Tonight’s performance episode certainly had its memorable moments!    From Nigel “going gangsta on us” with his snippy attitude to Mary’s ever-reddening skin tone to the repeated use of the words “butt” and “ass”, it was one for the record books.  I got to watch this one with my friend Jennifer, and it was fun to process what was happening with another person!!

The Good

• Cat’s dress and hair.  She was beautiful in her Grecian-inspired getup.  I didn’t expect her to top the white suit from last Thursday so quickly!
• Toni Basil, guest judge, talking about her Living Legend of Hip Hop Award, and her constant mentions of “the street”, “the groove”, and “the funk”.  All with that jauntily-placed beret on her head.  I would love to listen in on a conversation between her & Lil C, wouldn’t you? (”I would! Yes, I would!!!” - Mary)
• Vitolio’s rock star face.  He was using it like crazy tonight during judging (and it was much better than Janette’s, I’ve gotta say).  I also want to give props to Vitolio’s incredible sweetness towards Asuka during their rehearsal package.  Who uttered an “awww…” when you saw him comforting his partner?  (”I did!  Yes, I did!” - Mary)
• Kupono & Kayla’s Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jean Marc Genereaux.  Set to Jewel’s “Some Dreams For You”, it was so…  unexpected.  During their rehearsals, I said to Jennifer, “Kupono is going to let her down.  He’s not showing himself to be a very strong dancer.”  But I was wrong, and I happily admit it.  Despite Nigel’s conviction that their routine was nothing to stand up and cheer for, I was enthralled from the very first lift.  Everything about this performance was mesmerizing: the lighting, the song, the beautiful costumes, Kayla’s hair blowing around in the wind.  And Kupono was a revelation for me.  It is pretty much understood that Kayla will upstage anyone she’s partnered with - the girl is a force! - but Kupono more than held his own.  I thought they were a great match, and the fact that this was their first week together only impressed me more.  I thought it’d be sloppy.  Again, I was wrong.  I watched this one twice, and it is currently my favorite routine of the season.  (I will tell you right now, I never thought I’d say that about a waltz, or about these dancers.)
• Melissa & Ade’s Rumba choreographed by Tony Meredith.  First, Ade looked great in that classic black skin tight one-piece Rumba Outfit.  I remembered seeing Gev wear one - tiny Gev!, and Joshua, too.  Ade really rocked it, though, ’cause he’s so tall!  He and Melissa make a beautiful pair, plain and simple.  I didn’t like the song (”Emotion” by Destiny’s Child) it was set to, but I watched this one twice as well.  What can I say?  I love Ade!!  (I voted for them 5 times tonight.  Just throwin’ that out there.)
• Brandon & Janette’s Hip-Hop choreographed by Dave Scott.  What a cool concept: combining a rock attitude with hip hop moves.  It worked.  Brandon completed killed this one, in my opinion.  It was the first time I could get behind him and say, yes, I like him!  I loved his outfit.  He was slammin’ in those jeans & button-down shirt.  Maybe my opinion about Brandon will continue to change as the weeks go on, because it is clear that he & Janette will be around for the long haul.  They are the team to beat.
• Followed closely by Randi & Evan, of course.  Could there be a pair better suited for one another than these two?  (”No, there can’t!!” - Mary) They are so sweet.  I am really loving Randi’s personality - and her hair!!  Did you see her shirt in rehearsals?  It said, “Unitard Girl” on the front.  Loved it.  These two lucked out with the first Mia Michael’s contemporary routine of the season (not counting last week’s group number).  It was, how can we forget?, “all about the booty”.  Randi’s booty, to be specific.  Curl up that blonde ‘do and put her in a little nightie and she is transformed into Chicago’s Roxie Hart!  I wish I could say I loved this routine with all my heart - but Evan’s costume, a ridiculous, oversized suit contraption, took points off for me.  He’s already on the short side, and the high-waisted pants didn’t help that.  But his performance and ability overcame the clothes.  Their routine was saucy.  I liked what Toni Basil said about it, in what I think was a compliment: “The choreography can become the star” - but they didn’t let it.  They are clearly stars on that stage.  I don’t ever want to see them switch partners!  And Mia has yet to give us anything terribly emotional this season.  Is this a new trend for her, or is she saving the gutwrenching stuff for later?

