So You Think You Can Dance 5, June 10: The Best Top 20 Ever?

Big thanks to Chris Harris and Brian Towers for filling in while I was on vacation. Vegas week is always tough to recap because you’re inundated with a bunch of dancers whose names you don’t know and everything goes so fast.

The auditions and callbacks are over, our top 20 dancers are set, and it’s time to see what they can do. As a reminder, our top 20 dancers are Kupono Aweau (contemporary/lyrical), Tony Bellissimo (hip-hop), Brandon Bryant (contemporary), Phillip Chbeeb (popping), Randi Evans (jazz), Karla Garcia (contemporary/jazz), Jason Glover (contemporary/lyrical), Vitolio Jeune (contemporary), Caitlin Kinney (contemporary), Max Kapitannikov (Latin ballroom), Evan Kasprzak (Broadway), Asuka Kondoh (Latin ballroom), Janette Manrara (salsa), Jeanine Mason (contemporary), Ade Obayomi (contemporary), Jonathan Platero (salsa), Kayla Radomski (contemporary/jazz), Melissa Sandvig (ballet), Paris Torres (contemporary), and Ashley Valerio (contemporary).

It’s performance night, which means Cat gets to say “jidges.” Adam Shankman is the third judge tonight. Nigel compliments the audience on their energy. He thinks the dancers will be nervous, but the judges are, too. Mary and Adam confirm that. Cat asks Mary if it gets easier for her after all these seasons. Mary says it’s easy to watch the dancers but not so easy to have to get rid of two dancers each week. Cat and Mary agree to wear waterproof mascara tomorrow night. Adam tells us he’s producing three movies right now, including the third Step Up movie, which features past contestants, including. Katee, Joshua, Ivan, and Twitch.

Cat reminds us that the dancers have been paired off and will randomly pick dance styles each week. After the voting every Wednesday night, the three guys and three girls with the fewest votes will be in the bottom three and will have to dance for their lives. One guy and one girl will go home each week.

We kill some time with a montage of the dancers from the auditions, which allows us to see a tiny bit more of the ones we haven’t seen much of (or at all) yet. There’s nothing new here, so let’s just zoom on to the performances.

Jeanine & Phillip – hip-hop – Tabitha & Napoleon

Jeanine tells us she wasn’t very good when she first started dancing. She didn’t have great legs or good turn-out, but she had passion. No one would have predicted that she would end up here. Phillip trained himself in his bedroom, dancing to construction outside his house. It’s all passion and creativity, but it’s gotten him far.

This week the pair is dancing hip-hop with Napoleon & Tabitha. They tell us the dance is about a couple who can’t go to sleep without solving their problems. I predict Ne-Yo’s “Mad” as the song. Jeanine struggles a little with the choreography, but Phillip thinks it’ll work out and they’ll find a connection.

Hey, look, I was right about the song! The routine is reminiscent of Mark & Chelsie’s workaholic routine last season. It’s a great start to the night and the season as a whole. Jeanine’s emotions really come through, and even though she’s not a hip-hop dancer, she plays the role well. Phillip is, of course, great. I think these two have some chemistry, too.

Adam says the performance was “un-freaking real.” He didn’t envy her having to dance hip-hop with Phillip as an untrained hip-hopper, but she held her own. Phillip has grown a ton and no one dances like him or ever will. Adam loves watching him. He’s generous with his partners and is present with them, which makes him better.

Mary gives a fake-out and starts getting all high-pitched. She heaps praise on Jeanine and the choreographers for making it all fit, then gushes over Phillip. Mary admits to being worried about the pair’s chemistry, but she didn’t need to worry. Nigel agrees that Jeanine was fantastic for a first-time hip-hopper. Phillip has a following and Jeanine is an unknown; she’s made a mark for herself tonight. Nigel loves Napoleon & Tabitha because their routines tell stories.

Asuka & Vitolio – Broadway – Tyce Diorio

Asuka reminisces about taking dance classes as a kid; she started with ballet and then switched to Latin ballroom in college. This experience has been like a dream for her and it’s now hitting her that she’s in the top 20. Vitolio has been fighting the odds during the audition process. We heard about his family situation and childhood last week, but he elaborates that he felt different because he was an orphan.

Asuka is playing an actress and Vitolio is her director. Tyce says the dance requires a lot of physicality. Asuka notes how staccato the moves are. There’s some locking and she’s never done that before. Vitolio has trouble with it, too, and says he doesn’t want to disappoint Tyce or the audience. Tyce thinks they can pull it off.

They dance to “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago, and capture the characters really well. This is one of those routines that just begs for the dancers to ham it up, and they don’t hold back. I can’t really see the actress/director thing Tyce was going for, but it’s a fun routine. They’re both quite good at a style they’re not used to. But there’s something a little lacking. I think they’re just a little too low on energy.

Adam talks about the luck of the draw and how difficult it is to follow such an emotional routine. It felt a little artificial because of that. However, Asuka & Vitolio both danced well and moved cleanly. Mary doesn’t think Vitolio disappointed Tyce, but she herself is a little disappointed because he didn’t bring the routine to life all the way. He didn’t have enough energy, and both dancers played it safe.