So You Think You Can Dance: Down to six (spoiler alert)

(Sasha and Melanie perform on Wednesday's SYTYCD in a Fox photo by Adam Rose.)

Well, there goes my favourite male on So You Think You Can Dance.

Future Broadway star Jess LeProtto (my prediction) got the boot after a surprising twist on the guys' side of the eliminations.

It was a no-brainer that Marko Germar would be safe right off the bat. And I figured there was a good chance that Jess would end up in the bottom four, but I thought he'd be joined by repeat bottom dweller Ricky Jaime, not Tadd Gadduang.

If Ricky had joined Jess on the DFL list instead of Tadd, Jess might have had a chance. But the minute I saw Tadd, during his solo, suspended horizontally in mid-air while hanging off a light tower, then flip right off the stage at the end, I figured the jig was up for Jess.

Not that Jess was chopped liver. He did a fine solo with a really, really long series of pirouettes, splits, a nice scissor kick and a saucy finish.

Sorry to see you go, Jess, see you on the tour.

There was no surprise, as far as I'm concerned, with the girls' results. Melanie Moore and Sasha Mallory were declared safe; Caitlynn Lawson and Jordan Casanova had to dance for their lives.

Personally, I would have preferred to get rid of both girls and keep both guys. What was up with their solos?

Here's what I wrote about Jordan's: "Show us her legs, chest pop, booty pop, boring, look sexy at camera, jut out hip, more legs, whatever."

Caitlynn's was similar, except with more pirouettes and a couple of leaps. Yawn.

For host Cat Deeley to tell them they were "two of the most talented girls this competition has ever seen" wasn't saying much for the other seasons, if that's the case.

I don't believe it, not when I can see Lauren Froderman, Allison Holker, Lauren Gottlieb, Kathryn McCormick and Kayla Radomski in my mind's eye, just to give a few examples.

But Jordan's gone and Caitlynn's sure to follow in her trail next week, unless some sort of anti-Sasha or Melanie backlash develops.

In letting Jordan go, head judge Nigel Lythgoe said the judges were going "with America's vote," which means, I guess, that Jordan had the lowest number of votes.

Once again, he mentioned the top 10 tour as a kind of consolation prize for the eliminated dancers (tickets go on sale Friday for the Oct. 9 date in Toronto).

It wasn't clear whether Jess also had the lowest votes.

"Jess, you are an absolutely sensational character," said Nigel. "You've grown, as we've said in the past, no question about that.

"Tadd, you are unique and absolutely what this program is all about. You came from a non-dance background and you are so creative and so unique that, for this process, Tadd, we are keeping you this evening."

The episode also featured Lady Gaga singing "The Edge of Glory" and "You and I" in what was obviously a pre-taped performance and The League of Extraordinary Dancers, with some impressive flips.

Dare I be unpatriotic and say I liked the top eight opening number, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, better than the top 16 number on SYTYCD Canada this week?

With apologies to Sergio Trujillo, the Tyce number had an ethereal quality I really liked. And yes, I realize Sergio's number had a dancer using aerial silks as opposed to just swinging on ropes like Tyce's.

So what did you think? Glad to see the last of Jordan's sexpot shtick? Were you surprised that Tadd was in danger?

We're just two weeks away from the finale. You can watch the top six perform next Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CTV and look for the recap here.

So You Think You Can Dance: Going gaga for the girls

(The top eight on So You Think You Can Dance in a Fox photo by Michael Becker.)

Well, not just any girls, for Melanie in particular.

I've loved her since her first audition and she's knocking me out week after week on So You Think You Can Dance. Her strength, her lines, the way she makes every movement look effortless: Melanie's my favourite dancer of the competition.

Sasha also did well on Wednesday's show, especially in her crowd-pleasing jazz duet with Melanie, but I have to disagree with head judge Nigel Lythgoe: I think more than a hair separates Melanie from Sasha. Plus, we can't discount Marko, who dances with a passion and strength that's the male match for Melanie's.

That being said, Jess is and always has been my favourite guy. Too bad his rumba fell a little short on Wednesday.

And of course, there was another girl on the show drawing as much attention as the dancers: guest judge Lady Gaga. She brought humour and humanity to the table as well as a big dose of quirk with her blue hair and pointy red hat. And she had a few things to say that were more interesting than just telling everyone they were amazing. But I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the choreographers' noses were out of joint, since Gaga wasn't shy about critiquing them along with the dancers.

I've ranked the dancers invidually from most to least favourite based on Wednesday's performances:

Melanie Moore: Exquisite is one of the words I'd use to describe Melanie's routine with all-star Neil Haskell, a contemporary number by Mandy Moore. For me, Melanie wasn't dancing steps so much as just being on that stage. The technique was stunning; the emotion felt real. And that flying leap she took into Neil's arms made me gasp out loud. As far as I could tell, everybody in the studio was on their feet at the end of it. Gaga praised her athleticism and passion, guest judge Rob Marshall called her poetic and Mary Murphy used brilliant. The accolades continued for the Sonya Tayeh jazz number she danced with Sasha. "Everybody can pack up and go home 'cause that was the performance of the evening," said Gaga, after throwing her huge red platform shoe at the stage, because apparently that's what people do to signal a job well done in the dance community.

Sasha Mallory: After weeks of wiping the floor with poor Alexander, Sasha had two partners who could stand up to her Wednesday: Melanie and all-star Pasha Kovalev. The latter performed a quirky quickstep with Sasha, choreographed by Jonathan Roberts. Both Nigel and Gaga found her a little too stiff, but I thought she did a terrific job with a technically challenging routine. "I don't know how you cope with a dance like quickstep with the world that you come from, but you absolutely pulled it off tonight," Mary told the contemporary dancer. Sasha was also very good in the jazz routine with Melanie, another number that had the judges and audience on their feet, although Melanie was the standout for me. However, Nigel said either of them could end up as this season's champion.

