So You Think You Can Dance's Top 10 seventh-season finalists took to the stage and performed for during Wednesday night's live broadcast of the Fox reality competition series.
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The following is Reality TV World's recap of the performance broadcast in the order which the Top 10 finalists danced. Also included are comments from each of the three judges -- Nigel Lythgoe, Mia Michaels and Adam Shankman -- as well as the style, all-star partner and choreographer for each routine.
On Thursday at 9PM ET/PT, the three finalists who received the lowest number of home viewer votes will be revealed and perform solo routines before the judges decide who will be eliminated.
Cristina Santana, a 24-year-old salsa dancer from San Diego, CA
Style: Paso Doble
All-Star Partner: Pasha Kovalev
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux and France Mousseau
Nigel said: "I think we have to remember what elements are required here. It needs passion. It needs power. It needs fire. Then on top of all of that, it needs control. So we have to say did Cristina bring that tonight? Yes she did! There's no question about that. It was a great start to the show... Last week you were down, you were in the bottom three. Thank goodness you didn't go home otherwise we would have missed that wonderful routine."
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Mia said: "I kind of think it was everything. It had every element to it. Like Nigel said, it was power, it was passion, it was the whole package, and it was the perfect partnership. Fabulous."
Adam said: "Mucho caliente! Your confidence and your commitment to your character, it was extraordinary. You set that stage on fire. Great start to the show!"
Adechike Torbert, a 23-year-old contemporary dancer from Brooklyn, NY who currently resides in Queens, NY
Style: Contemporary
All-Star Partner: Allison Holker
Choreographer: Mary Moore
Nigel said: "We said the same thing to you last week about bringing emotion out... I've got to say I see a major improvement. It's there. What you've got to watch is that you don't interrupt the flow of your emotional side, don't interrupt that with steps... That gets in the way sometime of the emotional journey you're on within the routine. You've got to control that. Get so used to those movements that it becomes muscle memory and it just happens. You've got beautiful style and you're a good-looking lad."
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Mia said: "You need to tap into that joy that's in there on a much more consistent level. What's happening is you'll all of a sudden find a moment and you'll smile, then it goes away. It comes across very dishonest and false. Your performance, yes, it did get better from last week. Your movement, when it's small and inside and internal, it's gorgeous. But because you're so stiff on top it stops the length. Remember one thing, dance is an art form, but it's a heart form. That's what was lacking for me."
Adam said: "You're technically so good. What I think everybody's saying is you're dancing from your head, but you have so much passion in your heart and sometimes it feels like there's a weight on there -- a little bit of heaviness. You need to actually get out your head and do exactly what Nigel said, which is, at a certain point, who cares what the steps are? You just have to kind of deliver and let go an be there for her. Do that as an exercise. But it was a tremendous routine."
Alex Wong, a 23-year-old ballet dancer from Vancouver, Canada who currently resides in Miami, FL
Style: Broadway
All-Star Partner: Lauren Gottlieb
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Nigel said: "Being in ballet, you haven't really studied all the different forms of dance. You hadn't really heard too much about Bob Fosse... He changes style with each thing he does. There isn't really a Fosse style that stays the same. He uses his music a lot. You need to try and bring a little more power to your performance with it now. Everything technically is there. I'm not sure if it's your collar on your jacket, but it appeared you were dancing with your shoulders up a little bit... Some really nice things going on, most of which were in the classical field. I think you're really going to have to work hard in changing genre now. Good job."
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Mia said: "Fosse is so internal... You're physically, technically perfection. But I wanted it to be inside... Just know that it's not always about the tricks and the power. I wanted to see that style that was lacking a little bit for me."
Adam said: "Your talent is so expansive that you have to understand what this competition is about for you -- it's not about your ability, it's about your versatility and about your growth. What I saw, it was a little bit -- I say this with great respect for you -- it was a little bit of the antithesis of Fosse in its performance in that there was not a lot of levels. Everything felt big and explosive. It was a lot of flash and no smolder. That's just something you've got to work on. But without questions, you're an extraordinary dancer."
