So You Think You Can Dance 9 - Recap Live Blog - Meet the Top 20

7:30 - Tonight we meet the Top 20 on So You Think You Can Dance 9. Not only is this Episode 6 of Season 9, it is also the 200th episode for SYTYCD! That is quite an achievement for any show, and I am truly happy for all involved. To tide you over until the show starts, go watch this great clip from FOX celebrating the show's fantastic milestone. See everyone when the show starts!

8:00 - Nice to see Zooey Deschanel on the panel, but why?

8:05 - Can I just ask why The Choice is still on? Poor Cat Deeley. Poor Cat Deeley.

8:09 - Alexa Anderson is first up to hear the news. Yeah she can definitely dance a little deer-in-the-headlights at times, but I never really got all the judges' ranting and raving at her. Not shocked to see Alexa get through, is anyone really?

8:11 - Great to see George Lawrence II get through as well. I loved his audition, and I think this his place is totally deserved.

Who is Will Thomas? Who is Megan Branch? Who is Colin Fuller? Who is Amber Jackson? Why did we see nothing from them during the previous episodes? How do we know nothing about four of the final thirty-five dancers? Ugh, show, what are you doing to me? Anyways, Will and Amber get through and we say goodbye to Colin and Megan. Not really a loss for us, SINCE WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM!

So the four dancers that made it through come together for Tyce Diorio contemporary routine, and shockingly I liked it! I am just as surprised! It was nice to see Tyce do something not so overwrought, and the piece definitely had some nice flow to it. I also think Jessie J's cover of "We Found Love" was an inspired choice of song.

8:17 - Have to say, I pretty much agreed with Nigel's assessments of each dancer. Will certainly faded into the background, and seemed like nothing more than a supporting dancer. Alexa definitely had some presence, as did Amber. George, however, blew them all out of the water. If he gets a nice piece or two at the beginning of the season with a solid partner, he is definitely a contender.

The one thing I disagreed with Nigel about was his chiding of Amber for her comments she made in private to the cameras after being cut two seasons back. Really Nigel? She was clearly disappointed and hurt, and it is not like she threw some huge tantrum or made a scene. Consider her chances, and whoever she is with, all but sunk now.

8:20 - Zooey's first critique totally confirmed my fears about having her on the show. It is not her fault; she is just clearly out of her element.

8:25 - So, somebody explain to me why there can be only one ballroom representative? That makes no sense. Diversity Nigel, diversity! Once again, we see somebody we have not spent anytime with when Nick Bloxsom-Carter goes to hear his fate. Luckily, he makes it through. It is nice to have a male ballroom contestant again, but something tells me he will not be a sex symbol like Pasha or Dmitry from past seasons. He just looks too boyish and not as strong.

Up next are Whitney Carson and Lindsay Arnold, and sadly only one can make it through. Because Nigel is an idiot. Whitney makes, and then all of a sudden Lindsay does too! Yes! But what is with the head games here show? Not necessary.

8:29 - The three dance to a Jason Gilkison ballroom routine. It is nice, and the girls are really giving some great performance quality, but it is kind of awkward. I really blame it on the fact that you cannot do a really great ballroom performance with three people. It is just not a dance genre made for odd numbers, literally.

8:32 - Zooey Deschanel....with random.......buzzwords........maybe scared...........for her life............

8:40 - Eliana Girard, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp (that name is going to get tiring typing), and Daniel Baker are all next. Just like the dancers before them, all three get psyched out before they make it through. I guess the show can keep pulling these stunts if it puts dancers like these guys through. I will allow it. I like all three, especially Chehon, and am glad to see such technically trained dancers make the Top 20. Although, does anybody else get a whiff of arrogance from Daniel? Maybe it is just me, but he seems a little full of himself.

8:42 - After making it into the Top 20, Eliana, Chehon and Daniel dance a gorgeous ballet number by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden. Like all great ballet routines, it was both powerful and graceful. The lighting was distracting throughout the routine, however, which is really a shame. Also, Chehon and Daniel were about a half second out-of-sync with each other, but I am not positive who was at fault. I believe it was Chehon who was late, but I cannot be sure.

That said it was still quite fantastic. Eliana should always wear her hair up like that, because that look is stunning on her. Chehon and Matt should also always go shirtless, because that look is stunning on them. Just saying.

8:52 - Tiffany Maher and Audrey Case are the next two to make it into the Top 20. We have seen a little from them in earlier episodes, but they really have not made that much of an impression. Besides, of course, that Audrey can squeak her neck. So she has that going for her.

8:54 - Bunch of random girls then come up, and the judges proceed eliminate them. At least it was nobody of consequence.

8:55 - The show then gets its first ever belly dancer in the Top 20 with Janelle Issis. I am super happy Janelle made it in, and I really hope she sticks around for a while. She might not be the best dancer, but she has a great personality and really brings a spark to her performances.

