"So You Think You Can Dance" Season 11 Recap: Top 16 Perform
I’ve gotta say, ” So You Think You Can Dance,” last night’s show was a little underwhelming. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Top 16’s talent level is about a 13. But the choreography—on average—scored close to a 6 in my book. Obviously, there were the exceptions, like Mandy Moore’s routine to “Foolish Games” by Jewel (#throwback!), and Nakul Dev Mahajan’s spirited Bollywood number, “Dilliwaali Girlfriend.” But a lot of the show was just, eh. So, let’s just skip to the good, shall we? Here are my top five highlights from last night’s show:
Bridget, Carly, Jacque, Jessica, Marcquet, Ricky, Rudy and Teddy in Travis Wall’s routine to “Love Runs Out” (photo Adam Rose/FOX)
1. The group routines.
Beginning with Mandy Moore’s jazzy and sultry “Take Me to the River,” the large and mini group pieces were the clear highlights of the evening. Travis Wall’s band of outlaws dancing to One Republic’s “Love Runs Out” was particularly captivating: The grittiness and raw intensity read really well on screen. After the performance, Nigel mentioned the Emmy Awards—could this be Travis’ year (again)?
Work it, Tanisha! (photo Adam Rose/FOX)
2. Tanisha Belnap.
This girl. Like guest judge Misty Copeland noted, it was clearly Tanisha’s night. Not only did her performance in Dave Scott’s “Good Kisser” completely kill it, her featured role in Sonya Tayeh’s group number to Bjork’s “So Broken (Live)” showed a completely different side of this young artist. She may have been in the bottom six this week, but this firecracker clearly isn’t going home anytime soon.
3. Cat Deeley’s one liners.
It seems like Cat always knows just what to say, even when a duet totally tanks. But when things go well, Cat’s humor is on point, and her jokes last night did not disappoint. From the line after Travis Wall’s “The Leaving Song”—”Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed!”—to her Waynes World-esque scene change and her note about Ricky Ubeda’s “guy-liner,” the British babe had me laughing through it all.
Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe and Misty Copeland (photo Adam Rose/FOX)
4. Misty Copland as a guest judge.
Last night, the American Ballet Theatre soloist continued her reign as best guest judge. Her criticism was spot on, and her corrections were specific enough for each dancer to apply next week. Also: Can I please have your arms, Misty?
5. Baby pictures!
The episode included footage of each dancer as a tiny mover and shaker. Needless to say, everyone was adorable. But I’d like to make two special shout-outs: Jacque’s pink fur get-up and Emily’s march to her own drum. Awwww!
Bridget and Emilio—and the bed. But why was it even there?
(photo Adam Rose/FOX)
We’ll miss you Marcquet and Brooklyn!
(photo Adam Rose/FOX)
Of course, there were also a few awkward moments last night. And I’m not just talking about Brooklyn and Marcquet’s untimely leave from the show. (I know, I know, almost everyone has to leave at some point. But Marcquet had the chops to go all the way, and Brooklyn’s hip-hop performance in Willdabeast’s choreography showed her jaw-dropping versatility. #Unfair.) But the real awkwardness? The useless bed post in Travis Wall’s “The Leaving Song,” as well as the chair in Dmitry Chaplin’s “I Put A Spell On You.” We’ve asked what competition judges hate to see the most in dancers’ routines, and uncorrelated and unused props almost always rank near the top. So what gives?
Next week, four(!) dancers will have to leave at the end of the show. Bummer, right? In the meantime, what did you think of last night’s episode? What was your favorite moment? Let us know in the comments, and come back next week for our recap of the Top 14 episode.