Marko Germar: Marko was really strong in both his routines, but I differ from the judges in liking the hip-hop better than the contemporary number, which was choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and danced with all-star Allison Holker. I found it a little slow and felt that often Marko had little to do besides carry Allison, but there's no question that his technique and emotional intensity were spot on. It was certainly emotional for Gaga, who seemed to relate to the theme about people being overcome by guilt for judging other people. "There were so, so many things I did wrong when I was younger, so many things I wish I could take back," she said through tears. "I felt every moment of that through your dance tonight." Marko, also in tears, addressed his mom, who had flown from Guam to see the show, telling her he was sorry for things he had said in the past and that he loved her. Nigel praised him for that and urged the people watching to tell their mothers they loved them while they still had the chance. The mood lightened a lot in Marko's second routine, a Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo hip-hop number he danced with Ricky. Marko had the character of a badass street cleaner down pat and got into a better groove than Ricky, dancing tight and clean. While Rob thought the choreography was exquisite, Gaga said its interpretation of hip-hop was "a little bit contrived" and disliked the props, which included brooms and a cart. 

Jess LeProtto: Just based on Jess's first routine, a lyrical hip-hop piece choreographed by Nappytabs, I would have ranked him above Marko. I thought his movement was flawless with a wonderful, gentle groove. And as Nigel noted, there was no mugging, just an effective portrayal of a cheater trying to get his lover back, played by all-star Lauren Gottlieb. "Every week, it's been progress and as good as Lauren is, and she is really good, you're really good tonight too," Mary told him. Lady Gaga, who appears not to be a Nappytabs fan, took issue with the prop in this piece as well, a flower Jess offered to Lauren, but told Jess his performance outshined it. Alas, for his last number, a Jason Gilkison rumba, Jess was paired with my least favourite dancer, Jordan, and the lack of chemistry between them impaired the performance. Jess still moved well and had his best lift yet, a back split reverse spin that Mary said was the best of the season. Gaga again took issue with the choreography, saying she would have interpreted the song "Fire and Rain" differently.

Tadd Gadduang: I suppose we should all stop being astonished that B-boy Tadd does so well with choreography, because isn't that the point of the competition? On the other hand, you have to give him credit for doing as well as he does. His first routine, a Mandy Moore jazz number with all-star and Season 7 winner Lauren Froderman, was his best. He did a smooth job, despite losing his fedora near the beginning. Nigel called his moves Michael Jacksonesque and Mary compared him to a young Elvis Presley. "When you swagger it's like nobody else on this show," she said. Unfortunately, Tadd wasn't as suited to the Fred Astaire vibe that Jason Gilkison was looking for in Tadd's foxtrot with Caitlynn. Ballroom expert Mary found some technical faults, although both she and Rob said it was elegant.

Ricky Jaime: Ricky didn't hit it out of the park for me, either with his Jason Gilkison jive with all-star Anya Garnis or his hip-hop with Marko, but he still has gorgeous lines. And that double tour, which is I think what Rob called it (basically a very fast spin in mid-air) was fabulous. Ricky's height caused him a little trouble, though, with Nigel telling him he had to get closer to the ground in both the jive and the hip hop. Plus, one of the jive's lifts was laboured. By the time Ricky got to the hip hop, Nigel was telling him he might be in danger on Tuesday. 

Caitlynn Lawson: I'll say one thing about Caitlynn, she's getting sexier week after week. She certainly had a sexy groove going in her hip-hop routine with all-star Ivan Koumaev, choreographed by Marty Kudelka. While it wasn't a hard-hitting hip hop, Caitlynn needed to get down more into it. I also thought too much time was spent setting up the routine, with Caitlynn sitting on a bench waiting for her errant boyfriend, which made us wait too long for the dancing. Caitlynn was still sexy in her foxtrot with Tadd, but she's no Ginger Rogers. Gaga had some interesting advice, telling Caitlynn "every once in a while with your hands you get a little 'I won a lot of trophies.'" Noting that she herself takes her platinum records off the walls and pretends she hasn't got any, Gaga told Caitlynn to "remind yourself the trophies, they're in the closet and just work that flower, honey," referring to the one in Caitlynn's hair.

Jordan Casanova: Oh the judges are doing their best to convince us what a fabulous dancer Jordan is. It's not that the girl can't dance, but I'm so over the sexy posing and the showing off of the legs. And it seemed to me her jazz routine with Ade Obayomi, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, was almost nothing but. While Jordan certainly has the leg extensions down pat, I felt she needed to push through her arms and hands a little more. Nigel gushed, "Is there anything that little body can't do? I mean it's so viable." And Rob's comment that Jordan's dancing has "such meaning and so many levels" kind of made me go, huh? I wasn't crazy about her rumba with Jess, either, but that's just me.  

There was a bit of an uproar on Twitter last week over the fact that, contrary to previous seasons, the guy and girl with the least votes didn't automatically go home, which is what usually happens when we get down to the top 10. Instead, the bottom four had to dance for their lives and then the judges chose whom to oust. 

I suspect we'll see more of the same on Tuesday's results. You can tune in at 8 on CTV and catch the recap here.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Losing some of our swag (spoiler alert)

I hate to play armchair quarterback with So You Think You Can Dance Canada results, but there's at least one thing that puzzles me about Tuesday's decision and another that saddens me.

Please keep in mind I bear no ill will toward any of the show's dancers and hate to see anyone's dreams get dashed, but this was Geisha's second trip to the bottom three and Teya's first. As far as the solos went, while I don't think any of the bottom three girls set the stage on fire, Geisha's impressed me the least. So why was it Teya who went home?

The sad part is that with the ouster of Teya and Boneless, we've lost two of the show's four hip-hop dancers. 

We now have eight contemporary dancers, four ballroom dancers, two jazz and two hip hop still in the running.

With all that being said, the bottom three picks didn't surprise me.

I think krump, the style that Boneless and Teya performed, can be a hard genre for people to relate to, particularly when it's done to music that doesn't have an easy-to-latch-onto beat.

I also wasn't surprised to see Adam and Geisha in the bottom. I wasn't digging their jazz routine as much as the other numbers and figured I wasn't the only one.

I also had a feeling Francois and Yuliya would hit bottom. Their mambo was well danced, but there was no emotional hook to it. Plus, this was Francois's second trip to the bottom three, so perhaps that show-off quality that Luther Brown commended isn't as prized by viewers. I don't know.

The judges seemed to have the most trouble deciding which guy to send home -- Francois, Boneless or Adam -- so much so that they were late coming back to their seats from the commercial break, leaving Leah Miller trying to kill time on live TV as the three anxious female dancers waited.

I do find it a bit frustrating that we don't get explanations for the judges' decisions the way we do on the U.S. show (and I realize their results are an hour long and ours are only half an hour).

