It's been a great season for So You Think You Can Dance and choosing only 9 favorites to make this list is awfully hard. But it has to be done! Which dances were the best of So You Think You Can Dance season 9? Find out here!
DISCLAIMER: This is a totally subjective list. So please don't yell at the author of this article or tell her she is stupid for not picking your favorite dance. I may, in fact, be stupid, but it's rude to say so. And we don't like rudeness here.What counts as a great
SYTYCD performance? Other than being awesome, there really isn't much in the way of specific criteria. And another person -- like you, the reader -- may have different opinions. That's OK. Differences of opinion are what make the world go round.
If you do have a favorite that didn't make this list, please mention it (and post a link so we can all be reminded) in the comments section at the bottom of this page!
The Top 9 Dances9.
Eliana Girard and Tiffany Maher -- Top 4 Performances
Dance: Broadway
Choreographer: Ray Leeper
Song: "When You're Good to Mama" from
ChicagoPole dancing deserves a place on this list, no matter what. I mean, seriously? Only
So You Think You Can Dance (and brilliant performers like Tiffany and especially Eliana) can make this artistic.
8.
Audrey Case and Matthew Kazmierczak -- Top 20 Performances, Part 1Dance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
This number inspired by
Titanic had high points like Audrey's leap, but even when it was quiet, the dance was powerful.
7.
Tiffany Maher and Ade Obayomi -- Top 8 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion
Every season of
So You Think You Can Dance has a performance in which people go flying across the stage. This was it for season 9.
6.
Eliana Girard and Ryan Di Lillo -- Top 8 PerformancesDance: Quickstep
Choreographer: Jonathan Roberts
Song: "That Man" by Caro Emerald
Lesser dancers have been felled by the dreaded quickstep. Eliana did great.
5.
Cole Horibe and Allison Holker -- Top 8 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "Possibly Maybe" Bjork
Cole was both terrifying and incredible in this dance. Somehow, it managed to both flow and stop in jerky movements.
4.
Lindsay Arnold and Cole Horibe -- Top 20 Performances, Part 1Dance: Paso Doble
Choreographer: Jason Gilkison
Song: "Unstoppable" by E.S. Posthumus
Lindsay's ballroom training and Cole's martial arts combined to make this a nearly perfect -- yet somewhat different -- paso doble.
3.
Tiffany Maher and Will Wingfield -- Top 4 Performances
Dance: Jazz
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "The Time Is Now" by Moloko
Not only was this performance excellent, it actually looked like two separate dances that somehow came together in the best way possible.
2.
Lindsay Arnold and Cole Horibe -- Top 14 PerformancesDance: Contemporary (originally performed by Kayla Radomski and Kupono Aweau in season 5)
Choreographer: Mia Michaels
Song: "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles
Even though this had been danced before, Cole and Lindsay couldn't have been better. Cole especially embodied pure evil in the creepiest way possible.
1.
Eliana Girard and Alex Wong -- Top 10 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey
Song: "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Nancy Sinatra
How can something so dark also be so sexy? Whatever the answer may be, this dance did it.
Honorable MentionsBecause this season was far too good to only pick 9 favorites, here are 9 more honorable mentions.
Tiffany Maher and Benji Schwimmer -- Top 6 PerformancesDance: Jive
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux
Song: "What I Like About You" by Lillix
Eliana Girard and Cole Horibe -- Top 6 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Mia Michaels
Song: "Adagio for Strings" by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
Amelia Lowe and Will Thomas -- Top 20 Performances, Part 2Dance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Song: "3326" by Olafur Arnalds
Witney Carson and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp -- Top 20 Performances, Part 2
Dance: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Song: "Tandav Music" by Aatish Kapadia
Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer and Comfort Fedoke -- Top 6 PerformancesDance: Christopher Scott
Choreographer: Dubstep
Song: "Cinema" Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go
Eliana Girard and Alex Wong -- Top 4 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
Song: "Without You" by Harry Nilsson
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp -- Las Vegas CallbacksDance: Ballet Solo
Chehon begins to dance at the 2:48 mark.
Will Thomas and Kathryn McCormick -- Top 10 PerformancesDance: Bollywood
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Song: "Ooh La La" from
The Dirty Picture Lindsay Arnold and Cole Horibe -- Top 16 PerformancesDance: Contemporary
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: "Wild Horses" by Charlotte Martin
What was your favorite performance from
So You Think You Can Dance season 9? Let us know in the comments section and then check back here at BuddyTV to find out who the
SYTYCD winners are! We'll be posting the results live (more or less) starting at 8pm on Tuesday, September 18.
(Images and videos courtesy of FOX)