So You Think You Can Dance 5, July 29: Get Me to the Finals On Time

I can’t believe we’re down to the second-to-last week of the season. That means tomorrow’s results show will set our final four, which means tonight’s performance show is extremely important. Cat tells us that the partners this week were once again chosen randomly, as were each pair’s two dance styles. This week’s guest judge is Lil’ C. Yay!

Cat uses big words to ask Lil’ C if he wants to talk about the voters’ choices. He uses big words to respond. Mary comes right out and says that Janette’s ouster was a bad choice. She wants the viewers to take all performances into consideration and vote from their hearts. Nigel advises the dancers to show their personalities. No one has popped like last season’s final four, Gev, or Benji. The standard of dancing this season is high, and the viewers have a hard time picking a favorite dancer, so they vote for their favorite routines instead.

As usual, we’re getting solos, two paired dances, and a male and female group dance. The guys are up first with a group dance choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. She calls it “Willy Wonka-esque.” Evan’s feeling the dark, abstract mood. Ade says the moves are strong and grounded. Brandon notes that with so few dancers left, screw-ups will be noticed. He adds that it looks like it would be easy to move Evan across the stage, but it’s really not. Sonya thinks this routine could be unforgettable.

The song is “True Romance” by She Wants Revenge. Awesome band name. I’m not sure this is really Wonka-esque, unless the guys are supposed to be Oompa Loompas with jazz hands, but it’s definitely unique and very Sonya. I’m pleasantly surprised that Evan holds his own against the two powerhouses that are Ade and Brandon. There are lots of twirls and leaps that the guys do pretty much in sync. It’s a lot of fun. No one stands out as being worse than the others, and together, they look great.

Cat points out Brandon’s mom, who’s in the audience for the first time. Lil’ C has wanted Ade and Brandon in the same routine since the beginning of the season, so he’s living vicariously through Sonya. He says Brandon is dedicated and finds himself in each challenge he gets. Ade is still proving himself to Lil’ C. Evan didn’t get swallowed up by the two other dancers’ “dominant excellence.” He was visible through the whole routine.

Mary shrieks, so that’s really all we need to know. There are certain things male dancers can’t all do all at once, but these three were able to perform the same moves at the same time. She commends them all. They’ve all proven why they’re the three guys left in the competition. Nigel says Evan did stand out, just because he did some moves he hasn’t done before. He thinks Sonya was inspired by working with the three guys. The routine showed a standard that Nigel doesn’t think would have been able to be achieved in past seasons. That’s high praise.

Jeanine & Ade – samba – Louis Van Amstel

Jeanine admits to being relieved to be paired with Ade. He’s happy to be with someone loud and energetic. She thinks he’s the strongest guy in the competition; they’ll overcome any problems with a smile.

They’re sambaing with Louis Van Amstel, and neither dancer knows much about the style. It doesn’t matter much, since Louis tells them they’re not going to do a traditional samba. He wants it to be hot. Ade likes the sexiness of the dance.

They perform to Lady Gaga’s “Love Game” (ug). Jeanine continues to add fuel to my theory that she can have chemistry with anyone. The dance is kind of a modernized version of a samba. It’s not the typical ballroom style, but more side-by-side moves, as well as some moves where the two aren’t even touching each other. Jeanine really stands out.

Mary says the first 15 seconds were incredible, but the rest of the dancing fell apart for her. Ade didn’t do the rolls right. It looked novice to her. The dancing wasn’t hot enough for this stage of the competition. Lil’ C was excited for this partnership. Each pairing is aiming for “an explosion of excellence,” but this fizzled. Ade frolicked instead of getting down into the moves. Nigel tells Ade that he has to change his style when he gets new routines. His posture didn’t work for this dance. Jeanine did great, though. Nigel says that Louis is one of the best Latin American choreographers, and he must have told the dancers to get down into the steps. Ade did that last week, but not this week.

Kayla kicks off the solos with a routine to the Fray’s “You Found Me.” Kayla may be the only dancer left whose solos really resonate with me. With the others, I can’t always tell much of a difference between their solos from week to week, but hers always seem fresh.

Melissa & Evan – Broadway – Tyce Diorio

Melissa likes Evan’s personality and is happy to be with him because he’s done well this season. Evan thinks she compliments whoever she’s paired with. Melissa plans to wear heels, but she’s the same height as Kayla, Evan’s last partner, so she’s not sure how that will go.

Tyce tells us the dancers will be performing to “Get Me to the Church On Time” from My Fair Lady. He’s interpreting the song literally. Evan’s late for his wedding… to a married woman. Wait, what? Melissa’s a bigamist? Interesting twist! She pokes fun at his various facial expressions, but says it’s mutual laughter. I don’t think he’s laughing, Melissa. Tyce wants them to have fun with the routine.