So You Think You Can Dance: The First Performances

[Photos: ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Joe Viles/FOX]

Tonight’s judges on So You Think You Can Dance were Dan Karaty, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lithgoe. It’s so exciting to see the season begin. I love this show so much and it’s one of the best things about the summer for me. This year, the dancers are all incredible, so it’s going to be anybody’s competition to win.

First to dance tonight were Rayven Armijo & Jamie Bayard. They performed a Hip-Hop routine choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha D’Umo. She’s normally a ballet dancer and he’s a West Coast Swing dancer, so it was fun to see what they could do with hip-hop. I thought they did a great job, especially since it was so different from their usual styles. At one point, she pulled his pants down and he was wearing tighty-whiteys… Really a fun routine!
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Next up were Susie Garcia & Marquis Cunningham with a Smooth Waltz routine choreographed by Hunter Johnson. I thought it was beautiful. Marquis’ lines were amazing and his technique was so perfect. It was a good choice for him as a Contemporary dancer and Susie did extremely well for being primarily a Latin dancer. It was a great first performance for them, in my opinion.

Then, Kourtni Lind & Matt Dorame took the stage for a Jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore. Since they are both contemporary dancers, they did a really good job with it. I thought they had chemistry with each other, especially Kourtni.

The next couple to dance was Chelsea Traille & Thayne Jasperson, two contemporary dancers. They performed a Cha-Cha choreographed by Tony Meredith & Melanie. It was Muy Caliente!! Hot! I loved it!

Chelsie Hightower & Mark Kanemura were up next to dance a Contemporary dance by Mia Michaels. I thought it was fun and playful and I liked it. They did a good job, in my opinion!! The routine was very unusual, but in a good, Mia Michaels sort of way.

Then Kherington Payne & Twitch Boss were up and danced a Broadway routine by Tyce Diorio. They were fantastic!! They really brought it tonight!! They are wonderful together and Twitch brings his humor to the dance. It was great!

The next pair was Comfort Fedoke & Chris Jarosz and they danced a Jive by Tony Meredith and Melanie. The Jive is one of my favorites to watch, and they did it justice!! They were wonderful!! I love, love, loved it!

The next dance was a Napoleon & Tabitha Hip-Hop routine by Katee Shean & Joshua Allen. Joshua was obviously the stronger hip-hop dancer of the two since it’s his usual style, but Katee really did a wonderful job too!! I loved the routine and they brought the emotion to it. It was nearly perfect!

The next dance was Jessica King & Will Wingfield doing a Tango choreographed by Hunter Johnson. The tango is tough, if they aren’t used to the Latin beat or the unusual weight changes. I was surprised that they didn’t dance together as much as I am used to for a tango. It wasn’t Argentinean style, and it had Paso Doble overtones. They did a great job, but I was confused about the choreography a bit.

The final couple to dance was Courtney Galiano & Gev Manoukian. They brought it all to a Disco routine by Doriana Sanchez. I love to dance disco and watching them made me want to get up and boogey. It was a fun routine, but I thought some of the lifts were a bit weak. It was good, but was it good enough?

I’m worried about how hard it’s going to be to see anyone go home this season. Everyone is outstanding!!! I don’t want anyone to leave!! And how hard to choose who is the best? They’re all fantastic!!

So which couple is your favorite? Who do you think should go home? Leave a comment to let us know!

Reality TV, TV, Television, so you think you can dance, SYTYCD, , Cat Deeley