And cut they did.  Holy moly, Wednesday’s Vegas episode was fast and furious.  The judges weren’t playing any games.  But we’ll get to that in a moment.

First, I want to answer for my earlier Top 20 predictions.  I was wrong about Gabi, Sammy, Amanda, Chimeze, and Priscilla.  Oh.  And Natalie.

Natalie!

Weren’t we all wrong about Natalie?  I thought she was a clear lock for Top 20 - heck, to win this whole thing!  So to have her be cut so unmercifully after the Jazz round (choreographed brilliantly by Sonya Tayeh - the few seconds of dance we saw were so fresh!) was a shock to my system - not at all what we saw coming.  Especially after we had seen her do the routine in front of the whole group (with Brandon), at Sonya’s request.  Sonya clearly loved Natalie and saw her genius.  So I am stunned as to why she is now gone - while lots of other, nameless girls remain in her spot.  Natalie handled her dismissal with class.  I don’t think we’ll see her again.  After last year, and now this, it seems SYTYCD is not in the cards for her.

The episode started off with each of the 172 dancers doing their solo routine, one by one, for the panel of judges including Nigel, Mary (unusually subdued tonight), Shanks, Lil C, Mia, and Debbie Allen.  44 dancers were cut right out of the chute, including Travis, the coach’s son from last week.  I didn’t expect him to go far, and it was kind of a relief to see him and other dancers say goodbye without extra time or sentiment.  (Makes me wonder why they get so much screen time during audition episodes, though.  It’s like they want us to get invested early in, and then rip out our hearts the second their plane lands in Vegas.)

They moved on to the Hip Hop round (with NapTab), and 33 more dancers were given the boot.  Fifteen minutes in, and we’re already down to 97!  The ballroom round followed (with Jean-Marc Genereaux & France).  Even though Philip Chbeeb “doesn’t know how to not pop”, according to Adam Shankman, they waved him through.  Also sailing through was Japan’s Nabuya, who cried like a baby and said, “I love here, I really love here.”

I’ve already mentioned Sonya’s jazz routine, and I just want to say again that I think Mia better watch out: she might soon be replaced as SYTCYD’s most beloved choreographer.  Then again, I incorrectly predicted six Top 20 dancers, so whatevs.  I want that song Sonya used for the choreography.  It was super catchy!  It’s what got me through the Natalie Shock.

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Alrighty, this is a toughie, limiting my favorites to five.  I like so many routines for their impact and creative value, but that doesn’t make them my favorite.  I’m gonna give it a shot.  In no particular order:

1.  Joshua & Katee, Contemporary (Season 4)

Mia’s choreography always dazzles me, from her Travis/Heidi “Bench Routine” in season 2 to her vigorously quick-moving contemporary piece with Danny and Lauren in season 3.   She continues to amaze us with this rich, despairing choreography set to Adele’s “Hometown Glory”.  Katee’s facial expressions and movements are intricate and beautiful, and Joshua is equally great.

2.  Danny & Lacey, Samba (Season 3)

The Latin styles are not my favorites, but this one is really appealing.  They’re a good match, and this choreography (by season 2’s Dmitry) makes the samba really accessible to us non-fans.  Smokin!  “Hip hip, chin chin!”

3.  Jesus & Sara, Jazz (Season 3)

Remember Jesus?  He was adorable.  He was the versatile Sara’s original partner, and he was booted too soon.  This is one of those memorable routines that makes everyone sit up and pay attention (as is the case with most of Wade Robson’s brilliant choreography).  It’s weird.  It’s go-for-broke.  It’s cool.  Me likey.

4.  Neil & Lauren, Jazz (Season 3)

Completely brilliant.  This was when Neil started standing out for his skills more than just his looks.  I became something of a Neil fan at this point.  I love the acting, the costumes, the music, the weirdness.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate a video from the show itself, so this one from the tour is the best I could do.

5.  Mia Michaels’ Top 10 Routine to “The Moment I Said It”

Oh my word.  Even those who aren’t fans of Danny have to admit that this whole piece is packed with mad goosebump moments.  The whole dance is anchored around him - his beauty, skill, and strength.  Again, the performance from the original program was unvailable, but I found a decent one from the tour.  The fan who took this video must have been a Danny fan, too. 

Runners-Up:

I know this list weighs heavily on season 3 routines, and I can’t help it.  What are your favorites?  Can you limit them to just 5?  I truly can’t.  I’m already rethinking my choices.