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GROUP ROUTINE - This was one of the worst pieces I've ever seen from Wade. In fact, if I hadn't known otherwise, based on the corniness and the literal-minded pantomime factor, I'd have assumed it was a Tyce routine. I thought the girls' acting was just horrible when they were on the table before they started to dance. Fortunately, they dance better than they act. When the tables turned, the boys got so ridiculous and nelly that I was just annoyed. I really wonder if Wade TOLD Brandon to queen out that way…

EVAN & JEANINE: Contemporary - I liked the choreography and the dancing on this one. I think Jeanine came off a little better, but Evan had the much harder choreography, so I was actually a bit more impressed by him. The only real problem I had was that whereas Jeanine's arm movements were strong, Evan's were weak and floppy. I can't decide if that was supposed to be a character difference between them intended by the choreographer, or if it was just weak arm work by Evan…

BRANDON - Solo - I like that several of the judges used the term "athletic" to describe this solo, as I found it to be a dazzling display of athleticism, even more than a pleasing dance. The SPEED at which he did it all made it unbelievably difficult (I didn't know a human being could pirouette so fast), but the aesthetics got lost a bit for me.

KAYLA & BRANDON: Broadway - As wonderful as I felt Janette was, in every dance she did with Brandon, with the exception of the tango, I found myself always watching him more than her. Well, tonight, all I could look at was Kayla. I'm assuming that Brandon was out there (somebody was throwing her around a bunch), but she stole the show. Her costume and hairstyle were so dramatic, and she rose to that level and really filled every moment. I liked the dance and LOVED Kayla in it. I'm glad Nigel pointed out the synchro-pirouettes. Even though they fell out of sync a bit after about four spins, it was a really cool piece of choreography. I'm not quite sure what made it "Broadway", but I thought it was pretty well-choreographed piece (especially from Tyce).

JEANINE: Solo - Well, this was certainly the best solo she has done on the show. The only thing I was disappointed with was that it was a bit TOO precise. TOO careful. We were watching technique (albeit great technique) but never really seeing any abandon.

EVAN & BRANDON: Hip Hop - I think that the judging on this piece was pretty spot-on. Evan did a nice job, but he couldn't come close to matching Brandon, in terms of character or hard-hitting dancing. I think Brandon had an advantage, in that he had worked with Laurieann before, but so be it. I love how Brandon can take on a super masculine character and play it so convincingly. It doesn't matter how girly he may be in real life - he transforms. Evan may be a nice guy, but we need him to be able to transform equally dramatically. Here, he failed.

JEANINE & KAYLA: Contemporary - I didn't like this piece at all. I thought that the choreography was repetitive and dull and the use of space was totally boring. Mostly, though, I hated that the dancers never related to one another AT ALL. They were sharing the stage, but never once showed an awareness of the other person (even in the few times where they touched). To me, what is pleasing about a pairs dance is watching the two dancers interact and feed off of one another. That didn't happen here. Even with that concept (which was not the dancers fault), the execution wasn't there. They were simply too different stylistically. Their angles and their lines didn't match up. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't impressively powerful. Fail.

EVAN: Solo The choreography, style and music were so similar to his previous solos and the execution wasn't the best he's done. As a result, I found myself distracted by his pit stains. He needs antiperspirant. Or dress shields…

KAYLA & EVAN: Jive - I was not confident about the idea of a jive set to a country song, but I needn't have worried. I thought it was delightful. I thought they both executed the technique quite well, especially the series of lifts, and both brought a lot of personality. I agree with Nigel about Kayla. This was the most likeable and charismatic she has been.

KAYLA: Solo - Her solos have been consistently "meh", and this one was no exception. I'm not sure what is missing, but something surely is...

JEANINE & BRANDON &: Paso Doble - There were a lot of good things about this routine. I thought they both looked incredible and moved with a quintessential Latin style. The intensity was there, and they brought a tremendous musicality to the performance. What I didn't like is that there wasn't nearly enough of the percussive footwork I love with the paso doble, and what little there was wasn't executed in the way I like. I love it when the man's body is nearly still, but his feet are moving like lightning. Brandon didn't do that. His body was moving too much for me, so it felt more like tap or swing rather than something more grounded.


Pairs Rankings:

1. KAYLA & BRANDON - Broadway
2. EVAN & KAYLA - Jive
3. JEANINE & BRANDON - Paso Doble
4. BRANDON & EVAN - Hip Hop
5. EVAN & JEANINE - Contemporary
6. JEANINE & KAYLA - Contemporary

Solo Rankings:

1. JEANINE
2. BRANDON (these two were almost too close to call)
3. EVAN
4. KAYLA

Ideal final order (based on tonight and the season as a whole):

1. BRANDON (other than his first solo in top ten week, has been pretty great in everything)
2. KAYLA (has shone consistently and been the star of some of the most memorable routines)
3. JEANINE (peaking at the right time, but IMO should have been cut last week)
4. EVAN (has a lot of strengths, but also a lot of weaknesses)