So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 18 Recap

Tonight's SYTYCD has the Top 18 dancers, after losing Tony and Paris last week. Cat is wearing a smashing one shouldered red frock. The guest judge tonight is Lil' C! He's one of my favorite, he always give the most intellectual critiques.

Starting the night of is Evan & Randi - Jive - Louis Van Amstel - Shake a Tail Feather, by Ray Charles.

Every year the jive is always a killer, the kiss of death. They're pretty sassy, and it looks like they're having a blast. I still think Evan is the stronger of the two, but maybe not tonight. Lil' C said "Out of the box with a bang." He thinks Evan needs to unsmooth his moves and Randi was a firecracker. Mary said it was fun and that if any two contestants were built for the jive, it was them. She thought Randi was great but Evan fell short of her expectations, just a little. Nigel congratulates Louis on the choreography and said Evan didn't danced it too jazzy. I think they were a little harsh to Evan! ha! TEMPO01

Ade & Melissa - Jazz- Sonya Tayeh - The performance is about a high maintenance girl who's playing hard to get and guy who hates to lose. 24 Hours (The Ashton Shuffle A-Bomb Remix) by Terry Poison.

It's a pretty hot dance! The lifts are strong and powerful and really looks like foreplay on a stick. Lil' C said it was Buck! He thinks Ade is everybody's competition, he's the one to beat. Yea! I feel the same way about Ade that I do/did about Twitch. Mary said it was tough to find anything about their routine and performance that she didn't like. Nigel said that if he didn't know Melissa was a ballerina, he wouldn't have ever been able to guess it. He compliments Ade's strength and jumping ability and Sonya for creating a routine which showcased all of their talents and abilities. TEMPO02

Jason & Caitlin - Hip Hop - Shane Sparks - Their characters met in a bar and had a brief rendez-vous before going separate ways. They randomly see each other again and all their old feelings come back. Missin You, by Trey Songz.

It's a good routine, but it's obviously not their strength. They weren't in sync a few times, it felt more like they were playing to the audience, rather than immersing themselves in their performance. Lil' C didn't like it. Mary said it was like watching Michael Jackson and Britney Spears- two totally different dancers, with totally different styles. Nigel disagrees and thought they did a fine job. I think he just said that because Shane Sparks is back and he didn't want to get him mad, and he has a thing for Caitlin. It wasn't a bad routine, they just weren't into each other the way they should have been. TEMPO03

Brandon & Janette – Disco - Doriana Sanchez - Loving Is Really My Game, by Brainstorm.

It's a really fun, fast number. Brandon is just killing it! I know last week I said I didn't think they'd partner well - I take it back. They're very good together. The lifts are great, they hit all their moves, it's just great. Janette slips a little, but it wasn't bad, and she recovered quickly. Lil' C said, "The primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born" and he " just saw the birth and progression of two amazing dancers." Brandon did a phenomenal job and he commends Janette for not breaking character when she had that little bobble. Mary said it was the fastest dance she's ever seen on this show and they NAILED IT! (If she were writing this, there would be like 15 exclamation points!) They embodied everything disco ever was, and she SCREAMS and stands up. Nigel said if he could stand up and scream like Mary, he would. It was one of the best Disco routines he's ever seen. TEMPO04

Vitolio & Asuka - Waltz - Louis Van Amstel - Lyrical Spiritual Waltz, for Vitolio to show his pain and journey to get where he is today. Dreams Are More Precious, by Enya.

I would not want to be them, having to follow that routine, especially since they were in the bottom three last week. But I'm wrong again! It's a beautiful routine and a moving performance. It looks nothing like the fakey fake they did last week. I hope the judges like it, because it really looked like Vitolio had his heart on his sleeve up there tonight.

Mary begins to cry and said last week she was slightly disappointed in them, but that's because she didn't think he gave an honest performance. But this was different, it was painfully beautiful and beautifully painful, and it was the most honest performance that's she seen from him. He had some technique problems, but there were so many things he did that just blew her away. Lil' C said the choppy steps were compensated for by his sincere emotion and unfurled vulnerability and that Asuka showed strength in her submission. Nigel thinks they brought a quality to the routine that they rarely see on this program. He feels as though he's seeing a different couple and he hopes America recognizes it. TEMPO05

Max & Kayla – Pop Jazz - Brian Friedman - About a princess and performer who secretly wants to steal her throne. Hot Like Wow, by Nadia Oh

It's an odd routine, they seem to do it well. IMO they're missing some of the pizazz they had last week. Kayla is ridiculously flexible! Lil' C said Maks did great considering Brian was the choreographer and he had no critique for Kayla, she was perfect. Mary said Maks really exceeded her expectations, although she doesn't think he stole the throne. Nigel thinks Kayla is a front runner and Maks reminds of him of a young Kevin Spacey (is that a compliment?) and really brings something special to the show. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they're THAT worthy of such over the top praise. I mean they're definitely very good, extremely talented dancers, but I don't think they're the cat's pajamas or anything. TEMPO06.

Jonathan & Karla - Contemporary - Stacey Tookey - Strangers who are in love - Falling Slowly, by The Frames. (That's what the TV said, but I thought that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sang it. They won the Academy Award for Best Song.

So far I'm impressed, I believe they're in love. I think they're beautiful together, I'm getting chills. Mary said Jonathan did this style better than his own and loved the routine, it was wonderful. Nigel agreed and said it was amazing considering they were on the brink of going home last week. Lil' C though the "fulcrum was even," between emotion, technique, posture, and athleticism, it was all even. It was Buck! TEMPO07

Philip & Jeanine – Tango - Tony Meredith - Violento (Up Mix), by Bailango!

I think they're pretty good, especially since Phillip is a Popper, he even has the correct facial expressions! But it is very obvious that he doesn't feel comfortable up there. Mary gives them both an A+ in attitude, but in technique it was more like a C-. She gives a bunch of ballroom dancing lingo to support that grade, but she thinks Jeanine was one "hot mama." Lil' C tells Phillip that a lack of confidence is "the heaviest anchor on your art" and Phillip didn't have any confidence in his performance. Nigel said it wasn't good technically but it was great entertainment. TEMPO08

Kupono & Ashley – Hip Hop - Shane Sparks - She's the shadow following Kupono, she has to do everything he does. Imma Be, by the Black Eyed Peas.

She really surprised me, and was hitting everything. Kupono is having some trouble with this routine. Mary doesn't hate it, but she doesn't love it- it wasn't very memorable to her. Lil' C tells Kupono that he needs to find the serenity inside the chaos, which he hasn't yet, but he has no complaints with Ashley. Nigel tells them he's underwhelmed by their performance and they didn't bring Shane's routine to life like they should have. It just wasn't their night. TEMPO09.

In my opinion, these are the Top 3 couples from tonight: