was beautiful, but her technique was not as good as he'd like it. He said if it wasn't written on her sheet of paper that she was hearing impaired, he would never have guessed it. Mary was moved to tears when she talked about her deaf cousin who gave up dancing at the same age Allison was, and she called Allison is an inspiration. Mia thanked Allison for sharing herself. Nigel asked Allison how she'd be if they asked her back for choreography and Allison quickly replied, "I'll be great." She'd be coming back later.For the second consecutive season, a same-sex dancing couple came out to show America there was a "world of same-sex dancers." Jacob Jason and Willem de Vries impressed the judges with their routine, which Nigel noted had "great lines." Last season, Nigel got in a bit of hot water after saying such dancers would alienate a good portion of the show's audience and later posting on Twitter that he was "not a fan of Brokeback Ballroom." He later apologized, calling his comments were "insensitive, ignorant and stupid." Mia was crying as Mary began giving her comments, saying they showed emotion and passion in a strong way. Mia celebrated their courage. Nigel acknowledged he got himself into trouble last season by asking a same-sex couple to dance with girls. This time, he just asked them to do the choreography.Some guy entertained the judges with a clownish little bouncing routine and they thanked him for coming and sent him on his way.At the end of the first day in Phoenix, 13 dancers took on Latin Ballroom choreography. It was too much for Demitrio "Biggie" Bargas, who quit before the routine even began. His friend Brandon went through the choreography, but failed to get a ticket to Vegas. Allison, the hearing-impaired dancer, made it through, along with Jacob and Willem.The judges came back for Day 2 in Phoenix and things got weird quickly. Jarvis Johnson was "so excited" that he told us that no less than a dozen times, and squealed more than a couple of times. His routine was certainly full of energy, and he literally danced his shoes right off (on purpose, it seemed). Mary praised his personality and Mia loved when Jarvis danced out of his own shoes and "when you were smacking your own ass." Nigel said Jarvis was a great entertainer and was glad he took time to take the stage. Mia said no to choreography, but Mary said yes. Left to Nigel, he made a deal with Jarvis: "If you don't pick it up quickly, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Jarvis squealed again and Nigel said he'd see him later.Another odd couple -- a tall guy and a short girl in a tutu and tube socks (the girl, not the guy) -- kicked off a montage of the strange auditions Phoenix had to offer. Kelsey White, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer with long blonde hair who was right up the show's alley, nearly saved the day. Nigel asked Kelsey if she'd ever had aliens kidnap her and she said, "Once." Nigel said he'd had it with the desert's weirdness and walked off, shouting, "Yes to choreography." Mia and Mary agreed and decided to send Kelsey to choreography.Jonathan "Legacy" Perez wowed the judges with his breakdancing skills and Nigel said that what Jonathan did was hugely exciting. Mary said she enjoyed it and loved that Jonathan danced with such confidence. Mia said she'd heard about how good he was, then she called him "stupid." (Don't worry, it was a compliment).The remaining dancers worked on the group choreography and Jarvis had an asthma attack that sent him home early. Kelsey, the one who was kidnapped by aliens only once, was not going to be heading to Vegas.

3Season 6

S6.E3 ∙ Audition Show #3

Wed, Sep 23, 2009

The "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 6 auditions headed east to Boston on Wednesday night, where Nigel Lythgoe & Co. hoped they'd find America's new favorite dancer.A plaid-pants-and-bow-tie-wearing goofball named Teddy Tedholm was prepared to give the judges a "whimsical" (he provided the air quotes) dance that he said accurately portrayed his personality. At least we thought he was a goofball. His style was sort of a miming meets contemporary that the judges actually seemed to enjoy. Nigel called it a great performances and said there was "so many little musical games you were playing" that he could have a real chance in this competition. Mary Murphy said she couldn't decide whether Teddy was crazy or brilliant, then decided he was "crazy brilliant." Guest judge Tyce DiOrio called him "fantastic, awesome, brilliant" and Teddy was handed a ticket to Vegas.Jean Lloret, a street dancer who said he had no formal training but could do things a lot of people wish they could do -- yeah, he really said that -- proved it. Jean busted out of serious breakdancing moves that included some slow-motion handstands and twists that sent the judges and the crowd (of his competitors, mind you) wild. It remains to be seen whether Jean can handle other styles, but the judges didn't even hesitate to give him a ticket to Vegas -- without even making any comments.Kimara Wood, another high-flying Beantown boy, earned a ticket.Channing Cooke, an 18-year-old blond ice-cream-scooping gal who loved her day job, tried her hand at contemporary for the judges and they were entranced. The self-proclaimed tomboy made Nigel nervous with her initial moves, which were a bit basic. He said she had "a beautiful quality" to her work. Mary said she loved it, saying Channing was very athletic and also knew how to tone it down. Tyce simply said, "I love you, Channing." They asked her to come back for choreography.A really tall dude named Ryan Casey (he was 6-foot-8) said his height made him "stand out." He was actually quite a fleet-footed tap dancer. Nigel said there was times when Ryan looked gangly, but his feet moved well. Tyce suggested Ryan try to control his arms a bit. They asked him to return for choreography.Russell Ferguson was waiting to become the first crumper to make it to Vegas. Nigel called upon Lil C, calling Russell's routine "buck." He said that crumping, individually, was a little one-note and would like to see Russell try another style. Mary said she couldn't wait to see him try another style. Tyce called Russell one of his favorites in Boston. They asked him back for choreography.Brief interlude for a fart joke. Seriously. Tyce apparently let one rip, bringing tears to Mary's eyes and sending Nigel away from the judges' table for a moment.A big guy named Fabrizio "Breeze" Jenkins, stumbled during his routine but played it off nicely. He admitted it to Nigel afterward. Mary called it a lot of fun and Tyce agreed. He told "Breeze" that if he trained, he'd be better. Tyce said no choreography, but Nigel said yes. It was up to Mary, who gave Breeze a shot in choreography.Ice cream scooper Channing, crumper Russell, tall guy Ryan and big guy Breeze, along with 24 other dancers, returned for the choreography at the end of the first day. Breeze took himself out of it after rolling his ankle when he fell during his original audition.Tall guy Ryan didn't make it. Channing, Russell and eight other dancers were heading for the desert.Husband and wife duo Karen and Matthew Hauer might have provided a bit of foreshadowing when they said they'd be OK with things if one of them got through without the other. Mary called Karen a "hot tamale" and said they could dance and they "look like movie stars." Tyce agreed, and they were handed two tickets to Las Vegas, marking the first time a married couple made it through to the next round.Gene Bursten was convinced that the girls get "mesmerized" by his sex appeal. Wearing an open chested shirt with a huge collar. He looked like David Blaine on the dance floor. Mary told him he was hot, which only made his head bigger, but she said he had to learn to control his face. Tyce said Gene's eyebrows looked like they were going to pop off and fly into the crowd. He said the facial expressions were "desperate." Nigel praised him for his musicality. They asked him to return for choreography.Paul Magliato, 46, came out talking about his "movement invention" and dancing to Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," which couldn't bode well. Nigel said it felt like Paul was ice skating and said he didn't know where to begin. Nigel reminded Paul he was too old for the competition. Nigel said it was "fun" and that was about as far as he wanted to go with his critique.A montage of Tyce's most outrageous reactions to the most outrages auditions led into the final audition in Boston. Kevin "K'Bez" Hunte had been waiting since his Season 3 audition to give the show another shot. Mary said it was good but not great. Nigel thought Kevin was very strong. Tyce challenged Kevin on his claim that he'd been training in contemporary, because Kevin didn't show any contemporary dance in his routine. The judges agreed to bring Kevin back for choreography, along with "sexy" Gene.Both guys made it through, along with 21 other dancers from Day 2.

4Season 6

S6.E4 ∙ Audition Show #4

Tue, Sep 29, 2009

After visiting the east and west, the "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 6 auditions headed south to Atlanta.Crump legend Lil C joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, and after some quick explanations of the rules, it was time to get started.Billy Bell practiced quite a bit, running down a list of the dance classes he takes the way Bubba listed types of shrimp preparations in "Forrest Gump." Nigel said he had great legs and technique, but gave him some pointers. Nigel said he was "a no for choreography," and Mary and Lil C agreed. A dejected Billy shook his head before Nigel said he was "a yes for Vegas" and handed him a ticket.Amber Jackson, 18, had graceful and precise body movement but Nigel criticized her for not looking at her audience (the judges) while she danced. He said she was a great dancer, but her "performance was (expletive bleeped)." Mary and Lil C agreed, with Lil C saying he hoped it was a "wake-up call." They gave her a pass to choreography and Nigel said "I will kick your ass" if she didn't perform in the choreography.A montage of more performance-lacking dancers followed, with Nigel ripping several of them.Travis Denison, 30, brought with him the experience of leading the University of Georgia fans in cheers for their football, and an audition for "The Wade Robson Project" on MTV. Dressed in a sweater vest over a shirt and tie, Nigel poked fun at Travis for his Adam Shankman-like style. But his dancing wasn't up to par and they sent him home.A pair of tremendous contemporary dancers, Jamal Jackson and Victor Smalley, were featured in separate auditions showing their "beautiful" moves.Anthony and Antwain Hart, a couple of familiar faces who auditioned in Season 4, were back. Nigel said it was good to see them back and they'd gotten better. Mary said they were "getting closer" and Lil C also acknowledged that they'd shown growth. Nigel said the judges should send them straight through to Vegas, but they should pick up choreography even though he was "pretty sure" they would get through to Vegas.The Hart Brothers and 35 others, including Amber Jackson, came back for choreography. Anthony appeared to enjoy the choreography, but Antwain struggled. Amber made it through as her personality showed a bit more in choreography. Anthony made it through. Nigel told Antwain he wasn't sure what was going on with him, and Antwain didn't make it. In the end, 14 dancers scored tickets to the next round.Day 2: The second day of auditions in Atlanta introduced Matt "Boogie Links" Pollard, who proclaimed himself, "single and ready to mingle," spent much of his time trying to pick up a date -- even hitting on Cat Deeley. The judges agreed to bring him back for choreography after he showed off some impressive arm movements. They wanted to see if he could do anything with his legs.Jessica Jensen explained that she'd had a rare form of cancer in her hand and ultimately faced a choice: "You can keep your hand and die, or you can lose your hand and live." Nigel thought her dancing was great and that she actually used the arm with the missing hand well. Mary said she was "amazing" and was "definitely an inspiration." Lil C said Jessica represented "passion, strength and acceptance, and that is what I get from you when you're dancing, and I couldn't ask for anything more from a dancer." The judges agreed to bring her back for choreography.Jonathan Bryant was convinced his solo was "dope" and that there was no reason why the judges shouldn't send him through. That's rarely a good sign. Lil C told Jonathan to control what he was doing with his moves. Mary said he had some talent and a lot of energy, but he was "funneling it in a wrong direction." He snapped back, saying he was "dope." Nigel told Jonathan that he had to grow and accept the feedback he was being given, but Nigel thought Jonathan was being rude and talking back. Nigel told Jonathan that this part would be cut out of the TV show because he'd be "bored stiff watching it." Oddly enough, we saw that on the TV show.Thomas Hamilton talked about being born a "crack baby" and being put through special education. He decided he had to get out of the toxic environment, and dancing was his chance. Thomas said he used to hate doing contemporary dance but changed his mind after taking a class with Mia Michaels. Nigel told him to be careful not to go too far into "praise dancing" because it becomes insular when he reaches that point. Mary loved his talent and the judges brought him back for choreography.Popper Boogie Links and cancer survivor Jessica Jensen were also among the dancers who returned for choreography. Boogie Links was asked to leave and even he admitted that "my salsa was more like a guacamole."Jessica was thanked for her hard work, but she failed to come through during the choreography. Thomas "had moments," Nigel said, but the judges ultimately decided to send him to Vegas, along with seven other dancers from the second day.

