So You Think You Can Dance 5, July 15: Why So Serious?

Why do they keep recapping the season so far? I guess they have to fill two hours somehow. Anyway, we’ve reached the top ten, which means new couples each week and no more pairs voting. Also, the judges no longer have a say in who stays and who goes – it’s all on the voters. Of note: Brandon is wearing Travis and Benji’s costumes from their nerd dance in the Season 2 finale. Also of note: I finally got my wish, as this week’s third guest is Debbie Allen, returning to the panel for the first time since Season 3.

Cat isn’t sure if this will be an easy or tough week for Nigel, since he’s no longer in control. He reminds us that the show is looking for America’s favorite dancer, so obviously America should be in charge. Cat notes that the pairs and dance styles are now randomly chosen, so there will be odd height pairings and other difficulties. Mary says it’s going to be really tough from here on out. The dancers will have to get used to each other very quickly, and there will be a trust factor. Mary thinks things will be very exciting. Cat asks if Debbie ever gets mad about decisions made on the show.

Debbie admits to throwing ice cream at Nigel for some choices. However, three of her top girls and three of her top guys are still in the competition. She wants America to vote for the dancers who leave an impression once the performance is over. Nigel reminds everyone that the votes are for individual dancers. Cat uses this as a segue to announce that each dancer will perform a partner dance and a solo.

Girls’ routine – Bollywood – Nakul Dev Mahajan

We’ll also see a girl group dance and a guy group dance. The girls will do a Bollywood routine with Nakul. He’s looking for energy and for each girl to make the dance her own. He tells us that Bollywood contains lots of different dance styles, as well as different styles of Indian dance. The girls dance with beaded metal pots. Randi says that details are extremely important when you’re learning a routine. That will make the difference between a good number and a great number. Jeanine thinks all the girls know that this is a group effort and no one will be trying to overshadow the others. Kayla’s excited for the routine, partly because it’s girly and she wants to show her girly side.

The “Bollywood Bombshells” kick things off with all the energy Nakul was looking for. They have mustachioed masks on the backs of their heads for what I guess would be the men’s part of the dance. Heh. It’s nice to see a Bollywood routine on the show performed by a group instead of just a pair. No one stands out as particularly less talented at this style, and I think they look great together.

Nigel praises Nakul, then says that these five girls are some of the most beautiful to ever appear on the show. They all did a terrific job for such a short amount of time to prepare. They’re on his hot bangers-and-mash train. Cat laughs that it took him five seasons to come up with that. Mary says the show has opened up a lot of doors, and she’s happy that Nakul has been a part of making Bollywood fresh and hip. The girls were stunning and she could any one of them in the finals. Debbie liked the cultural fusion, noting that the girls got the details down cold. These are the best top five girls we’ve ever had on the show.

Kayla & Evan – Viennese waltz – Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin

Evan’s excited to be paired with Kayla, as he should be, since she’s so good. Kayla likes his unique style. The only problem is that Kayla’s taller than Evan. They both recap last week’s performances for us. Thanks, guys.

Melanie says that she and Tony expect elegance, grace, passion, and, of course, brilliant dancing from Kayla & Evan. Kayla’s heels make her even taller than Evan, so this is going to be interesting. He’s trying to focus on being strong. Melanie suggests that they swap shoes – and they do. Evan has newfound respect for women who have to dance in heels. Kayla knows that they have a lot of work to do, but she thinks they’ll make the dance look beautiful.

Evan & Kayla (sans heels) dance to Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose,” and while Kayla looks absolutely beautiful when she dances, I’m not as sold on Evan. He’s certainly trying his hardest, though. He gets better as the routine goes, to the point where he looks more natural in this style. Overall it’s pretty good, but Kayla outdances Evan.

Nigel’s stunned because Kayla & Evan are now the same height. The secret is that Evan’s shoes have heels and Kayla’s in flats. Nigel’s only issue is that this wasn’t what he thinks of as a Viennese waltz. This could have been a nightmare, but the lifts were wonderful and Evan was a great partner. Kayla’s lines were beautiful.

Mary refers to the song and says that the performance was about power, pleasure, and pain. Kayla & Evan got two out of three. They were lacking power because of Evan. These dancers are in the top ten, but the gloves are off and Evan still wasn’t good enough. His moves didn’t look effortless. She does agree with Nigel that the lifts were wonderful. Kayla didn’t disappoint, as always. She’s still growing and taking things to another level.