It was a night of celebration and tears at the Kodak Theater as contemporary performer Jeanine Mason was crowned “America’s Favorite Dancer” on season five of Fox’s summer hit  “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“I never ever imagined this,” the 18-year-old said following the announcement, adding she never thought she would be giving an acceptance speech on the same stage that hosts the Academy Awards.

More than 3,000 screaming dance enthusiasts packed inside the iconic Hollywood theater to hear the fate of the final four — Mason, Evan Kasprzak, Kayla Radomski and Brandon Bryant – after what was the largest vote in the show’s history.

Judge Mary Murphy and executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe were joined by a full panel of guest judges including film producer Adam Shankman, krump master Lil C and dance legend Debbie Allen.

“I was absolutely delighted and I think it is justly deserved,” Lythgoe said of Mason’s win, which he said he learned of early Thursday afternoon.

But before the confetti and standing ovation, the finale revisited the judges’ favorite performances from this season, including the energetic Bollywood number “Jai Ho,” performed by Jason Glover and Caitlin Kinney, the “Butt Dance,” performed by Randi Evans and Kasprzak, and a Matrix-inspired Paso Doble, performed by Mason and first-runner up Bryant.

Special guests took to the stage, including Talia Fowler — the winner of “So You Think You Can Dance Australia” — and the junior dance troupe Rage Boyz Crew.  The judges themselves couldn’t resist the draw of the bright lights either as they donned white top hats and tails for a surprise appearance at the end of a top-eight performance of “One” from the iconic musical “A Chorus Line.”

“Dark horse” Mason faced a tight race on Wednesday night’s performance show, which was a feast for dance lovers as choreographers Mia Michaels, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, Tyce Diorio and Sonya Tayeh challenged the finalists to reach new heights for the $250,000 prize and the coveted title.

Mason and Kasprzak were the first couple to take the stage with a performance inspired by a woman who has fallen out of love. “I never saw Janine coming and you have dominated week after week,” Shankman said, “I so underestimated you and I will never forgive myself.”

Bryant, who began dancing at the age of seven, continued to wow the judges with his power and intensity. “You’re an extreme dancer. You’re like a super athlete,” Shankman said after he performed his final solo of the competition.  “You are athletic, you are dynamic, you defy gravity at times,” Murphy said, adding the 19-year-old was born to dance.

Despite making it to the final four, Kasprzak couldn’t shake the criticism dished out by the judges, who chided him for his natural sweetness and lovable face. “You have the character but it felt like a character,” Shankman said of the “Nasty” number where Kasprzak found himself dueling against Bryant. In retaliation, the entire Kodak Theater erupted in applause and chanted “Evan” in support of the short man who dances large.

Radomski, a darling of the judges from her audition straight through to the finale, continued to inspire a flood of compliments for her work.  Lythgoe compared the statuesque blond to a “thoroughbred” after the Mia Michaels number she performed with Mason. “There have been some of the best dancers I have ever seen of my life on this show, Travis Wall, Will, Danny, and Kayla you just joined them in that little special club,” Shankman said after she performed her final solo.

With tens of millions of votes tallied, do you think America got it right? Itching for more dance and a chance to have your say?  Stayed tuned for Season Six, which begins on Sept. 2.

Captions: (Top Left) Jeanine Mason, 18, is a contemporary dancer from Pinecrest, FL. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Ruiz/FOX
(Center Right) Judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Ruiz/FOX
(Bottom Center) “So You Think You Can Dance” host Cat Deeley ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Ruiz/FOX

The “dreaded quickstep” was once again the kiss of death as ballerina Melissa Sandvig was eliminated on Fox’s fifth season of the popular “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Comments from the judges on Wednesday night were mixed for Sandvig’s challenging ballroom number as Mary Murphy said she was “disappointed” with Melissa and Evan Kasprzak’s performance while Nigel Lythgoe raved, “it’s routines like I just watched now that started me dancing.”

And in what was probably the biggest shock of the season, Ade Obayomi failed to inspire voters to pick up the phone, sending him packing rather than to the finale.  Ade and Jeanine Mason got down and dirty with a well-received Tabitha and Napoleon hip hop number, but their samba failed to impress due to technical shortcomings.