All Jean-Marc Genereux said was,"You are all talented dancers. Geisha, that was not your best solo, however, the dancer leaving us tonight is you, Teya."

Tre Armstrong told the guys, "This decision was definitely an impossible one for us to make and it was not unanimous, because we love all of you up there, Adam, Francois, Boneless.

"Boneless, tonight your dance for your life was out there and your journey has been a remarkable, memorable one, but our decision remains that the dancer going home tonight will be you, Boneless."

Both he and Teya took the news with grace and without tears, although Carlena seemed inconsolable after Teya's elimination.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you guys," Teya told her fellow dancers.

Boneless told Leah he had accomplished his dream by dancing on the SYTYCDC stage.

"That’s what I love to do is dance. I'm very happy that I got to show Canada that. It's beautiful," he said.

So what do you think? Did the right dancers go home? Did you expect a different bottom three.

The top 16 will be back Monday at 8 p.m. You can watch on CTV and look for the recap here.

(The photo of Boneless and Teya with Leah is courtesy of CTV.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: This week's videos

I've got four for you again this week. One little wrinkle. I tried a new setting on my camera, thinking it would improve the video quality, but it actually made the picture go out of focus in some spots, so apologies for that. Back to the old setting next time.

 

 

 

 

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Leaps, bounds, swag and twists

Monday's episode of So You Think You Can Dance Canada could have been renamed So You Think You Can Dance Really Fast Canada.

From Matt and Denitsa's contemporary routine to Carlena and Kevin's hip hop to Lindsay and Shane's disco to Adam and Geisha's jazz to Yuliya and Francois's mambo to Shelaina and J.P.'s Bollywood, fast seemed to be the watchword of the night.

But wait, are you scratching your head and saying, “Huh? Those aren't the same couples as last week.” You're correct. Everybody picked new partners for this go-round. Whether it was just to keep the dancers on their toes (literally and figuratively) or to help keep certain couples from return trips to the bottom three, I don't know. But I can tell you some of those new pairings turned out to be inspired. And some dancers who were in danger last week upped their games this week. 

The night also brought us a Season 1 reunion of sorts: Natalli Reznik and Francis Lafreniere, both Season 1 standouts in my books, were back to choreograph a hot paso doble for “it” couple Jordan Clark and Christian Millette. And Season 1 winner, the wonderful Nico Archambault, was back as a guest judge. (Plus Season 2 winner Tara-Jean Popowich was in the audience, as were Season 2 finalist Jayme Rae Dailey, Season 1 finalist Alli Bertram and Season 3 Top 10 dancer Jonathan Arsenault.)

Nico did well for his first time on the live show, mixing useful advice for the dancers in with his praise. I hope he's invited back for future episodes, both as a judge and a choreographer.

Joining Nico, and regulars Jean-Marc Genereux, Tre Armstrong and Luther Brown was Mary Murphy from the U.S. SYTYCD, who says she tweets about our Canadian dancers every chance she gets, asking Americans to watch the show on the web.

But now it's time to talk about Monday's performances. As usual, I've ranked them from my most to least favourite. And as always, I remind you that these rankings are totally subjective. Obviously, my favourites are not necessarily your favourites:

Melissa Mitro and Joey Arrigo: These two stake their claim on top four status week after week, no matter who they dance with. Of course, it helps that they drew a routine in their genre, contemporary, created by respected choreographer Mandy Moore, but they always bring an extra something to everything they dance. Mandy wanted the piece to be “flowy and air-like.... You're don't want to start looking like a turd being pulled through space.” Nope, no turds on that stage. Melissa and Joey danced it beautifully and with an emotion that felt visceral. The routine had great flow and fantastic lines, and the tough lifts looked effortless. It brought all five judges to their feet. “Easily my favourite number of the night by far,” said Mary. “You know how Mandy built this routine and just kind of custom made it for the two of you, with all of your talents, all the technique that the two of you possess, all the lifts, all the turns, both of your footwork, both of your legs. It's just a pleasure to sit up here and witness such great dancing. Joey, I see you going all the way. And right now, Melissa, I feel the same about you. I see you going all the way, too. I think you're underestimated in this competition and you are my favourite female dancer tonight. That was spectacular." 

Lindsay Leuschner and Shane Simpson: I'm giving my second spot to Lindsay and Shane's disco routine instead of Jordan and Christian's more dramatic paso doble because I love the way Lindsay and Shane inhabited this style. Seriously, this routine, choreographed by Melissa Williams, should be distributed to every dancer on every SYTYCD stage who pulls disco out of the hat for a lesson on how it's done. “This was my favourite disco,” said Nico. “It was better than any disco I've seen, it was better than the disco Natalli and I have done (in Season 1). That was amazing, because that felt like genuine disco. It felt like you guys were there for real. Lindsay, you're smooth, you're pretty, you have a really, really amazing calm strength about you that is a great pleasure to watch.... Shane, everything just seems so easy for you.... You are my favourite male dancer on the show.” Jean-Marc said it was the best disco he'd seen on any SYTYCD worldwide and put Shane and Lindsay on his VIDD list: very insane disco dancers.

Jordan Clark and Christian Millette: Never fear, Jordan and Christian fans, they're still at the top of the heap. Jordan joined Christian on Mary's Hot Tamale Train after this paso doble, choreographed by alumni Natalli Reznik and Francis Lafreniere, and had Mary, Tre and Jean-Marc on their feet. The highlights included Christian dragging Jordan across the stage on a long piece of fabric at the beginning and Jordan jumping backwards over Christian's head and onto his back at the end, but there was lots of sharp and very intense, passionate dancing in between. “Canada rocks, Canada absolutely rocks,” said Tre. “You guys are phenomenal ... you guys performed the beep out of it. I will say, Miss Jordan, you are now Miss Phoenix Rising, you performed the hell out of that.... And Christian, you are all man in all ways all day, baby. I'm eating you up.” 

Shelaina Anderson and JP Dube: JP ended up in bottom three last week, so he needed to make an impression on Monday's show. Boy, did he! He and Shelaina were both excellent in this lightning-quick Bollywood routine, choreographed by Longinus Fernandes of Slumdog Millionaire fame. Sure, Shelaina's dress got caught and interfered with the head spin that was a centrepiece of the routine, but whatever. Everything else was sharp and joyful and really well synchronized. Jean-Marc said it was JP's best routine on the show so far and I agree. “This routine has so much detail and you need to concentrate because you miss one beat and it's gone," Jean-Marc said. "The synchronization was absolutely phenomenal and I really think that, Shelaina, I've never seen you so beautiful. You were glorious out there and you enjoyed every single moment of it ... you were a princess of all palaces. It was amazing. And you JP, you went from ... the hood to the Bollywood and I love you.”

