Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson became the ninth and tenth finalists eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance's fourth season during last night's live results show on Fox.

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"This has been like the best experience I've ever had," said Comfort, a 20-year-old hip-hop dancer from Lagos, Nigeria who currently resides in Dallas, TX, after her ouster was revealed. 

"I've had only two-and-a-half years [experience] of what you all have been doing for a long time.  You all are beautiful dancers.  I'm blessed to be here.  This is not the end of me.  You're going to see me more.  I'm not going to stop."

Comfort and Thayne found themselves among the bottom three couples based on home viewer votes cast immediately following Wednesday night's performance episode, in which each couple performed two routines.  They were then ousted by the show's three judges after the six dancers each performed a solo routine.

"This experience has been amazing," said Thayne, a 27-year-old contemporary dancer from Springville, UT, during a video montage of his So You Think You Can Dance journey. 

The couple first performed a hip-hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo during Wednesday night's performance episode, and the judges all thought both dancers lacked a connection.

"You had the opportunity to [play off of each other] tonight, and I don't feel as though you took it," said So You Think You Can Dance executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe. 

"Thayne, you were trying I think.  But Comfort, you didn't really relate to him until right at the beginning and right at the end.  So I'm a little disappointed with it.  It felt as though you danced it okay and everything you were choreographed to do was there.  But I didn't see you added to the routine other than what your choreographers gave you... I think we'll see them in the bottom three couples again this week."

"We're talking about chemistry you guys, and that didn't have it," added judge Mary Murphy.  "There were some little cute, highlight moments... There's lots of little nuances in there that were really cool and groovy.  But is it going to get me to stand up right now?  No it's not.  So for me it was good, just good."

"It was a little bit more than good.  I love the choreography on the stairs, I could have watched that the whole time.  I loved that... And their right, the connection is lacking.  You guys have got to work on your connection," said this week's guest judge, contemporary choreographer Mia Michaels.

"Comfort I am a big fan of you and I've been pushing for you this whole time because there's something about you I really, really like a lot.  But I will say I'm going to have to back-off at this point.  You are not taking it to where you need to take it in order for you to stay in this competition because you are just riding this.  Thayne, I love you because I know what you bring to this competition.  I thought you did a great job.  But it felt a little thin for me."

For their second routine during Wednesday night's episode, Comfort and Thayne performed a contemporary routine choreographed by Mandy Moore.

"This is tough for me, and I'm sorry, this is going to sound worse than I mean it," commented Nigel.  "But I would have liked to have seen another couple dance that routine because I thought the choreography was really beautiful and I still didn't feel as though you connected and I still don't feel either of you danced it anywhere near as well as you can or as good as that choreography deserved."

"Sorry, it's not going to get much better here," said Mary.  "It just wasn't really completely believable for me.  Comfort, you were doing everything and it looked beautiful, but it didn't come from a real place of strength.  So it's just like the movement is so-so when it could have been so much more dynamic."

"Comfort, you can only fake so much -- you can only fake technique so much," said Mia, echoing Mary's criticism that Comfort's feet were "all sickled and wrong."

"I think that if you would have had a better connection with each other, it would have worked because the choreography was so beautiful and so good.  I just feel like you're lacking that connection... Thayne, I disagree with both of them because I think you're brilliant.  I think that your movement is so grounded and so thick.  I think you're stunning.  You're an amazing dancer, and whether you stay on this show or not, I really look forward to working with you."

Comfort and Thayne were then the first couple revealed to be in the bottom three during last night's episode -- the third week in a row they found themselves in the bottom three.

"I think that's inevitable that you're here again.  I think America got it right and I think America's been telling you something for a long time and you're not hearing it.  I feel that you both bring something so special to this competition," commented Mia during last night's broadcast before presumably speaking directly to Thayne.

"It would be very sad to lose one of you.  But I don't feel either one of you has reached your highest potential.  So I hope you're around after tonight so you can now take that step up.  I really want you to stay.  I do."

In addition to Comfort and Thayne, Jessica King, a 23-year-old contemporary dancer from Myrtle Beach, SC, and her partner Will Wingfield, a 21-year-old contemporary dancer from Nashville, TN; and Kherington Payne, an 18-year-old contemporary/jazz dancer from Placentia, CA, and her partner Twitch Boss, a 25-year-old freestyle dancer from Montgomery, AL, were the other members of the bottom three vote getters based on home viewer votes.

After Nigel revealed Kherington was safe during last night's broadcast, he turned his attention to Comfort and Jessica.

"I have to say, we discussed both of you right away from the beginning from when we saw you," said Nigel. 

"I've had my mind changed during the course of our conversations as well.  Comfort, I've got to say congratulations, you really pulled it out tonight with your solo.  I was disappointed with you last week, and I thought this week you really brought it with your solo.  Jessica we were somewhat disappointed with your solo.  Across the season, we've often been disappointed with your performances.  And yet at least one routine every week, you've been absolutely stunning in.  But not the other one. Because of that one routine we've decided to keep you this week.  So Comfort, sorry.  You bring such a different style.  We love you to death."

Once Comfort had left the stage Nigel said the judges decided the competition couldn't lose either Will or Twitch, thus Thayne was the odd man out.

"I have to say this -- and this might sound cruel -- but this is one of the times we would have liked to kept all our boys tonight and lost two girls," said Nigel.  "You have been superb on this series.  Your work has been excellent, and I know Mia Michaels will be working with you soon.  She's very upset in losing you tonight, although we have been unanimous in our decision."

In addition to Jessica and Will and Kherington and Twitch, So You Think You Can Dance's Top 10 fourth-season finalists are Katee Shean and her partner Joshua Allen; Chelsie Hightower and her partner Mark Kanemura; and Courtney Galiano and her partner Gev Manoukian. The Top 10 finalists will participate in the So You Think You Can Dance North American tour this fall.

So You Think You Can Dance's next fourth-season performance episode will air Wednesday, July 16 at 8PM ET/PT on Fox, with each of the 10 remaining dancers switching partners.

Then on Thursday night at 9PM ET/PT, the two dancers who received the lowest number of home viewer votes will be eliminated from the competition, revealing the Top 8.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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