“It started to fall apart for me. Ade, you were hopping around that floor,” Murphy said on Wednesday, adding the routine had a novice feel. The panel agreed the couple physically looked great but it wasn’t enough to keep the critiques at bay. “We were hoping to get an explosion of excellence and it really fell short for me,” crump choreographer and guest judge Lil C said of the performance.

Despite the elimination of two dancers, Thursday’s show managed to retain somewhat of a celebratory feel as past finalists and winners took to the stage to perform Emmy-nominated numbers from last season, including “Bleeding Love,” “Silence” and “A Los Amigos.”

This week’s competition got under way with Wednesday night’s performance show, which was a hotbed of sexy samba, high-flying disco and infidelity-inspired contemporary.

After fielding some scathing critiques for his Tyce Diorio-choreographed Broadway number, Evan managed to inspire the judges during his quickstep routine, prompting Lil C to say,”I’m going to commend you for dancing bigger than you’ve ever danced on the show for me.”

Judge favorites Brandon Bryant and Kayla Radomski continued their ride on the coveted hot tamale train with two first-class tickets doled out by Murphy.  Their “beyond intense” contemporary number, choreographed by Canadian Stacey Tookey, was a technical feast for the eyes. Kayla shone as an abused mistress in the adultery-inspired performance. “You have never taken a wrong step for me Kayla,” Murphy said, “That was perfection up there on the dance floor.”

Lil C continued the compliments saying Kayla, who he described as “a beast,” has a tendency to outdance her partners, but her coupling with Brandon was the first time she was evenly matched.

Kayla and Brandon will join Evan and Jeanine in the final four, competing for a chance to win $250,000 and the title of “America’s Favorite Dancer.”  Did the final four come as a surprise or did the top dancers make the cut?

Captions: (Right) Melissa  Sandvig, 29, is a ballet dancer from Los Alamitos, CA. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Ruiz/FOX
Ade Obayomi,20, is a contemporary dancer from Chandler, AZ. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Ruiz/FOX

Judge Mary Murphy hit it on the nail when she said, “This competition is probably the closest competition in ‘So You Think You Can Dance‘ history.”

The race on the fifth season of Fox’s summer hit has been incredibly tight from the beginning and this week’s bottom couples exemplified that.

Despite a good performance choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux, a third time in the bottom was not a charm for Karla Garcia and Vitolio Jeune, who could not escape the curse of the quick-step — a.k.a. the “kiss of death.”

The company they kept at the bottom this week may have made a tough decision easier, as the other two couples performed memorable and distinctive routines praised by the judges.

Phillip Chbeeb and Jeanine Mason, who performed a unique Tabitha & Napoleon hip hop routine that literally chained the dancers together, found themselves in the bottom for the first time. Voters may have agreed with guest judge and choreographer Mia Michaels, who found the chain distracting, despite the unique and difficult routine. It was perhaps a blessing in disguise as their solos reminded judges and viewers why they deserved to be on the show. “I know it’s entirely selfish, but I’m so glad you got to perform your solo,” host Cat Deeley told Chbeeb.

Kupono Aweau and Kayla Radomski’s bottom three placement also came as a surprise. Michaels called their “Twilight”-inspired number by Sonya Tayeh “perfection.” “Everything about it was absolutely tremendous,” she said. “To me, you were the best performance last night.”

This week’s standouts included Brandon Bryant and Janette Manrara, who performed a high-energy Cha Cha choreographed by Genereux that generated over-the-top enthusiasm from the judges. Executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe shouted, “It was possibly the best damn Cha Cha I have ever seen on this show!” Murphy punctured a few eardrums screaming out “two first class tickets” onto her coveted “hot tomale train.”

Bryant was moved to tears this week when Michaels finally praised his dancing and talent. During the “green mile” episode where dancers were told whether they made it into the top 20, Michaels sparked a heated scene with other judges when she told Bryant, “I can’t take you. I can’t take what you bring to the floor as an artist. It annoys the *bleep* out of me.”

Audiences also fell in love with Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi’s Romeo and Juliet pas de deux by Thordal Christensen. “You can’t fake classical ballet — that exposes everything — and you were brilliant,” said Michaels.

