sytycd 4 - top 16 performance show

GUEST JUDGE: Adam Shankman

KHERINGTON and TWITCH
HIP HOP choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha - VIDEO CLIP
DON'T TOUCH ME (THROW DA WATER ON 'EM) by Busta Rhymes - iTunes URL

I absolutely looove the musicality of Napoleon and Tabitha's choreography! Twitch totally nailed it, Kherington not so much. I don't think she danced on the same level as Twitch at all (contrary to the judges' comments). The routine, however, was filled with so many fun and playful moments. I especially liked the James Brown bit when Kherington stopped to wipe the sweat off Twitch's brow during the "It's getting hot up in here!" portion of the song. Twitch was the superstar, Kherington was an afterthought.

COURTNEY and GEV
RUMBA choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin - VIDEO CLIP
WISHING ON A STAR by Rose Royce - SONG FILE

Wowsie... that was one hot and sultry number, which is exactly what a Rumba should be!! I was hooked from the very start, when Courtney slid down Gev's back and onto the floor. Their chemistry was flaming tonight! Courtney looked sensational. Gev was striking. They both demonstrated strong leg and hip action throughout. Fabulous!

COMFORT and CHRIS
JAZZ choreographed by Tyce Diorio - VIDEO CLIP
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE by Marilyn Manson - SONG FILE

In the quintessential "What was he thinking?!" moment of the season, Tyce Diorio choreographed an "African Jazz" piece to Marilyn Manson featuring the use of brown sheets to symbolize mud. Oookay... it was supposed to be raw, grounded and earthy. While I appreciate where the dance was trying to go, it just didn't get there. After the build up of the pre-performance footage and then the engaging opening of the routine, the pair failed capture the overall essence of the music. They weren't raw or edgy or powerful enough in their performance. Like their krump routine last week, it just felt weak and disconnected.

JESSICA and WILL
DISCO choreographed by Doriana Sanchez - VIDEO CLIP
HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU by Bonnie Pointer - iTunes URL

There was a little "Yikes!" moment at the end, but the performance was a whole lot of fun. Will completely lights up the stage, and he "owns" each dance by totally getting into character week after week. That tumbling pass he did was just incredible! While the first half of the routine was full on fabulous and electrifying, the second half suffered because they struggled with some of the difficult tricks.

KOURTNI and MATT
CONTEMPORARY choreographed by Sonya Tayeh - VIDEO CLIP
WRESTLERS (STICKY, DIRTY POP MIX) by Hot Chip- iTunes URL

Let me start by saying the concept was extremely fresh and intriguing! I'm totally digging Sonya Tayeh's unique vibe; I respect quirky expressionism and thinking outside of the box. The choreography was super challenging, and they danced it brilliantly!! It was such a dynamic performance, showcasing their extraordinary technical skills.

CHELSEA and THAYNE
QUICKSTEP choreographed by Heather Smith - VIDEO CLIP
YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE by Phil Collins - iTunes URL

Aaah, the dreaded quickstep! Chelsea and Thayne must have adopted the "Fake it 'til you make it!" mentality, because they both had such cheesy smiles plastered on their faces throughout the entire number. It was quite distracting. I think they were concentrating waaay too much on the steps, for fear of letting their arms get into "chicken wings." Their lackluster performance got Chelsea kicked off the hot tamale train, with Thayne hanging on by a thread. I cannot say that I disagree with Mary's decision, but *ouch*... that's gotta hurt!

CHELSIE and MARK
HIP HOP choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha - VIDEO CLIP
BLEEDING LOVE by Leona Lewis - SONG FILE

The. Best. Routine. Of. The. Night. I simply cannot get enough of Napoleon and Tabitha's lyrical hip hop choreography! Like Joshua and Katee before them, Mark and Chelsie totally connected to each other, breathing life into each and every step. They were poetry in motion, and I was captivated by the emotional depth with which they danced. The sequence where Mark moves Chelsea's body to the beat of the music then steals her heart was truly remarkable, filled with such poignant attention to detail! The performance was an excellent portrayal of how intense and fragile relationships can be. Chelsie is so doggone cute, I could just eat her up with a spoon. Mark definitely is a chameleon... taking on a character with each dance, allowing that character to dictate his movement. Their charm and chemistry is undeniable! Looove them!!

KATEE and JOSHUA
SAMBA choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin - VIDEO CLIP
BAILA BAILA by Angela Via

Total hotness... a performance worthy of first class tickets on the hot tamale train! They executed the footwork, turns and lifts with passion and precision, not to mention they had some serious hip action going on. Three weeks, three spectacular performances!! Katee and Joshua are seemingly unstoppable at this point in the competion.

**MY TOP 5 COUPLES** Chelsie and Mark, Katee and Joshua, Courtney and Gev, Kherington and Twitch, Kourtni and Matt

**MY BOTTOM 3 COUPLES** Jessica and Will, Chelsea and Thayne, Comfort and Chris

This season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons ever! I have been absolutely blown away by some of the choreography, especially from Napoleon and Tabitha. Several couples have been consistent in delivering stellar performances each week, with the strongest being Katee and Joshua and Chelsie and Mark. Twitchington dropped down a notch tonight IMO, but--if I'm being honest--that may have more to do with the material they were given than anything else. I struggled to select a third couple to be in the bottom with Chelsea and Thayne and Comfort and Chris. I ultimately chose Jessica and Will (as much as it pains me to do so) based on the missteps in their disco routine. It's only fair; however, I'm completely confident that neither one of them will be going home. Tomorrow night will feature the dance group, Quest, and a guest performance by Jordin Sparks.