The “Meh”

• Mandy Moore’s choreography to “Heartbreaker” with Asuka & Vitolio.  Mandy said she was going for “thrash-rocker-jazz”, but the whole thing was kinda lackluster for my friend Jennifer and me.  Nigel raved about it, but I agreed with Mary: their movements weren’t always in sync, and the routine lacked “oomph”.  It was kinda like Pasha & Sarah’s jazz routine from season 3, without the fun suspenders angle.  Mandy can do better than this.  I can’t wait to see what else she has for us this season.
• Caitlyn & Jason’s Paso Doble choreographed by Jean Marc & France.  I felt the choreography was great, but the performance merely decent.  I like both Jason & Caitlyn, but I haven’t seen them quite match what they did with their Bollywood in the Top 20 week.  (Jennifer was all about Jason’s costume and attitude.  )

The Bad

• Karla & Jonathan’s hip hop.  This was also done by Dave Scott.  Karla has a hip hop background, and it showed.  She made it look easy.  Unfortunately, she had a partner who couldn’t keep up.  Poor Jonathan.  After last week’s high, they crashed right back to the bottom with this.  Did anyone else think Jonathan looked like a young Travolta in his outfit tonight?  (”I did!  Yes I did!!!” - Mary)
• Jeanine & Philip’s Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio.  To be clear: Jeanine was great and held her own.  At the beginning of the season, I thought she was going to be carried by Phillip’s popularity.  Now, she’s starting to shine in her own right, especially in these styles that Phillip can’t seem to master.  I love Broadway and I feel that Tyce can really bring it to life on the SYTYCD stage.  But this did not meet its potential because Phillip lacks so much technique. 

So, a word about all this Chbeebery going on: in a season with all these tremendously talented dancers (of whom we’re constantly reminded), an inexperienced but likable dancer can only go so far.  We all know the judges like to have at least one “fresh off the street” dancer that they can mold and teach and sing praises over (Ivan, Cedric, and Twitch all fit this role to some degree).  I don’t think Phillip will be able to keep up with the 15 other dancers he’s up against.  But the judges will definitely want him on tour, so we can expect him to stick around until at least the top 10.  And since this is the search for “America’s favorite dancer”, he should be around for awhile after that, too.  Unless something big happens.  Tonight, Phillip had that awesome couch jump and the huge slit down the back of his pants to make up for how he couldn’t quite deliver Tyce’s routine.  I’d bet a few pennies that next week he’ll have hip hop again, something to make him look good, so the judges and America will be justified in keeping him around longer.

Predictions for the bottom 3:

1. Karla & Jonathan
2. Asuka & Vitolio
3. Caitlyn & Jason

with Karla & Jonathan going home.

What had you mesmerized tonight, fans?  Who do you predict will be in the bottom 3?  Did any dancer win your heart or surprise you tonight?  Can Phillip keep up with the what the other dancers bring to this season?  Does Toni Basil make any more sense than Lil C?  (”She does!  Yes, she does!!” - Mary)

What an energetic, exciting, and fun start to this season!  There was a lot going on tonight, from Cat’s white spiderweb bejeweled mess dress to Mary’s general craziness to one standout routine after another.  Plus, it was just plain awesome to see our beloved SYTYCD stage again, don’tcha think?

From the 3-second “intro dances”, I had one overall response:  Whoever Ade is, I think I like him.  (I was not disappointed when he showed up again way later in the show.)

Typically, the Top 20 episode tends to have one or two forgettable or disappointing pairings, making it easy to predict who will be in the bottom 3.  After perusing my notes, and having seen each routine only once, I had a difficult time guessing who might be hanging out there at the bottom.  But I’ll try.

Their first (and last?) week on the show(?):

Karla & Jonathan, Cha Cha - First off, Amanda, ha!  You called it:  they brought out Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” in the third routine of the season!  Featuring two of the “unknowns”, I thought this routine was kinda middle-of-the-road.  The judges loved it, however.  Mary redefined innuendo when she declared, “I like my cha-cha rough!”  Overall, I think the show-ending Samba from Max & Kayla will overshadow this, putting Karla & Jonathan at risk.  Plus, I can’t remember Jonathan’s face.  I keep seeing Jason’s.

Asuka & Vitolio, Broadway - Not Tyce’s strongest choreography, in my opinion.  I love Broadway, but this was subpar.  I thought it was a little stiff, and the dancing seemed way slower than the music.  Mary & Shanks had similar opinions, saying A & V were “playing it safe”.   Nigel reminded them that their big personalities needed to translate on stage.  I predict they’ll be bottom 3, and they’ll be saved by the judges.  Nigel won’t let his favorite hottie go just yet.

