So You Think You Can Dance 3, July 26: Two for the Road

Last night Asher ranked the ten remaining dancers like this:

1. Pasha
2. Sabra
3. Lacey
4. Neil
5. Sara
6. Lauren
7. Danny
8. Jaimie
9. Kameron
10. Dominic

Personally, I think Jaimie is definitely going to go home. Lauren is the second weakest girl left in the competition, but she stepped up her game last night. As for the guys, I think Kameron will be out of here. Though Dominic was criticized a lot last night, I don’t think Kameron’s fan base is quite as big as Dominic’s.

Over 6.5 million votes were counted last night, and now it’s time to say goodbye to two more dancers, leaving us with eight. Tonight’s group dance is to Imogen Heap’s “The Moment I Said It,” and Danny is showcased with the opening solo. It looks like the dancers are playing animals. It’s almost tribal, but also a little reminiscent of the hummingbird routine from earlier in the season. Danny is showcased again at the end, with the guys falling on the ground next to him while the girls drape themselves on the edge of the stage. I think it’s a Mia Michaels routine. Looks like I’m right.

Cat looks very nice in a pale pink dress (though her hair looks like it’s in that messy-but-it’s-supposed-to-look-like-that style. She tells us that the bottom three thing is no more - tonight the girl and guy with the fewest votes will be cut.

Hello, jidges (Nigel, Mary, and Mia). Cat begins the nightly jidge talk by saying that she never thought a jacket would cause so much controversy. Apparently the jacket Mia wore last night accidentally offended Marines because the emblem on the sleeve was upside-down. I hadn’t heard anything about this. Mia apologizes and says she never meant anything insulting. “It’s just a jacket,” Cat says.

Cat moves on to Nigel, who says that he doesn’t want to get into trouble, but he has to comment about Wade Robson’s anti-war routine last night. No one is pro-war, so saying you’re anti-war doesn’t mean you’re not supporting the troops. Thank you, because some people do find those two things mutually exclusive. Nigel is a little upset to think that art can’t make statements. We have to learn to live with people we disagree with; otherwise we’ll never find peace. He knows Wade didn’t want to upset anyone. Nigel admits that he was bored by the fifth time he saw the routine. He’s not the only one.

Cat has nothing controversial to discuss with Mary, so she just asks if it’s nice to not be in control for once. I think Mia’s going to have a hard time with that. Mary says it’s mixed. She’s scared America might get it wrong. But all the dancers are great, and they’ll miss whoever gets eliminated. She is relieved she, Nigel, and Mia don’t have to decide who to cut.

Since there’s no discussion period tonight, the filler portions of the episode can be spread out. Tonight our performance is by Mika (and probably a lot of people had never heard of them before this show, since they still haven’t quite taken off that much in the States). They sing “Love Today,” which has been used in a few commercials. It’s a very energetic performance. I feel like I’m recapping American Idol again. I love the drummer.

Cat tells us that the bottom four consists of two guys and two girls. I’m going to guess they’re Kameron, Dominic, Jaimie, and Lauren.

First we’ll review the five girls’ performances. Sabra and Kameron danced a Tyce DiOrio contemporary routine. Mary called Sabra “pure perfection.” Mia is sure her career will skyrocket. Sabra’s solo was one of the better ones - Nigel said she “danced so large,” and Mia revealed that Sabra is her favorite in the competition. Cat gives Sabra the news that she’s safe.

Jaimie danced the Viennese waltz with Dominic. Well, sort of. Mia told her to be careful with her mouth. Nigel thought Jaimie only showed a single emotion. Mary was more encouraging. Jaimie is predictably in the bottom four. She tries to put on a brave face.

Lacey is, of course, going to be safe, but we’ll watch her clips anyway. She danced the samba with Danny and practically lit the stage on fire. Apparently Lacey’s solo was her first solo ever (which makes sense since the dances she’s mastered are all partnered). Everyone loves her, and America wants to see more of her.

Lauren (who really needs to wear more clothing) and Pasha danced hip hop last night. Nigel told her that he’s glad she’s still in the competition. Mia said she’s “blowing up” (which is good). Lauren dedicated her solo to her brother, who is going into the Air Force and will be heading into combat. Mary felt all of her emotions in her solo.

Sara and Neil danced a disco routine. Backstage, Sara parroted Mary’s “I’ve got a fever” line. So who’s the thief? I think Mary. Anyway, they were awesome. Sara did great in her solo, though Nigel thought her movements were too small.