“Who would have believed that in five seasons, we are now doing classical ballet,” asked Lythgoe, highlighting how the show brings together every genre from hip hop to ballet.

SYTYCD is a week away from finding out who the top 10 dancers will be. The performers have been fairly evenly matched, with favorites changing week to week. With a competition this tight, what will it take for dancers to stand out as the field narrows?

Caption: Mia Michaels (R), choreographer and judge of the reality series “So You Think You Can Dance”, takes part in a panel discussion with show host Cat Deeley at the Fox TV network summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 14, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

“So You Think You Can Dance” host Cat Deeley — looking fabulous in a white pant suit — kicked off Thursday’s results show with a hilarious compilation of judge Lil’ C’s critiques from Wednesday — often incomprehensible, inventive, and always verbose.

The laughs didn’t last however, and it was a sad night for Ashley Valerio and Max Kapitannikov, the second female and male dancer to be sent home on Fox’s hit summer reality show.

This week saw some of last week’s favorite couples performing under par and last week’s bottom dancers delivering.

As a testament to the incredibly strong and fairly evenly matched crop of talent this season, executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe told the bottom three couples, “if it were up to us, we probably wouldn’t lose any of this six tonight.”

Despite strong routines last week, Ashley and Max’s solos and performances on Wednesday were less memorable and simply didn’t make the cut for audiences and judges alike.

Living to see another week of competition were Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover along with Kupono Aweau and his new partner Kayla Radomski.

Despite hip-hop’s popularity and the return of choreographer Shane Sparks (a judge on “America’s Best Dance Crew“), it was “hip-not” this week with two of last week’s star couples unable to deliver, landing them in the bottom.

Last week, Caitlin and Jason nailed their bollywood number, and Kupono and Ashley impressed with Wade Robson’s crash test dummies routine, but both couples struggled with uneven hip-hop performances that underwhelmed the judges.

Early audience favorite Phillip Chbeeb and his partner Jeanine Mason were safe despite a dismal and awkward tango performance. “A lack of confidence is the heaviest anchor you can put on your creativity, on your art. You had no confidence through that whole routine,” Lil’ C told Phillip. Nigel simply said, “It wasn’t good.”

Asuka Kondoh and Vitolio Jeune — who were in the bottom three last week — came back with a moving and lyrical waltz performance choreographed by Louie van Amstel, inspired by Vitolio’s background growing up an orphan.

Mary Murphy also praised Jonathan Platero and Karla Garcia’s contemporary routine by Canadian choregrapher Stacey Tooki, telling Jonathan, “I have never said this in five seasons: Jonathan you did that style better than your own!” They too also came close to saying goodbye last week.

Rising to the “threat-to-watch” list was Ade Obayomi, whom Lil’ C called  “everybody’s competition”.

As the contrast between this week and last week’s performances showed, favorites can change week to week depending literally on the luck of the (genre) draw. Dancers can rise to the occasion after disappointment, while the confidence of others can be shattered when performing out of their element.

Which genre and choreography will send next week’s dancers home? And which dancers will prove themselves to be versatile in anything thrown their way?

As the judges liked to say, Thursday’s finale of “So You Think You Can Dance” was BUCK!

America loves inspiring underdogs and season No. 4 proved no exception to that rule as hip-hopper Joshua Allen beat fellow street dancer Twitch (Stephen Boss) to be crowned America’s Favorite Dancer on the final episode that brought back the very best of the show.

As fans saw in earlier episodes this summer and previous seasons, technical perfection doesn’t always outshine charm and charisma. The very polished Katee Shean — whom many expected to either win or at least be in the top two — was out before the two final male contestants.

From Joshua’s grin to his oft-noted backside, the stocky, sensitive hip-hopper (he could be the most teary dancer they’ve ever had on the show) charmed his way to the top. His partnership with Katee brought us some of the best routines of the season, even if he did seem a bit tired at times in Wednesday’s performance show.

This season arguably featured the strongest batch of dancers ever — both in personality and skill — making each week’s elimination tough to swallow. Thursday’s finale made viewers forget the sometimes questionable judging and the over-the-top love-fests that judges had with choreographers this year.

