The second couple is Asuka and Vitolio. Asuka started as a ballet dancer and switched to Latin ballroom in college. Vitolio grew up with his grandmother for a bit and then moved onto an orphanage. He says he used to believe that he couldn't do anything good because of what he went through as a child. Abruptly, we change gears and learn that Asuka and Vitolio are going to do a Broadway routine with Tyce DiOrio, in which they are making a silent film to the tune "Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago. It's a very busy, fast, staccato routine, and to me, it seems a little all over the place, like Asuka and Vitolio are just barely keeping up with the choreography. But it's entertaining, and they pull it off. (I don't think I'll be rewinding and rewatching this one, though.) Adam says this was a character piece that followed a very emotional piece, which made it seem a little artificial, but it was a luck of the draw thing. The most apparent thing was that they are good dancers, he says. Mary says they needed to bring the routine to life and that they played it a little safe. Nigel says it wasn't about the dancing, that their lines and technique were amazing, but they were expected to put their personalities into it, and it didn't really come across because they were worrying too much about the technique.

Karla (who is from Oxon Hill, Md.) has toured in two Broadway shows, but she says she's watched the show and wanted to be a part of it. Her partner is Jonathan, who says he started dancing because of season one. They are doing cha-cha with Tony Meredith to "Poker Face" by Lady GaGa. It's sexy (which they interviewed repeatedly that it needed to be) and fast and fun, though their energy seemed to dip a tad in the middle. Adam thinks it was really good and says Karla "beeped me up. ... I do my own censoring!" He adds to Jon that he needed more flexibility and extension, but that they still looked good. Mary screams, which is what Jonathan said he wanted. She says, "I like my cha-cha rough, and like Lady GaGa says, 'If it's not rough, it isn't fun.' That was rough and it was a whole lot of fun." Oh, Mary. (Can I just add here, too, that I didn't mind Mary's scream when it seemed more organic, but now it's so expected, it's just schticky.) Nigel says they are another couple that's slipped under the radar so far, but they just exploded with chemistry.

Randi auditioned three seasons before finally making it to Vegas from Denver this year. Evan, as we know, auditioned with his brother Ryan, who didn't make it to the Top 20, so he says it's a little bittersweet. They're doing a jazz dance with Tyce DiOrio that is about a very loving couple, which they both say is a little awkward because Randi is married. They dance to Jamie Cullum's "I Only Have Eyes for You." They manage to push their awkwardness aside and deliver a chemistry-filled performance, very believable, very engaging. Adam says they are slightly vertically challenged as a couple, but they both danced like they were 8 feet tall. He says Evan is a beautiful dancer, and he thinks that was one of Tyce's best pieces ever. Mary says these two were at "the end of the pack" in the Top 20, but her eyes are open now, and they were just smoldering and fluid and beautiful -- and "absolutely believable." So it wasn't just me who thought that. Nigel says they were fantastic and that they have just become a couple that will be talked about and that will make people pick up the phone. 

Paris says she was in a horrible car accident that left one of her legs numb from the knee down and that she didn't really think she would dance again. She apparently did, but we don't really get any other information. Tony is the hip-hop dancer who the judges are very taken with. He says he had to pick between sports and dance, and he chose dance. They are doing hip-hop with Tabitha and Napoleon. They dance to "Let the Beat Rock: by the Black Eyed Peas. Though the dance is technically more Tony's style (though it's less his usual comedic dance), I had my eyes on Paris pretty much the whole dance. They do this one move where they go from standing straight up to laying back on the floor with their legs bent behind them -- and then back to standing up again -- that is pretty mind-boggling. (They do get a rewind and rewatch, though.) Adam says he liked it, but he was distracted by the costumes and that when they have a song with that much punch, they have to have more rebound with their moves. Mary says she doesn't think it will be that memorable (T&N don't look that happy about that) and that they didn't really pull off the character. Nigel says Paris came into her own in Vegas, and that Tony's "stank stank" and that he wasn't believable.

Caitlin is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and grew up in Annapolis. She's paired with contemporary dancer Jason. They are doing a Bollywood number, which will hopefully be fun. They've done Bollywood once, later in the season, in a previous year. This is pretty tough stuff for week one, not to mention that Katee and Josh set the standard for Bollywood on SYTYCD, and that's a pretty high standard. They dance to Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire. It's energetic and so fast and a lot of fun, but it's another one where I felt like they were running to catch up with the choreography so much that they didn't get to put a lot of personality in it. Adam says they rocked; in fact, he screams it. He adds that Jason's hands and his feet were perfect, and that Caitlin was great, too. Mary is glad Bollywood came to Hollywood; "that was cool." She praises Caitlin's handstand and Jason's charisma. Nigel points out, as I did, that they are following Joshua and Katee, and that he thinks they brought it. He says that Caitlin's movement at the very beginning, when she stopped breathing and then started when Jason touched her, made him realize it was going to be something special. I'm rooting for them, and I think they did a great job, but I'm not 100 percent with the judges. But rewatch scale? Heck yeah.

