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Last night was the night we’ve all been waiting for – the top 11 finally were competing for the title, “America’s Favorite Dancer.” It was an incredible night, the dancing was incredible, and there were definitely some clear favorites by the end of the night. Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the incredible from last night’s So You Think You Can Dance Show.

The Good
First, let’s take a look at the good routines from last night. There were a lot of good routines. At this stage in the game, there really is no question that these are all amazing dancers. Billy Bell kicked off the night dancing with All Star Lauren and took us all back to the movie Footloose. Salsa girl Cristina danced a lovely Jazz routine with All Star Mark, which stunned Adam and left Mia proud. Jose dove into a hip hop routine with All Star Comfort. It was good, but I had to agree with Adam, Jose needs more power. It was too easy for him to get lost dancing next to Comfort. A couple other good routines included Alexie and Twitche’s hip hop (although I think she needs to hit harder), and Ashley and Neil’s contemporary piece, which was beautiful and special.

The Bad
Grant it, all of the dancers pulled their routine’s off fairly well. However, there were a couple that really fell a bit flat and that brought some tough criticism from the judges. The first dancer to really get negative criticism from the judges was Adechike, who danced a Travis Wall contemporary routine with All Star Katherine. The big problem here was chemistry and a lack of performance. Melinda’s Jive (also known as the kiss of death on the show) with Pasha was another routine that got harsh criticism. The judges felt that the style didn’t suite Melinda and that she tried to hide her weakness with her performance. Lauren’s Pop Jazz routine with Ade also drew criticism for having no connection and no character. These dancers could be in danger tonight, but we’ll see what America has to say.

The Incredible!
Now let’s talk about the incredible. I have two words – Alex Wong. Alex was paired with All Star Allison for a Contemporary routine by Sonja. They danced to the song “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. Absolutely breathtaking and incredible. Two judges were on their feet and Nigel proclaimed that this dance set a new standard for the show. Mia went even further, saying it “was the best piece done anywhere on any stage on So You Think You Can Dance.”

Another of the incredible routines was done by Robert along with All Star Courtney. They danced an African Jazz routine that the judges and the crowd loved. Adam even called Robert one of the best contemporary dancers ever.

In a Category of His Own…
Last, but certainly not least, was Kent. I felt he definitely needed a category of his own. Kent Boyd danced a Cha Cha routine with All Star Anya, choreographed by Tony and Melanie. Was his technique incredible? No. However, his personality and his enthusiasm for the dance had the crowd going wild and the judges throwing out glowing compliments. Nigel even called him a “Young Paul Newman,” and Adam felt that he blasted through any weaknesses he may have had. There is something about the smile and enthusiasm from this 18 year old kid from Wapakoneta that draws you into the dance. Something tells me Kent is safe tonight.

The show was phenomenal. I can hardly wait to see these dancers on stage again. I love the new format as well. I wasn’t sure how it would play out, but seeing some of my favorites from the past and the incredible pieces they are dancing out there with this season’s contestants is awesome. Something magical seems to be happening on that stage and I just can’t wait to see more. Stay tuned, we’ll be back tomorrow to talk about the results.