5Season 6

S6.E5 ∙ Audition Show #5

Wed, Sep 30, 2009

The "So You Think You Can Dance" auditions went deeper into the South on Wednesday night, heading to New Orleans for the first time in the show's six seasons.Head judge Nigel Lyhtgoe was absent from the auditions because he was back in the U.K. getting an honorary doctorate from the University of New Bedfordshire. (I thought it sounded fake when he missed a results show for that same trip last season, and my mind hasn't changed -- despite the fact that they showed a picture of him holding his degree standing next to a couple of old British guys).Guest judges Adam Shankman and Lil C joined Mary Murphy in The Big Easy.Shelby "Skip" Skipper came out with a mission: To put New Orleans Bounce Music on the map. A seemingly very tired Mary told "Skip" that she really liked it even though she'd never heard of New Orleans Bounce. Adam said he was a "New Orleans Bounce expert," and Mary chimed in with, "I heard you learned New Orleans Bounce last night!" She proceeded to crack up while Lil C turned away and Adam turned red. Adam then admitted he knew nothing about it, but said Skip's commitment, drive and dedication was unbelievable to watch. Lil C said his hat was off to Skip. Mary put on a sad face and told Skip it was "no to choreography." Instead, she handed him a ticket straight to Vegas.Jonathan Litzler thought his acrobatics and tricks would add to what he could do as a dancer in his audition. He wowed Mary quickly with a series of flips. Adam told Jonathan his tumbling did not go unnoticed, but praised him more on his strength and control. Lil C said it looked effortless. Mary just rolled out a list of positive adjectives, calling it "gorgeous, breathtaking, fabulous." He's going to Vegas.A montage of New Orleans' finest followed. Alison Nance was "a little firecracker," according to Mary. Calvin Turner Jr. "lived in the song," Lil C said. Edward Spots "completely lifted" Adam's day. All three went to Vegas.Eric Le Blanc said he downs six energy drinks a day and lets himself loose. He brought that "boom boom pow" to the stage and cracked Mary up from the start. Eric asked Mary to shout "Hot Tamale Train one time!" Her response, "Baby, you've got to deserve that." Lil C thanked Eric for showing his passion. Adam said no to choreography, but Mary and Lil C surprisingly put him through at the end of the day.Justin Kenney, a hip hop dancer, talked about getting into a bad car accident on his way to a hip hop show and how he was "really grateful" to be able to dance. He put on an impressive display of moves. Mary said he was really strong. Lil C was impressed that Justin started with the most challenging moves. Adam agreed and said Justin did "a great, great solo." They brought him back for choreography.Justin and the heavily caffeinated Eric Le Blanc joined 17 other dancers in choreography. Eric stumbled and was sent home. Lil C said the judges were taking a "huge gamble" on sending him through. Justin joined a total of 12 dancers heading to Vegas.Day 2: Kimalee Piedad competed in the "theater arts" division of ballroom, saying it was kind of like ice dancing, except there's no ice and no skates. She auditioned with a partner, but he wasn't competing because he said he wanted to focus solely on helping her. They showed a variety of intense lifts. Mary praised Kimalee's passion and leg lines. Lil C said she did very interesting lifts and called it "visually informative." Adam said yes to choreography, but Mary and Lil C decided to put Kimalee straight through to Vegas.Micah Mixon said he used to be nothing but trouble until he had some kind of "enlightenment," and dedicated himself to dancing. Mary said there were "some pretty good moves" in his routine and was impressed that he was not professionally trained. Adam and Lil C agreed and put him through to choreography.A montage of really bad dancers led into Mary's Rules of what not to do in an audition:1. Hats pulled down over your eyes.2. Reaching out to nowhere.3. Self worship (rubbing parts of your body ways too many times.")4. Men's booty shaking.Jakob Karr hoped to bring the judges things they did want to see and put on an impressive display of contemporary dance. Mary said he "lit up the stage." Adam said Jakob "freakin' rocked." Lil C called him "phenomenal" and said he was amazed before the judges handed him a ticket to Vegas.Diana Drexler went to the audition and left her ailing grandfather behind, only to learn that he passed away the day before the audition. She said her routine was a perfect way to honor him. "Before it was a dance, and now it has a story," she said. Diana began crying almost immediately after her performance, but said she didn't want to be "that girl." Adam told Diana the judges were aware of what happened to her grandfather. She said her family just wanted her to bring her grandfather good news. Adam said she was strong for being able to go through with the audition. He said he didn't think he could've done it. She went through to choreography.Diana and Micah joined many others in choreography. Micah struggled and Diana looked more comfortable. Micah didn't continue, but the judges encouraged him to keep up with his dancing. Diana made it to Vegas, along with 17 other dancers from Day 2.

6Season 6

S6.E6 ∙ Audition Show #6

Tue, Oct 6, 2009

With the bar set "impossibly high," according to host Cat Deeley, another round of hopefuls auditioned for the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Tuesday night. This stop: Salt Lake City.Regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were joined by choreographer extraordinaire, Mia Michaels.Bryan Boyer, a B Boy dancer with spray-painted red hair and a black streak through it, brought some high-energy moves, including a trademark flip on and over his head. Nigel said it was very strong and called Bryan one of the best hip-hop dancers the show has had. The others agreed and brought him back for choreography.Tristy Mirci -- who said she'd been in 25 car accidents in three years, though she'd never been the driver -- turned out to be a better car passenger than she was a dancer. Nigel assumed she'd never taken dance lessons, but she claimed she'd trained for three years. He said her teachers were taking her money under false pretenses. Tristy went home, and Cat pointed out that she fortunately lived within walking distance.Hayley Cloud was trying to overcome a herniated disc in her back and permanent nerve damage and prove that "anything is possible if you put your mind to it." She put on an impressive display of contemporary dance that left Mary saying, "Wow," and noting how strong, powerful and confident Hayley was while dancing. Mia noted that Hayley's background info said she could do a five-minute handstand, and challenged Hayley to take the judges' comments while doing the handstand. She did, but Mia let her off the hook quickly. NIgel loved Hayley's competitive spirit and the judges sent her through to Vegas.A montage of a couple of Salt Lake City's strongest dancers, Megan Kinney and Genise Ruidiaz, led into a longer string of female dancers who knocked the judges' socks off, even if they didn't get tickets to Vegas. But burlesque dancer Ariana Rowley vowed to show the judges "a little somethin'-somethin' they've never seen before." Ariana proceeded to strip to nearly nothing and Nigel asked to see it again. Mia said, "it was... it was... it was..." and couldn't finish. Nigel said he thought "it was absolutely fantastic." Mia said she would love to see Ariana in choreography and while Mary said no, Nigel said yes. So we'd see Ariana later.Iveta Lukosiute, a Lithuanian immigrant who was glad to have an opportunity for success in America, performed a ballroom routine with a partner who was not competing. Nigel called Iveta "vivacious," a word he said he didn't use much. Mary was floored and said "Season 6 is certainly shaping up and you are exquisite." Mary was nearly moved to tears as she said it didn't get any better for her. "She's got hot tamale written all over her, doesn't she?!" Mary said into Mia's ear as Mia praise Iveta.Bryan Boyer quit the choreography round before the practice was over because he couldn't get the steps. Ariana the burlesque dancer also struggled and was asked to go home. But 13 other dancers got their tickets to Vegas at the end of Day 1.Day 2: Pascal Nayigiziki, a self proclaimed crazy person, kicked off the second day with a bizarre series of gyrations that culminated in him ripping his T-shirt off. His convulsion-like moves had Mary mocking him. Nigel said he didn't understand what it was and said "there wasn't any dancing going on." Mary asked Pascal what he called his dance, saying, "You are just running around that stage having a conniption fit." He was asked to leave.Married couple Ashley and Ryan Di Lello impressed the judges with their ballroom routine, overall. Mary loved Ryan's strength, but said that is sometimes seemed a bit fake from Ashley, who she said lacked a bit of chemistry with her own husband. Mia agreed, saying there was "a missing link" to the connection she had with Ryan. Nigel agreed with Mary and Mia said it was a bit of a "put-on performance." All three judges agreed to bring both dancers back for choreography, but it was an awkward wait as Ashley was reeling from the judges' criticism.Another couple auditioned together after having only practiced together for two weeks included Leigh Asay and Josh Murillo. Leigh had auditioned before and was excited to show the judges her improvement. At the end of her routine, Leigh realized she lost a toenail and was bleeding. She said the adrenaline was running and it didn't hurt. It did start to hurt after a while. Nigel asked Josh to come back for choreography, but said they were in a tough spot with Leigh. Nigel asked her if she could walk. He didn't want her to continue dancing, he wanted her to come over to the judges' table to get a ticket to Vegas.In choreography, Leigh's partner Josh didn't make it to Vegas. Ryan Di Lello, one half of the married couple, made it through to the next round. His wife Ashley was nearly left behind, but Nigel said she was moving on, as well. There were 19 other dancers that made it from Salt Lake City that advanced to Las Vegas, making 152 dancers total as the audition tour came to a close. Wednesday night's episode would be the first night in Las Vegas.

7Season 6

S6.E7 ∙ Las Vegas Callbacks

Wed, Oct 7, 2009

After touring the country and picking up talent from the north, south, east and west, the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" finally settled in Las Vegas for the second round of the competition.A bunch of judges and choreographers were on hand as 152 hopefuls tried to prove themselves for a spot among the final 20 dancers. Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen, Tyce DiOrio, and Adam Shankman joined Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe for the big round.The first part of the process had each dancer take the stage alone in front of the judges.Nathan Trasoras, 18, was the first dancer we saw. The judges actually saw him last season, but he was too young for the competition, so Nigel gave him a ticket for this season.Contemporary dancer Ellenore Scott put on a memorable display that mixed technique with a bit of comedy and had the judges applauding.After the first 10 solos, the judges compared notes and sent two dancers home immediately.Allison Becker and Thomas Hamilton, whose stories of tribulations were featured earlier in the audition round, both failed to make the first cut.The "controversial" all-male ballroom dancing couple of Jacob Jason and Willem de Vries took the stage and danced together. Jacob wasn't asked to stay, but Willem was and was left to wonder where Jason went after he left without saying anything.After the first round in Vegas, 41 dancers were gone and 111 dancers were left to take on the next genre: hip hop.After an hour of rehearsal, dancer after dancer was overwhelmed by the hip-hop round. Early favorite Ryan Kasprzak, the brother of last season's third-place finisher Evan Kasprzak, was out of his comfort zone in the hip-hop genre. The judges were split 3-3 on Ryan, which meant he was still in, but Nigel gave him a stern warning that he needed to work harder.Choreographer and "Dancing with the Stars" pro Louis Van Amstel came out to put the dancers through the ballroom ringer with a cha cha. And one of them walked away with a bloody nose. Contemporary dancer Billy Bell took a shot to face when his partner's elbow flew right into his face. Billy wasn't allowed back on stage until the bleeding stopped.Several dancers struggled with the complicated choreography, but crumper Russell Ferguson was "surprisingly comfortable," host Cat Deeley said. He was paired with ballroom specialist Iveta Lukosiute, who was helping him along. Adam Shankman specifically pointed out Russell and Iveta as the hottest couple in the first group as they easily moved on to the next round.Billy Bell's bleeding finally stopped, but would his limited practice time hurt him?The ballroom round continued, providing good news for some dancers and bad news for others. Nathan Trasoras from earlier Wednesday night moves on to the next round.Billy Bell was worried that he was in trouble because he didn't have a chance to practice the dance to music. B Boy "Legacy" was worried that his style wouldn't fit with learning group choreography.Mary told Legacy his dancing just wasn't good, but gave him a chance to "fight for his life" later in the day. Billy Bell made it through. A few more dancers got the call to fight for their lives with a solo and a last chance to make it through.Ryan Kasprzak was in trouble with hip-hop and was in the final ballroom group. He knew the pressure was on. Nigel asked Ryan to step forward and reminded him that he was given an extra chance, and he said there was no fluidity to his cha cha and, despite how much the judges loved Ryan's solo skills, he was not asked to move on. He called his brother Evan to make "the call I didn't want to make."By the end of the night, it was "fight for your life" time for contemporary dancer John Litzler and B Boy "Legacy," and probably a few others.After John danced, Nigel said he showed "no emotion whatsoever," and gave John a no. Mary and Adam both said yes. Debbie said there were other stronger dancers and said no. Mia said no, as well. It was down to Tyce, who said that dancing for your life "has to look like it's the last time you'll dance -- ever," and said no.The pressure was starting to get to "Legacy," who was in tears before his solo talking about how badly he wanted to prove himself. The judges seemed into it, and when he finished, Nigel told him that he had to "come up to a certain standard" in other dance genres. Nigel said yes, as did Tyce. Mia called Legacy something that had to be bleeped, and was smiling as she said she was annoyed that he stopped too much during his dancing. But she said yes, as did the rest of the judges.Teddy Tedholm and New Orleans bouncer Shelby Skipper were sent home by the end of the night.