8:56 - Tiffany and Audrey then dance a Sonyah Tayeh routine, which Janelle has to sit out of due to injury. It is pretty standard fare from Sonyah, and the girls are costumed so similarly that I cannot tell them apart. It is actually freaking me out a bit. One of them seemed a little weaker and not as sure of her movements, but I cannot for the life of me say whom. They looked like twins on that stage.

8:59 - We cut to Season 8 winner Melanie after the dance, who is wearing such an unfortunate hat. Girl: no.

9:03 - After the break, Dareian Kujawa and his self-described "brick feet" make the Top 20. I am reminded of Jeanine Mason from Season 5 when introduced herself on the Top 20 episode as a dancer with bad legs. Well, it worked for her! Matt Kazmierczak and Janaya French are also in, but I am drawing a totally blank on them thanks to Nigel not showing anything of them earlier in the season. Sigh. Luckily, we get a show like this nowadays, where we get to see the dancers before they compete. It must have really sucked for the dancers of past seasons who were not televised before the live shows, and then just had to go and compete.

9:09 - Amelia Lowe and Jill Johnson are the last two female dancers, which means only one is getting in. Of course, Amelia makes the Top 20, and rightfully so. She is a beautiful girl and a beautiful dancer.

9:12 - The four contemporary dancers dance a Stacey Tookey routine, and it is absolutely gorgeous. The quality of the movement was just superb from all of the dancers, especially from Amelia. Stacey really has a way of bringing fluid and staccato movements together in a routine that is just astounding. Like I said, everyone shined but Amelia stole the show right there. She is definitely the frontrunner for the girls this season, and I am not sure anybody will be pushing her out of that spot.

9:18 - Martial artist Cole Horibe is next to make it to the finals, which I also fully support. The kid is just so unbelievably quick, strong, and precise when he dances, and I know the choreographers cannot wait to have him.

9:20 - Sadly, no tappers will be making it this season, and we say goodbye to the only two that made it to the Green Mile.

9:21 - Brandon Mitchell then beats out another stepper in Devon McCullough to also join the Top 20. I hope Brandon is seems like a good dancer, but true to form tonight, we know nothing about him really.

9:24 - Finally Cyrus Spencer and Feliciano are the last boys to hear their fate. Just like with Amelia, it is obvious Cyrus is making it in and he does. He might also be the frontrunner for the guys, but I feel like it is more open in their group. It all depends on who adapts and grows the best, along with their luck in partnering and choreography.

9:27 - The boys dance a Christopher Scott routine that blends all three of their differing styles together nicely. It looks like Cyrus is already struggling with dancing outside of his style, so that will be something to watch as the show progresses. If I was a betting man, I would say one of these three will take it for the boys this year if they show skill in other genres.

9:33 - Do not forget about National Dance Day on July 28th. Yes plugs are annoying (hence why I will not be mentioning that other one we heard a lot from tonight), but this is a good one! Hell, at least it is related to the show, unlike that other one; and no, centering one routine around that topic does make it all of a sudden relevant.

9:37 - With all of the Top 20 announced, we get to the final three routines of the night. Travis Wall leads the Top 10 girls (Actually Top 9 because of Issis' injury, but that does not sound as nice) in another great routine from him. Like Nigel said, Travis always makes everything flow beautifully, and this is no exception. I also really enjoyed the constant level changes he had the dancers go through, because it is really pleasing to the eye with so many people involved. When the girls connected, it really did look like one being was dancing, which was different in a good way. Nobody really stood out, but that is just because everybody blended well. Overall, very nice.

Although, for the second time tonight, the lighting was a distraction during the performance. Hopefully, the show fixes that and quick.

9:45 - Sonyah Tayeh then took the Top 10 guys through their  routine. We have already seen Sonyah do "different" tonight, so it is not a shock that she pulls out a "warrior" routine for this number. Interestingly, I believe this is the first time we have seen one of her "warrior" dances that utilizes men. They have always been girl dances in the past, so that is something new. Right off the bat, Sonyah has the guys take off their shirts. Sigh. Thank you Sonyah. I am sure if Nigel had the girls do that as well, the show would not be worried about cancellation, but I digress. The routine is nice, if a touch standard from Sonyah. Like with the girls, I do not see any standouts. Better yet, I do not see anyone falling out of the dance or not keeping up, which is something you do not want to see from your Top 10 guys.

9:56 - The final routine of the night belongs to Mia Michaels, as she gets all of the Top 20 (19). To quote Nigel, "Welcome home Mamma!" Love the hair, and I really hope this means we will see more of her stuff this season. I love SYTYCD, but Mia Michaels just makes it better. Now, all we need is Wade Robson to come back, and everything would be complete. It might not be Mia's best work, but it has such a distinctive Mia flare that I cannot help but love it. I pray this is not Mia’s only showing this season. If it was, I would actually be crushed a little.