Carlena Britch and Kevin Howe: Welcome back, Kevin. Last week was a bit rough, what with Kevin faltering in the Viennese waltz and having Tre tell him he wasn't becoming a memorable competitor. But Kevin vowed he would prove himself, which he did in this hip-hop piece choreographed by Sho-Tyme. It was very fast, very sharp and bursting with swag and, to my admittedly non-expert eyes, Kevin was in the pocket with Carlena almost all the way through. The judges' reviews were positive, although they said Kevin needed to be a little tighter and, according to Luther, put some more resistance in certain steps. And Carlena got raves from everyone. “We had a moment last week, right?" Tre told Kevin. "I wanna say that I'm glad we had the moment because you did prove to yourself, to me and Canada why you should stay here.... Carlena, this is your style, so you definitely rocked it. You rocked that amazingly: you were very, very precise and sharp.” Added Jean-Marc: “It's the third week, Season 4, we want to see and we want to taste the blood and that was bloody out there. I loved it.”

Yuliya Zavadska and Francois Pruneau: Sure, ballroom dancers Yuliya and Francois lucked out by pulling a mambo out of the hat, choreographed by Gustavo Vargas, but you've got to give them credit for mastering the very fast steps and making it all entertaining and sexy. And I think Tre and Luther are right: Francois has crazy swagger. There was just one small flub at the end with a shaky lift. Mary joked about Yuliya's barely there costume, “We've got to talk to wardrobe. This poor girl didn't get a full outfit,” but Luther was more of a mind to praise the wardrobe department. And, oh yeah, the judges liked the dancing, too. “Francois, I think you are probably the swaggiest ballroom dancer ever seen on this stage,” Luther said. “The thing about it is you're like a show-off and I don't normally like show-offs, but you are the show-off that I like.... And Yuliya, you know, this is your situation and you definitely smashed.” 

Matt Marr and Denitsa Ikonomova: Alright, you East Coast types, I know you're out there and I know you'll keep Matt safe again this week. On Monday's episode, he got to show off his contemporary chops in this routine choreographed by Sabrina Matthews, about a man who lets his lover down, while ballroom dancer Denitsa had to play catch-up in the style. Denitsa's a tenacious little thing and acquitted herself well, although I didn't love her performance quite as much as the judges did. I felt her movements could have been bigger, although she certainly had the emotion down. The routine had some great lifts, too, and Matt was really strong technically. “This is why I love Denitsa," said Luther,  "'cause I represent the hip-hop portion and I know how difficult it is when you've been given something that's not your genre and you have to go for it. And you go 100 per cent every single time.” Tre commended Matt, telling him “to me, your technique, Matt, really held up the performance and you're even more genuine with your emotion this week. You are growing from a boy to a man.”

Boneless Gulston and Teya Wild: I'm a big fan of Boneless, I'm a fan of choreographer (and occasional SYTYCD U.S. judge) Lil' C and I love to see styles like krump on the show, so I wish I could say that I loved this routine. However, I found it lacking fierceness and occasionally out of synch. The judges' consensus seemed to be that Teya hit harder than Boneless, but Luther was still impressed with him and Mary complimented his abs. “I know you and I know where you came from," Luther told him, "and when it comes to choreography and picking up steps and just doing your thing, and I am so, so, so impressed ... freestyle dancers don't normally do routines, so I'm just proud of you for getting them steps. Yes, could you be a little harder with it?  Because, for krump, you've got to be able to dance in between those lines and bring a certain energy, but I'm proud of you, you did your thing. Teya, you did your thing as well ... props to you because you do bring performance, but challenge yourself, don't just be comfortable and dance how you normally dance ... you need to get buck.”

Adam LoPapa and Geisha Chin: The judges often talk about living dance rather than just doing the steps, and how dance can have shades and levels. Unfortunately, for me, this routine was a little monochromatic, despite the eye-popping costumes that Adam and Geisha wore. (Yes, the blacklight part was fun, but otherwise, I really disliked the costumes.) Adam seemed to me not 100 per cent committed to this jazz routine, choreographed by Blake McGrath, although his technique was good, particularly that tough lift. “Blake gave you guys a lot of steps, you guys were dancing your butts off, but what you can't do is just allow the steps to dance you," Luther said. "You got to take them steps and take it to another planet.” Nico praised Geisha for getting into her anime-style character, whose world Adam's character was supposed to be mesmerized by, but “Adam, I felt that a little bit less from you. It's not that your performance was not good; it's just it was Adam dancing Blake's routine rather than really, really embracing the character." Still, "I don't know if people realize how hard it is having to cover so much ground on that stage while making sure that you're not sacrificing the steps and the sharpness, and that you're there for your partner and that you do your tricks on time, and that you give the performance, so I gotta give you props for that,” Nico added.

So what did you think? Which routines did you love? We'll find out how things sat with the voters Tuesday at 8 on CTV. And we have been promised "the most unusual opening number on any So You Think You Can Dance world stage," choreographed by Sergio Trujillo of Jersey Boys fame. I'm sure you'll want to see that.

Check back here for the recap. And don't forget you can follow me on Twitter here and I now have a Facebook page here. 

(The photos of Nico, Melissa and Joey are courtesy of CTV.)

The Bachelorette: (S)he's just not that into you (spoiler alert)

Oh you crafty Bachelorette producers, what are we? New?

Even if one hadn't read the spoilers floating around out there about Constantine walking out on Ashley, it was obvious he was the least into her of the three remaining men and the least likely to survive the fantasy suite episode. 

But since we might have got bored waiting for the inevitable, despite all the gorgeous Fiji scenery, we viewers were given a different source of faux suspense: the return of Ryan P.

Yes, Ryan returned to finish his sales job on energy-efficient water heaters, er, I mean, to get a second chance with Ashley.

What I think he was really doing was setting himself up as the next potential Bachelor, but I digress.

There was Ashley in her suite at the Namale Resort in Savusavu, reflecting on her three remaining men, writing in her girly-looking journal with the big green spots, when there was a knock on the door. We had seen a pair of feet heading up the path, then a plaid shirt and then the face of the season's most deluded contestant.

