Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, things are going to go a little differently. The Top 10 dancers will draw for new partners after dancing with the same people the past several weeks (unless their partners got voted out). In addition, the audience vote will be the only thing determining who stays and who goes -- the judges are out of the equation, except for giving feedback. Also, votes will be cast by individual instead of couple.
Host Cat Deeley announces that the tour dates are official, and guess what! It's coming to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena on Oct. 10 with tickets going on sale Aug. 11.
I like Cat, but the whole shtick where she waits for the audience to say "jidges" the way she does when she introduces the judges is getting old. The audience doesn't really say it like that, and last week, she started correcting them. If people aren't playing along with the joke, stop going for that punch line! But anyway ...
Tonight, each of the contestants will dance a solo by Wade Robson. He tells the dancers it's about peace, love, compassion and more.
Lauren's new partner is Pasha, and they draw hip-hop with Shane Sparks. They all seem a little worried about whether Pasha will be able to keep up (in the way shorter than usual interview segment), but I think he does pretty well. He doesn't look comfortable, but he's hitting it. I do think, though, that every single routine doesn't have to include the marionette moves. But the beginning part, where Lauren and Pasha are intertwined and look like that Frankensteined-out toy from Toy Story is way cool. Nigel Lythgoe says the routine was great, that he "created human Transformers." He says Pasha moved easily into hip-hop; "You're probably the best Russian hip-hop dancer we've ever seen." He also says he's pleased they kept Lauren. Mary Murphy loved both of them and makes a "more cowbell" joke. Mia Michaels says she was freaked that Pasha was going to have to do hip-hop, but that he pulled it off. She adds that Lauren is "blowin' up."
Jaimie is the first one doing Wade's solo routine, which is set to John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." She does a nice job, but I'm feeling bad for the people who go, say, ninth and 10th.
Dominic is next with the solo. He's good, but it's already getting repetitive.
Sabra and Kameron are a new pair, and they get contemporary with Tyce DiOrio. It's to "Amazing Grace," and it has a very neat lift in the middle in which Kameron catches her while they are both turning. Overall, it's a lovely routine, hopefully enough to move voters. Nigel says that he didn't quite believe Kameron's emotional journey, but that the dancing was amazing from both. Mary says she doesn't see their chemistry yet. She also says Kameron needs to work on his extensions, but that Sabra is "pure perfection." Mia says, "Kameron, I feel like you've been exposed tonight. ... Your style and your technique is like a young competition dancer. ... You've got to go to another level. ... Sabra, full of grace. ... I can't wait to get my hands on you someday."
Sara is next with the solo. And really, the emotion is kind of getting swallowed up by the repetition -- makes it seem much less genuine. And we have to see this seven more times.
Pasha comes out for the solo. They have this scream in the middle, and his is way louder than anyone else's has been so far.
Lacey's new partner is Danny, and they are assigned samba, with choreographer Dmitry Chaplin from last season. The whole performance is pretty hot. Or "spicy and sexy," as Cat says as they walk to the judges. Nigel credits Dmitry with the routine. He says she needs to remember to use Danny as her partner, but that he was using her as he was supposed to. Mary says this wasn't her favorite performance from Danny because his technique was a little lacking, but he is a great performance. Mia says it was the sexiest dance of the season. She says that Danny is a stallion and that Lacey was hot and "ridiculous."
Lauren comes out for the solo. Yep, she dances.
Then, Neil with the solo. He doesn't fall or anything.
Sabra dances the solo. This is not a Wade Robson routine that I would have watched 10 times in a row.
Kameron is next with the solo. And by now, the peace sign at the end just feels cloying.
Jaimie is paired with Dominic for Viennese Waltz with Toni Redpath, who says she is going to add some Spanish flavor. In the interview, Dominic says he is looking forward to the lifts so he can "manhandle" Jaimie. They dance to "Man of la Mancha," and Jaimie is wearing an enormous flowy skirt. It's an energetic and engaging performance, but it didn't seem that waltzy. Nigel says this is difficult because there is an extra style on top of the style they are trying to do. He says Dominic put too much character in it so that it started to look like a caricature. Mary says it was way over the top and cartoonish. Mia tells Dominic to stop apologizing to Jaimie because even though it wasn't his best, he has been really great. But, she goes on to say that his technique was atrocious, but that's where training comes in. Mia tells Jaimie she needs to work on keeping her mouth closed while dancing but that her lines were amazing.
Lacey does the solo. She doesn't fall or anything.
Danny is the last (YAY!) with the solo.
The last of the new partnerships is Sara and Neil, who draw disco with Doriana Sanchez. I'm not usually a big fan of Doriana's routines, but I think this one really suited these two. Nigel: "When it's like that, I love disco." He says it's great to see them enjoying themselves and that it was terrific. Mary says she loved it: "It was corny, cheesy and fun fun fun." She gives Neil credit for his jump and the lifts, too. Mia says it was so much fun: "You guys are like the biggest dorks in the best possible way."
My rewatch routines of the night are: Neil and Sara, Lacey and Danny and Pasha and Lauren. The other two I think I will skip.
Lastly, the judges give some feedback on the solos. Nigel compliments Wade on the routine. He tells Jaimie that she has a single emotion and needs to bring more "dynamism" to her emotions. Mary loved her performance; Mia agrees with Nigel.
Nigel says Dominic was a little tight in his movements, but the emotions were good. Mary says it revealed that his technique was lacking. Mia says he was committed. She also says that no one really translated the routine to their own style, including Dominic. She says, "I was waiting, waiting." Waiting for the dance to change? Yeah, join the club.
Nigel says that Sara, as a small person, needs to make her movement bigger, but emotionally, it was fine. Mary says she connected with her. Mia says she got "misty" and she believed her.
He tells Pasha that he looked out of his league and that he seemed to be thinking about technique instead of the story. Mary agrees. Mia says it was overdramatic for her, and awkward.
Nigel says Lauren was the first person to interpret the musicality of the song and to come forward at the end with hope in her eyes. Mary says she was blossoming tonight. Mia makes a heart sign and points at her.
Nigel tells Neil to keep an eye on his posture and that he didn't get enough emotion from him. Mary says he has tightness at times and great movements at other times. Mia says ditto.
To Sabra, Nigel says she is tiny but that she danced on every part of the stage, and she came forward with hope, too. Mary does the "I'm Not Worthy" toward her. Mia says she usually doesn't know who her favorite is, but after tonight, it's all about Sabra.
Nigel says he was let down by Kameron and that they might have cut him earlier in the competition, had they been given the opportunity. That said, he says the solo was great and that he brought out emotion. Mary says she connected with his emotions on the solo too. Mia agrees, and says that what she critiqued him on earlier, he applied in his solo immediately, and she applauds him for that.
Nigel says Lacey is great at everything she does and that it was "tremendous." Mary absolutely agrees. Mia agrees, but says she wanted a little more emotionally, but generally, she is "killin' it."
Danny comes forward and Nigel says he did interpret the dance and that it was "like honey." He says he needs to be careful of losing his music. He says they are still chipping away at his shield, but they still need more emotion. Mary says they are getting more each time and that he did it different from anyone else. Mia says she is trying to help him shed his layers. She says he has the potential to be in "the books of history" if he can get rid of those bonds. "You are beyond beyond beyond beyond."
I really hope they don't all do the same solo every week. But otherwise, it was a fun show.
If you've become a fan of Erik from Survivor: China (who has done little on the show thus far but confess a crush on Jaime -- as well as the fact that he's a virgin), you might want to stop by the Lodge Bar in Power Plant Live on Nov. 3. 