Ashley Galvan, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Visalia, CA who currently resides in Burbank, CA
Style: Jazz
All-Star Partner: Mark Kanemura
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Nigel said: "Looking at this, it was a well-choreographed routine and danced brilliantly -- but I didn't really get the fact that this was jazz. It just felt like a contemporary routine... I don't really feel as though I learned anything new about you. I've always known you're a terrific contemporary dancer, you're a beautiful girl, you are in our Top 5 girls because you are that good. But I want to see us really push you in other areas. I thought you doing jazz, we would see something different from you. And I haven't really learned anything this week. I just congratulate you on the strength that I know you've got. I hope America realizes how good the girls are this year, because I can see the boys being voted for. I don't want to see the girls just disappear. So good luck."
Mia said: "I loved the walk in the beginning. That really captured me. It was a really human moment in choreography. I know we just talked about it not being jazz and we needed to see that because we need to see the difference of what you can do, and we didn't see that. However, you are one of my favorite girls. By far, for sure. You need to be really aware of your transitions, that you dance through your transitions and you keep the story alive through the lifts and through the transitions. But I thought you delivered."
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Adam said: "I'm in the same place as Mia, which is in your transitions -- it's what I said last week -- it's about the stuff that the choreographer didn't give you, it's the losing yourself in the music thing. I think part of it was there was a lot of lifts in that. That was really challenging... But I would have liked to of seen some more moments where you just breathe yourself in it. That's when we get to see you open up and be that dancer that we're looking for. Pretty fab. You're great."
Billy Bell, a 20-year-old contemporary dancer from Palm Beach, FL who currently resides in New York, NY
Style: Krumping
All-Star Partner: Comfort Fedoke
Choreographer: Lil' C
Nigel said: "Billy, I think that this is probably the toughest style, the most alien style that you will find on this program for you. I believe that krump is a warrior's dance, and I don't think you've found the warrior in you yet. But I celebrate the fact that you put yourself through this and that you gave everything you could to it."
Mia said: "I think that you knocked on the warrior's door, but you were afraid to open it. I'm a little freaked out. It was a little strange for me to see you do that because you were turned out and trying to be a bad ass, but it was just Billy Bell. It was just an awkward moment for me. I think Lil' C tried to create that Billy B-Buck, but I'm going to say Billy B-Whack. But I still love you."
Adam said: "You were trying so hard out there. You were working so hard... It was like, to me -- and Billy, I'm going to say this, you're one of the best dancers we've ever had on this show -- but that was a bad experiment. That was like a failed experiment for me. It's hit, rebound, suspend. You didn't have enough hit or rebound and the suspend wasn't all there. You're a great dancer. Who cares."
Robert Roldan, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Thousand Oaks, CA who currently resides in North Hollywood, CA
Style: Argentine Tango
All-Star Partner: Anya Garnis
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux and France Mousseau
Nigel said: "This role was the dominant male of the species taking on the woman and controlling her -- and that's a hell of a woman to try and control. Without question, Roberto, you did that this evening. You looked magnificent up there. Your carriage, everything about it was tremendous. You had some great choreography to work with. When you sit back, the lighting and direction were fantastic as well. That made that stand out as one of the best routines of the night. Well done."
Mia said: "It didn't give me chills at all... I guess I just expect you to come out here and be flawless. For me, your carriage and your groundedness -- when I see Argentine Tango, it looks like the man is going to eat the woman alive. Like devour. I felt Anya devoured you. I needed more power from your performance. I needed more groundedness, to know who you are as that man up there and commit to it. For me, it was a little scritchy."
Adam said: "I know what each of them are saying. I thought you had beautiful footwork for somebody who's never done this before. You looked fabulous, you looked really stressed-out to me. There was this struggle in there for me. But it happens. You're amazing and you've never done that before. Also stretch your steps, that would have completed you."
