I’ve had mixed feelings about this season of So You Think You Can Dance since week one. I think the crop of dancers this year are very talented, unique, and likeable enough, but something about the choreography and some odd costume and makeup choices just left me feeling less than satisfied. The show had kind of drifted off my list of priorities previous to a two-week hiatus for the Olympics.  Luckily, it came back strong two weeks ago with an evening dedicated to Mia Michaels. Between seeing the dance that originally got me hooked on the show recreated (though not as well as the original) and already amazing pieces approached in new and even more powerful ways (props to Cole and Lindsay for their chilling rendition of Mia’s addiction piece), I was hoping that creative momentum would carry through into the following weeks. And great news, it has! Last week we finally got to see what the big deal is about Eliana and there was an honest to God hip-hop. This week blew last week away. So, suffice it to say, I’m excited about the remaining dancers and hope things just keep getting better. Also, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as a guest judge! It’s my lucky week!

Tiffany

Come to think of it, she may actually be light enough to float.

The group number was pretty unmemorable this week, so I’m just going straight into critiquing each of the 8 dancers. Wow, I was really blown away by Tiffany this week. She performed a contemporary with such lightness and musicality. She also performed a contemporary piece choreographed by Mandy Moore (not the singer) with all-star Ade Obayomi and it was even more flawless. It was the perfect love story. The choreography was graceful and romantic. There is something so effortless about her movement, she looked like she was floating through some very difficult lifts. All of the judges gave her high compliments, Nigel mentioning her focus and humility as both a person and a dancer.

Will

Let’s talk about Will’s little getting to know you video. Yes, we already knew that Will was adorable and goofy and brimming with personality, but I was actually really touched when he said that dance saved his life as a teenager. I can certainly relate to that. He was an awkward, kind of unhappy kid and dance gave him somewhere to belong and built his confidence.

I liked his solo but nothing about it stood out to me. His Christopher Scott hip-hop with Lauren Gottlieb, on the other hand, I LOVED. First of all, even though it was yet another lyrical hip-hop, the concept was cool, creative, and well-executed. Will’s movement was tight and he was right on with the music. He also held back his usual cheesiness in favor of a really honest and subtle performance, my favorite from him to date.

Lindsay

Sadly, this wasn’t Lindsay’s best week. Her solo was pretty good, but like a lot of ballroom solos, it just felt a little lacking. She had a Sonya Tayeh jazz number with all-star Alex Wong. There was some very cool quality of movement from both of them and they performed well, but they lacked chemistry with each other. She has had some really incredible moments in this competition, but this was missing something.

Chehon

First of all, Chehon’s solo was really moving. He danced with a lot of freedom and fluidity, reached amazing height, and ended his solo with tears in his eyes. He also danced a tango with the fabulous Anya Garnis. He looked awesome and totally embodied the feel of the tango. He and Anya had great intensity and perfect chemistry. The music and choreography was smooth and steamy. It was also good to see Chehon do something outside his style so well. Mary put him on the hot tamale train and Jesse Tyler Ferguson put him on the jalapeno bus.

Witney

“Do all 18-year-old Mormons dance like that?” – Nigel

Witney also ran into the challenge of creating an effective ballroom solo. Her performance level was high (as per usual with her), but I think she would benefit from mixing some other styles in with the ballroom for these solos. She did look gorgeous in her green costume. She also took on an east coast style hip-hop routine with tWitch. She owned it. Last week I thought the judges were a bit harsh on Audrey for not quite matching the performance level of tWitch in their hip-hop number (which I thought was pretty great), but compared to Witney I see what they were talking about. She just demands attention when she’s on stage. I love her level of energy and versatility. I love the other girls in the competition but I struggle to imagine them attacking real, hard-hitting hip-hop this well.

Cole

Cole’s martial arts fusion style of dance was as intense and powerful as ever. He had another knock-out performance with Sonya Tayeh’s contemporary piece. His all-star partner was Allison Holker, one of my favorite past contestants. Sonya’s darker-themed choreography, Cole’s almost unnaturally quick style, and both his and Allison’s commitment to the characters and movement made for a really amazing and dramatic piece. I honestly don’t think anyone else could have captured the feeling of that choreography the way he did. Cole is unique, a great actor/performer, and very good technically, which is why he’s my favorite guy in the competition right now.

Eliana

Eliana’s ballet solo was completely gorgeous with lovely emotion and perfect technique. She performed an actually really fun and engaging quick step with all-star Ryan. She looked fabulous and the music, choreography, and character were all fantastic. Now that she isn’t being held back by her less technically experienced partner Cyrus, I am really starting to love her work.

Cyrus

Speaking of Cyrus, don’t take my above comment to mean that I don’t love him. He seems like the nicest, most humble, most positive guy ever to be on the show and there is no denying that he has raw talent. It’s really awesome that he has this opportunity to expand his horizons and learn. His work is never quite up to par with a lot of the other dancers, and yet. I find myself not noticing or caring while he performs. He has a natural charisma and he dances from a genuine place of joy. As much as I love him and Melanie, Mandy Moore’s jazz routine for them didn’t do a lot for me. It had a couple of cool moments and they performed the hell out of it. Naturally, Cyrus’ solo was awesome. Musicality doesn’t begin to describe the detail he puts into his choreography. As Mary pointed out, he is learning more and more of what the other dancers do, but no one else in the competition could do what he does.

Results

At the end of the night we lost Lindsay and Will, which was pretty predictable and which I feel pretty ok about. I’m not even going to venture a guess about who will be sent home next week. Based on performances tonight it should be Cyrus, but he has yet to be in the bottom and is a fan favorite, so I think I’d put my money on Chehon. Out of the girls, Tiffany was amazing tonight but has been less consistent than the others in weeks past. Who do you guys think should be next to go home?