"I just feel there's things unsaid, things unexplored between the two of us," said Ryan in a voiceover. "We had something."

Dude, you had the first impression rose and a one-on-one date long after all of the frontrunners had their turns. That and a dime will get you bupkiss on this show.

Can't say Ashley looked pleased when she saw Ryan at her door. "What is going on here? What are you doing here?" she squealed. "It's good to see you," she lied after having a moment to collect her wits.

Ryan had been thinking about her non-stop; he wanted to know if she'd been thinking of him or regretting her decision to send him home. "If that's in your mind at all I want to spend more time with you so bad," he said, as Ashley looked horrified.

But phew, she didn't have to give an answer right away. Ryan left her with his room number and went off to cool his heels for a few days while Ashley went in search of some sexy time with Ben, Constantine and J.P.

Like the good little reality star she is, Ashley pretended that she had thought of Ryan and she had wondered about her decision. But "I'm not going to focus on that now," she said.

And why would she? She and Ben were about to spend the day on a yacht, and reminisce about their date in Sonoma and rub suntan lotion on each other (which apparently required Ashley to straddle Ben's pelvis while rubbing it on his chest).

"There is so much flirtatiousness going on between us ... it's like we're on a honeymoon or something," burbled Ashley as they prepared to go snorkelling together.

"I thought I saw my life with Ashley kind of flash before my eyes and it just felt right," was Ben's take.

Later, during candlelight dinner on the beach, Ben got to remind us once again of how much more open and emotional he had become since starting his "journey" with Ashley, so much so that he could make this heartfelt declaration: "My feelings are growing and I'm on my way to the, you know, the whole I love you thing."

Then it was time for the non-surprise of the fantasy suite card, which Ben happily accepted. After a tour of the suite and a little foreplay in the pool, Ben carried Ashley towards the really big bed and the cameras withdrew so they could presumably consummate the "I love you thing."

Next up was her date with Constantine, who seemed way more excited about taking his first helicopter ride than being with Ashley. C'mon, to celebrate the awesomeness of the experience, he high-fived her. Romance was not in the air, no matter how much Ashley tried to climb all over him.

More awesomeness was in store as Constantine and Ashley got to play around in a small waterfall. After a refreshing swim, Ashley got down to the business of trying to pry some sort of declaration of affection out of Constantine, because they were running out of time, dammit.

"I don't know how things are gonna happen and I hope that things just take off today and tonight," she told him. (Translation: I think you're really hot, I'd like some nookie before I have to kick you off the island.) Constantine just smiled vaguely at her and ignored the hand she'd placed on his knee. 

Dinner came around and Ashley was still trying, sporting a short, low-cut red dress and a pair of hoochie mama heels. Still getting no response from Constantine, Ash laid it on the line: "I don't feel like you want to hold my hand or, I don't know, be around me all the time. It's hard because I have nothing to feed off of." (Translation: Why don't you like meeeeeeeeee?)

Ashley, he just wasn't that into you.

"I would want ideally for me to be madly, head over heels, 100 per cent sure, ready to meet your father and say, 'I want to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage.' I have too much respect for you, for myself or my family and, ultimately your family also, to do anything but that," Constantine said.

Furthermore, hell was going to freeze over before she got him into the fantasy suite.

"I know what it means. I also know what it implies," said Constantine. "I also knew if I got to this point and I wasn't in love with you I wouldn't accept the fantasy suite. I'm not pretending."

And without much further ado, Constantine wandered off to pack his bags and Ashley was left with two fancy drinks, a useless fantasy suite card and her old pal insecurity. "At this point with J.P. and Ben, it doesn't mean they're necessarily gonna fall in love with me. What if I end up all alone and all of this was for nothing?"

But hey, when life gives you lemons, there's nothing to be done but to hand them off to someone else. It was time to go and break Ryan's heart for a second time.

The poor guy was all a-flutter when she finally showed up at his door ("My heart's going out of my chest") and Ashley kept the suspense going as long as she could. 

"If I were to write down on paper what I was looking for ... you were exactly it," she said. 

"Saying goodbye to you was the hardest goodbye I had ... it was hard because it was premature. To see you come to Fiji, it just reassured me that you are the guy that I knew you were. You're willing to take the risk and put yourself out there. I think you're one of the best guys that I ever met in my life" .... wait for it ... "but I did know that it was the right decision.

"I didn't feel that passion; I know that that's what I need in a relationship. The truth is I found that with actually two people."

Ryan lapsed briefly into self-pity ("Am I ever gonna find it?" he said, referring to his own happy ending) before rallying and telling Ashley, however insincerely, how happy he was for her.

"At least now I know that my heart is open and accepting. When the right person comes along I'm gonna hold onto that and I'm not gonna pull back ever again. It will happen, it will happen, it will happen, it will happen," Ryan practically chanted.

Were you listening ABC?

Finally, it was time for Ashley to slough off Ryan's despair and go on her date with J.P.

Their mode of transport was a seaplane, which took them to a deserted island (well, deserted except for the camera crew) where there was lots of kissing and snuggling, and Ashley and J.P. secretly confessed their devotion for each other. (Ashley: "I think we have something really special and I think it could last a lifetime." J.P.: "When I look at Ashley I see the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.")

During their romantic dinner in the middle of the jungle, Ashley gave J.P. a revisionist history of Constantine's departure: "At dinner, we just decided there was nothing there between us, so Constantine is not here anymore." (Na-ah, girlfriend, he walked out on you.) She also told him about Ryan's return and second rejection. 

Ashley wanted to make sure J.P. wasn't letting his worries about her relationship with Ben ruin their thing, but he assured her he wasn't. "I want to be the last guy standing, not because I want to beat him. I want you."

J.P. held back from using either the L- or the M-word, despite Ashley's warning he had to lay it on the line, but she was pleased enough with his answer to give him a kiss and cuddle contentedly into his chest. By the time they got to the fantasy suite, they didn't even bother with a swim. Ashley changed into a white shirt (shades of Chantal and Brad on last season's Bachelor) and they started kissing on the bed before the cameras withdrew.

So two guys, two roses, no waiting, right? Wrong.

Ashley told host Chris Harrison she still wanted to have a rose ceremony because the men could still have a change of heart, so she wanted them to accept the roses as a sign that they were ready to get engaged.

