But before the competition, the remaining eight kicked off the show with a group performance choreographed by SYTYCD season two winner, Travis Wall, whose contemporary piece absolutely stunned the judges last week. The routine to Kevin Rudoff’s “Let It Rock” was a great way to start the evening! 

 

First up was Evan and Janette paired for an interesting jazz routine. Nigel felt like he was finally getting the growth he wanted from Evan, and Janette, as always, was a firecracker! The other judges agreed that Evan was stepping in the right direction and Mia told Janette she was her favorite of the season! 

Brandon and Jeanine were up next with a waltz and both seemed a bit out of their comfort zone during practice. The performance didn’t settle too well with the judges either. Nigel was upset and expected more from the beloved dancers but Ellen disagreed!  She thought the couple was fantastic! Mary thought it was respectable, and Michaels offered a try-harder-in-practice approach! 

Ade chose Melissa out of the hat and the couple reunited for a rambunctious cha-cha. While the dancers were great, the audience was left wanting a little more “sizzle.” Ellen thought the two nailed it, but Mary thought Ade needed to dig lower to the ground! Mia said it was the worst performance from Ade this season and the judges thought Melissa was trying too hard to be sexy. 

Jason and Kayla teamed up for a Broadway routine! The sexy and seductive dance left Nigel calling it one of the best dances of the night. Mia Michaels coined Kayla the definition of girl perfection and a star. All the judges were pleased as the pair easily knocked out round one! 

Round two started with Evan and Janette performing a Rumba. Janette loved her native Latin style and Evan worked hard to keep up with the salsa temptress. Nigel noticed the lack of passion in Evan’s face and was worried the smooth and uneventful dance wouldn’t stack up the votes. However, the rest of the judges were happy with the performance giving the couple credit where it was due.   

Brandon and Jeanine took on a strict pop jazz routine that had Jeanine in tears through practice. But the passion and heart throughout the performance had the crowd going wild! The dance picked up a flat night for Nigel as he screamed, “It’s about time!” The ladies on the panel also thought the pair were unbelievable!

 

Ade and Melissa danced an emotional contemporary piece about a woman with breast cancer. The two really got into character and pulled the routine off with flying colors. It reminded Nigel why he likes dance so much even choking the tough judge up as he continued to compliment the dancers and choreographer on one of the most memorable routines on SYTYCD history! The rest of the judges followed his praises and tears, and I think it is safe to say America will have no problem remembering this emotional dance for many seasons to come!     

The final dance of the night was a frightful hip-hop routine with Kayla and Jason channeling Michael Jackson's "Thriller!" The routine was entertaining for judges and audience members alike and had Mary giving it her infamous “Wahoo!”   

The dancing is done but who won’t be dancing another day? Be sure to catch the results show tomorrow at 8 PM to see who stays and who goes home. It also marks SYTYCD’s 100th episode! Host Cat Deeley will revisit fave moments and dances of the past, and Katie Holmes will take the stage for a performance. There are plenty of other fun surprises too, so make sure you don’t miss it! 

Photo Credit: FOX

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