Fan Fare

Shirts optional for Top 6 on SYTYCD

The shirts came off as the top 6 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance performed for votes for the last time before Wednesday’s finale.

Ryan Di Lello led the topless trend, showing up in two of three numbers without a shirt. He tossed on a flimsy top for his third number, but left it open, prompting judge Nigel Lythgoe to say, “I’m pleased you found a shirt, you just need to find the buttons.”

Shirt jokes aside, Ryan was just one of the six extremely talented dancers who left it all out on the floor in a final bid for votes before America chooses its next favorite dancer.

Kathryn McCormick was perhaps the stand-out performer of the evening, with at least one judge proclaiming that the show should be renamed “the rise of Kathryn.” Her gentle contemporary routine with Jakob Karr was called a “game changer” by judge Adam Shankman, who added, “you humbled me.”

But while Kathryn and Jakob are both extraordinarily strong dancers, the big obstacle standing in their way on the quest for the top prize comes in the form of krumper-turned-jack-of-all-dances, Russell Ferguson.

Russell also performed much of the show topless, but oddly enough, Nigel did not object. And judge Mary Murphy was once again rendered to tears by his journey from auditions through to the top 6.

“You are just someone special,” she said. “I have never seen someone grow, in six season (of SYTYCD), as much as you have.”

Injuries won’t stop krumping Santa on SYTYCD

It was crunch time for the competitors of So You Think You Can Dance as they vie for the final six spots in next week’s finale. Dancers had three chances to win audiences over — twice in choreographed routines with partners and once in a solo.

In spite of — or was it because of? — the pressure, there were more injuries this week in an already injury-plagued season. First, Napoleon and Tabitha tweeted about Ellenore Scott tearing her rotator cuff and posted a picture of her arm in a sling.

Then Ashleigh Di Lello showed up with her arm in a sling, having dislocated her shoulder (and popped it right back in) during rehearsals. With Ashleigh not allowed to dance, poor Russell Ferguson, who was previously paired with injured Noelle, was left to once again dance with stand-ins.

But Russell wasn’t about to be held back by the revolving door of partners. He delivered one of the strongest (and most entertaining) solos of the evening as a krumping Santa. And he proved himself again hitting it hard in a Nakul Dev Mahajan bollywood piece.

“You have got a magnetic quality that draws the audience,” judge Nigel Lythgoe said, noting that Bollywood is the complete opposite of krumping.

The judges were somewhat mixed on Ryan Di Lello and Kathryn McCormick ‘s energetic disco, but the pair blew everyone away with a difficult and “unbelievable” cha cha by Jason Gilkison.

“That was soooo hot!” Judge Adam Shankman gushed, praising Gilkison for creating “one of the best ballroom routines” they’d ever had on the show.

SYTYCD shake-up to hurt some, help others

They came, they danced and the judges were almost too positive, especially since two more dancers will be sent packing from So You Think You Can Dance tomorrow, leaving only the all important Top 10, who are expected to go on tour in 2010.

For the dancers who remain after Wednesday night’s elimination, next week will bring new styles and a new partner. So who will the shake-up help and who will it hurt?

Topping the list of those who may feel the squeeze is Ashleigh Di Lello. Last week, we speculated that without her partner Jakob Carr, Ashleigh may find herself in trouble. Jakob‘s strength was certainly evident in their first number, with judge Adam Shankman saying the only flaw was his pants. But Ashleigh got high praises after their second number, a cha-cha, with judge Nigel Lythgoe again saying that those who questioned her abilities in Vegas were eating their words.

“That may have been a cha-cha, but you are waltzing through to the top 10,” said Nigel of the performance.

Mollee Gray may also find herself in a bad place when her partnership with Nathan Trasoras breaks up. The couple seem to have been buoyed by Nathan’s popularity and Mollee may not fare so well with voters on her own. But a more mature partner could prove to give her the push to make it through to the top 4.

Meanwhile, if Karen Hauer makes it through the elimination, she will need to connect with one of the stronger men if she hopes to survive another week. A fresh partner may also prove the right move for Noelle Marsh, who has done well with Russell Ferguson, but may shine with someone else.

As for who will be headed home this week, expect to see Karen and partner Victor Smalley among the bottom three couples. As for the rest – it really is anyone’s game right now.

Will the Di Lello husband and wife team make Top 10 on SYTYCD?

After placing in the bottom three couples last week, Ashleigh’s husband Ryan and his partner Ellenore Scott were given a second chance and had the other standout routine of the evening, a beautiful contemporary number choreographed by season 2 contestant, Travis Wall. For a few moments, the judges almost forgot this was a dance show as they raved about Travis’ choreography work on SYTYCD. They were equally enthusiastic about the dancers, calling Ryan “the best ballroom dancer that has ever done contemporary.”

“I am pretty sure right now, you are going to end up with your wife in the top 10″, Adam said.

Do you agree? Who’s time is up and who will survive one step closer to the top 10?

Join us live on Twitter @Reuters_Fanfare for the east coast airing of the show.

(Top) Ashleigh Di Lello (L) and Jakob Karr (R) perform a Hip Hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo. © 2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mathieu Young/FOX

(Bottom) Ryan Di Lello (L) and Ellenore Scott (R) perform a Contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall. © 2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mathieu Young/FOX