So we had to go through the farce of Ashley telling Ben and J.P. that Constantine had gone home (even though J.P. already knew) and that she was taking the risk that they would reject the roses and her (as if). And we had to watch her hem and haw and finger the two flowers while the two guys stood there, as if there was any doubt she was handing them over.

So now the three of them move to another part of Fiji and the fellows meet Ashley's mother, stepfather, brother and sister. Looks like sis is a handful, though, telling Ashley she thinks she's "too much" for one of the guys.

At first, I thought we were skipping The Men Tell All special, but turns out it's airing on Sunday (9 p.m. on Citytv) with the finale on Monday at 8 p.m.

Who's she gonna pick (I have not, nor will I be reading the spoilers)? She seems more passionate about J.P. But then again, I thought that Brad was going to pick Chantal last time around and I was wrong about that.

All I can tell you for sure is that I'll be recapping Sunday's episode and live-blogging Monday's finale.

Until then, you can always follow me on Twitter here or check out my new Facebook page here.

(The photo of Ashley Hebert is by Ken White for ABC.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Lauren and Rodrigo's exit interview

If you were worried about Lauren Lyn and Rodrigo Basurto after they were eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance Canada last week, don't be. The 24-year-old salsa dancer and the 26-year-old hip-hop dancer, both from Toronto, sounded like they had their heads on straight when I interviewed them the day after their ouster, ready to take what they'd learned on the show and plow it into their careers. Here's an edited version of our talk:

DY: So how are you feeling today? 

LL: I feel better today, still sad, but better.

RB: Still sad? Get over it (said with a smile).

LL: Oh hush, you are so insensitive (also said with a smile).

DY: You're Mr. Smiley.

RB: You have to smile.

DY: It's sad, right? Because you're leaving people you've become really close to in a short time and, obviously, you want to keep dancing.

RB: Definitely.

LL: I think we both had a lot more to offer and just weren't given that chance, but yeah, you'll definitely see us around.

DY: So let's talk about what you feel like you've gained out of being on the show, even if it was only for a couple of weeks.

LL: I think we made a lot of really good friendships and connections, with the cast as well as the crew, who are really amazing ... working with choreographers and even having them see us, it opens so many doors for us and we're gonna take those friendships and connections with us ... as well as the experience of performing onstage on a TV show. So it's really good exposure for us, working with cameras ... which is really important for dancers such as myself and Rodrigo who want to work in the commercial industry ... 

RB: Everything what she said. 

DY: You've done music videos before, I know, from reading your bio, but is this very different?

RB: Oh yeah, definitely, it's so much different because now people scream to you ... you're no longer a backup dancer, you are the artist, you are the star, so the feeling is a completely different feeling. It's such an amazing feeling to dance on that stage, to be honest ... to be part of the show is just an amazing thing, like everything, just makeup, hair, wardrobe. Every single little thing, it counts ... it's so enjoyable to be part of that and feel a little special ... because not just in Canada, around the world, people don't take dance as seriously as it is, you know what I mean? Thank God we have now shows on TV and movies and all that stuff. Even (then) they still don't get it 100 per cent that it can actually be a career and a job.... This is what we do and we do it in a professional way. 

DY: I know one of the things the life of a dancer involves is injuries. Had you ever had a concussion from dancing before? (Rodrigo hit his head the first time he danced for his life and got a mild concussion.)

RB: No I never did. No, it was just one of those things.... Injuries, they're always gonna be there, it's not something that you can prevent, it can happen at any time. Someone stepped on her foot the other day at practice. She wasn't even dancing.... You really need to be careful because one injury can be the end of everything else, just like soccer players, so that's really important, to really take care of yourself and eat well and work out and stretch.

DY: Your body, that's what you've got, that's what you use.

RB: That's it, that's our tool. You constantly dance from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

DY: Every dancer I've ever interviewed who's been on this show, I know they're just going constantly and if you're not dancing you're getting your hair done or you're doing interviews, you're always doing something.

LL: And when they're doing your hair you're probably eating at the same time or trying to work out a solo in your head ... we're lucky if we get a 20-minute nap, which rarely happens. Sometimes you just lie down and they're like, “Lauren, we need you in makeup." "Okay, I'm coming." And I fell asleep while they were doing my hair with the hot irons. I've never fallen asleep sitting up like that ... it was a mess.

RB: This competition, I really recommend it to every professional dancer. It's one of those things you really need to live, you have to do it ... even making the audition, it changes your life as a dancer. Made it to the show, woah, I can't even describe what it feels like, but even make the first week of the finals and make top 40, like myself, I made top 40 two years and it changed myself as a dancer and put me where I am ... 

LL: While we're at finals week, sometimes when you're training it's hard to really push yourself when you don't have something to push towards. When we have the show and we were coming into finals week we were all pushing because we're, like, we all want this. And then when you get there and you're surrounded by all these other talented dancers you get pushed even more in that competition.... We have lots of friends we made from finals, not just the top 22 ... and we all stay in contact and we all work together.

RB: We're just the same person, we all think the same, we're dancers ... like even, she's salsa, I'm hip hop/contemporary, different styles, but we all think the same.... You feel really connected with these people. We live with these people almost for a month and I know it sounds really short, but you spend 24/7 literally with everybody, you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with them and you have practice with them. You're upset and they're there; you're happy, they're there... It's not about being close, it's just about yo, I love you and I just met you yesterday - as a friend, not like a relationship.... It's really cool to be that united. Every Tuesday sucks, but this competition is hard. It's a really hard competition, it's not easy. People might think oh, it looks easy, but hell no, it's 20 times harder than the auditions, not just because of the show, just because we have six hours to learn the routine for the Saturday (when performance shows are taped).

LL: Less, four and a half hours.

RB: Four and a half to five hours to learn one routine of a minute and 30 seconds, which is not a lot, but I mean you want to make that dance be the best and it's partnership, so it's double hard, the chemistry. We practise on our own ...

LL: We practise until 2 (a.m.).

RB: I'll meet you at 10 at the gym and we practise until 2.

LL: The first time I think we met at midnight and I got back to the room closer to 3.

RB: And the next day, your call time is at 8 a.m. So no sleep. It feels good, but what I'm trying to say is it's hard, so the people they pick, the top 22, the top 20, that is the reason why we're there because we're strong enough to handle that. 

