Karla Garcia and her partner Vitolio Jeune became the next two finalists eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance's fifth season during last night's live results show on Fox.
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Karla, a 23-year-old jazz and contemporary dancer from Oxon Hill, MD who currently resides in Brooklyn, NY; and Vitolio, a 26-year-old contemporary dancer from Petionville, Haiti who currently resides in Miami, FL; found themselves among the bottom three couples based on home viewer votes cast immediately following Wednesday night's performance episode.
They were then ousted by the show's three judges after the six dancers each performed a solo routine.
"It's an honor to be here amongst all these other dancers and I feel just blessed to be around these people and to be one of them," Karla said during a video montage that followed her ouster.
"It was great experience, I learned a lot about myself," Vitolio told So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley after his elimination. "I received lots of email from a lot of people telling me like how I've changed their life, how I've inspired them, so that's the most beautiful thing I'm going to take from this experience."
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In addition to Karla and Vitolio, Jeanine Mason, an 18-year-old contemporary dancer who currently resides in Pinecrest, FL, and her partner Phillip Chbeeb, a 20-year-old popping dancer who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, as well as Kayla Radomski, an 18-year-old jazz and contemporary dancer from Aurora, CO, and her partner Kupono Aweau, a 23-year-old lyrical and contemporary dancer who currently resides in Kailua, HI, were the other members of the bottom three couples.
Both judges' decisions were unanimous, according to So You Think You Can Dance lead judge Nigel Lythgoe.
"You are without question a very, very good dancer but somehow on this journey through So You Think You Can Dance you haven't quite captured the star quality that we felt you had at the beginning, consequently we are going to say goodnight to you this evening," Nigel said as he announced Karla's elimination.
"We feel as though you always present yourself brilliantly. You've got great presence on stage, and when you come out with your eyes and the way your carriage is, you look you're going to be a major star. But you don't really deliver anything at the end of the day apart from a great presence," Nigel told Vitolio.
"I'm sorry, tonight it's the end of the road," he added.
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Karla and Vitolio had performed a well-received quick step during Wednesday night's performance episode.
"I thought your quick step was very good, I thought that your close-hold was good. You kept your shape. Overall I thought it was a really entertaining routine," Nigel had told the pair after their performance.
"Well so much for the kiss of death dance, huh!? I mean come on, they brought the whole thing to life!" judge Mary Murphy said.
"You're gorgeous," So You Think You Can Dance choreographer and guest judge Mia Michaels added. "The only think I would have asked from you is as bright as your dress and as bright as your talent is, you need to keep your face as bright."
In addition to Jeanine, Phillip, Kayla, and Kupono, So You Think You Can Dance's Top 12 fifth-season finalists are Randi Evans and her partner Evan Kasprzak, Melissa Sandvig and her partner Ade Obayomi, Janette Manrara and her partner Brandon Bryant, and Caitlin Kinney and her partner Jason Glover.
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So You Think You Can Dance's next episode will air Wednesday, July 8 at 8PM ET/PT on Fox, with each of the six remaining couples performing a choreographed routine.
Then on Thursday night at 9PM ET/PT, the three couples who received the lowest number of home viewer votes will be announced. Each dancer in those three couples will then be given one last chance to impress the judges with his or her solo routine.
After all six dancers have performed, the judges will send one male and one female finalist home, revealing the season's Top 10.
About The Author: Steven Rogers