So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 Top 16
The Top 16 Dancers of SYTYCD Perform for the Judges and America
Nov 11, 2009
In the Top 18 performance episode, Bianca Revels and Phillip Attmore were sent home. Please see "So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 Top 18" for details on their elimination.
The Elimination Decision is Given to Viewers
Beginning with this episode, the judges no longer decide who stays and who goes home. This Top 18 performance episode will showcase the dancers' talents for the American viewing audience, who will call in to vote for their favorites. Each week will have two televised episodes: the first, like this one, for performance and judging, and the second to announce the voting results and eliminate two dancers.
The judges for this Top 16 episode are choreographer and director Adam Shankman, ballroom dance expert Mary Murphy, and the show's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.
The Top 16 Dancers Perform
The first pair is latin ballroom dancer Karen Hauer and hip hop dancer Kevin Hunte. Their style is the hustle, choreographed by Maria Torres. They perform to "Come to Me" by France Joli. Overall the judges remain impressed by the versality of these two dancers, and think they will go far in the competition.
The second couple of the episode is latin ballroom dancer Ashleigh DiLello and contemporary dancer Jakob Karr, performing a jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore. The song is "Relax" from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Both dancers are praised for the routine, as is the choreographer. Using a cane as a prop, this dance is said to be even better than Mandy Moore's "table dance" from Season 3.
Next on stage is jazz dancer Pauline Mata, paired with tap dancer Peter Sabasino. The style is the quickstep, choreographed by JT and Tomas, and set to "Hey Baby! (Shake Those Hula Hips)" by Big Kahuna & The Copa Cat Pack. While the dancers have not mastered the intricate technique of the quickstep, the judges say that their personalities may keep them safe with voters.
The fourth pair to perform is contemporary dancer Kathryn McCormick and hip hop dancer Legacy Perez. Andy Blankenbuehler is the choreographer for their Broadway-style dance, set to "I Wanna Be Like You" by the Swingin' Fireballs. The judges are also not completely happy with this routine, but they are praised for some aspects.
The fifth couple is a new pairing, contemporary dancers Channing Cooke and Victor Smalley, who lost their original partners in the previous episode. They perform a contemporary piece, choreographed by Stacey Tookey, set to "Be Be Your Love" by Rachael Yamagata. The judges are pleased with their routine, but think that the couple should have been exceptional in this, their preferred style.
Next on stage is contemporary dancer Ellenore Scott and latin ballroom dancer Ryan DiLello, performing a hip hop routing to "Lost Boiz Anthem" by The J-Squad, choreographed by Li'l C. With a lot of coordinated movement that looks sloppy and not synchronized, the judges are not pleased with this routine overall. They expected this couple to have some trouble with hip hop, but they are still not happy with the results.
The seventh pair to perform is jazz dancer Mollee Gray with contemporary dancer Nathan Trasoras. They have a salsa routine, choreographed by Gustavo Vargas, set to "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco. The fact that Mollee and Nathan do not have ballroom training is evident in this piece, and their technique is criticized by the judges. Nigel feels that, since these dancers are favored by voters, they may still remain in the competition. However, the judges are not happy with this routine.
The final couple of the evening is contemporary dancer Noelle Marsh and krumper Russell Ferguson, who perform an Afro Jazz routine, choreographed by Sean Cheesman, set to "Frog Dance" by Mickey Hart & Planet Drum. Noelle is portraying an African princess, while Russell is a frog and her spirit guide. The high-energy piece is praised by the judges, who enjoy this couple's versatility and chemistry.
The Bottom Three Couples
This week, and moving forward, the bottom three couples of the evening will be chosen by America. Each dancer has an individual phone number for viewers to call if they wish to vote for them. Phone lines are open until midnight following the performance episode. The results shows are televised live the next day.
While the judges no longer have a say in who should be sent home, Nigel tells viewers that he felt the weakest performance of the evening came from Ellenore and Ryan. Mary felt that Mollee and Nathan's piece should be in the bottom. Adam agreed with both of them.
Tomorrow, the bottom three couples perform and the two dancers (one male and one female) with the lowest number of votes will be going home.
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