Destination ‘So You Think You Can Dance’: An elimination like a punch in the gut

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Looking back on the beginning of the night, I see no signs that something truly sinister was afoot. When I picked up my press pass from will call, I heard no frantically barking dogs; when I handed my ticket to the usher, I felt not a tinge of Santa Anas. And yet, a great atrocity was about to take place, right there in the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ studio.

Inside the studio, everything seemed normal as well. I found my seat beside reporters from US Weekly and People Magazine, while Tommy the warm-up guy recruited girls from the audience to dance to Sir Mix-a-Lot. Again. Kaitlin and Kayla battled it out, impressing the audience with perfect turns and back flips. ‘Shake your money maker’ blared through the speakers next, and the baby-doll-dress-clad tweens complied.

After money makers had been shaken, and candy distributed accordingly, Tommy the warm-up guy announced that we were 10 minutes from going live on the east coast.

The lights got low and fluorescent homemade signs glowed in the dark. ‘Kherington Payne is insane!’ raved one.

After Comfort Fedoke and her backup dancers performed their opening number, things got serious.

Joshua Allen and Katee Shean were safe, and Joshua gave a little kiss up to heaven when he heard the news. The man upstairs must have been pretty busy tonight, since Joshua was far from the only dancer to call on Him. Even the ever-cocky Comfort had crossed herself by the end of the night.

Susie Garcia and Marquis Cunningham were revealed to be in the bottom three, and that was no surprise. Although Nigel Lythgoe disagreed when I talked to him after the show, I see Susie and Marquis as the unwitting victims of criminal pairing. She’s a whole lot of woman and he seems very dainty to be leading her. A chance to ‘dance for their lives’ solo seemed like a great opportunity for both dancers to show what they were made of. ‘I hope they dance their hearts out today,’ announced Mary Murphy.

It was clear this week that the bonds between the dancers were stronger than ever. When Courtney Galiano, Gev Manoukian, Chris Jarosz and Comfort all awaited their destiny, the foursome wished each other good luck. A sign reading ‘we love Courtney and Gev’ waved in the mosh pit.

From the moment that the bottom three couples are announced in the theater, everything speeds up. After so much time killing from Tommy the warm-up guy, all of the sudden, time seems to fly. What? They’re all gonna dance for their lives right this instant? But –- but –- they just found out they were in the bottom. Give them a minute! But there isn’t a minute to give. Before they know it, the dancers are on stage, begging forgiveness for whatever shortcoming put them in the bottom three –- begging forgiveness in the form of dance.

The Snuggle bear danced at the bottom of the screen and a montage of horrific street dancers played while the six ill-fated contestants prepared to beg forgiveness.

Chelsea Traille knew she had much more to show, and her performance begged for a chance to show it. The ever-joyful Thayne Jasperson looked joyful, even while dancing for his life. When Cat Deeley commented on his pleasant demeanor, Thayne remarked that he just loves to dance. His answer seemed at once so outlandish and so logical. Outlandish, because he could be on the train back to Nowheresville, and logical, because at the end of the day, it’s just a show.

Susie, however, did not share Thayne’s joyful spirit. Her dance was, by all accounts, just OK. It reminded me of one of the Shakira impersonators who came from the audience to dance for Tommy the warm-up guy last week.

Susie’s partner Marquis, however, was positively stunning. An angel got its wings during that minute of dancing, and a great many babies were conceived. During that minute of dancing, there were wails from the mosh pit, and gasps from the typically unflappable reporter section. Marquis had shown what it meant to dance for your life.

‘Chris and Susie,’ announced a particularly vocal ‘SYTYCD’ prognosticator in the row behind me. And at that moment, the ritual beheading of Chris and Susie seemed so imminent that predicting it seemed ridiculous. ‘Chris and Susie,’ he announced. ‘Duh,’ I replied inside.

While a pre-taped video of Flo Rida aired, Gev, Joshua and Twitch leapt onto the stage to shake their stuff. Will joined them for a good-spirited dance-off and the playful foursome reminded us what Thayne had told us just moments before. First and foremost, these people love to dance. Stage manager Debbie Williams watched them pop, shake and spin until just seconds before airtime, when she shooed them off the stage and back into the pit. We were back.

Susie smiled and nodded as though she knew what was coming; then she began to look ill. Comfort crossed herself. The three men came together for a group hug so loving and intense that they wrapped their legs around each other.

‘You can lose tonight, two of you,’ remarked Nigel, ‘but that doesn’t stop you being great dancers.’ Nigel complimented Chris on his passion, and I was sure he was just softening the blow. I was wrong. After stopping time with his 30 second dance routine, Marquis was sent home. And that’s when I did something I thought I’d never do. I led my first ‘boo.’ In an instant, the whole studio had joined me. We booed loud and we booed long and we booed hard. We booed for the people at home, who could not be heard. And we booed for Marquis, who could not boo, but instead, was forced to take the high road. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘It’s been a really awesome road, and I can’t wait to keep going on it.’

-- Stephanie Lysaght