So You Think You Can Dance Top 16 Performances
Judge and executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe hosted a special So You Think You Can Dance that aired Tuesday night, featuring 16 of the best routines, spanning across all 5 seasons.
He saved his favorite dance of all for last. It’s pretty easy to guess which one–it’s Tyce Diorio’s routine inspired by a friend’s battle with breast cancer, danced by Season 5’s Melissa and Ade.
I was very happy to see: “Shake” from Season 1’s Destini and Jamie–fabulous. Lacy and Danny’s Hot Hot Hot Dmitry-choreographed samba, “Hip Hip Chin Chin” from Season 3, Season 4’s Mark and Courtney’s “The Garden” choreographed by the faboo Sonya Tayeh and a little Season 4 gem, Katee and Joshua’s “Hometown Glory”.
I didn’t get all that worked up over the fresh-on-my-mind Season 5 routines. But, my fav of the 4 featured, might be Janette and Brandon’s fast and furious disco.
The NEW season of So You Think You Can Dance begins September 9. And if it does well in the fall, that’s where it will stay.
Check out the list, and the videos after the JUMP…
- S1 – “Shake” – Ying Yang Twins Feat. Pitbull – Destini and Jamie – VIDEO
- S1 – “All That Jazz” – Ute Lemper – Melody & Nick – VIDEO
- S2 – “Black Mambo” – Angel & The Mambokats – Heidi and Benji – VIDEO
- S2 – “Why” – Annie Lennox – Ivan and Allison – VIDEO
- S2 – “Calling You” – Celine Dion – Travis and Heidi (The Bench) – VIDEO
- S3 – “The Chairman’s Waltz” – Memoirs of a Geisha (soundtrack) – Jaimie & Hok – VIDEO
- S3 – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” – Eurythmics – Sabra and Neil – VIDEO
- S3 – “Hip Hip Chin Chin” – Club Des Blugas – Lacey and Danny – VIDEO
- S3 – “Fuego” – Pitbull – Lauren and Pasha – VIDEO
- S4 – “The Garden” – Mirah – Mark and Courtney – VIDEO
- S4 – “Bleeding Love” – Leona Lewis – Mark and Chelsie – VIDEO
- S4 – “Hometown Glory” – Adele – Katee and Joshua – VIDEO
- S5 – “Loving is Really My Game” – Brainstorm – Brandon and Janette - VIDEO
- S5 – “Gravity” – Sara Bareilles – Kayla and Kupono (addiction) – VIDEO
- S5 – “If It Kills Me (The Casa Nova Sessions)” – Jason Mraz – Jeanine and Jason – VIDEO
- S5 – “This Woman’s Work” – Maxwell – Melissa and Ade (cancer dance) – VIDEO
Posted in So You Think You Can Dance
15 Responses to “So You Think You Can Dance Top 16 Performances”
Thanks for posting this, MJ! I didn’t get to watch tonight and this is nice entertainment for gals with insomnia, lol.
I agree, way too many S5 choices,. But of course, it always has to be “the last season was the BEST SEASON EVER!1!” well until the next season when that becomes the best season ever. I do actually agree with Nigel’s choices, excepting S5, which I didn’t watch and don’t care about.
I would have included something by Blake and/or Ashle from S1, maybe their Samba, but definitely, the best two women’s finale dance with Ashle’s and Melody’s Mia choreo’d Message In A Bottle.
S2 without a Benji/Donyelle dance? just doesn’t work for me. Yes yes, Benji sucks, but they rocked as a couple and they had one of the only good Tyce Broadway routines on the show to Hairspray. Though I did also like the “Fake Your Way To The Top,” number choreographed by him with Benji and Heidi. Okay, his last season of not sucking totally with Broadway. Benji/Heidi Salsa is also excellent, yes too easy for them, but it was done very well.
S3 I would had to have included the Princes dance with Danny and Neil, probably the Contemporary with Lacey and Kameron. Maybe Danny/Anya’s Contempo by Tyce (where he doesn’t suck) to Apologize.
S4 I would have included Mark/Chelsie Argetine Tango (his form was great, her leg flicks were great and their leg locks were very good as well, so much better than the Josh/Chelsie one). Maybe the Josh/Katee Bollywood number as well. My personal bias would have been to also include Mark/Chelsie’s Beautiful, but that’s my Mark-tardom speaking. Non-tard speaking, the William/Jessica Tyce Contempo to Silence was very good.
S5 –remains a thankful blank for me.
What the what?!?!?!?
No Pasha Sara?
No Sara at all?
That is SO NOT RAVEN.
She had 3 “favorite” dances in the finale, more than any other contestant, and she doesn’t make the cut?
Oh and this still proves that S3 still reigns supreme in quality of dances. Personally I would have removed The Hummingbird and the Flower because it had already been performed. Don’t get me wrong, that is one of my favorite dances of all time, but give some other people some screentime. I would have put the Pasha Sara WCS in it’s place.
Argh. I also wished they included Sara/Neil Knock on Wood.
Loved this one too MJ, thanks for posting last night.
I adore Nygle for the mere fact he brought dance in this format to t.v.