10:00 - So there are your Top 20 dancers America! Cat said this might be the most diverse season the show has had so far, and even if it is not, it still feels extremely diverse. It is nice that there is a good mix of dancers, even if Hip-Hop is underrepresented for the first time since Season 1. Speaking of Cat, how great was she tonight? Cat always shines on the live shows, and this time was no different. Seriously, I would marry the woman if given the chance.

Normally somebody would make predictions now, but you cannot really do that with this show. It is important to see how the dancers are partnered and perform their first routines, and then you can go from there. For example, take Katee Shean. After Nigel threw her under the bus for her Vegas Week confession during the Green Mile, she was left for all but dead when it came to winning the show. Then, she gets partner with Joshua Allen, they dance Napoleon and Tabitha's first-ever routine on the show, and she goes on to be one of the greatest dancers the show has ever seen. I would say the greatest, but that is an argument for another day. My point is that it is important to wait for that first week to occur, then go and make your bets. Still, if you want to get ahead of the curve, let me know who you think is taking it all down in the comments!

The show has off because of July 4th, so until two weeks from now!

PRESS RELEASE

The So You Think You Can Dance Top 10 female finalists are:

Alexa Anderson
Hometown: Chandler, AZ
Age: 19
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Alexa at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Alexa
www.facebook.com/Dance9Alexa

Lindsay Arnold
Hometown: Provo, UT
Age: 18
Dance Specialty: Latin Ballroom

Keep up with Lindsay at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Lindsay
www.facebook.com/Dance9Lindsay

Witney Carson
Hometown: American Fork, UT
Age: 18
Dance Specialty: Latin Ballroom

Keep up with Witney at:
www.facebook.com/Dance9Witney
www.twitter.com/Dance9Witney

Audrey Case
Hometown: Edmond, OK
Age: 18
Dance Specialty: Jazz

Keep up with Audrey at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Audrey
www.facebook.com/Dance9Audrey

Janaya French
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Age: 20
Dance Specialty: Lyrical Contemporary

Keep up with Janaya at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Janaya
www.facebook.com/Dance9Janaya

Eliana Girard
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
Age: 21
Dance Specialty: Contemporary Ballet

Keep up with Eliana at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Eliana
www.facebook.com/Dance9Eliana

Amber Jackson
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Age: 21
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Amber at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Amber
www.facebook.com/Dance9Amber

Janelle Issis
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Age: 24
Dance Specialty: Belly Dancing

Keep up with Janelle at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Janelle
www.facebook.com/Dance9Janelle

Amelia Lowe
Hometown: Butler, NJ
Age: 18
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Amelia at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Amelia
www.facebook.com/Dance9Amelia

Tiffany Maher
Hometown: Plantation, FL
Age: 19
Dance Specialty: Jazz

Keep up with Tiffany at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Tiffany
www.facebook.com/Dance9Tiffany

The So You Think You Can Dance Top 10 male finalists are:

Daniel Baker
Hometown: Newcastle, Australia
Age: 24
Dance Specialty: Ballet

Keep up with Daniel at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Daniel
www.facebook.com/Dance9Daniel

Nick Bloxsom-Carter
Hometown: Oak Park, CA
Age: 20
Dance Specialty: Ballroom

Keep up with Nick at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Nick
www.facebook.com/Dance9Nick

Cole Horibe
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Age: 26
Dance Specialty: Martial Arts Fusion

Keep up with Cole at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Cole
www.facebook.com/Dance9Cole

Matthew Kazmierczak
Hometown: Peoria, AZ
Age: 21
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Matthew at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Matthew
www.facebook.com/Dance9Matthew

Dareian Kujawa
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Age: 20
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Dareian at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Dareian
www.facebook.com/Dance9Dareian

George Lawrence II
Hometown: Decatur, GA
Age: 19
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with George at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9George
www.facebook.com/Dance9George

Brandon Mitchell
Hometown: Kansas City, KS
Age: 27
Dance Specialty: Stepping

Keep up with Brandon at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Brandon
www.facebook.com/Dance9Brandon

Cyrus Spencer
Hometown: Duluth, GA
Age: 22
Dance Specialty: Animation/Robotics

Keep up with Cyrus at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Cyrus
www.facebook.com/Dance9Cyrus

Will Thomas
Hometown: Troy, MI
Age: 19
Dance Specialty: Contemporary

Keep up with Will at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Will
www.facebook.com/Dance9Will

Chehon Wespi-Tschopp
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
Age: 23
Dance Specialty: Ballet

Keep up with Chehon at:
www.twitter.com/Dance9Chehon
www.facebook.com/Dance9Chehon