SYTYCD S5 Ep. 19 Top 8 Elimination

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Cat is wearing a very sequined mini dress with a huge Jaguar head covering the entire front.  Seriously, the nose/mouth part hits where her crotch would be.  MEEEEE-OOOOOOWWWW!  A big cat for Cat!  Very bold.  Once again, I am loving her shoes (I think I'm having a shoe obsession lately...must be telling me to go shoe shopping!) 

Top 8 Routine - Mia Michaels / One (A Chorus Line)

• If you've read my blog entry about my favorite dance movies, you will have seen that A Chorus Line is my favorite dance movie of all time (and my favorite Broadway musical as well). 
  
• The dancers are all dressed the same in white tuxedos with silver piping and white top hats. They all also have silver face paint over one eye. 
  
• The dance starts with each dancer staring into a mirror that is cracked.  The mirrors are all facing different directions.  They are then moved to be perpendicular to the stage and in a ripple each dancer turns the mirror to the audience and steps in front of it.  This is not the triumphant One number from the end of the musical.  This is the twisted nightmarish version, like in the movie when Michael Douglas' character forces Cassie to look at the dancers and asks her if she wants to be one of the faceless nameless dancers and she says yes because they're all special.  In that scene, the dancers all have scary smiles planted and the lighting makes them look like dummies.  Mia's choreography brings out that same crazy feeling. 
  
• This is one of my favorite group numbers of the season and while it's more refined for Mia, it is so Mia at the same time.  I love her take on a classic!

Mia's Best Moments from the past 99 episodes:  The little babies coming home and seeing their journey and progression. She's Mama Mia to them.  LOVE IT!

Dancers from past seasons seen on tonight's show include:

• Courtney -S4
  
• Comfort - S4
  
• Katee - S4
  
• Anya - S3
• Lauren - S3
• Pasha - S3
• Chelsea - S4
• Joy - S2
• Benji - S2
• Kherrington - S4
• Musa - S2
• Natalie - S2
• Joshua - S4
• Hok - S3
• Martha - S2
• Travis - S2
• Dmitri - S2
• Jaimie - S3
• Heidi - S2
• Donyelle - S2
• Allison - S2
• Mark - S3
• Jessica - S4
• Gev - S4
• Ryan - S1
  
• (I have probably missed some I couldn't ID or didn't see)
  

Highlights from past five seasons. I am such a big sap.  I seriously just watched that and was crying by the end.  It's like reliving your favorite moments in one montage.  I saw routines I loved and then the very end showed the four winners from the past seasons:  Nick, Benji, Sabra, & Joshua. This show makes me miss dancing like you wouldn't believe.  To be apart of that world and express yourself without words is magical. 

Girls are up:

• Melissa safe! - OK, that means I am wrong on one of the girls right off the bat.  I had her safe in the end, but not completely safe.
• Kayla - Bottom 2
• Between Janette & Jeanine - JANETTE IS IN THE BOTTOM?!?!?  I am shocked...she's never been in the bottom.  WOAH.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE #1:  Hummingbird & The Flower / Wade Robson / Hok & Jaimie (S3)

• It's as magical and wonderful as the first time I saw it.  I think this may be my favorite routine EVER on the show.  Well, definitely Top 5.  I have a hard time picking just one.

Guys are up:

• Between Ade & Jason - Jason's in Bottom 2
• Between Evan & Brandon - Brandon's in Bottom 2 - Again I say, WHAT?!!?  I think the universe if off its axis putting Brandon in the bottom.  Seriously?  The audience is as shocked as I am.  He rocked last night like he rocks every week.  Evan is getting sympathy votes because he is not up to the caliber of dancers like the rest.
  

I was 2 out of 4 correct for the bottom.  Not very good considering there are only eight dancers left.  If I had to guess from the actual Bottom 4, I'd say Jason & Kayla are going home, but who knows because I am often wrong.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE #2: The Bench / Mia Michaels / Travis & Heidi (S2)

• I have missed watching Travis dance on this show.  It's funny because now he's older, his hair isn't as funky and he has tattoos on his arm.  He's the same and yet so different.  The routine is still great, but not as magical as the first time.  Still feel sad for Heidi when Travis rejects her and walks away.

Bottom 4 Solos:  They all perform the same solos as last night. 

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE #3: Ramalama / Wade Robson / S2 Group

• This is probably the routine that made me love Wade Robson on this show.  It was so out there at the time and I had never heard Roisin Murphy's song (unlike now when it's played 5938349 times at every dance competition).
  
• OMG!!!!  We get to see the great Wade Robson perform with the Season 3 dancers.
• Dancers include: Benji, Travis. Dmitri, Ivan, Donyelle, Allison, Heidi, Martha, & Wade!
• My husband has told me this is his favorite routine from the show.
  
• I smiled through that whole routine!

SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCE: Katie Holmes / Get Happy

• As part of the Dizzyfeet Foundations, Katie Holmes is a founding member and friends with Tyce Diorio.  Together, they created an homage to Judy Garland.  Katie performs as she sings and dances.  (Two things I did not know she could do).
• It's a recorded production number, not live.  She looks pretty in white and later a classy and sexy black outfit.  AHHHH, that was Mark Kanemura (S4) who just walked by!!!  Oh, and there's Joshua (S4).  It's great to see them dancing as well tonight! 
  
• While I liked it, I wish she didn't look so obvious lip syncing.  She has a great voice.  It's funny, when she was on Dawson's Creek I used to think she had a short person's face.  I mean she has this cutesy face and yet seemed soooo tall.  It seems she has grown into her body and is a beautiful woman.
  

ELIMINATION:
GIRLS - Janette

• This has to be the biggest shocker EVER!  I honestly thought she was on her way to winning the show and yet I was wrong.  Sadly, I had chosen her as my new fav after watching her in that Sonya Tayeh Jazz routine.  I blame Evan for her demise. 
  
• Nigel says she was his favorite and thought she could also win.  He thinks America got it wrong.
• OR DID THEY?  Have you ever thought that the voting was fake?  I mean there are theories they want Jeanine to win, right?  Well, what if Janette posed too big a threat so they eliminate her ensuring Jeanine the girl vote (because let's face it, Kayla and Melissa are terrific technicians and dancers, but not THAT personable). It's just a thought.

GUYS - Jason

• I saw this one coming.  Not because he's bad, but because Ade is gaining momentum especially with that contemporary piece and his solos.  I am still shocked about Evan.  I think he needs to leave.  The biggest shocker is Brandon in the bottom.  I had thought he was the top male. 
• Oh NO...The BFF's eye candy is now gone...no more sexy Jason abs!  Now it's your turn to mourn my friend.  I empathize with your sadness. 
• Awww, he's crying (and yet Janette is cool as a cucumber up there). ='( 
  
• THEORY - They put Brandon in the bottom to increase interest in him and make people so shocked they end up voting more for him and surpass Evan.  IDK, that one seems a little less thought out than my Jeanine theories. 

That was a great show.  I am not as sad about the eliminated dancers this week and we got to see all our old friends.  Maybe that's why I'm not sad for Janette and Jason.  I know we'll see them again.

The only thing that would have made this show perfect would have been to see DANNY TIDWELL dance, or even just show up.  I miss that guy big time.  He's still my FAVORITE dancer from any season!

Until next week...keep dancing!