8Season 6

S6.E8 ∙ Vegas Callbacks, Part 2

Wed, Oct 14, 2009

The first three rounds of Las Vegas week on "So You Think You Can Dance" whittled the finalists down to 77, but that number would still have to be cut down to 20 on Wednesday night's episode.The first round was a tough jazz routine that split the husband and wife team of Karen and Matthew Hauer, with Karen moving on and Matthew going home. Later, audition round favorites Iveta Lukosiute and Willem de Vries were sent packing.Molly Gray -- whose family "literally" packed their bags, put them in a car and drove to California -- was told she was dancing like a little girl and had to start dancing like a woman. "That's why we have 18-year-olds and not 16," Nigel said. "Because I want women here." After walking off the stage, Molly realized she'd hurt her foot badly. She went to the hospital.Russell Ferguson, the first crumper to make it to Vegas in the show's six-year history, was also in the group. Nigel questioned Russell's lack of formal training, but told him he was "doing so well" that he'd stick around a little.Down to 69 dancers, the remaining contestants were split into groups and asked to choreograph a routine they'd present to the judges the following morning.Russell Ferguson's group was up first and they were done by 11 p.m. -- the first group to call it a night. The judges were blown away by their Broadway routine and the entire group made it through.A montage of group routines followed, with a few dancers getting sent home.Molly Gray's group was the last to perform, and they had to start their rehearsals the night before without knowing for sure if Molly was going to be back. When she finally returned, she worried her team was babying her too much. The routine was choreographed around Molly's injury, and judge Mia Michaels called it "stupid." Nonetheless, the entire group made it through.The round everyone feared most -- contemporary dance with Mia Michaels -- was finally upon them. Mia went with what seemed like a softer, gentler approach, trying to let the dancers find their centers before getting started.Hip hop dancer Kevin Hunt was in the first contemporary group. The judges were impressed by his technique. Tyce DiOrio called him "amazing" and he went through to the next round. More hip hop dancers stuck around through the rest of the contemporary routine, but Legacy was the last one to go. Legacy was overwhelmed by the choreography. After the performance, Legacy got emotional and told Mia that her teaching made him a better dancer and made him want to learn contemporary. Mia agreed that he was better, and the judges kept him around.The next round was a Broadway routine choreographed by Tyce. Pauline Mata, who'd just missed the Top 20 last season, turned her ankle badly during rehearsal and went off to get medical attention.Ashley Di Lello, who barely made it to Vegas with her ballroom dancing husband Ryan, was in the last group on the Broadway stage. Nigel Lythgoe told Ashley that she probably improved the most out of anyone during Las Vegas week and she got all of the judges' votes to continue in the competition.The guys took on Broadway while the girls played around in the swimming pool. Ryan Di Lello was among the first group to perform and improvised tearing his shirt off -- which the judges loved and sent him through.Dominic Pearson, who was felled by an injury during the Vegas round in Season 4, was back and looking confident -- until he was told only two of the six judges wanted to keep him. He broke down in tears and Nigel told him he had to toughen up to make it in showbiz. Dominic went home. Six more guys were cast off.Pauline was under doctor's orders to stay off her injured ankle for two days and had no idea what the judges would tell her.The remaining dancers had one last chance to perform a solo for the judges, without an immediate critique. Billy Bell went first and drove Adam Shankman to tears. The rest of the group followed and each tried to hold his or her own. The night ended with a montage of the solos."The dancing is over," host Cat Deeley said. "Now all anyone can do is wait."Next week, the judges will announce the Top 20.

9Season 6

S6.E9 ∙ Vegas Callbacks, Part 3

Wed, Oct 21, 2009

After weeks of auditions all over the country, 152 finalists made it to Las Vegas in hopes of claiming a spot in the Top 20 on the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance." With just 38 left, Wednesday night's episode was all about naming the 10 guys and 10 girls who would continue on the journey toward being named America's favorite dancer.Host Cat Deeley first pulled Nathan Trasoras, the guy who was too young when he auditioned in Season 5 and was given a ticket to Vegas for Season 6 in advance. Mia Michaels told him that the show required maturity and called him "a baby" before telling him "we would like to be part of your journey" and told him he made it.A montage of Top 20 rejects followed before ballet dancer David Hovhannisyan was let loose.An extremely emotional and high-voiced Kathryn McCormick cried as she told the judges how much she'd opened herself up in Vegas and they mocked her crying before putting her through to the next Top 20.Contemporary dancer Channing Cooke was having trouble coping with the pressure of waiting for word for the judges. Nigel told her she was "exceptionally strong," but that she needs to work with her chemistry with her partners. She'll get a chance because she was unanimously voted into the Top 20.Ariana DeBose and Ellenore Scott were put through to the next round before a couple of new friends, Mollee Gray and Noelle Marsh, were worried about getting split up. They met as roommates in Vegas and cried while they wondered what the judges would do with each of them.But first, Billy Bell -- the guy who made Adam Shankman cry -- said he was just happy to come as far as he had. He said he was a student at Julliard and that the school was willing to let him out and hold his scholarship for a period of time. He'd need to make that call, because he'll be staying in L.A.A couple more guys were let go before Amber Jackson was told that her beautiful technique wasn't going to be enough to get her through to the next round.Russell Ferguson could only sit and wonder if he'd become the first crumper in the show's history to make it into the Top 20. Mia did the requisite misleading build-up to the good news and told Russell that he had a spot among the Top 10 guys.Tappers Bianca Revels, Phillip Attmore and Peter Sabasino waited to see if any of them would become the first tapper to make it to the Top 20. Bianca had been this far before. Nigel said he thought it was a very controversial decision before telling her she would be in the Top 20. Phillip went in next. He acknowledged that he got defensive during the Vegas round. The judges gave him a hard time about that before sending him back to the holding room with the news that he'd made it. That left Peter, who waited to see if three tappers would make it after five previous seasons managed to bring zero tappers into the Top 20. He made it.Another few good dancers were sent home, Victor Smalley went to face the judges. They had him shave his mohawk in Las Vegas and Adam Shankman said he was one of the "most talked about" and eventually told him he was moving on. Jakob Karr was going into the Top 20 with him.Mollee Gray, who was worried with her friend Noelle Marsh, finally went to learn her fate. Nigel again told Mollee that she still dances like a little girl, and that's why some of the judges said they didn't want her in the Top 20, but they were overruled and Mollee was in.Pauline Mata, whose injury prevented her from completing the Vegas round, made it into the Top 20 anyway. Noelle was up next and was reminded that she was cut in Season 5 before the judges told her she made it through this time. She immediately went back to the holding room and celebrated with her friend Mollee.Another group of dancers were given their walking papers before BBoy Jonathan "Legacy" Perez was told he was in the Top 20.With three girls left for two spots, Paula VanOppen took one of them.Four dancers -- all ballroom specialists -- were left waiting for the three last spots in the Top 20. Husband-and-wife couple Ryan and Ashleigh De Llelo were waiting to find out if they'd be split up. Ryan had gotten much more praise than Ashleigh throughout the process until the very end of Vegas week when Nigel told Ashleigh that she was possibly the most improved dancer of the entire group.Ryan went with fellow ballroomer Gene Bursten. Ryan got the final spot.Karen Hauer, whose husband already was sent home during the Vegas round, went into the judges' room with Ashleigh. Nigel said it came down to the fact that they needed 10 "good girls," so he told Karen he was "delighted" to say she would be in the Top 20. Ashleigh gave Karen a warm, congratulatory hug.They both cried as they walked back to the holding room. Karen burst through the curtains and announced and shouted, "I made it!" Ashleigh's husband Ryan began weeping a bit, assuming that Karen's good news meant bad news for Ashleigh. He was wrong.What none of them knew was that Paula VanOppen turned down her spot in the Top 20 because, as she tearfully told the judges, she'd been offered a contract to do a movie, which meant she couldn't do the show.That completed the Top 20:Channing CookeNathan TrasorasRussell FergusonKathryn McCormickBilly BellAriana DeBoseEllenore ScottJakob KarrBianca RevelsKevin HunteMollee GrayPhillip AttmoreNoelle MarshVictor SmalleyPauline MataPeter SabasinoKaren Hauer"Legacy" PerezRyan De LleloAshleigh De Llelo

10Season 6

S6.E10 ∙ Meet the Top 20 Dancers

Mon, Oct 26, 2009

After the rigorous audition process and the grueling callbacks in Las Vegas, the Top 20 contestants have the opportunity to perform for America without fear of elimination. Each of the top dancers will showcase their personal dance style and skills.

11Season 6

S6.E11 ∙ The Top 20 Perform

Tue, Oct 27, 2009

The Top 20 take the dance floor. The dancers will be assigned partners, and now it's time to see which couples have the chemistry to light up the dance floor and impress the judges.

