SYTYCD | top 12

I was chomping at the bit at work today knowing that last night's So You Think You Can Dance was awaiting me on my DVR. I heard some rumors about a fab Mia Michaels number, so I'm glad to be able to see it for myself. Shall we dance?

As always, Cat is looking spectacular. LOVE her hair. Very chic! It's getting down the the wire as the dancers in the top 10 are guaranteed a spot on this year's tour. Each couple is performing TWICE tonight so I'll recap each number together by couple.

Melissa and Ade
dance 1: Disco | "Move On Up"
The disco numbers are always so fun when done well. These two work so well together and were very convincing in this style. Keeping up with the pace of these speedy dances is always tough for the dancers but they really pulled it off... bummer about that slip at the end, though :-(
dance 2: Waltz | "A Natural Woman"
I'm gonna miss these two dancing together next week when the couples split off. What a contrast this was from the disco; Melissa did a great job, but Ade seemed a bit stiff and amateur with some of his movements — he looked uncomfortable and it became a tiny bit boring at times. And, um, Mary called Nigel "English Muffin." Brilliant.

Kayla and Kupono
dance 1: Contemporary | "Gravity"
I know now why I heard so much about this number after the show aired last night. I got chills from the very beginning. Completely incredible choreography and performance from these two. Just stunning. I got a little teary at parts, even. This is going to be one of those memorable numbers like the bench routine and the "Bleeding Love." But yes, let's give Kayla a barette, please?
dance 2: Broadway | "The Dance at The Gym"
This was a nice contrast from the emotional contemporary routine. No surprise that I loved this, being that it involved my fave Kayla AND I'm a musical theatre nerd. The choreography was great and theatrical without being unchallenging (which sometimes the B'way routines appear). I didn't feel as strongly about their "character" as the judges seemed to.

Caitlin and Jason
dance 1: Fox Trot | "Minnie the Moocher"
Well. You all know how I feel about Caitlin. So you know I mean it when I say that she was actually quite good in this number. Jason did a really nice job. Overall, an entertaining routine from these two.
dance 2: Lyrical Jazz | "Show Me Heaven"
I always really love how Mandy Moore plays off of the music so well. I thought this was a beautiful number (yes, that's right, I again have nothing negative to say about Caitlin). I agree with Nigel that there was a bit of chemistry lacking, but in terms of the dancing, it was well done.

Jeanine and Phillip
dance 1: Kalinka | "Kalinka"
Wow. Russian folk dancing? Really? Considering that this may have been an odd choice for a new genre in the competition, it was... okay? Phillip just looked goofy and his timing seemed off. Jeanine was adorable and did a great job of not making it seem super cheesy. She seemed a little dizzy by the end, though, and who could blame her with all those spins!
dance 2: Jive | "Stuff Like That There"
These two got dealt a difficult hand this week, but fortunately they brought back the excitement with this number. I LOVE this song and think Phillip brought it a lot more than I expected him to. Jeanine was stunning as always and I felt like this one was of their strongest partnering numbers. Sidenote: I have a total girl-crush on her. She's amazing!

Randi and Evan
dance 1: Hip Hop | "Halo"
Come on NappyTabs, bring it on. I really enjoyed this number — it was pretty standard NappyTabs choreography, but one of their stronger numbers. I'm glad that for once Evan isn't drowning in his costume and these two are just so cute together. They don't have that "hip hop" vibe so much but they pulled it off quite well. That crazy lift at the end was amazing!
dance 2: Samba | "Ritmo De Bom Bom"
So happy to see Pasha and Anya again! It's so nice when former competitors come back to choreograph. Evan looked a tad goofy in his facial expressions (and got whacked in the face once!) , and I felt like parts of the number seemed a little disjointed. They just didn't seem to "get it" and I think it came across that they were not comfortable with this number. I think this will put them in the bottom 3.

Janette and Brandon
dance 1: Argentine Tango | "Libertango"
Day-um. These two have some Chemistry with a capital C. Spectacular performance — Janette's legs were insane when she did those little mini kicky things! (Technical term.) Brandon was a solid partner and they both kept character flawlessly. Standing ovation, indeed, Nigel.
dance 2: Jazz | "Ruby Blue"
Woot woot Wade Robson! Man do I love that man. Dance genius, right there. I have never met a Wade Robson number I didn't love. But enough about him. This number was simply spectacular, executed flawlessly by Janette and Brandon. Wade has a penchant for Roisin Murphy songs and they go so well with his style. This piece had gobs of personality. Abso. Lutely. Loved it.

Competition is obviously pretty fierce at this point, but half of these dancers will still ultimately end up dancing for their lives...

Predictions for the bottom 3 couples:
Randi and Evan
Melissa and Ade
Jeanine and Phillip

Who I think should go home tomorrow night (er, tonight):
I don't wanna pick. Caitlin's still my least favorite girl but I don't see her being in the bottom 3. I think Ade was the weakest guy this week, but still love him, too. Sigh.