DY: I get that. I have no doubt that you guys just work like crazy. What are you going to take into your careers, in terms of training that you're gonna seek out or attitudes or whatever it might be?

LL: As far as, like, the attitude, I think me and Rodrigo going in we have a really good attitude about it. We're very professional and we're both positive and we both work really hard.

RB: We're mature.

LL: We're mature dancers and mature people.

RB: We're not doing this just for the show, we've been doing this for years. We're still young enough, we just want to keep going, so now it's time to work. We have worked with amazing artists. (I) danced for Lady Gaga on the MuchMusic (Video Awards). I danced for Rihanna four years ago. I did Taio Cruz's video, choregraphed one of his first videos, so we've been in the industry. I guess it's time for us, now let's just step (it up) a little more, let's do now bigger things.... Of course, training is one of the things we're always gonna keep, no matter how matter how far or how big you are ... 

LL: Also being on the show with all the genres that you do get ... I want to continue to train in all of them and that's kind of what my thing is. I love studying everything and so I want to continue taking classes in all styles and keep training so that when I get a job it's not always just a salsa job or it's not always just a hip-hop job, I can book anything and that's kind of what I want to work towards ...

RB: I'm trying to get into movies and acting as well ... dancers, we're so capable to do so many things. We can do acting, we can do modelling.

LL: Dancers make great models.

RB: Kenny Wormald from L.A.: he's one of the biggest dancers in the whole industry and there's a movie (trailer) right now in the movie theatres (Footloose) ... he's the main actor and when I saw that, I went to see Transformers and I saw the trailer and I was like wow, this guy took his dance to the next level ... so that's what I want to do, not just because of money or whatever, but I want to take my career to just the next level.

LL: We both like entertaining people and working in all branches of that, maybe not singing, I'm not a singer, but I would definitely be interested in trying out my hand in acting. I've done some modelling before and it's really fun to work wth photographers because ... we can make something different than what a typical model would bring to the table. We can bring something maybe a little more abstract; we contort our bodies in different ways.

RB: Every photographer loves to work with dancers ... 

LL: I think that's because of the stage presence that we bring ... we know how to project ourselves in a different way ...

RB: We love to talk, sorry. Answering your questions, we want to keep working ... 

DY: You're bringing the interview to the next level.

And speaking of next levels, that's what the remaining 18 dancers will be trying to reach on the next episode of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Monday at 8 p.m. on CTV. Check here for the recap and more videos of some of my favourite dancers from that night's show.

(The photos of Lauren and Rodrigo are courtesy of CTV.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: More video

Hi readers, I would love nothing better than to get my exit interview with Lauren Lyn and Rodrigo Basurto transcribed and posted for you, but I haven't had a chance. In the meantime, here's the video I did with Lauren and Rodrigo on Wednesday. If you keep watching, you'll get just a teeny flash of Rodrigo's abs and no, I did not ask him to take his shirt off:

 

 

So You Think You Can Dance: There's always the tour (spoiler alert)

(The So You Think You Can Dance top 10 in a Fox photo by Adam Rose.)

The two dancers who were eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance on Thursday night had a softer push out of the nest than some.

Nigel Lythgoe offered no criticism of the young man and woman sent home, telling them and their bottom four mates, "We don't have anything to say about you being bad tonight or how to improve, because we think you're all fantastic now.

"So all I say to you is I'm sorry that two of you are going home. That's the very nature of the competition. Please bear with us on that and we look forward to seeing you on tour."

That was the silver lining for Mitchell Kelly and Clarice Ordaz, who got cut: in a matter of weeks they'll be reunited with their fellow dancers as they prepare for the top 10 tour of the U.S., with one Canadian stop in Toronto on Oct. 9 (tickets go on sale next Friday at 10 a.m.).

Mitchell smiled through his tears and told host Cat Deeley the best part of the show was "just the stage and all these dancers here, and America just accepting me for who I am and my parents in Atlanta, and the judges for just helping me and keeping me growing."

And he singled out Ricky Jaime, who had joined him in the bottom four, and Melanie Moore, who had not.

"Ricky, you're like a brother to me and I really want you to go far. Mel, you're such an incredible dancer ... I just really love you guys."

Her fellow dancers were also top of mind for Clarice as she said her goodbye. 

"I am so happy to have met all of you ... I'm gonna miss you. Oh, I'll see you soon," she said, remembering the tour.

And if the judges had nothing critical to say about the bottom four, who am I to put my two cents in?

I can say that I'm not shocked at who ended up in bottom four. Melanie and Marko, I suspect, are headed to at least top four. Sasha and Caitlynn danced too well to end up at the bottom. Tadd had a great night. And I'm never sure how it will go with Jess, but I think he deserved to be safe for Wednesday's performance.

I wasn't blown away by the Thursday solos of either Clarice or Jordan Casanova. Perhaps what sealed Clarice's fate was that difficulty that Neil Patrick Harris mentioned on Wednesday in relating to her.

Mitchell and Ricky both pulled off respectable solos, but I thought Ricky's had an extra something. Just based on what they did on Wednesday night, Ricky deserved to stay more.

The rest of the show was a mixed bag. The opening Broadway-style group routine was not my favourite of the season but still entertaining. Couldn't quite hear who Cat said had choreographed it, but I think it was Josh Bergasse.

There was a solo by Daniil Simkin of American Ballet Theatre, who was light as a feather in his movements.

Can't say I cared much for the performance of "Undivided" by Blush, along with Snoop Dogg and his giant ring. Neither the singing nor dancing were up to much.

The good news is we get a new batch of all-stars to dance with the top eight next week, including Ivan Koumaev from Season 2; Jaimie Goodwin, Anya Garnis, Pasha Kovalev, Lauren Gottlieb, Neil Haskell from Season 3 (yes, they can bring Pasha back as many weeks as they like); Ade Obayomi from Season 5; and Season 7 winner Lauren Froderman.

And Lady Gaga makes her debut as a guest judge, along with director and choreographer Rob Marshall (Chicago). The presence of Gaga alone makes the show worth watching.

You can tune in Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CTV and catch the recap here.

And don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter here.

So You Think You Can Dance: Spot the all-stars

(All-star Twitch and contestant Sasha do hip hop on SYTYCD in an Adam Rose photo for Fox.)

I do love the all-stars on So You Think You Can Dance, not only because I get to see favourites dance again but because of what they bring out of their partners.