12Season 6

S6.E12 ∙ The Top 18 Perform

Tue, Nov 3, 2009

The results were in the judges' hands for one more week on "So You Think You Can Dance" on Tuesday night as the remaining 18 dancers vied to continue their quest for the title of America's favorite dancer. Regular judges Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe took their seats, but Paula Abdul's empty chair remained so.Nigel then gave an update and let viewers know that Billy Bell, the Top 20 contestants who had to drop out of the competition due to an injury, could re-enter next season at the point at the contestants are narrowed down to the top 100. Brandon Dumlao, the fill-in who took Billy's spot but was booted from the competition in the first Top 20 episode, will also be allowed to enter next season.Each couple was asked about the best and worst things about their partners.Noelle & Russell: Noelle said the best thing about Russell was his voice, an the worst was that he is always wearing sunglasses. Russell liked that Noelle was really funny, but the worst was that she couldn't stop getting injured. Choreographer Jamal Sims put together a hip hop routine that used tennis rackets as props. Adam warned the dancers not to let the choreographer dance them and said they did well, but he thought it was "overwhelming." Mary said Russell won the match, but noted that it was his style. She said she couldn't tell Noelle was fighting an injury and she "saw no real weakness" in her performance. Nigel said it was so fast that the pair didn't really get a hold of it. He said he wasn't sure Noelle's performance would be strong enough to get her through the week.Ashleigh & Jakob: Jakob said the worst thing about Ashleigh was that her long hair hates him and attacks him all the time. He said the best thing about her is that she sweats more than any girl he knows, which is fun because they slip and slide all over the place. Ashleigh said Jakob's sweat was the worst thing about him because it creates puddles on the dance floor, which can be dangerous. She said the best thing was when he imitates bad dancing, which she finds hilarious. They did a Viennese waltz by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin that was intended to be a husband and wife's first dance together. Adam said they "can still do no wrong." He turned his critique on Tony and Meredith, saying the routine had too many lifts and that they included too many tricks in it. Mary said Jakob wasn't "absolutely perfect" and she expected more from him. She told Ashleigh she was wonderful and "man, oh man, you guys are getting closer all the time to the Top 10." Nigel said Jakob was a beautiful dancer and told Ashleigh that she's proving wrong anyone who didn't think she'd be able to cope in the competition.Bianca & Victor: Victor said the best thing about Bianca was that she was so loud, "like an alarm clock," and that the worst thing was that her hair changes all the time, so he doesn't know who she is from one day to the next. Bianca said the best thing about Victor is his laugh -- "it's like laughing vomit." The worst thing is that he always wears something bright. They pulled a Broadway routine by Tyce DiOrio, who selected music from "The Color Purple." It forced the couple to tap into their soulful sides. Adam said it's important for dancers to study dance and know what came before them. He wanted to see them "lose it -- and I was overly aware that you were dancing." He thought the point of this dance was for them to appear to be taken by the power of the music. Mary said it was really, really good, "but it didn't really go there, it just kind of lost it." Nigel agreed that the characters weren't strong enough. He said Victor danced it well, but "as a character, you really should've taken it somewhere else." He said it didn't sit very comfortably with either of them. He said he was disappointed with both of them.Mollee & Nathan: Nathan said the best thing about Mollee is that her personality is "big and bright," which helps pull him out of his shy shell. The worst thing is that she goes to the bathroom a lot, which take them away from their focus during rehearsal. She said the best thing about Nathan is that he's attractive. She said the worst thing is that he gets distracted easily. They performed the season's first Bollywood dance by choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan. Adam said they were "an exciting couple." He said Mollee was coming into her own. Mary shouted and said the beginning was great "and it just kept getting better." Nigel said it was fabulous and pointed out that they were the youngest couple in the competition and Mollee was maturing. He said Nathan was fantastic.Channing & Phillip: Phillip said his favorite thing about Channing was her eyes, which he can look in and get lost. The worst thing about her, he said, was that she could take him in a fight. Channing liked that Phillip always had a smile on his face, but the worst thing is that he talks a lot. They danced a samba by Tony & Meredith. Adam said he could see them struggling with the style, but Channing made some strides with her hip action. Mary agreed that they were struggling and she did see the party and celebration of the samba, and Phillip wasn't really helping Channing through the tricks and lifts. Nigel told Phillip he didn't use his tap dancing tools to make the dance work. He said Channing looked nervous going into the lifts. He said Channing at one point looked like a sack of potatoes going over Phillip's head -- but a beautiful sack of potatoes.Karen & Kevin: Karen said the best thing about Kevin was that he was the sweetest thing ever, but the worst was his hair -- it's long and takes him long to do it. Kevin said the best thing about Karen is that she's eye-catching. He said the worst thing is that the judges only seem to notice Karen when they share the stage. They got a hip-hop routine with Tabitha & Napoleon. Adam fell out of his chair after saying Karen's name. He said Karen "tore that up!" He said Kevin was fantastic, even though he was expected to be. He liked seeing Kevin enjoy the character, then fell out of his chair again. Mary said it was "hot, for sure." She said Karen was still on the Hot Tamale Train. Then she shouted at Kevin that he was phenomenal. Then she put Kevin on the Hot Tamale Train, with some gentle urging from Cat. Nigel he expected Kevin to be great, but said Karen was a real pleasure to watch because she moves parts of her body he didn't think could move. He said she had a personality that shines regardless of what she's doing, "and that is the mark of a true performer."Kathryn & Legacy: Kathryn said one of the best things about Legacy is that he can speak so many languages. The worst thing is his "cricket whistle," which he does when everything gets too quiet. Legacy said the best thing about Kathryn is that he can relate to her emotional and sentimental side, because he's the same way. The worst thing is that she kicks and elbows him at every rehearsal. Choreographer Stacey Tookey put together a contemporary routine. Adam thanked Stacey and praised her transformative powers that made Legacy look like a different dancer and Adam said he had no words to describe how proud he was of Legacy. He said Kathryn was bringing something so beautiful out in Legacy and he was doing the same for her. Mary also praised Legacy's growth and said it brings the hair up on her arms. She said she didn't remember someone growing as fast as Legacy. She told Kathryn she just keeps "nailing it every week." Nigel added his compliments to Stacey and said it reminded him of Mia Michaels. Nigel reiterated how Legacy had developed and he told people that Kathryn was proving some naysayers wrong.Pauline & Peter: After just one week together, Peter said the best thing about Pauline was that she was always taking pictures to document the whole experience. Her worst trait is her obsession with sneakers. Pauline said the best thing about Peter is that he's from a big family and has adopted the whole group as a family, but the worst thing is that he's not as much of a ladies' man as he thinks he is. They got a jazz routine from Wade Robson in which they played people who were supposed to be in Van Gogh's "Starry Night" painting, but were discarded and came back to haunt the artist. Adam said the piece might be controversial, but said the dancers were "a thousand percent committed." He praised especially Peter for buying into the character. Mary said they danced it really well, but "I just don't think it's going to take you anywhere." Nigel said he hoped it wouldn't take them anywhere and they'd stay on the show. Nigel told Peter to watch his stiff shoulders and suggested he open them up. He told Pauline it was the first time he'd seen her dance to her full extent and he thought she was great.Ellenore & Ryan: Ellenore said Ryan's most annoying trait is that he's always sipping on a protein shake or protein bar, but the best thing is that he's like her own personal bodyguard. Ryan loves Ellenore's quirky personality but the worst thing is that she's "not normal," which he finds kind of scary. They had to learn an Argentine tango with choreographers Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo. The performance included some dangerous lifts, but the biggest risk came when Ellenore's dress got caught in her heel and she powered through the performance flawlessly. The judges gave them a standing ovation. Adam said he was amazed she got through the dress-in-the-heel situation, but loved the couple's "laser-like" attention to each other throughout the dance. He also praised Ryan for being "strong" and "present" for Ellenore. Mary acknowledged that it can be so distracting for a dancer and Ellenore played right though it. She called Ellenore phenomenal. She said Ryan played the part and was totally there. She stood again and gave them a shout out. Nigel said he didn't think there was another couple on the show that could've done that dance any better.In the bottom: Nigel was asked to reveal the four dancers who were in the bottom and would have to solo for their lives. They were Noelle, Phillip, Victor and Bianca.Who's leaving: Nigel said neither Noelle or Bianca did as well as they could have during their performances. He said the decision was not unanimous and there was no question that Noelle danced for her life with her solo, and that's why she was staying in the competition. Bianca was out.Nigel abruptly asked Phillip to step forward and told him he was leaving -- meaning two tappers out of the three who made it to the Top 20 were gone.

13Season 6

S6.E13 ∙ The Top 16 Perform

Tue, Nov 10, 2009

The Top 16 dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance" were set to show America what they could do -- and for the first time in Season 6 the decision would fall to the viewers as to who should stay and who should go.Host Cat Deeley introduced the regular panel of judges, including Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe, who proceeded to endlessly plug a Dizzy Feet Foundation performance that will happen at the Kodak Theater on Nov. 29. It will include the finalists from Season 5, some pros from "Dancing with the Stars," crews from "America's Best Dance Crew" and stars of the "Step Up" movies. Mary will also be performing with "SYTYCD" alum and "DWTS" pro Dmitry Chaplin. Each dancer on Tuesday would get to tell America something the audience should know about them.Karen & Kevin: Karen revealed that she and her husband, with whom she auditioned, got a divorce shortly after the audition. She said they'd been having problems and had "grown apart" before deciding to split. Kevin said he's performed in London, Italy and at the Great Wall of China. Choreographer Maria Torres put together a Hustle for the couple. Adam said he "just saw" Kevin for the first time in the competition and that they showed an incredible partnership. He said Karen performed "with such beautiful restraint." Mary said Karen was amazing and called her a "Hustle Queen." She said she was also surprised with how much attitude and performance Kevin gave (in a good way). She said they were both still on The Train. Nigel said Kevin's friends back home must be "absolutely shocked" by what Kevin's doing, but Nigel was "absolutely delighted." He told Kevin to not be so nervous doing the death spirals with Karen. Nigel reiterated what he's said in the past about Karen being primed to go a long way in the competition.Ashleigh & Jakob: Ashleigh said she is a "really big nerd" -- apparently because she went to college and had an internship with a Congressman in Washington, D.C. Jakob revealed that one of his best friends growing up was on the show last year. "She did pretty well," he said. "She won." It was Jeanine. Ashleigh & Jakob got a jazz routine by Mandy Moore, who gave them a cane to use as a prop. Adam said Ashleigh definitely belonged in the show. He said they did well in overcoming a slight malfunction with the cane. He also praised Jakob's strength and jumps. Mary said they were phenomenal and complimented Ashleigh on developing every week. She also said Jakob did a fabulous job. Nigel told Mandy that this routine lived up to the standard of her famous "table" routine from Season 2. Nigel said Ashleigh was representing ballroom dancers brilliantly. He also called Jakob an "absolutely stunning" dancer.Pauline & Peter: Peter shared that he volunteers teaching dance with an organization that helps special needs people in Philadelphia. Pauline said she eats a lot. New choreographers JT & Tomas gave them a quickstep -- also known as on this show as "the dance of death." Adam said it was smart to give a lot of story and characters, which overshadowed some of the technical missteps. Mary said she always expects a trainwreck with the quickstep, but said they pulled it off even though it "wasn't great." Nigel said it was "absolutely not" technically perfect. But did he care? "Absolutely not." He said it was a fabulous performance and "America votes for performances." He was pretty sure they weren't going anywhere. He also thanked JT & Tomas for giving the quickstep a story.Kathryn & Legacy: Kathryn shared that she feels most alive when she's helping people and talked about her mission trips abroad. Legacy said he was supposed to be a professional soccer player. Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler put together a Broadway routine for the couple. Adam said he wasn't sure what Kathryn's character was supposed to be and wanted her to portray a more aggressive character. He called it another huge step for Legacy. Mary said it had the character and choreography, but was missing just a bit of chemistry. She said Kathryn might have been a bit overshadowed by Legacy, who she thinks is headed for the Top 10. Nigel said he was also disappointed with Kathryn and called her performance "a little childish." He said Legacy was an inspiration for his choreographers. Channing & Victor: Victor shared (complete with pictures) that he used to be a hardcore goth rocker. Channing said she used to race lawn mowers and she won a competition that got her a trip to Disney World and her picture in the paper. Choreographer Stacey Tookey gave them a contemporary routine about a toxic relationship. The new couple faced two levels of pressure: It was their first dance together and they're both contemporary dancers. Adam said the new partnership was going to reinvigorate both of them. Mary agreed that it was "a great new partnership" and they did a tremendous job. She said it didn't quite take her to the level where it touched her soul, but it was very good. Nigel said they had to be good. He said he wasn't emotionally carried away by either of them, but he was technically impressed. Ellenore & Ryan: Ellenore shared that she's six different ethnicities, calling herself a "big American mutt." Ryan said he's an extreme sports junkie and secretly wants to be an action superhero. Lil C gave them a hip hop routine that was about swagger and timing. Adam called Ryan "the most transformed dancer of the night." Mary said "it wasn't great, but it was good." She said it was a little sluggish and not quite synchronized at times. She said she wanted to scream for both of them, but couldn't based on that performance. Nigel said it really wasn't good at all. He said Ellenore was too sweet for the style and said there was "an awful lot missing" from it.Mollee & Nathan: Mollee said she was deaf in her left ear, a condition she's had since she was a baby. She got rid of a hearing aid because it messed up her balance. Nathan gave us all tremendous insight into his jet-skiing exploits. New choreographer Gustavo Vargas gave them a sexy salsa. Could the youngest couple in the competition handle the sensuality? Adam told the crowd to get ready to boo him and said they had bad luck drawing the salsa. He said the dance exposed all of their weaknesses. Mary said it wasn't sexified, it was "French fried." She said there were a lot of technical problems and neither of the dancers seemed comfortable. Nigel said it was a sobering night for many dancers on Tuesday and it didn't work for them. He said their chemistry, for the first time, was missing. Noelle & Russell: Noelle shared that she had a pretty big family (three sisters and a brother). She said her brother was an inspiration after overcoming a stroke. Russell said he was an artist and always wanted to be an artist and dancer. They got an Afro-jazz routine by Sean Cheesman. The high-energy routine brought the crowd to its feet. Adam joked that Noelle was the first person he'd think of when he thought "African princess." He said he had a fantastic time watching it. Mary paused for dramatic effect before saying, "That was crazy." Then she clarified it was "crazy good." She said they weren't just doing steps, she felt the whole thing. Then she put Russell on the Hot Tamale Train. Nigel said there is no question that Russell is the star of this season. At the end of the night, Nigel said Ryan and Ellenore are probably in the most danger. Mary said Nathan and Mollee were also in trouble, and Adam agreed.