Janette was concerned that there would be too many salsa dancers in the Vegas rounds. I guess there weren't? These intros are really choppy! Brandon was loved by many of the judges and seemingly hated by Lil C and Mia Michaels, which was really weird. They are doing the foxtrot choreographed by Dancing With the Stars pro Louis Van Amstel. Woo, more crossover! They dance to Michael Buble's "Come Fly With Me." It's flowy and lovely, and holy mackerel, it's got some crazy lifts in it, especially the last one. Adam says he was worried for them coming after the energetic Bollywood number, but it wasn't staid at all. He adds that Brandon stepped up with character and performance tonight. Mary says she can't give them an eyebrow anymore "because of Botox," and everyone cracks the heck up. "I can't believe I just said that!" OK, that was organic and funny. Hee hee. When she recovers, she says Janette looked like Ginger Rogers and that the lifts were amazing because Brandon is such a powerhouse. Nigel says Janette found the carriage for this dance in a short time. And he points out that Brandon maintained a great frame despite having not done frame work ever, but, he doesn't love his feet.

Ashley made it to the Top 20 after auditioning four times. She says she is going to be a fighter in this competition. Her partner is contemporary dancer Kupono. He is looking forward to giving up his random side-jobs to make money to supplement his income as a dance teacher. They're working with Wade Robson on a jazz routine that has them acting as crash test dummies. (I try but fail to avoid humming "Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm" after they tell us that.) Oh, and lest there be any doubt, they really are entirely dressed as crash test dummies. They look insane! Their song is "Felt Mountain" by Goldfrapp. As most Wade routines are, it's just totally bizarre and enthralling and weird and hard to describe, but they seem to dance it well. It's very surreal. Adam breaks his critique in two. He says it was hard to stop and remember to look at the dancing because it was all so weird, but that they had amazing technique. He adds that Wade is "one sick puppy." Mary says sometimes she doesn't go on the trip with Wade, and tonight she was. Nigel says you never know what genius Wade is going to come up with, and that people always talk about it even if they don't like it. He says that they brought him into and kept him in this crazy world. How long do you think it's going to take for them to get that white makeup off their skin and hair? Yikes!

Melissa has been a ballerina since she was 5, and she is the "most seasoned" dancer at 29. Ade is a music fan who hopes to be a sound engineer if dancing doesn't work out. They are doing a contemporary routine with Mandy Moore about "that moment when you first fall in love." Their song is "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx, and they even have a wind machine. OK, so other dances tonight have been called fluid, but this performance takes that word to a whole different level. They both have amazing strength and control, and this routine is simple gorgeous. Adam says it was very special, and he says that Melissa is living proof that you get better with age and that Ade has profound and quiet power. "That was big; that was big." Mary screams her biggest scream of the night. She particularly praises the quality of the movement. Adam adds that it's a testament to the power of training. Nigel is delighted that Melissa is on the program and shows off Ade's power, but he thinks that America has a lot to look forward to with them.

The last couple of the night is Kayla and Max. Kayla is the dancer whose grandparents helped pay for her dance career. Max is a ballroom dancer from Moscow who came to the U.S. when he was 13. We learn that his little brother died in a car accident, and then, bam subject change! They are dancing with Louis Van Amstel, who has apparently known Max since he was 14. They do a samba to "Jum Bah Day" by House of Gypsies. It is HOT, fast, amazing, fun, energetic, etc. (But I HATE Kayla's dress. It's really distracting! It's like a long-haired Muppet pelt.) Adam, grabbing his face: "That was so good; OH MY GOD." He says Max is lucky because he got ballroom first, and he got a partner who proves there is a god because she's never done this before, and she was amazing. Mary: "Can I have an amen, Adam?" Uh-oh. "I hear a train." Yes, screams and the hot tamale train is back. Nigel: "OK, that was truly sensational. I totally think that that had everything we could ever wish for." He adds that Kayla's name has been at or near the top of the list every time they have discussed who is getting through to the next round. 

After seeing the clips at the end, I am starting to agree that Tony and Paris' number was not that memorable. I think Asuka and Vitolio could be in trouble, too. What do you think?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch Kayla and Max's dance a few more times.