Melinda Sullivan, a 22-year-old tap dancer from Thousand Oaks, CA who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA
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Style: Contemporary
All-Star Partner: Ade Obayomi
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Nigel said: "Melinda, for a tapper sweetheart, you have got some fantastic lines. Tap is so in the knees, we saw in your solo how easy it is and smooth and honey. But with this, you have got to be on it and you've got to hit those lines and you've got to do everything. It was absolutely tremendous tonight. I'm very pleased with what you've done."
Mia said: "I love the concept, I love the story. The dress is a lot of things for me... However I love the concept. I thought that your lines -- your feet and legs -- I never in a million years would have thought you were a hoofer and a tapper. Ever. Your lines were like gorgeous... That was a yah!"
Adam said: "Honey, you were great. I very little to add onto what they're saying because I thought you were fantastic. I'm so glad we kept you."
Jose Ruiz, a 21-year-old b-boy from Miami, FL who currently resides in Pembroke Pines, FL
Style: Bollywood
All-Star Partner: Kathryn McCormick
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Nigel said: "This is part of your journey, doing all these different styles. This journey took you to India. Did you get there? Not quite for me. You probably got as far as South Africa... That's what it needs from you, consistency and really going for it now and being persistent. You have got, young man, a really good talent. Your performance was tremendous in that. I'm not sure all the fingers were right, but that didn't matter to me."
Mia said: "I love you so much right now because you made us smile. We're sitting there watching you and you were so wrong, but you were so wrong that you were so right. You brought this groove into it, which was hilarious, but it worked for you. Was it really Bollywood? I don't know. But it was just fun and I had a good time and you're just tackling everything with a smile on your face and that's going to take you far."
Adam said: "If there were a prize for the brightest light on this show, you would have won it already. You are an absolute joy. It was totally wrong, but you were so fantastic to watch. Signed, sealed delivered -- I'm yours."
Lauren Froderman, an 18-year-old contemporary jazz dancer from Phoenix, AZ
Style: Lyrical Hip-Hop
All-Star Partner: Dominic Sandoval
Choreographer: Tessandra Chavez
Nigel said: "I believed the performance... Give yourself a stronger base. Your feet are a little too close together for some of the work that you're doing. It will just solidify everything just a bit more into the ground. Be careful, I don't know in that outfit, but you might have a bit of a swayed back. Just be careful, if it is that, be aware of it. I thought that was a really fine performance from both of you."
Mia said: "Outstanding performance from both of you. I felt you guys so much. The only moments that I wanted to really, really feel more was the abuse part. I needed you to get out of the dance and be the abused and the abuser instead of it being a dance step... Everything else I thought was an awesome job. I thought it was a great performance, one of the best of the night."
Adam said: "Lauren, you're so technically adept. There's no talking about that with you... You took my notes from last week's show. You listened to me and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that because you just got better. You are in such an incredibly emotional and raw space right now, I can see it all over you. I want you to celebrate that, because you just turned into an actor. We already knew you were a dancer, and I just want to commend you on an extraordinary performance."
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Kent Boyd, an 18-year-old contemporary jazz dancer from Botkins, OH who currently resides in Wapakoneta, OH
Style: Jazz
All-Star Partner: Courtney Galiano
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio
Nigel said: "Your journey from Wapakoneta is moving very fast... I really enjoyed it. I class that as jazz, that was a jazz routine. I don't think that you were having as much fun with it as you were having with your cha-cha, which you weren't very good at last week. So what we've got to figure out, is you're going to have to have fun with stuff that you're good at as well as stuff that you're not good at. Because you were so sort of, 'I've got to dominate her. I've got to dominate her.' For some reason I think she'd eat you alive."
Mia said: "I don't know how I feel about it. I think that there were great moments of technique and physicality. You have such a big personality and it kind of stays in Kent World. You have to transform yourself to every single piece you do. You can't be cook Kent every single performance. You needed to eat her alive... I just feel like you need to step into a more mature role now."
Adam said: "In a nutshell, exactly what she was saying -- it's not about externally putting on a character. It's about finding that connection between you two. You're going to have to do it every week. You're a fantastic performer and a great dancer."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio