It’s Broadway week on So You Think You Can Dance!The show opened with a jazzy “If My Friends Could See Me Now” Broadway routine choreographed by Al Blackstone for the Top 8 dancers. After a rough start with the music video challenge, the Top 8 have to take on the technical skills and acting required of a Broadway star.
The Challenge this week was led by Emmy Award-winning Al Blackstone and Tony Award choreographer Sarah O’Gleby. Before the Top 8 were divided into two groups, Al reminded the dancer that live performances don’t have reshoots. You have to get on stage and make it count!
Al’s Quartet
In Al’s Broadway show, Anthony and Jaylin played song and dance men working at a nightclub while Madison and Dakayla play two sailors who have just gotten off work and only have the night to have fun. Dakayla and Anthony are partnered due to their obvious chemistry while Jaylin and Madison formed a second duo. While moving from the studio to the stage had growing pains, Al never doubted this group’s ability to connect with one another.
This quick and fun performance was a cute vignette that seemed to have the judges lit up, but their feedback was harsh. Anthony’s opening moment caught Allison’s eye, but he didn’t maintain it. Dakayla was another dancer who slipped from the beginning of the performance to the end. While JoJo said she was “incredible” at the start, her mistakes later on became more obvious. As a former Broadway performer, Max had high standards for the Top 8, and he shared this with Madison who did not meet his expectations for the big emotions of Broadway. Allison gave Jaylin advice to match his goofiness to the situation so it doesn’t take over.
Sarah’s Quartet
Was three days enough time to pull together a Broadway show? Sarah’s Broadway show, starring Braylon, Easton, Mariyah, and Roman, was about having the dancers play themselves as much as playing characters. With a more abstract concept, the dancers had to work through the moves, space, and how to navigate a range of emotions to bring Sarah’s vision to life.
This group danced hard—so hard that Easton split his pants—enough to earn a standing ovation from the judges. Braylon was first to receive feedback on his character choices. Allison warned him about getting too locked in to pay attention to space after a collision during the performance. JoJo praised Easton for committing so hard to the role while Allison was excited to see a new side of him. Mariyah received compliments from Max about depth, but both he and JoJo wanted her to work on timing and confidence. Despite issues being himself during rehearsals, Allison praised Roman for performing for the audience and himself, but JoJo saw him struggling to move from heavy emotions to lighter ones.
The Bottom 4
Despite the heavy feedback, Allison shared with the Top 8 that the judges were impressed with the whole group. The results were based on how well each dancer was able to perform under Broadway pressure. Anthony, Dakayla, Roman, and Braylon were in the Bottom 4.
Dancing for his life for the second time, Braylon’s solo had to save him a second time, and he brought the power and technique that earned him a spot on the show to the stage. Max hoped Roman would impress with his solo before the ballroom dancer came out with his quick feet and hips to immense applause. Dakayla locked eyes with the judges before a fighting hip hop fusion performance. The final solo was performed by Anthony who followed his competitors with a softer, more emotional contemporary performance that had Max on his feet.
Elimination
Walking onto the stage, the Bottom 4 were holding their breath for the results. The first dancer to make it through the elimination was Anthony. He was followed by Dakayla. While Anthony and Dakayla ran off stage to celebrate, Braylon and Roman remained on stage with Cat to say their goodbyes.
The group is getting smaller! Next week, the Top 6 return for the “Movies” challenge at 9 pm ET on FOX.