‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Recap: Carlos & Brittany Eliminated

So You Think You Can Dance began with the remaining contestants performing a whimsical, yet decidedly eerie, number. Out of the dreamlike dance, and back into reality, Cat Deely picked up her unfortunate task of naming the bottom six dancers in danger of elimination – Makenzie Dustman, Alan Bersten, Mariah Spears, Jade Zuberi, Brittany Cherry and Carlos Garland.

The night’s judges – Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and guest Christina Applegate – then were faced with saving one male and one female dancer right off the bat. They decide to save Alan and Makenzie, leaving Mariah, Carlos, Jade and Brittany to dance for their lives. The solos were uneventful and unimpressive and Lythgoe said as much as he announced that they’d be cutting Carlos and Brittany, and saving Mariah and Jade. However, even though they were cut, they weren't not off the hook from dancing with their partners during the night’s show.

Hayley Erbert and Curtis Holland were the first pairing to take to the stage following the gloomy early eliminations. They were given a jazz number by Ray Leeper that challenged them to get down and dirty and sexy. The judges all bought their chemistry, especially Murphy who said she “saw fireworks.”

Next up was a NappyTabs routine by Jasmine Harper and Aaron Turner. Like Hayley and Curtis, their chemistry sizzled, but their emotions in the dance came through even more for the judges. The talented pairing was deemed the couple to beat after the electric hip-hop number.

Malece Miller and Jade took on a Bollywood routine by Nakul, which, as Jade pointed out, required them to smile continuously throughout the grueling dance. They started off strong, but the energy began to wane towards the end. Overall, the routine was appreciated, but didn’t "wow" the judges.

Stacey Tookey choreographed a contemporary routine for Nico Greetham and Alexis Juliano, much to Alexis’s disadvantage. Despite her inexperience in the genre, Alexis managed to be a force on the stage, impressing the judges with the honesty of her performance. Nico, who’s professionally trained, did a predictably beautiful job with the number.

Jasmine Mason and Alan Bersten faced a ballroom number by Miriam and Leonardo. Like the night’s first two routines, sex was the dominant theme. With the trained ballroom dancer Alan, Jasmine kept the pace and was fittingly emotional throughout the dance as well. What did the judges think? They gave the pair a standing ovation.

Makenzie and Paul Karmiryan were saddled with a quirky femmebot routine by Sam Cheeseman that they managed to make both hot and hilarious. The acrobatics didn’t hurt either. The only judge with any complaints was Applegate, who suggested Paul loosen his carriage in future dances.

Mariah and Carlos performed the second Tookey routine of the night – a routine framed by the narrative of a man who lost his memory in an accident. Both of their performances made it shocking that they were in the bottom two, and that Carlos was leaving the show. Their moving take on the contemporary number gave the judges goosebumps.

NappyTabs choreographed an energetic hip-hop routine for Amy Yakima and Fik-Shun that Lythgoe knew he was going to like before it even began. Fik-Shun was in his element, and Amy, as she’s proven, can rise to any style.

For the last couple performance of the night, Jenna Johnson and Tucker Knox took on a cha cha choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin. Tucker went into the dance fearing that he wouldn’t be able to match Jenna’s easy sex-appeal, which turned out to be well-founded when the judges give their critiques. Murphy lavished the praise on Jenna, but wasn’t wowed by contemporary dancer Tucker.

So You Think You Can Dance airs Tuesday on Fox at 8/9c.

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