Middle of the pack and therefore safe:

Paris & Tony, Hip-Hop - For the first ep of the season, I thought this was stronger than the judges declared.  I loved Paris in this: she went all out!  It’ll get a little old if they’re going to keep up with this “Tony, you will need to grow!/Tony, you’ve grown so much!” shtick.  And Tony mugs for the camera a little to much for my taste.  Judging from the audience scream-o-meter, though, they’ll be around for a few weeks longer.  Tony’s got the cuteness factor to save both of them. 

Janette & Brandon, Fox Trot - It stinks for them that they had to start the season with a ballroom routine, but they killed it.  What a seamless lift at the end!  And Janette’s dress - all that crazy pink material - didn’t slow Brandon down one bit.  I think Janette is good for him, personality-wise.   And this was the part of the show when Mary uttered that completely hilarious remark about not being able to raise her eyebrow:  “I can’t anymore ’cause of Botox!!!”  This and her screaming at herself in disbelief just afterwards made me laugh out loud.  Janette’s Botox-imitation response - so funny!

Melissa & Ade, Contemporary - I was about to get on Melissa for doing that finger-in-her-mouth coy look twice already tonight - she had better watch it with that gimmick!  But I shut up when I realized how down-to-earth she is.  She and Ade are a perfect, beautiful couple, and their Mandy Moore-choreographed-routine was my favorite of the night.  (Tough call - so much good stuff to choose from, right?)  They made Shanks cry, and Mary’s assessment of Ade as a “gentle giant” was sweetly true.  Ade has this unassuming brilliance to him, and I like him.  A lot.  The question for the future is, will Melissa’s age hold them back, popularity-wise?  Can you see her believably doing hip-hop? 

Kayla & Max, Samba - I think they could easily be in the next category, too.  They had the show-closing money spot, and their Samba was fast-paced, fun, and expertly performed.  I chafed a little at Max’s comment about how he can help Kayla learn ballroom - he’s quite sure of himself and it showed onstage, too.  Kayla brought it.  She will be one to watch this season.

Top o’ the Heap:

Randi & Evan, Jazz - First off, Randi’s married?!  Didn’t see that coming.  She and Evan make a great pair!  They were so good.  So.  GOOD.  Evan was brilliant.  The judges agreed.  Tyce redeemed himself tonight with this one.

Ashley & Kupono, Jazz - Sheer weirdness.  This was a good weird, ’cause it was Wade & his wife Amanda who dreamed it up, after all.  Like the judges said, love it or hate it, you’re gonna remember it.  (”It” being a crazy-cool take on crash-test dummies coming to life.)   My favorite part was Ashley - she was a great performer!  Kupono was good too, but I thought more than once that Mark from season 4 would have killed it.   Couples who get Wade Robson routines are generally guaranteed safety for another week.

Caitlyn & Jason, Bollywood - My hat’s off to them.  For the very first episode, they are given the challenging intricacies of Bollywood movement, and for that reason alone, they should shoot to the top of people’s lists.  Not only that, they did a great job with it, and they were clearly having fun.   Jason has that “Neil Appeal“.  What they did tonight was certainly memorable, and they did not come off like a weak copy of Joshua & Katee’s routine from last season.  I will not forget Caitlyn’s handstand & footwork in those early moments.  Plus, it’s “Jai Ho“!!!  Love that song.

And last but not least,

Jeanine & Philip, Hip-Hop - The producers wasted NO time.  For the first routine of the season, we are given the Chbeeb, hip-hop, and a routine that is eerily reminiscent of last season’s most beloved NapTab number, “Bleeding Love” (even Jeanine’s outfit was a copy of Chelsie’s).  You’ve got all that emotion, playacting, romantic drama, and the cutest SYTYCD couple since Courtney and Gev.  Of course they’re safe.

Final thoughts:  Mia was conspicuously absent.  I’m betting she choreographed Thursday’s Top 20 group number.  Even though I wasn’t a fan of Cat’s first outfit, I loved her loose hairstyle.  And though it won’t always be this way, I loved how generous the judges were with all of the Top 20 dancers.  We never once heard, “I’m sorry, I don’t think that will be enough for America, and you’ll be dancing for your life tomorrow.”

Do you agree, fans?  What predictions have you made?  What was your favorite number, and who is your favorite dancer (mine’s Ade.  Have I mentioned that??)  Let’s talk SYTYCD!