The pressure is now off the judges, but it’s sad that they don’t have control over who should continue in the competition. Whatever the result is, all the top 10 dancers will make the national tour, which is great for them.

The night starts with a Tyce Diorio wild routine, we could see Jakob and Russell are better in executing it than other players. Then we are shown a video of Dominic (season4 contestant) testing the dance knowledge of Kmart shoppers. To my surprise, quite a few of them know the dance vocabulary.

The 5 girls are brought onto the stage first, and we learn that Ellenore, Mollee, and Ashleigh are safe, while Noelle or Kathryn might go home. Then it’s time for the guys, Russell, Legacy, and Jakob are safe, leaving Ryan and Nathan in danger.

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers take on the stage before the solos, they are really damn amazing.

The solos won’t change anything, it’s only their last chance to show the American what they can do. So most of them don’t contribute much energies into the solos.

Noelle dances with joy, but I doubt that kind of joy is enough to capture more votes for her.
Ryan does what he did the previous night, nothing new.
Kathryn’s technique is still flawless, I think she needs to work on her emotions if she wants to continue on this competition and pull more votes.
Nathan almost does the same movements as well, and he still fails to show any emotions.

Then it’s a performance by Snoop Dogg, along with the Quest Crew (which previous season’s contestants Dominic, Hok and Ryan are in).

It’s result time, and the two are leaving are Noelle and Nathan. Not to my surprise.

So it’s time to find out who will make into the top 10 and go on the tour later. The show started with a weird puppets routine, at first I think it’s choreographed by Wade Robson, but it turns out to be Tabitha and Napoleon work. Nicely done.

Karen and Victor and Asleigh and Jakob are brought up on the stage first. It’s obvious that who’s safe and who’s in danger. Asleigh and Jakob are the first couple that make the top 10, poor Karen and Victor are in the bottom three the third time. (Third time’s a charm?)

Next two couples are Mollee and Nathan and Legacy and Kathryn. It’s sad to see either one in danger. And it’s a bit surprise that Mollee and Nathan are in the bottom three for the second week. I thought they have a larger fan base than any other couples. Anyway, congratulations Legacy and Kathryn.

Last but not least, are Ryan and Ellenore and Russell and Noelle. Ryan and Ellenore’s two weird routines could not save them, they are the last couple in danger. Good to see Russell and Noelle make into the final 10, though I think Ryan and Ellenore will follow them right after.

Here’s how the solos look like to me:
Karen tries to show her sexual appearance harder, wearing bikini-like clothes. And just repeats what she did in the past.
Victor is dancing for his life. His solo is full of power and passion.
Mollee’s solo is not as best as her last one, maybe her ankle is still not that good.
Nathan is also spectacular, though I feel he could be more mature.
Ellenore is weird as she was. And that is a big disadvantage for her in the top 10 and later performances.
Ryan looks like some male dancing in the night club, sorry, no offense.

Then Shakira takes the stage to perform, it seems to me she’s lip syncing.

And it’s decision time. There is no doubt that the judges are unanimous in voting Karen out. Nigel is not in favor of Nathan, but it’s Victor that gets the cut. Pity. Hopefully he might be alternate on the tour.

The show starts with group routine, and right from the beginning, it’s very clear that this is choreographed by Wade and Amanda Robson (and it does turn out to be true). Weird but cool. I believe we will see this piece about statues in a museum in the finale again.

Then, it’s result time.

Jakob and Ashleigh and Karen and Kevin hit the stage first. Based on everything, their performances in the previous night, the judges’ opions, and their appeals to the fans, there is no doubt who would end up in the bottom three. Jakob and Ashleigh is safe for sure (I have faith we will see that Hip Hop routine in the finale as well), leaving Karen and Kevin in danger.

Next up, Viktor and Channing and Russell and Noelle, Ryan and Ellenore. Travis Wall’s magic never failed before, so is this new routine by Ryan and Ellenore, they are safe. As I predicted, the audience did not fell in love with Tyce’s weird piece, making Viktor and Channing the second couple in the bottom three.

Last up is Legacy and Kathryn, Nathan and Mollee. I guess many people would be shocked that Nathan and Mollee did not pull enough votes, like the judges and me. Maybe some backlash from last week’s dreadful Samba, or most people assumed they would be safe and did not vote for them. Anyway, Legacy and Kathryn are safe, and they deserve that.

Here’s how the solos go:

Karen still does what she did before, showing her sexual body. We know it’s difficult for a ball room dancer to perform solo, but, this is the fourth week into the competition now, work something out!

Kevin’s good, just good. There is nothing unique in him. Other Hip Hop dancers in the past seasons are much more extraordinarily than him.

Channing is trying hard to show her personalities, but I still feel it’s not enough.

There is no doubt Viktor is spectacular at his dancing techniques. However, maybe he’s got affected by Channing, his personalities don’t shine.

Without question, Mollee’s solo is the best of the night. She’s not going any where.