Although I disagree with him to his favorite dance, I must admit it was my favorite *theme*.
It was a special treat to relive all the favorites & I absolutely loved the whole concept of recapping highlights from season 1 through 5. I am so looking forward to season 6 as dance in itself is one of the most beautiful ways to express oneself in performing!!
I loved the show. There have been so many amazing dances so far and, of course, many of my faves weren’t included last night. But then again, many were. I simply cannot get enough of Mark or Travis for that matter. The Garden, Bleeding Heart, Hummingbird and the Flower, and the Bench – aaawwww…. I’m glad that Nigel chose This Woman’s Work. It simply transcended dance. And the Addiction is so disturbingly powerful.
In the end the show showcases both dancers and choreographers. It might make for odd TV reality show voting, but in the long run, who cares about that? We get incredible dancing so however it can get on our TV screens, is ok with me. I’m just so grateful its happening. Thank you Nigel and team!
I think S2 and S3 were by FAR the best seasons!
I wanted to see:
Anya and Danny’s waltz
Pasha and Sara’s Knock on Wood west coast swing
Mark and Chelsie’s Argentine tango (tho Mark got TWO dances; yippie!!!)
Neil and Danny’s Two Princes dance
Joshua and Twitch’s out of this world dance
Not a Benjy fan, but yes, something with Benjy/Donyelle
And I do NOT think that the breast cancer dance deserved such accolades. I know how meaningful it was to so many ppl (my mom had breast cancer, thankfully gone), but still…they could have put it Neil and Lacey’s DDD/flower dance if they were going for “message” dances
And no Blake? No mention of Blake? I know they didn’t like him, but he’s one of the judges on SYTYCD Canada, S2, so he must be doing something right
Yes, Truthiness, Mark rocked my little world in all ways. Mark fantard here!!! But my favorite dancer of all time was Travis, and I think Nigel, eta feel the same way. His piece with Jeanine and Jason is SO awesome.
That said, I am so grateful to Nigel for putting on this show. even if S5 was so weak overall. (Fingers crossed for S6.) Too bad he had to leave Idol, however, b/c S8 had soooo many problems, which I won’t go into. Yay, SYTYCD!!!
Thanks for posting this MJ. I had no idea they were airing this and was bummed when I found out I missed it. You rock!
Nigel did a pretty decent job narrowing down the list. Most of my favorite pieces were highlighted…Calling You, Sweet Dreams, Hip Hip Chin Chin, Chairman’s Waltz, Why, If It Kills Me (yeah, Travis!), Bleeding Love, Addiction, The Garden….and my favorite dancers…Travis, Mark, Danny, Ivan, Neil, Hok, Lacey. Very pleasantly surprised to see The Garden, which I adore and is brills but I always figured was more of a fan fave than a producer’s fave, and so much Mark in general. I think Nigel appreciates him more now in retrospect than he did during his season. Did miss seeing Benjelle (my pick would have been Too Much Booty), and something with Natalie and Musa, and Blake. How can you not have any Blake?
But it was the only Wade piece represented, which in and of itself is a tragedy when you had Tyce choreo out the wazoo. Plus it probably ranks up there with the top three best pieces of choreo in the history of the show. I could have done without the Brandon/Janette disco and subbed Neil/Sara’s disco or Jesus and Sara’s Cabaret Hoover piece by Wade. Also think Wade’s Crash Test Dummies is woefully underappreciated.
Looks like they didn’t include boy/boy or girl/girl pairings, or group dances. Can we get a separate special for those? Neil/Danny, Benji/Travis, Lacey/Sabra, Sexyback, Ramalama, The Dance, The Moment I Said It. Five Guys Named Moe…
Thanks for this MJ. I missed it because I didn’t know it was on the other night.
I’ll have to catch up and watch what I missed.
I am SO EXCITED for SYTYCD to come back.
I was bummed they didn’t show any Will or Twitch routines from S4 and the one with Joshua and Katee was hardly my favorite, so I was kind of disppointed in the show last night.
And I doubt they picked up a lot of new viewers from that rather underwhelming “retrospective.” TMN (too much Nigel!).
Rewatching, you can add Ade, Jason, Pono, Kayla and Jeanine to my list of fave dancers. Jes sayin.
Continuation from last night… There should have been one more from Season 1 (with Blake) and one less from Season 5. I loved many of the dances and contestants from Season 5, but have always felt Season 2 was the best season!
I absolutely adored Benji’s performances, especially with Heidi. Some may say she’s not a beauty, but that girl can dance. Just an awesome artist.
Oh dear, I feel so guilty for not liking the “Hummingbird and the Flower” dance. Nigel mentioned that Hok and Travis were some of his favorite dancers. Did he mention who were his favorite gals?
I love Pasha and Dmitri just for their mere presence on the show.
I loved seeing The Garden again. It was awesome!
Kayla and Kupono’s addiction dance is one of my all-time favorites.
I agree with you purplesmile, the addiction dance is my favorite as well.
In Canada we’re watching SYTYCDCanada right now. Blake choreographed a dance similar to this, but it was a poor imitaion.