14Season 6

S6.E14 ∙ Two of 16 Voted Off

Wed, Nov 11, 2009

The results was in the voters' hands for the first time on Season 6 of "So You Think You Can Dance" as the top 16 competitors would find out which two of them would see their journeys end Wednesday night.Nigel said it was probably for the best that the vote was left to America, because it might save the judges from having to make a couple of particular cuts. He wouldn't name names, but he was suggesting that the audience likely saved someone who might not deserve it.To the results: The first three couples to the stage included Ryan & Ellenore, who were ripped apart by Nigel, in particular, for a shaky hip hop routine. They landed in the bottom three. Adam said he wasn't surprised, but said he was excited to see their solos.Channing & Victor were up next. They turned in a quality contemporary routine, but Nigel was underwhelmed because they were both dancing in their specialty. Kathryn & Legacy's Broadway routine was missing a bit of chemistry, according to Mary Murphy, but Legacy floored the judges with his improvement and growth.The first of the two couples safe was Channing & Victor. That left Legacy & Kathryn standing on the stage when Cat Deeley asked them, "What are you still doing here?" Then she got all giddy while telling them they were safe.Later, Ashleigh & Jakob faced their fate. Their Mandy Moore jazz routine earned rave reviews from the judges, who called them "stunning" and "elegant" and "mature, but fiery." They were safe.Up next were Pauline & Peter, whose quickstep earned high marks for performance, but some serious criticism for technical precision. Noelle & Russell were reminded of their African jazz routine and the judges' comments about their commitment to the characters and how good of a job they did. Nigel even called Russell "the star of this season." The second couple in danger was Pauline & Peter. Noelle & Russell were safe. Mary said she was "not really surprised" by the result, saying they didn't find the magic Tuesday night but would have another chance to find it with their solos.Finally, Karen & Kevin and Mollee & Nathan came to center stage to find out which pair was the third one in danger. Karen & Kevin's Hustle "absolutely delighted" Nigel, and Mary thought Karen was "amazing" and called her "a Hustle Queen." Mollee & Nathan, clear fan favorites, on the other hand, were shredded by the judges on Tuesday after their salsa. Mary said it was "French fried" and Adam said it exposed all of their weaknesses. Nigel told them, "Hopefully you've learned this week that you're not great at everything." Mollee & Nathan appeared stunned to learn they were safe. Karen & Kevin were in danger.Nigel said, "If we're basing it purely on dance, I think America's got it wrong." He said America protected Nathan & Mollee. Nigel said he was afraid Nathan would not be learning any lessons from this week, because after Nigel told them on Tuesday that they should have learned they weren't great at everything, Nathan replied that he thought they were "friggin' hot!" "I think it was an immature reply, and I think he needs to grow," Nigel said, prompting a chorus of boos. He said it was sad that he was saved because a lot of young ladies like him, "not because of his dancing."That meant the bottom three couples were Ellenore & Ryan, Pauline & Peter, and Karen & Kevin.Be our guest: Linda Celeste Sims, Clifton Brown, and Constance Stamatiou of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater paid a visit to give a rousing performance and plug their upcoming national tour.Who's going home? Nigel said the judges didn't think any of the girls gave a good enough solo. He said none of them lived up to the standard set by some of Season 5's dancers. He told Karen that some younger voters might be intimidated by her sexuality. Ellenore stepped forward next and Nigel told her to be careful not to lose her competitive edge while trying to be quirky. Nigel told Pauline she'd gotten by on her charisma more than her dancing, and he told her she was leaving the competition.Nigel said the judges were unanimous with both of their decisions. He told Ryan that his backflip ending in his solo was weak and compared him to Ade from Season 5. He next told Peter that he hadn't shown much star quality yet this season. Nigel told Kevin he was improving week after week "and we are going to invest in you a little longer." He asked Kevin to step back, then asked Peter to step forward again and told him that he, the third tap dancer in two weeks, was going home.

15Season 6

S6.E15 ∙ The Top 14 Perform

Tue, Nov 17, 2009

The Top 14 dancers were ready to shake their groove things on for America's vote Tuesday night on "So You Think You Can Dance." After a still-lengthy introduction -- but one free of the jarring tapping as the dancers were introduced -- host Cat Deeley welcomed the three regular judges: Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.Each of the dancers would share their stories of how they got into dance, and that would likely include some embarrassing childhood videos and photos. In the interest of fairness, Cat said, we got a glimpse of a 9-year-old Nigel, a high-school-aged Mary and a very young Adam flexing his tiny muscles.Ashleigh & Jakob: Ashleigh said she had a lot of energy as a child and used dancing as an outlet. Jakob said he "got a little chunky" in his awkward years and decided to take a dance class. They couple got a hip-hop routine from Tabitha & Napoleon, which told the story of a guy who cheated on his girl. Nigel loved the routine and said Jakob was challenged each week and he's always come up big. Nigel said Jakob should continue into the Top 10. He added that Ashleigh had grown at a much faster rate than he expected. Mary said it was great and that this couple always hits it. Adam said Jakob was "about as sure a bet for the Top 10 as there ever was on this show." He then admitted he previously didn't believe in Ashleigh, but not thinks she's got a good shot at the Top 10, as well.Karen & Kevin: Karen said she was a quiet child growing up in Venezuela. She said she learned "the language of dance" by sitting back and watching her teachers and classmates. Kevin said he started dancing when he was 17, and one of his most memorable dance moments was a recent tribute to Michael Jackson. New choreographer Spencer Liff gave them a difficult Broadway routine. Nigel said the Broadway style requires humor and personality, and Karen didn't bring the humor. Then he told Kevin that Karen brought more humor than he did. Mary said she was sorry she had to agree. "It needed to be so much more," she said. Adam said it was amazing to watch Kevin even get through it and he agreed that Karen fared a bit better.Noelle & Russell: Russell said he was never shy about performing, singing or dancing. His home video included a cute little bit of him as a little kid mimicking Michael Jackson's famous "Billie Jean" routine. Noelle said she was a mischievous wild child and she accidentally smashed her face into a car windshield, resulting in the need for a half of a fake tooth in the front of her mouth. They got a foxtrot from choreographer Eddie Simon. The couple had pulled a foxtrot earlier in the season, but Russell had to dance it with choreographer Melanie Lapatin because Noelle was injured. Nigel said Russell had vastly improved over two weeks since the last time he danced the foxtrot. He also said Noelle was making herself be noticed. Mary said Russell made a tough dance look easy. She said Noelle looked elegant because she as flowing nicely. Adam said they understood their task and "met it, stepped up to it, and you were fantastic."Channing & Victor: Channing said she was energetic and adventurous as a child and her mom put her in dance class to get time away from her. Victor said he was a brat as a kid and would get lost in the store. They got a jazz routine from Tyce DiOrio. Nigel said it was the first time that Channing looked like she enjoyed her performance and that was why he enjoyed it. Nigel told Victor he is a "superb dancer" but still needs to prove he can grow. Mary agreed that Victor is consistent but still hasn't had "that star moment." Mary liked that Channing "just let it go." Adam said Channing was finding her way into the show and was loosening up. He said she'll do great if she continues to grow. Adam reiterated that Victor needs to grow to be "in it to win it."Kathryn & Legacy: Kathryn said she was a shy kid and her mom, who owned a dance studio, got her into dancing. Her first performance was with her mom. Legacy said that he was rebellious as a child. He first started dancing when his dad offered him $5 to dance at a house part. Choreographer Tony Meredith gave them a tense paso doble. Nigel said Kathryn danced with maturity that she was lacking a week earlier and that she was "absolutely magnificent." Nigel said he always sees Legacy practicing and it was that passion that would send him into the Top 10. Mary said Kathryn was smoking and was still in shock about how much Legacy had grown. Adam said Kathryn "killed it." Adam praised Legacy for developing his stamina on stage. He told Legacy he was an inspiration to breakdancers, because he was no longer a breakdancer, he was a dancer.Ellenore & Ryan: Ellenore said she was a sassy little girl, which she said she still has. Ryan said dancing was in his blood and he started dancing when he was 4 years old. His grandparents were professional ballroom dancers. They got a Travis Wall contemporary routine about a couple that has reconnected after 10 years. Nigel said they cemented their place for at least another week and said it was "certainly my favorite routine of the night." He said Ellenore was "one of the sharpest tools in the box" and that she becomes a different person with every routine. He told Ryan he was the best ballroom dancer that has ever done contemporary. Mary became overwhelmed by her emotions while tell Ryan he was an inspiration to young ballroom dancers, the she quoted her grandmother by saying they looked like they were "walking on tall cotton." Adam said their routine made him catch his breath.Mollee & Nathan: Nathan said he was the baby of the family and was "kind of a brat" -- this is information that would likely not be hard for Nigel to believe. Mollee said she was a "complete diva" as a little girl. They got a pop-jazz routine choreographed by Laurieann Gibson. Nigel said he could only compliment both dancers for how they dug deeper this week than last week. He said Mollee was one of the most committed dancers he's ever met. Nigel said he was going to stay on Nathan's back because he has great potential but has to make sure he continues to grow. Mary said it was great to have "the dream team" back. She said they were both strong and committed. Adam gave the dancers some advice on how to keep their place in the competition because he believed they were capable of making it really far.At the end of the night, all three judges agreed that Karen and Kevin were the couple in the most danger.

16Season 6

S6.E16 ∙ Two of 14 Voted Off

Wed, Nov 18, 2009

The Top 14 would become the dancing dozen by the end of Wednesday night's results episode. Judge Nigel Lythgoe said Tuesday night's performances signaled a wake-up call for some of the dancers who stepped up their game.The opening routine was choreographed by Wade Robson and Amanda Rodriguez and earned rave reviews from Adam Shankman.To the results: The first two couples hit center stage. First, Ashleigh & Jakob found out they were safe for another week. Next, Karen & Kevin -- the couple the judges unanimously said were in trouble this week -- were told they were in the bottom three. Adam said he wasn't surprised, but called Karen and Kevin two of the most poised and elegant dancers on the show and said they had to "slaughter" in their solos.Ellenore & Ryan earned high praise from the judges on Tuesday, with Adam saying they helped kick start the competition. They were safe.Noelle & Russell made the most of their second chance at the foxtrot of the season, at least in the judges' eyes. Channing & Victor flew high with a blackbird-inspired jazz routine that made Nigel notice that Channing finally let loose. Nonetheless, Channing & Victor fell into the bottom three. Noelle & Russell were safe for another week.Mollee & Nathan got back on the judges' collective good side, but there was a lot of talk of their potential. Kathryn & Legacy also earned high marks for their passionate paso doble. Apparently, the voters weren't ready to give Mollee & Nathan a pass for a second consecutive week and they landed in the bottom three. Nigel wondered if it was a backlash from last week, "when their salsa was so bad."That meant the bottom six dancers in danger were Karen, Kevin, Channing, Victor, Mollee and Nathan.Be our guest: Nakul Dev Mahajan brought his bollywood dance crew to the "So You Think You Can Dance" stage. Later, Orianthi, a guitarist who's venturing out on her own, performed her new song, "According to You."Back to the results: Nigel announced that the judges were unanimous on both decisions this week. He reminded the audience that the "dance for your life" solos are one last chance for the dancers to change the judges' minds about who should move on and who needs to go. With that, he noted that no one's solo changed their minds this week.Nigel told Mollee that she showed she could dance like a woman. Nigel turned his attention to Channing and Karen. He told Channing her technique was terrific, but her personality wasn't coming out in her dancing as much as the judges would like to see. He said Karen was, "without question, a performer," and that the judges think Karen is "a star." Therefore, Karen was staying and Channing was going home.Turning to the guys, Nigel told Nathan he learned a big lesson last week and that the judges were "delighted" to keep him in the competition.Nigel told Victor that his solo work was very strong, but told him not to pirouette so much. He told Kevin that the judges were looking for growth, and even though he was growing, but he still has a long way to go. Kevin was sent home.