But plenty of the newbies were giving the all-stars a run for their money on Wednesday's show and proving to be their equals.

That was especially true of Sasha, whose hip-hop routine with Twitch was the best performance of the night for me.

In an evening of such high-calibre dancing, it was hard to pick favourites, but I've done my best. I've listed the dancers from most to least favourite based on their couple routines, then graded their solos:

Sasha Mallory: When choreographer Christopher Scott is on, he's really on and that was the case with this hip-hop routine that had Sasha trying to rekindle the flame in lover Twitch. It's lucky that Twitch is such a great hip-hop dancer, because Sasha would have blown him off the stage otherwise. It was more like Twitch having to keep up with Sasha than the other way around. And keep in mind that Sasha is a contemporary dancer. It was sensational from the moment she jumped on that table to the very end. The studio audience was roaring and it took Nigel Lythgoe a while to find his tongue. "Last year, Twitch came and did a most memorable routine with Alex Wong and now he's come back and this is a very memorable routine," Nigel said. "This is the first time I've seen you with chemistry with your partner and it was beautiful to see," he told Sasha. Neil Patrick Harris, who was one of the more articulate celebrity guest judges, said he hopes to see the number in the season finale and on the top 20 tour. "You guys should dance every dance together."

Sasha's solo: A+

Caitlynn Lawson: Last week, Caitlynn was a sexy rock chick, this week she was smouldering as all-star Pasha Kovalev's love interest in an Argentine tango and that's a feat considering how hot Pasha is. But not only did Caitlynn establish a credible connection with Pasha, she matched him technically in what looked like very difficult steps in this routine choreographed by Leonardo Barrionuevo and Miriam Larici. It brought ballroom expert Mary Murphy to her feet. "Caitlynn, you were just breathtaking doing this number ... the passion you showed was more real tonight than in any other number," said Mary. "You just took your dancing to another level. I can't remember when I've enjoyed something more."

Caitlynn's solo: B+

Marko Germar: The show's powerhouse male didn't lose any steam despite being without partner Melanie Moore. He tackled a Jason Gilkison samba with all-star Chelsie Hightower (best known these days as a Dancing With the Stars pro) and he did not disappoint. His hip action was great, his toes well-pointed and, as usual, every move looked effortless. "You dance with such precision, and you're so cool and symetrical, and with such strength. I think you're kind of the guy to beat as far as this show goes," Neil said.

Marko's solo: A+

Clarice Ordaz: Like Neil, I haven't always appreciated Clarice as much as the other female dancers, but I have to give her full credit for this Nakul Dev Mahajan Bollywood routine. It was very fast and very intricate, but Clarice matched all-star Robert Roldan every leap, kick and hand twist, and brought a lot of personality to the performance. Bollywood can be hard to appreciate at times because it doesn't have the gravitas of a serious contemporary number or the swagger of hip hop, but I can say from my limited experience that it's a fiendishly hard style to master. The judges stood up for this one. "It was exhilarating to watch, just really intricate and hard to do," said Mary. "(Nakul) designed this like a well-fitting Chanel suit. It was just perfect for you."

Clarice's solo: A

Jess LeProtto: I'm so pleased that Jess is still around. Neil was right that sometimes he mugs too much for the camera, which can be offputting, but he has a wonderful grace when he moves. His grace and speed were on display in a Stacey Tookey contemporary routine with the lovely Kathryn McCormick, in which Jess was trying to comfort a lonely friend who couldn't see his devotion. Besides moving well, Jess brought a nice emotional believability to the piece and overcame his past difficulties with lifts. The judges were in agreement that it was Jess's best work in the competition so far. "I loved the music, loved the choreography and I just really love you in this piece," Mary said.

Jess's solo: A

Melanie Moore: I actually loved Melanie's solo better than I did her Viennese waltz with Pasha. It's not that she didn't dance it beautifully, and that the choreography by Jason Gilkison wasn't romantic and flowing, but I would have liked to see less lifts and more of Melanie's brilliance. Still, Mary praised her for mastering the timing of the lifts and said she's at the top of the leader board. "You look like you're from the past, like from the '30s and '40s, and you dance like you're from the future," said Neil. "You are so beautiful in every way and it seems like it comes from inside as well as out."

Melanie's solo: A+

Tadd Gadduang: If there's a rival to Marko's combination of skill and cuteness it would probably be Tadd. He did a terrific job matching hip-hop queen Comfort Fedoke in a Chuck Maldonado routine. In fact, Nigel said Tadd outdanced Comfort. (Anybody notice the song, "Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown, was also used for Lauren and Rodrigo's Luther Brown routine on SYTYCD Canada this week?) "It's true, you out hip-hopped Comfort; that's a hard thing to do," agreed Neil. "You have unbelievable musicality, your timing was right on. You have swagger for sure, swagger for days," said Mary.

Tadd's solo: A+

Ricky Jaime: Ricky showed why he made it into top 10 with this Tyce Diorio jazz routine with Allison Holker. He embraced the creepiness of the character, someone who was haunting Allison's dreams, and was sharp and clean in the movement. And he also showed the strength that belies his long, lean frame, lifting Allison at one point with just one arm. "You really brought it tonight, Ricky," Mary said. "It was raw, it was reckless, it was passionate, it was intense."

Ricky's solo: A

Jordan Casanova: I have nothing bad to say about the way Jordan danced a Desmond Richardson/Dwight Rhoden contemporary routine. It's just that I had a hard time taking my eyes off all-star Brandon Bryant. But Jordan definitely held her own, showing off her great lines and conveying emotion. "You are fighting to take this next position (in the competition) and I can see it, and you are dancing solid, sister," Mary said. "Wake up, dance fans, and keep this girl in the competition," said Nigel.

Jordan's solo: B+

Mitchell Kelly: Mitchell was the only dancer who had a bad night as far as the judging went. While I can see the point Nigel was making about inhabiting the small movements in the Fosse-esque jazz choreography by Tyce Diorio, I also thought Mitchell's lines were excellent and his leaps particularly good. But Neil had trouble seeing the airplane theme of the piece (and I agree, the choreography didn't remind me of a plane in any way), and both Mary and Nigel said Mitchell had over-performed the routine.

Mitchell's solo: A

Thursday takes us ever closer to the final with another elimination. You can watch on CTV at 8 p.m. and catch the recap here.