Nathan’s solo is not as great as I expected, still, better than the other two guys.

Then, Nigel diliberate the result, they are unanimous and Kevin and Channing are eliminated.

Next week, Viktor and Karen will be new partner, hopefully Karen might help Viktor to show his personalities.

It’s the first time of this season that the audience has their voice heard. We all know that the audience has a tendancy to disagree with the judges, this evening it’s proved to be true again.

The show starts with a Hip Hop routine with a tribal theme, choreographed by Dave Scott.

Right after the dance, the first three couples come out to face their fate. Ellenore and Ryan are the first couple in the bottom three, Channing and Viktor, Kathryn and Legacy are both safe. Nothing unexpected.

Next three couples, no trouble for Ashleigh and Jakob and Russell and Noelle. The Quickstep has been proved to be “kiss of death” again, Pauline and Peter are in danger.

Next up, are Mollee, Nathan, Karen, and Kevin. The power of fans has saved Mollee and Nathan, leaving them in shock. No surprise to me, they are both young and adorable. I’d wonder whether the fans can keep them up to the top 10 or not. Karen and Kevin are the last couple in the bottom three, but I’m sure they are safe based on their previous performances.

Before the bottom three couples’ solos, we are presented with a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, quite amazing!

Then it’s solo time, and all six solos fail. As Nigel says later, they are better than last season’s dancers, but they haven’t shown in their solos.

Ellenore tries to be diffenrent, but she’s not weird enough. (Try Sonya’s style next time, maybe.)

Ryan does an OK job as a ballroom dancer, we all know it’s hard to perform without a partner.

This is the second time Pauline has to dance for her life, and she still fails to show her quality again.

No music for Peter, that’s a big setback for him. We don’t see much emotions on his face.

Karen concentrates too much on showing her sex appeal.

Keven’s solo is not impressive, compared to other Hip Hop dancers of the past seasons.

At this moment, my bet’s on Pauline and Peter. And the judges’ decision is the same. Sadly, all three tappers are gone now. I have a feeling we’ll see some ballroom dancers gone before the top 10, we’ll see.

Due to the World Series, there is still no voting this week, the judges will simply cut one guy and one girl on their performances.

Paula’s seat is still empty, great! It’s time to give it up, Nigel. We’ve got some good news though, Billy Bell will return for next year’s Top 100 in Vegas, and Brandon is allow to enter the show again.

Here’s how the dances take place.

First up, Russell and Noelle, Hip Hop, by Jamal Sims. This routine is like a tennis match, fun to watch and enjoy. Both of them do well, though they kind of get lost at the end. It seems that they are not quite used to use objects in their dances. The judges are a bit harsh on them, saying they get swallowed up.

Second couple, Ashleigh and Jakob, Viennese Waltz, by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Passionate, and hot. Wonder how Ryan would feel when he sees his wife kissing another man. Both of them have grown as time goes by, especially Ashleigh, she was criticized of her fake performance when she first auditioned, but now all looks to be real. As the judges said, if she could manage to not let the Latin Ballroom techniques get into the dance, it would be perfect.

Third, Bianca and Victor, Broadway, by Tyce Diorio. Church dancing? I don’t see it there, though I don’t know what real church dancing is. It just doesn’t feel like one. And the judges agree too, they think the two fail to tell the story and fully grasp the concept of this piece.

Fourth, Nathan and Mollee, Bollywood, by Nakul Dev Mahajan. When dancing Bollywood, I’d always like to compare how good they do with Joshua and Kattie. Though this dance can not match up with Joshua and Kattie’s, it’s still well nailed. Both execute and place their hands and fingers in the right place, Nathan’s control of his body is also excellent. They are the youngest couple, but they seem to be more mature than some other contestant. Mollee has grown quite a lot.

Fifth, Channing and Phillip, Samba, by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. There are many many lifts in this dance, and both of them struggle a lot. Their faces, their footworks, all clearly indicate they have trouble of get the dance done. One thing we love Samba though, it’s the girl get to dress as little of she can.

Sixth, Karen and Kevin, Hip Hop, by Tabitha and Napoleon D’Umo. Karen’s still on the train, and Kevin gets on the Hot Tamale train in two weeks, great for him. This number is dirty, and they both get into their characters. As a ballroom dancer, Karen has done it exceptionally.

Seventh, Kathryn and Legacy, Contemporary, by Stacey Tookey. This piece, with Legacy acting as Kathryn’s fear, is somewhat like Mia Michael’s Addiction. And these two have nailed it. The choreography is so remarkable, especially in combining Legacy’s strengths into the dance. Legacy, has transformed himself as a dancer quite a lot.

Eighth, Pauline and Peter, Jazz, by Wade Robson. Wade’s pieces are always weird or freaky, just like Sonya, in different styles. The problem is that the audience might not buy it, luckily, there is no voting this week. This piece is a story of the imaginary people from Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting, being tormented and taking it out on Van Gogh for not including them in the painting. Both dancers committed to the characters and give it all.