17Season 6

S6.E17 ∙ The Top 12 Perform

Tue, Nov 24, 2009

12 remain. Each couple will be performing two dances. Starting next week the couples and dances will be picked at random.We start by hearing what each person will miss most about their performance partner.Ellenore says she'll miss Ryan's perfectionism and he'll miss her energetic, quirky personality. They'll be performing the Lindy hop choreographed by Carla Heiney. It has a lot of cartwheels, swingouts and lifts.Adam calls it a "fantastic start to the show." He says Ellenore gets better and better every week. Mary says it's a "stunning routine" and is glad the dance is included this season. Nigel says "I thought it was terrible...that we haven't had the Lindy hop on this season." He says it was "terrific to watch."Next up, Kathryn and Legacy. He says she's helped him with his body and stretching and she'll miss the presence he brings to every routine. Their first dance is a jazz piece by Sonya Tayeh. She says it's based on a man who can't contain himself whenever he sees his lady. It includes him chomping on her hand. They dance to "So Deep," by Hot Chip.Adam compliments Sonya on the routine, including how she used Legacy's b-boy skills. "If you keep dancing like this, you're going all the way," he says, adding that he's sorry to see the partnership break up.Mary particularly liked his entrance, crab walking onto stage. She says he was "outstanding." And she's a "marvel" to look at when she's dancing. She predicts they'll be in the top ten.Nigel says that was one of his favorite routines of the season and that Kathryn was very sexy. He thinks that Legacy has musical instincts that have never come out before. ("I was dancing," Legacy says.)Next up Victor and Karen talk about what they're looking forward to about working together. Victor's hoping to join her on the "hot tamale train." They're dancing the tango over secret lovers to "Montserrat" by Orequesta del Plata.Adam likes them as partners. He commends Victor's poise and stature. Mary says this was a huge surprise for her and she was impressed by the difficulty level. She says Karen is still on the train and Victor's picking up steam. Nigel likes their chemistry, but reminds Victor to watch his sway back to avoid looking like Donald Duck out there.On to Nathan and Mollee. He says he'll miss her laugh and he'll miss his weird noises and sayings. Jamal Sims choreographed their hip hop piece about the day that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.They're dancing to "Ring-A-Ling" by the Black Eyed Peas. Adam starts by checking on Mollee's hurt ankle and says he could see a little bit of the stress on her, but he thought they did a good job. Mary says it got better as it went along and some things could have been hit a little harder, but it was fun. Nigel starts by saying they're both good dancers but it seemed a little young. He's positive they'll both be in the top ten but they need to mature.Noelle and Russell She'll miss his laid back personality and he'll miss her affection and hugs which give him a better vibe. Tony Meridith and Melanie Lapatin choreographed their samba to "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira.Adam thinks the routine was a little too nice so it didn't get into the nasty party version of the dance. "It just needed to get a little more oogie...I enjoyed it, but it didn't get dirty enough for me."Mary says the performance level was great, but she was a little disappointed.Nigel also says the sensuality was missing and it was a little "clinical."Jakob and Ashleigh She says it's been easy working together and she'll miss him. Sonya choreographed an airy jazz routine. They're dancing to "Time Flies" by Lykke Li."That was so beautiful I don't know what to say right now," Adam says. He says he's sorry to see the partnership break up. He says it's a privilege to watch Jakob dance.Mary says their fun dancing together is evident.Nigel has to revise himself and say this is his favorite routine of the night. Ellenore and Ryan Spencer gave them a piece about the lures of fame and fortune and Broadway. They dance to "Razzle Dazzle" from "Chicago."Adam says they nailed it and it was full of character. He says Ryan was great but Ellenore was a "rock star."Mary calls Ellenore the "It" girl.Nigel calls it "phenomenal" and so far he wants to put six couples through.Legacy and Kathryn Their Viennese Waltz is supposed to show Legacy as a dancer being guided by his guardian angel, as choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux and France Mousseau.Adam notices that Legacy is crying. He says they're happy tears because he's able to show people there is hope and anybody can do it. "How can we be mean to you after that?" Nigel whines.Adam gives him a few minor tips, but says he did great. Mary tells them she definitely thinks they'll both be OK, even it wasn't the best Viennese Waltz because his feet were smacking against the stage. She says Kathryn is "perfection out there."Nigel says there were a lot of things going on there that weren't as good as what he thinks Legacy's capable of, but he tells Kathryn she's stolen the evening.Karen and Victor Perform a hip hop dance to "Moving Mountains" by Usher.Adam thinks the choreography didn't match the music, because the dancing was angrier than the music.Mary says the way they danced it was "OK" but it wasn't memorable.Nigel agrees, saying the tango was much better.Mollee and Nathan They picked a dance never done before on SYTYCD: the Can-Can. Tyce Diorio explains it originated in the 1830s in Paris as a dance for couples. Mollee says it's super tiring because you're never not moving.Adam says they're the perfect couple to introduce such a high energy dance to the show. Mary says Mollee's bad ankle didn't show at all and it was really enjoyable. Nigel mentions that the dance was originally performed by women not wearing any undies, but Mollee notes that she did.Noelle and Russell Tyce choreographed a contemporary dance for them, telling them to imagine painting on each other. Adam says they were "gorgeous" and they're not going anywhere. Mary says it was "really very special" and flowed. Nigel says they've left the audience something to remember them by. He commends Noelle for committing to everything and Russell for improving beyond his street dancer roots.Ashleigh and Jakob The Frenchies teach the pair cha-cha, which Ashleigh has done many times, but Jakob is totally new to.Adam says "this is Ashleigh's world and we're all just visiting." He calls them the couple of the night. Mary agrees and compliments Ashleigh on her great legs and use of them, but she couldn't have done it without Jakob. Nigel says "that may have been a cha-cha, but you are waltzing through to the top ten."Then it's recap time and we're done.

18Season 6

S6.E18 ∙ Two of 12 Voted Off

Wed, Nov 25, 2009

The top 12 perform a trippy hip hop routine by Tabitha and Napoleon to "What's a Girl Gotta Do?" by Basement Jaxx to open the show.Cat tells us three couples are safe and three will be in danger and the judges will decide which guy and which girl will be cut.Nigel wishes us all a Happy Thanksgiving, even though Brits don't do turkey day. Then he tells us from now on America takes over deciding who stays and who goes.Mary raves about the group they've had this season.Adam thinks new couples means the dancers have to create chemistry where none was. The choreographers will also be affected, but on the plus side the top 10 know they get to go on tour. He encourages brio and confidence.Cat welcomes out the first two couples: Karen and Victor and Ashleigh and Jakob.Cat announces the first couple in danger is Karen and Victor. Ashleigh and Jakob are in the top 10.Mary says they saw Karen and Jakob's tough night coming, but they've been growing. She tells Karen they think she's "exquisite." They'll be dancing solo later.Next out are Mollee and Nathan and Kathryn and Legacy. They did a hip hop routine, which Adam thought Nathan loved doing. Nigel thought it was young. Next, they did the can-can, which the judges loved.Kathryn and Legacy performed a Sonya jazz routine and Adam predicted they'd go all the way if they keep dancing like that. Next they did a Viennese waltz that Kathryn killed.The second couple in danger is Mollee and Nathan. Kathryn and Legacy are in the top 10.Adam thinks they weren't connecting with the audience last night and blames Mollee's injury. He thinks they'll grow with new partners because they're too young together. He warned them to watch what they say in their clip packages.Finally, Noelle and Russell and Ellenore and Ryan. Noelle and Russell performed a contemporary routine and a samba. Adam thought they were gorgeous and Mary called it "out of this world." Adam wanted his samba a little "dirtier."Ellenore and Ryan performed a Lindy Hop that Adam called "awesome" and a Broadway routine to "Razzle Dazzle." Adam called Ellenore a "rock star."In a bit of an upset, the final couple in danger is Ellenore and Ryan. Noelle and Russell are in the top 10.Nigel calls them being in the hot seat frustrating, but says the couples in the top are great, too. He calls Ryan the "best partner out of everybody on the show" and says Ellenore is "one of the best girls."We pause for a ballet performance by Paloma Herrera from the American Ballet Theater.Time for the solos.First up is Karen, performing hip hop to "She Wants to Move" from N.E.R.D. Then Victor to the Village Attack song from "Blood Diamond."Mollee dances hip hop with jazz moves and lots of tumbling. Then Nathan to "Going, Going, Gone" by Stars.Ellenore does jerky herky jazz routine followed by Ryan dancing to a Spanish song with lots of hips.The judges head off to discuss and Cat introduces the guest for the evening: Shakira performing "Give it Up to Me."The six in danger take the stage to hear their fates. Nigel announces they're unanimous in their decision for the girls. He asks Mollee to step forward and says for the first time this season they watched somebody fight for their place in the top 10. He says she has to keep that up if she sticks around.Then Ellenore (who gets a scream from the audience). He tells her the judges can't think of anything to tell her to improve.He says Karen's solo felt like she'd given up and he tells her it'll be her last. She's out. We watch her highlights, including Mary calling her a "hot tamale." Cat calls her gorgeous and says she has "star quality oozing out of every pore" as she says good-bye.On to the guys.Nigel tells the guys they're not unanimous on their decision.He starts out comparing Victor to Kelly Osborne on "Dancing with the Stars," saying he's grown as a person on the show.Then Ryan. He says not doing contemporary for his solo hurts him and he needs to work on that.Finally Nathan, who looks like he's about to puke. Nigel says Nathan came to them a brilliant dancer but they haven't seen him grow any. Nigel says if he had his way Nathan would be out, but instead, Victor is going home.We watch his highlights, including Nigel calling him a "superb" dancer.And we bid adieu to Karen and Victor.

19Season 6

S6.E19 ∙ The Top 10 Perform

Tue, Dec 1, 2009

We're down to the Top 10 on the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" and for the first time, the decision on who stays and who goes will rest solely with the voters.The judges were happy about being off the hook in making the final elimination decisions for the rest of the season. Every dancer would perform a solo in addition to being matched with new partners. In a shorter than usual episode, we got straight to the dancing.Noelle & Ryan: Noelle and Ryan kicked off the night with what Cat Deeley called a "not safe for work" hip hop routine by Tabitha & Napoleon. Nigel apologized to Noelle for saying she wasn't sexy last week. He said she certainly was sexy this week. He told Ryan that his performance was "a little bit too strong" in that he didn't seem to be feeling the music. Mary praised the new couple for displaying great chemistry. She said Noelle seemed like a different dancer. She said Ryan "had it all going on." Adam told Noelle she was "smokin'." He said it was a "great moment" for Ryan, even if it wasn't his greatest.Ashleigh & Legacy: Ashleigh and Legacy did a high-tech, almost "Tron"-inspired contemporary routine that ended in Legacy holding a headstand (with an assist from Ashleigh), for several seconds. Nigel said they had been "physically abused" by their choreographer, Gary Stewart. It called it "an impossible style" to learn in just three days, but their effort was "absolutely fantastic." Mary said the headstand left a fantastic visual impact and said there were several great moments in the routine. Adam said it was extraordinary that they didn't look afraid. He also said the ending was the best the show has had in any season.Mollee: Before dancing her solo, Mollee talked about her road to the Top 10, which included dancing parts in the "High School Musical" series. She said she never expected to have made it to the Top 10.Russell: Krumper Russell talked about growing up in a rough neighborhood, where his dad used school and dancing to keep him off the street. His parents beamed with pride about their son's success on the show.Kathryn & Nathan: Kathryn and Nathan pulled a Broadway routine from Spencer Liff, to the music of Danny Kaye. Nigel said both dancers "found that style absolutely perfectly." He called it tremendous and said they got the style "and the smile" correct. He told Kathryn she's always been great, but her chemistry with Nathan was "a little isolated," but he noted that overall she was "absolutely terrific." Mary agreed and heaped some praise on Kathryn. She also said she didn't see any of the trouble she was expecting from Nathan. Adam said they did a "great job in giving us a beautiful history lesson." Adam said he was relieved that Nathan did well, because of the beating that he's taken from the judges this season.Noelle: Noelle said her family was her "Number 1 Fan Club." She said she nearly didn't graduate in the effort to get on the show during Season 5 and 6, but that the sacrifice had paid off now that she's in the Top 10.Ellenore & Jakob: The dreaded quickstep was in store for Ellenore and Jakob. The routine portrayed them in a quickstep dance competition in which they crowned themselves champions at the end. Did the judges agree? Nigel said it was a fun routine and thanked them for bringing tap back into the program (they did a bit of tapping). He said they were both wonderful. Mary said they deserved their prop trophy, which they hoisted at the end of the routine. She said Ellenore and Jakob handled the tough choreography that Tony & Melanie threw at them. Adam went on a bizarre and not particularly necessary explanation of how Ellenore and Jakob had previously been partners with the only married couple on the show, Ashleigh and Ryan. He said he'd been looking forward to Ellenore and Jakob's pairing and was glad to have seen it.Ryan: Ballroom dancer Ryan reminded us about his parents and grandparents being dancers, and the fact that he met his wife dancing. He called himself a born entertainer.Kathryn: Contemporary dancer Kathryn said she started dancing when she was 3 and her mom had a dance studio. She decided in high school that she wanted to dance for a living. Her mom called Kathryn her best friend and said Kathryn's move west was difficult, but was the best thing for her.Mollee & Russell: Mollee and Russell got a Mandy Moore jazz piece. Nigel said it was absolutely beautiful stuff and told Mollee she had grown tremendously in a week. He then said he was as proud of Russell as Russell dad was. Mary shouted that she loved this new partnership. She told Mollee that her passion was unbelievable. She also said Russell "is someone you can bank on in this competition. She said they were her favorite couple of the night. Adam said Russell was as fierce and hard-hitting of a krumper as he's seen, but said it was remarkable to see him switch gears and become a great partner. He told Mollee that this performance was her "coming-out party" and he couldn't be more proud of her.Nathan: Nathan said he grew up around dancing, but it clicked when he was 10 and he saw his brother perform. He said the experience has shown him that he should appreciate his family and wanted to use this time to "pay them back."Noelle & Ryan: For their second dance, Noelle and Ryan drew a JT and Tomas smooth waltz. Nigel said they looked like a prince and princess at the end of a Disney movie. He said they "mastered both" of their dances on the night -- hip hop and a smooth waltz. Mary agreed, saying Noelle was "breathtaking" and "elegant." She said Ryan absolutely owned it. Adam said he knew he was completely hypnotized by the performance when he found himself breathing with them. He called Noelle and Ryan "a power partnership."Ellenore: Ellenore told the story of growing up in the beach town of Santa Cruz, California, but moving her parents out to New York City so she could pursue dancing. She said they were broke after the move, but somehow they made it.Ashleigh & Legacy: Ashleigh and Legacy returned with a Dave Scott hip hop routine that had Legacy in a cape playing a vampire who was hunting Ashleigh. Nigel said he "didn't feel it." He said there wasn't enough dancing in it. He called out Dave Scott, the choreographer, and said he didn't think there was enough musicality in it. Mary agreed and said, "this just didn't work for you." Adam piled on and said it just wasn't challenging enough for them at this stage of the competition.Kathryn & Nathan: The couple returned with a rumba by Tony & Melanie to Aretha Franklin's "Walk on By." Nigel said they failed to present the chemistry between them because Nathan kept a sour face the whole time. He said he wanted to see a little more ballroom in that and, for the second consecutive routine, called out the choreographers for not giving the dancers enough to do. Mary agreed that the passion was not believable. She said Nathan had some awkward moments, but that Kathryn had one of the best moments of the entire routine by using her body. Adam pointed out that Nathan is a "very polarizing" contestant, saying that people really like him or really don't. He said Kathryn was dancing like she was competing. She had "an enormous amount of passion" and did a good job.Legacy: The B-Boy said he didn't start his dancing until he was a teenager. He saw "You Got Served" and moved from Miami to California with his friend, "Flea," to perform on the street in Santa Monica.Ellenore & Jakob: After trying their hand at the quickstep and getting big reviews, Ellenore and Jakob took on a Sonya Tayeh contemporary dance. The crowd roared before Nigel calmed everyone down so that he could shout, "Wow!" He said the dancers not only had chemistry with each other, but also with their choreographer. He suggested that Ellenore and Sonya were "probably from the same planet," and "to drag Jakob into your world is brilliant." Nigel said, "This really is my favorite routine of this season." Mary loved it and said Jakob was one of the best dancers in the competition. She also praised Ellenore, pointing out some great particular moves. Adam said the dance was "going to leave an indelible impression on the fans of this show forever."Ashleigh: Ballroom dancer Ashleigh told us about growing up in Utah, "a huge dancing state." She suffered a rare parasitic infection that knocked her out of dancing for years and said that continuing to perform on the show's stage is "like life being perfect."Mollee & Russell: For their second dance, Mollee and Russell took on a jive from Anya and Pasha. The crowd loved it and Nigel pointed out that he wouldn't have wanted to follow Ellenore and Jakob's outstanding routine. "I think you are the only couple, with this routine, that could've done that tonight," Nigel told Mollee and Russell. He said he wished they had been together from the start because they are really fun, and he hoped they would be in the competition for a long time. Mary welcomed Pasha and Anya back to the show and said the routine was "so much fun" and Mollee and Russell brought it to life. She said it was a great way to end the show. Adam agreed that he was "feeling it," and was feeling "so good about this pairing."Jakob: Jakob closed out the show's solos b talking about how much his dad tried to push him into sports, but that dancing was something he really loved. His mom got emotional talking about how hard he's worked to get this far.