Fans relived the chills they got from the season’s best dance routines and were reunited with favorite choreographers Wade Robson (That’s him at right. He’s been busy doing Criss Angel’s new Las Vegas magic show “Believe”) and Shane Sparks (now a judge on “America’s Best Dance Crew“). Audiences also revisited poppers Robert Muraine and Phillip Chbeeb (see Muraine showcase his talent in an Ikea ad here). Long time viewers were also treated to appearances by Benji, Travis, Hok, Donyelle, Lauren, Lacey, Dominic, Ivan and many other past favorites.

But as fans from “Dance” suffer withdrawal the day after the show’s end, they will no doubt be arguing whether America got it right in picking Joshua as this seaon’s No. 1. After the stage lights have dimmed, who will forge a stronger career — the hip hoppers with street cred and loads of charm, or the girl with the technical ability and grace to match. Any thoughts?

The search for America’s favorite dancer on Fox TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” narrowed Thursday night to a surprisingly strong showing from the hip-hop league.

After Mark Kanemura’s elimination, Twitch (Stephen Laurel Boss) and Joshua Allen advanced to next week’s finale, marking the first time hip-hop dancers will represent the top-two male performers and half of the final four — spots reserved in previous seasons for classically-trained dancers.

Hip-hop head spinners typically have the most difficult time demonstrating their versatility on the show as they transition from poppin’ and lockin’ to the Argentine tango and contemporary routines. 

So are Joshua and Twitch skirting by on charisma alone? Or does one of them deserve to win it all despite a lack of rock-solid technique?

Joshua proved on Wednesday night he could hold his own against partner Katee Shean, a very technically-sound dancer, as the pair performed a contemporary number choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Judge Adam Shankman raved about the divine nature of the pair, calling them the “Holy Trinity of dance.”

But even years of training and more than one million votes couldn’t save Chelsie Hightower, who has been a favorite of the judges this season. She was knocked out of contention, advancing Courtney Ann Galiano and Katee to the final round.

Chelsie danced a red-hot fire around her partner Twitch during a Mambo choreographed by Toni Meredith and Melanie LaPatin.  Shankman gushed, calling Chelsie an “animal” on the dance floor. But as last week’s shocking elimination of Will Wingfield demonstrated, the competition determines America’s favorite dancer – not necessarily America’s best.

(Reporting and Writing by Ashleigh Patterson)

Down to the final top 10 dancers, it was gearing up to be a tough decision-making week for fans of TV talent show “So You Think You Can Dance,” but someone — or some two — had to go.

In the end, it was Kherington Payne and Gev Manoukian who were the first to say goodbye.  Joining them in the bottom (but safe for another week) were Mark Kanemura and Comfort Fedoke, who rejoined the group after original top 10 contestant Jessica King had to bow out. (Doctors told her the pain in her side was due to broken and fractured ribs, but there were no explanations on how she got those injuries. A previous dance number?)

Based on Kherington’s past popularity with partner Twitch (aka Stephen Boss) and Comfort’s perpetual lineup at the bottom, it seemed Comfort was set to go home for a second time. Things didn’t quite work out that way, though. Given a second chance and nothing to lose, Comfort put in one of her strongest showings and was praised by judge Nigel Lythgoe as finally living up to her potential in a hip hop number with Twitch. It may have been good enough to make voters forgive their painful waltz earlier.

Meanwhile, Kherington’s country two-step with new partner Mark was riddled with so many glaring mistakes it made viewers forget some of her best performances with Twitch. Her attitude in backstage clips this week may have surprised some fans as well. They prompted judge and choreographer Lil C to tell her, ”Your ride has been turbulence free. You can’t get upset just because we turned the heat up in the kitchen just a tad.”

For Gev, he lost the great chemistry he shared with former partner Courtney Galiano. He put in a respectable contemporary dance with new partner Chelsie, but was outshone by her ballroom skills during their jive.

This was the first week dancers were switched up with new partners. The weekly change will offer some fun-to-watch new pairings (like Will Wingfield and Katee Shean this week) and may expose the weaknesses of others left without the superior skills of their partners. This coming week, fans will see who continues to dance, and who must leave the stage.