SYTYCD - Top 20 Perform

This is going to be a great year!  After seeing each in their own styles we now get to see them paired up and out of the comfort zone, well some of them at least.
Going into this I have a few favorites, but after this I will have a few more :)
SO NOT FAIR FOX!!!  How dare they take our voting rights away from us due to a BASEBALL GAME!?!?  Football I'd consider it, but baseball, ugh!! (Sorry baseball fans, but one I am not) Anywho, due to the baseball game the judges will be eliminating one guy and one girl at the end of the show!  They will pick the bottom 4 and they will DFTL and then 2 will have to go home. 
When they introduced the dancers first up was Brandon, so I'm guessing Billy Bell is gone.  And sure enough the judges confirm, he will need time to recuperate, not sure what illness he got that was that bad!  Hope he is OK and I'm with Nigel I will sure miss watching him.  Another bit of news is Noelle hurt her knee so she will be out this week and if she cannot perform next week she will also be replaced in the Top 20.  So with all the news out of the way lets get on with the performances.

Channing(Contemporary) and Phillip(Tap) - Jive by Jason Gilkilson
This was just OK to me.  Same thing Mary said, just OK.  I'm still not sure about Channing.  She advised us she was a tomboy and it kinda showed in her stiffness tonight!  Overall it was entertaining and they looked good (although Phillip is still weird looking to me) Neither have been added to my fav list, but they aren't completely x'd just yet.

Ashleigh(Ballroom) and Jakob(Contemporary) - Broadway by Tyce DiOrio
I believe Jakob will carry Ashleigh because unless she really messes up he is just an amazing dancer!!  Ashleigh next to him looks kinda big and clunky to me!  She wasn't appearing graceful at all.  The overall dance was great but I see this couple getting split up eventually.

Ariana(Contemporary) and Peter(Tap) - Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napolean
I am not sure what the judges were watching here.  I loved it!!  I thought the both of them danced it very well for NON-hip hop dancers!!  I was very impressed with the tapper and Ariana looked great!  The judges felt they never found their groove and it was sloppy.  I didn't see it, I'll go watch again to make sure, but this is why not getting to vote sux!! 

Noelle(Contemporary) and Russell(Krump) - Fox Trot by Tony Meredith
Since Noelle is hurt Russell danced with Tony's red head assistant...Melanie, I think??  Adam advised Russell that he continues to defy explanation.  He was really better than I expected.  He remains my favorite of the Top 20.  I think it wasn't perfect, but it was very different from the hard hitting Krump and he was very smooth!!  The sailor shuffles as Mary called them were really good and caught my attention off the bat!  I like this kid!  I want him to make Top 10!

Bianca(Tap) and Victor(Contemporary) - Contemporary by Travis Wall
This was beautiful.  Could have been better but overall really good!  Technique wise you can see the difference in the feet of the tapper compared to a contemporary dancer!  I understand what the judges are talking about in that aspect!  Still loved the routine and how kewl is it that Travis is making such a name for himself as a choreographer!!  He was season 2's winner for those who didn't know!  I think this couple will go far if they keep dancing like this!  They definitely have a connection and they can definitely let the audience in on it!!  That will get them far.

Karen(Latin Ballroom) and Kevin(Hip Hop) - Cha-Cha by Tony Meredith
I can't even really make comments as the music was so distracting!!  I don't care if it was Salt N Pepa or the Glee Club version that was just NOT the right song for the damn Cha-Cha!!  Karen is definitely good in her style, that is a given!  Kevin held his own and was impressive.  Please pick music that works for the style!  Ugh!  I can't comment on anything else as I said the music was distracting!

Ellenore(Contemporary Jazz) and Ryan(Ballroom) - Contemporary Jazz by Sonya Tayeh
Sonya is off the chain!!!  THAT was an amazing routine and the dancers executed it almost perfectly!!  There was just a slight lack of passion for me, but overall the best so far tonight!  Ryan is sexy far away, he's not cute in the face to me and he did very well for a Ballroom dancer, he was impressive.  This was Ellenore's style so I didn't expect anything less from her!!  Great job and leading the pack so far in my opinion!

Pauline(Jazz) and Brandon(Hip Hop) - Smooth Waltz by Jason Gilkilson
They make a cute couple but were prollly the worst couple, of course this is no fault of their own.  As we find out they had a whole day and a half to rehearse together and Brandon had no idea he would even be in this position 2 days ago so with that I think if we'd gotten to vote they MAY have been the bottom 3 anyway.  Then again they may have gotten sympathy votes so who knows.  They both looked very uncomfortable and way out of their element.  Still a cute couple, but nothing I'd want to see danced again.

Kathryn(Contemporary) and Legacy(B-Boy) - Hip Hop by Dave Scott
The was surprisingly very very good!!!  I loved the concept of the routine and the dancers played the roles well I think.  I didn't think Kathryn would be able to pull it off, but she did and Legacy impressed me.  I didn't think he had it in him at all, he proved me wrong!  I agree he was lucky to pull Hip Hop and not Ballroom but he still better than I expected him to do!  This is a close second for the best routine of the night for me. 

Mollee(Jazz) and Nate(Contemporary) - Disco by Doriana Sanchez
Disco, not my fav, but these two just seemed to be right in place doing it.  It was full of energy and performed well.  I like Nate and I think Mollee is maybe growing a little, we'll see.  Still not a fav, but the overall performance was good.

So now the judges get to pick the bottom 4 dancers and they will have to DFTL.  They select:
Ariana, Brandon, Pauline, and Russell.
Can't say that I agree with it at all, but it is what it is...... BS! hehe

DFYL

Ariana (Contemporary) - This was just OK, when you are in the bottom and have to DFYL you have to BRING IT!  This was not brung...it was flung!  She just threw away her chance to move any further in this competition.

Russell (Krump) - WOW WOW and more WOW!!!!  That was just off da chain!  They have to keep him just based on that solo!!  I love this kid!!!  THAT is the true definition of DFYL make it so funky they can't say no!!

Pauline (Jazz) - Wow, impressive and she DFYL'd!!  She has lots of personality when she dances and was very good!

Brandon (Hip Hop) - Interesting....sort of a mix between hip hop and lyrical, but not enough IMO compared to Russell!!

So we go on a break and when we return the judges have selected unanimously the two folks going home.   We say good bye and good luck to:

Ariana Debose – 18 – Contemporary

and

Brandon Dumlao - 21 - Hip Hop

Nigel has announced that Brandon may be given an opportunity to come back next Season due to the circumstances surrounding his dismissal tonight.  I do believe he'll be back next year, but I also think that Nigel should just say that he is Top 20 and there will only be 19 spots available next Season, but I guess that wouldn't be fair if he didn't think he had to audition again.   Nate didn't.....hmmmm......