20Season 6

S6.E20 ∙ Two of 10 Voted Off

Wed, Dec 2, 2009

Host Cat Deeley preemptively made the viewers feel guilty about who was going home Wednesday night on "So You Think You Can Dance." At the start of the show, she reminded us that for the first time all season, the decision was solely in the hands of the voters.With that, the Top 10 kicked off the night with a gritty, back-alley-style routine to Billy Joel's "Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me," choreographed by Tyce DiOrio.Head judge Nigel Lythgoe said that the pressure was off for the judges, but they would still be sad to see two dancers go. Mary Murphy agreed and said she was curious to see what America thought.To the results: Cat brought out the top five girls to go over the results. She first told Ellenore, who received rave reviews from the judges on Tuesday, that she was safe for at least another week. Mollee was the next to get the news that she, too, was safe.Noelle earned praise from the judges on Tuesday, but she was in the bottom two girls and would perform a solo later -- although it would have no bearing on whether she stayed or left.Ashleigh scored with the judges in her "action-packed" contemporary routine, but fell flat on a hip-hop performance. Kathryn gave what the judges called an "effortless" Broadway routine, but her rumba wasn't rockin'. After the vote, Kathryn was in trouble. She landed in the bottom two while Ashleigh moved into the Top 8.Cat turned next to the guys, and told Ryan that he was in the bottom two despite the fact that the judges loved his hip-hop routine and Adam called his smooth waltz "so perfect."Next up was Russell, who wowed the judges with his "mind-boggling transformation" and two tremendous routines. He was safe. Jakob was told that he was also safe, leaving Nathan and Legacy awaiting the rest of the news.Nathan's Broadway routine was something Nigel thought was perfect, but Mary felt he lacked passion in his rumba. Legacy scored big in a contemporary routine, but the judges through his fans might have to save Legacy after a flat hip-hop routine. The second guy in danger was Nathan, meaning Legacy was in the Top 8.Be our guest: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers put on a remarkable display of body control and breakdancing set to the smooth sounds of Coldplay's "Yellow," as played by a strings section. Snoop Dogg stopped by later.To the solos: Noelle showed some more skills with her contemporary solo and Adam said he thought she did great on Tuesday. Ryan was up next and repeated his solo from Tuesday night. Mary told him he was one of the best ballroom dancers the show has ever had.Kathryn was up next and Mary said she was "shocked" to see Kathryn in danger and said she had the beauty of Cyd Charisse and Ginger Rogers. Kathryn got a bit emotional when she said that being in the bottom might not be a bad thing, because it gave people another chance to see her solo. Nathan showed some more moves in his solo and Nigel was impressed, remarking that Nathan looked like he was fighting for a spot.Who's going home?: Cat brought Noelle and Kathryn to center stage and told them that Noelle would going home. She smiled and hugged Kathryn, who was safe for another week.The boys were next, as Ryan and Nathan slowly walked to center stage. Nathan said he was "not really" ready to hear the result, but Cat had to read them anyway. The guy with the fewest votes was Nathan. Ryan was safe for another week and went offstage to give his wife Ashleigh a big hug.

21Season 6

S6.E21 ∙ The Top Eight Perform

Tue, Dec 8, 2009

The field is thinning on "So You Think You Can Dance," and it was down to the Top 8 on Tuesday night as they vied to stay in the competition another week.Host Cat Deeley introduced "your top eight dancers," but there was one missing. Cat asked Ashleigh to come out and explain why she was missing from the intro. She said she dislocated her shoulder during rehearsal, and she insisted she was OK to perform, but the doctors wouldn't clear her. Her phone number would be available for fans to vote for her anyway.The dancing pairs were shuffled up again, and we were off to the races...Kathryn & Ryan: Kathryn said she wanted to "love every second" of the short time left of the season. Ryan said it would be special to make it to the finale because he might get to dance with his wife, Ashleigh. They landed a Doriana Sanchez disco routine that she called "a disco love story." They performed to a Samantha Ronson remix of Donna Summer's "Last Dance." Adam said Ryan proved that "real men can wear sequins," which was something he'd been saying for years. He told Kathryn he had "literally" watched her become a better dancer over the course of the show. Mary said Kathryn was peaking at the right time, and she said she enjoyed that Ryan just "let it go." Nigel didn't really agree with Adam and Mary. He said the style suited Kathryn, but he felt like Ryan was a little stiff.Mollee & Jakob: The new couple knew the stakes were high as the season wound to a close. They were given a Viennese waltz with Jason Gilkison. Adam said he "could've watched that for two more hours." He said it was a great coupling, choreographer and piece of music. He again praised Jakob and said Mollee was also peaking at the right time. Mary said there was "absolutely nothing ordinary" about their performance. She said Jakob made every part of it work, and told Mollee that "another light" was shining inside of her. Nigel said their routine took his breath away. He said "everything just seemed to fit together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle" and added that they were both great.Ashleigh: Ashleigh was supposed to dance her solo and again said she felt "perfect," hinting that she really wanted to get out there and dance.Ellenore & Legacy: Ellenore wanted one last chance to show America what she could do by making it to the finale. She and Legacy got a Travis Wall contemporary routine in which they played hired assassins who had each other in their sights. Adam said it was "passionate," "exciting" and "awesome." Mary said, "It really wasn't that good," before pausing for effect and adding, "Of course it was!" Wow, she really had us going there for two seconds. She said Ellenore was dynamic and Legacy nailed it. Nigel loved that it was "so, so dangerous," and he was glad Travis pushed them as far as he did. He thought the routine could get Travis an Emmy nomination.Ashleigh & Russell: Russell and Ashleigh drew a Shane Sparks hip hop routine that was going to be straight from the street. Shane said during rehearsals that Ashleigh, who hailed from the streets of Utah, had become a different person. Russell performed the routine with Shane's assistant, Rachel. Adam said it had to be hard to be there without his partner and said he missed watching Ashleigh do hip hop. He told Russell he was "smokin' out there." Mary said she and everyone were falling in love with Russell. She said it was hard-hitting and on point. Nigel said Russell kept up with Shane's choreography and that he made a point of performing in a tough, hard-hitting routine.Kathryn & Ryan, Part 2: For their second routine, Kathryn and Ryan got a cha cha with Jason Gilkison. Ryan promised it was going to crank up the heat, and the crowd seemed to think it did by offering up a standing ovation. Adam said it was one of the best ballroom routines the show has had. He said they were "very connected," and told Kathryn she was "surging." He said Ryan was great, as well, and said it was a beautiful piece of teamwork. Mary said "the whole floor was on fire" and the routine was on fire, from beginning to end. She told Kathryn she made it look easier than it was, and said Kathryn was sexy. She said Ryan was a star. She gave them two tickets on the Hot Tamale Train. Nigel said Kathryn looked like a Latin ballroom dancer. He then told Ryan he was "absolutely perfect" in the cha cha and the two of them together "were magical."Mollee & Jakob, Part 2: Going from ballroom to Broadway, Mollee and Jakob got a routine from Joey Dowling in which they played a couple of con artists masterminding each other. Adam loved it and said they were great. He said he couldn't take his eyes off Mollee, despite the fact that he thinks Jakob is one of the best dancers the show has ever had. Mary said they were tremendous and made it look easy. Nigel said the routine pushed Mollee into the realm of being a professional dancer, and he said she should go to Broadway. He said they were outstanding for the second time.Ellenore & Legacy, Part 2: The couple landed a Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop routine in which they were portraying aliens. They wanted Ellenore to be more hip hop and Legacy to be more quirky. Ellenore was calling it strange and weird, which was saying something. Adam said it wasn't his favorite routine of the night and the dancing was just fine. Mary said the beginning was great, but it was like a movie that started well and didn't pay off. Nigel said he didn't want to criticize the choreography, but he had to. He said the choreography overrode the dancing and it turned out to be "style over substance."Ryan: After dancing his solo, Ryan interrupted Cat while she was reading his phone number for voting. He asked people to vote for Ashleigh because she'd worked so hard to get to this point and deserved a spot in the finale. He got emotional and the crowd cheered, and Cat asked him, "Are you trying to kill me here?"Ashleigh & Russell, Part 2: Nakul Dev Mahajan put together a raw Bollywood routine for Ashleigh and Russell. Ashleigh was unable to perform, so Russell did the routine with one of Nakul's assistants. Adam said Russell blew joy out of every pore and that should make people pick up the phone and vote for him. Mary gave Russell props for adjusting to everything that has happened with the last-minute partner switch. Mary also asked that people take into consideration the journey that Ashleigh has had on the show when they think about voting. Nigel said Russell had a magnetic quality that draws the viewer's eye. He praised Russell for not just Tuesday evening, but for everything he's done throughout the season.Judges' last words: Cat asked the judges for any last-minute advice for the voters and Adam said each of the remaining dancers had earned his or her place. He urged voters to pick up the phone for their favorites.Mary said that the votes mean so much for the dancers, so this would be a great time to pick up the phone and call. Nigel reminded voters not to assume their favorite is going to win.