Last but not least, Ryan and Ellenore, Tango, Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo. Despite the malfunction of her wardrobe, Ellenore’s dress caught on the bottom of her heel half of the time, this is the best dance of the night. And most dangerous dance, those lifts are so insane, it’s so unbelievable that they nailed it in such situation. Great partnering, technique and performance, all three judges stand on their feet.

Then it’s fight for your life time, Russell and Noelle, Bianca and Victor, Channing and Phillip are called out and told they are the worst three couple this evening. Then Russell and Channing are called to stay back, leaving the other four in the danger zone.

Both girls don’t do that well, but it’s clear that Noelle outshines Bianca. And so is Victor over Phillip.

Sadly, two Tap dancers are sent home.

Good luck with everyone next week.

This week, the top 20 performance and elimination are packed into one episode. Because they’ve done an episode of showcasing all the contestants in their own styles.

And we are shown a chair with Paula Abdul’s name on it, it seems that the show’s very desperate for her. I haven’t watched American Idol before, but based on some criticisms on her, I’m not that fond of having her as a judge.

Then, before the performances start, we learn that Billy Bell is ill and can no longer take part in the competition, damn! Noelle Marsh has injured her knee, so she can’t perform this evening as well.

Then the performances begin.

First up, is Channing and Phillip, dancing a Jive, choreographed by Jason Gilkison. Jive is a fast footwork style, Phillip’s Tap dancing skill does help him a bit in the footsteps, but his upper body couldn’t catch up, it’s a bit awkward to see. Channing does a better job, however, the chemistry between them is not there. The judges say they are a bit lazy at the end.

Second couple, Ashleigh and Jakob, Broadway, by Tyce Diorio. To my surprise, their chemisty is very good. Without question, Jakob is very talented (Nigel even says that he and Billy are the two most gifted dancers the show has ever seen). His movement is incredible. Ashleigh is left behind a bit, but Jakob makes that up. I believe this couple will go a long way to the top 10.

Third, Ariana and Peter, Hip Hop, by Tabitha and Napoleon. This is definately not their comfort zone. Footworks are messy, bodies are a bit stiff. Though their chemistry is great, overall, it’s bad.

Fourth, Russell and Melanie Lapatin (Standing in for Noelle Marsh), Fox Trot, by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Russell does a great job considering he had to switch partner at the very end. Though it’s a bit weird to watch these two dance together, it’s like mother dancing with her son. I think ballroom dances might be Russell’s weakness, judging from his performances through Vegas’ week. Hopefully he can catch up with a realy partner.

Fifth, Bianca and Victor, Contemporary, by Travis Wall. Travis proves himself to be a talented choreographer again! This piece is stunning, if not let down by Bianca a bit, it’d be one of the best dances of the show. Victor is much better than Bianca on technique. But both of them show great confidences and chemistry.

Sixth, Karen nd Kevin, Cha Cha, by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. This is Karen’s comfort zone, and she surely shines on it, we have our first passenger on the Hot Tamale Train this season! Kevin works very good on this piece as well, their parnership starts strong and reliable.

Seventh, Ryan and Ellenore, Contemporary, by Sonya Tayeh. This is Sonya, and we know it’s going to be weird, mysterious. They are dressed in some kind of feathered ancient men get-up. This routine is about Darkness overtaking the Angel, and they are really into it. As a ballroom dancer, Ryan’s movement is effortless.

Eighth, Pauline and Brandon. Smooth Waltz, by Jason Gilkison. Only given 1 and a half days notice is a big disadvantage for Brandon, the lack of pratices make this piece a disaster for them. Brandon is struggling all through the whole dance. Pauline’s charm to look at though. Overall, the worst performance of the night.

Ninth, Kathryn and Legacy, Hip Hop, by Dave Scott. As a B-boy, this is Legacy’s safe zone. But Kathryn surprises everyone by holding herself right along with him. They are dressed as cavemen, both of them hit the floor hard. They dance precisely and right on the beat of music, great job. If Legacy could pull himself through other styles, they have a long way to go.

Last but not least, Nathan and Mollee, Disco, Dariana Sanchez. Dariana has brought quite a few pieces of energetic Disco to us, and this one’s no exception. Sliding across the floor, lifts, everything’s phenomenal. As Nigel says, these two are a dream team. They are both adorable, energetic, and together with their chemistry combines, perfect couple.

Then it’s time for the judges to pick four dancers to dance for their lives. Ariana, Brandon, Pauline and Russell. What a shock to hear they pick Russell! But anyway, judging from their perfomances and solos, there is no doubt Russell will stay. As for the girls’ solos, both of them have great techniques, but Ariana lacks emotions when she’s dancing.

Decision time, the judges send Ariana and Brandon home. However, though the rules forbid anyone perform in the top 20 to come back for future seasons, Nigel says he will talk with Fox to give Brandon a second chance next season. Good luck.