22Season 6

S6.E22 ∙ Two of Eight Voted Off

Wed, Dec 9, 2009

The night opened with a high-energy contemporary routine choreographed by Sonya Tayeh that only featured seven dancers, meaning Ashleigh was out for the second consecutive night. The mystery remained as to whether Ashleigh would move on despite being unable to perform on Tuesday because of a dislocated shoulder.After a quick little feature to remind us that Samantha Ronson remixed some of Tuesday night's songs (and the opening number on Wednesday), it was time to get to the results.To the results: Russell, who received high marks from the judges for his hip hop and Bollywood routines on Tuesday, was up first. Russell was safely into next week's finale.Legacy contributed to what Nigel called a "dangerous" (in a good way) contemporary routine, but left the judges a bit disappointed with a hip hop routine. He'd never been in danger before, but found himself in the bottom two this week.That left Jakob and Ryan to wait and find out which of them was safe and which was in the bottom two. Jakob wowed the judges first with a Viennese waltz and again with a Broadway routine. Ryan, meanwhile, nailed a cha cha (earning a first-class ticket on the Hot Tamale Train) but was a bit stiff, according to Nigel, in his disco dance. The guy safely into the finale was Jakob, leaving Ryan in the bottom two with Legacy.The top four girls headed to center stage. Kathryn's results were up first. The judges loved her part of the disco she performed with Ryan and loved her even more when she danced the cha cha. Mary put her on the Hot Tamale Train and the judges agreed she was smokin' and sexy. She was in the bottom two last week, but she was safely into the finals this time.Ellenore was part of the Travis Wall contemporary routine that Nigel predicted could be nominated for an Emmy, but was also included in the weird hip hop performance that left the judges disappointed. She was in danger.Mollee and Ashleigh remained. Mollee danced the Viennese waltz with Jakob that had Mary and Nigel both gushing. Her Broadway routine caught Adam's eye and left Nigel saying that it turned her into a professional dancer. He suggested she get a job on Broadway. Ashleigh was injured and was under doctors' orders not to dance. Who was safe and who was in danger? Ashleigh was safe, and Mollee was in trouble.Adam was stunned and said that Mollee was at her best on Tuesday night and said her performances were some of the best overall of the season.Be our guest: Asia's No. 1 pop group, the Wonder Girls, made their American television debut with a performance of their song, "Nobody."Later, "American Idol" winner Kris Allen took the stage to sing his debut single, "Live Like We're Dying."The results: After more than 8 million votes, Ellenore got the final girls' spot in the finale, leaving Mollee behind. Mollee cried a lot, but thanked the judges for the "big impact" they've had on her life.With Ryan and Legacy waiting for word, it was Legacy who was eliminated. That meant Ryan was safely into the finale. The judges gave Legacy a standing ovation and he said he was glad America was watching.Your final six, America: Jakob, Russell, Ryan, Kathryn, Ashleigh and Ellenore.

23Season 6

S6.E23 ∙ The Top Six Perform

Tue, Dec 15, 2009

The epic background music. The close-ups on the contestants' faces. The dramatically backlit Cat Deeley , speaking slower and more intently than ever before. It could all mean just one thing: The finals of the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" have arrived, and the final six dancers will be competing one last time to see who takes home the $250,000 grand prize and be named America's favorite dancer.Kathryn & Ryan: With just one hour, Cat got right to the action and introduced Kathryn and a shirtless Ryan, who performed a Jake Gilkison samba. The performance had a tribal feel to it and ended with a big finish as Ryan tossed Kathryn over his head and she landed on his back. Nigel loved it and called the big finish "stunning" and said he couldn't wait to see it again in slow motion. Mary Murphy said Ryan was at home in his style and said Kathryn had control and balance in her performance. Adam said "this show should now be called 'The Rise of Kathryn.'" He said Ryan was, "as always, a fantastic partner."Ellenore & Jakob: Ellenore and Jakob performed a jazzy, upbeat Broadway routine by Tyce DiOrio. Nigel noted that Tyce allowed Ellenore to be "Fosse-esque" and Jakob to be "Jakob-esque." He enjoyed it and said they were stronger dancers than anyone was in the past and they showed themselves off to their best. Mary said Ellenore was "smoldering" and "just as sexy as could be." She said Jakob was tremendous and added that "tonight, there was a little bit extra coming out there." Adam said the routine made the Broadway style current, elegant and hip. He said Ellenore never looked more beautiful, and called Jakob one of the most selfless partners he's seen.Ashleigh & Russell: Ashleigh and Russell pulled a Sonya Tayeh lyrical jazz routine that had them slowly tossing each other around the stage. Nigel asked Ashleigh to forgive him for the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off Russell. He said the greatest complement he could give Ashleigh was that she had great chemistry with the routine. Mary said Ashleigh was "absolutely drop-dead gorgeous tonight." Mary then started to get emotional when she talked about how special Russell has been this season. She said it was incredible to watch him dance like that. Adam talked more about Ashleigh's contribution to the routine and thanked her for playing the role of Russell's "guardian angel" throughout the routine.Ellenore & Ryan: To kick off the second round of dances, the partners were switched up a bit and Ellenore and Ryan were paired up with a Garry Stewart jazz routine. It had a very technical edge to it, which made Nigel uncomfortable with it, even though they did everything that was asked of them. Mary said she loved it because it was different and unique. She said she could see where Nigel was coming from, but the unique quality pulled her in. Adam said Ellenore played the part of Garry's muse and that Ryan complemented it nicely.Ashleigh & Jakob: For their second routines, Ashleigh was paired with Jakob and they danced a Jean-Marc Genereux foxtrot. Nigel immediately said something nice about Ashleigh, calling her fantastic. He also said the chemistry between the two of them had been fantastic all season. Nigel said it wasn't quite as strong as some of the other routines of the night, but "it was certainly worth you being on the show." Mary said Ashleigh was fantastic with her style and quality of movement. She said she was "so proud" of Jakob. Adam said Ashleigh was "totally lovely" and that they showed each other off beautifully, which is the point of the foxtrot.Ellenore & Russell: For her third routine, Ellenore was coupled with Russell, who was dancing for the second time. They pulled a fiery Jason Gilkison paso doble. Nigel's first question, after watching Russell perform shirtless for the second time: "Where are the shirts tonight?" Nigel pointed out some flaws in Russell's performance, but said he was still "very, very good." He did point out, however, that he was "nowhere near as fiery and passionate as Ellenore." Mary called Ellenore a "little Spanish vixen" and said she "really fired it up out there." She agreed that Russell didn't quite have the technique, but he made up for it in passion. Adam praised Russell for a couple of specific, controlled moves, and he said Ellenore did a great job of dancing from within.Kathryn & Jakob: Kathryn and Jakob got a Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson contemporary routine that brought the crowd and the judges to their feet. Nigel said, "You guys just stopped the show." He said Kathryn was his favorite girl and added, "you have been for many weeks." He said she was "absolutely stunning." Nigel told Jakob he now had to grow and join a company with dancers that are as good as he is, saying "you are outstandingly brilliant." Mary called it simply "one of the best performances I've ever seen." She said it was magical in that there was "no backstory, just beautiful, beautiful dancing." Adam called the routine "a game changer."Ashleigh & Ryan: For the first time since the auditions, married couple Ashleigh and Ryan got a chance to dance together with a Travis Wall contemporary routine. The crowd enjoyed it and Ryan and Ashleigh seemed to shed a bit of a tear when it was over. Nigel took on some critics who thought maybe Ashleigh only made it to the final because of the emotional support she got due to her injury last week. But, he said, they showed themselves very well. Nigel did note that Ashleigh still had better chemistry with Jakob than with Ryan. Mary said it's very rare for a married couple to have a moment like that on such a big stage, and it would be a tremendous memory. Adam asked Ashleigh how it felt, and Ashleigh said it was "perfect." Adam said he experienced their "incredible tenderness, and that was worth a lot."Kathryn & Russell: With the final performance of the evening, Kathryn and Russell took on a Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop routine that included some impressive moves and tricks. Nigel was happy he could call the season's final dance "great." He said Russell was tremendous in a style similar to his own, but noted that he couldn't believe Kathryn was "as gangster" as she was in the performance. Mary said they had her heart, and shouted twice. Adam said the beauty of the show was that Kathryn did contemporary and a samba before doing hip hop, and Russell did jazz and a paso doble before doing hip hop -- and they both killed them.

24Season 6

S6.E24 ∙ Finale: Winner Announced

Wed, Dec 16, 2009

The spotlights were burning bright and host Cat Deeley cranked up the drama, which meant that in just 119 minutes we'd know who won the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" and would walk away with $250,000.Judges' choices: In a new twist on memory lane, the six-judge panel was asked to request encore performances of their favorite dances of the season.Lil C asked to see the group hip-hop routine from Legacy, Russell and Kevin. Adam Shankman wanted to see the magic that was created by choreographer Sonya Tayeh and dancer Ellenore, who was paired with Jakob in what Adam called his favorite routine.Nigel asked for a replay of the group tap routine performed by Bianca, Peter and Phillips. Mary put a little surprise into the format by asking Ashleigh and Ryan to perform a jive they choreographed on their own.Be our guest: Leona Lewis, who might actually be contractually obligated to appear on every reality show, stopped by to perform her new song from the movie, "Avatar," "I See You." The Groovaloos, who are starring in their own show in New York, also performed.Later, Adam Lambert came to the stage to perform his new single, "What Do You Want From Me?" He behaved himself.After the Top 3 were announced, Mary J. Blige paid a visit to perform her single, "I Am."For the final guest performance of the night, Jennifer Lopez did "Louboutins," and managed to stay on her feet. She was flanked by her favorite female dancers from this season of "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as her favorites from past seasons.Back to the judges' picks: Nigel got another pick, which must be the privilege of the executive producer, and decided to ask Kathryn and Jakob to redo their contemporary routine from Tuesday night.Tyce DiOrio wanted to see some Bollywood action again, asking Mollee and Nathan to perform their Bollywood routine.Later, Adam asked to see Ellenore and Legacy revisit their Travis Wall contemporary routine. Debbie Allen finally got a chance to make a choice, and opted for Noelle and Russell's African jazz routine. Because Russell was injured, a taped version of the original routine was shown.Lil C asked to see Ariana, Channing, Jakob and Nathan's group contemporary routine. Mary got another chance to make a choice, and asked for an encore of Tuesday night's hip hop routine by Kathryn and Russell. But what she got was another recording of the original because of Russell's injury.For the final visit down memory lane, Nigel asked to see the first group routine performed by the Top 20, choreographed by Wade Robson.To the results: In a bizarre moment of live TV, Cat's microphone cut out when she called for the Top 6 dancers to come onto the stage. There was an awkward moment of silence and no one came onto the stage. Then, three dancers walked to center stage, and when the remaining three dancers came out, Russell was in tears as he was helped on stage by Ryan. Russell said he'd "messed up" his leg." Cat wanted him to see a medic immediately, but first she had to reveal the first dancer who was out of the running for the title. It was Ryan.For the next round of results, Russell was sitting on a stool. Cat announced that the fifth-place dancer was Ashleigh. That meant the married couple was knocked off right off the bat.Finishing in fourth place this season was Ellenore. That left Jakob, Kathryn and Russell in the Top 3 and waiting to see which of them was going to leave with $250,000.Cat announced that the dancer in third place was Kathryn, which left Russell and Jakob in the running for the title.Before the final result was announced, Nigel said, "The true winners tonight are this program, dance, and America." He said America supported "a truly polished diamond" in Jakob, "and an unpolished diamond" in Russell. He said that regardless of the result, both dancers should be proud.Finally, Cat announced that "America's favorite dancer is ... Russell."Russell suddenly seemed unencumbered by his injury as he stormed around the stage in celebration. He thanked God, his family, his girlfriend and brought Kevin up on stage to rejoice with him.