Tonight, So You Think You Can Dance, makes its way to Sin City for the Vegas callback auditions.  We'll be taken through two hours of great dancers working their little butts off trying to impress the judges.  At the end of tonight's episode, the top 20 finalists will be announced.

Stay with me throughout the entire broadcast.  I'll be here writing my live thoughts.

Over 200 of America's best dancers descend on Vegas and take the stage in front of the judges.  In attendance are Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen and, of course, Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.

Day 1 challenges the dancers to take on a hip hop routine by Napoleon and Tabitha.  They have only one hour to learn the choreography.  Unfortunately, Robert Muraine, the street performer from L.A., is not enjoying himself, even though he is a sick, sick popper.  He's beginning to give up, and Nigel gives him a little talking-to.  Nigel asks him to do his solo for the judges who have not seen him perform.  It's just as gross and contortiony and AWESOME as ever, but I'm not digging his new defeatist 'tude.  After his performance, Nigel asks him if he's going to stay or go, and Robert opts to go home!

The first line-up of performers take the stage to dance the hip hop routine, and the judges immediately make their first round of cuts.  Ryann Race, the strip club DJ, is cut as is Ricky Sun, the ballroom dancer.  Claire Gallaway, the dancer who auditioned two years ago but had to leave due to an injury, is disappointing to the judges.  Mia Michaels calls her a "hot mess," and unfortunately, she is cut.  By the end of the day, only 123 dancers make it to the next day.

The dancers are instructed to wear something sexy and sassy for Day 2.  Their choreographer today is Tyce Diorio, who teaches everyone a Broadway routine.  Erika Gee, from L.A. is paired with a girl in this dance, but ultimately, she is cut, her third time being cut from So You Think You Can Dance.  Susie Garcia from the Charleston auditions makes it through, however.  Twin brothers Anthony and Antwain Hart audition together, but sadly, only Anthony goes through to the next round.  Aww, they're splitting up the brothers!  That's interesting because I thought Antwain was the better dancer at their preliminary audition.

Ninety-four dancers survive the morning of Day 2.  Jean Marc Genereux take the dancers through a foxtrot in the afternoon.  Hip hop dancers Joshua and Comfort finds the ballroom choreography difficult, but they do a great job and make it through to the next level.  They both break down in tears after hearing the news.  Unfortunately, Devin Oshiro doesn't make it through.  Many familiar faces from the past auditions make it through.  Pageant Barbie Paige Jones, who has been all smiles in Vegas thus far, briefly stops smiling during the foxtrot.  She and her partner both get a chance to dance for their lives later on.  She's paired the second time through with a ballroom dancer and her mood drastically changes.  Unfortunately, she isn't elegant enough and gets cut.  What's hilarious is that she tells the camera that Jesus Christ has a plan for her, but then the camera captures her whining and crying.  Other dancers get to dance in their own styles to appeal to the judges one last time.  Paige's original partner Will is one of these dancers, and he too is cut.

At the end of the day, Cat Deeley divides the dancers into groups.  Each group will have the night to choreograph a group routine.  Mean!

Day 3 begins, and the dancers are remarkably perky for having spent most of the night working on their routines.

The first group stayed up the latest, with too many cooks in the kitchen.  They dance to "Every Step You Take."  The routine starts out with the music, but in the middle of it, the music fades out and Bianca Revels comes in and taps.  Mary Murphy calls it a hot mess, and all the judges agree.  One member of the group , Jason Glover, must dance for his life; everyone else is safe.  (He eventually makes it through.)  Twitch feels responsible for his group's poor performance, and feels like he needs to make it on the show otherwise he has to join the Navy.

The other groups don't seem to be doing well, either.  Another group, who call themselves Angels and Demons, had a particularly hard time agreeing on the choreography.  One member of the group thought it was too boring and "jazz competition," but the judges are pleasantly surprised by the choreo.  Every single member of this group gets a vote from all the judges.

Sixty-eight dancers are left, and in the afternoon of day 3, they face their toughest challenge yet: a Mia Michaels contemporary routine.  Mia Michaels is kind of a bitch.  The tap dancer Lizz Plott, is having a really tough time and her body is beginning to shut down.  During her audition, she visibly struggles, getting behind in the music, but the judges compliment her on how hard she worked and advises her not to stress out so much.  Lizz tries to defend herself, winding up talking too much, and that ends up being her downfall.  She is cut from the competition.

Jeremiah Hughes, from the Charleston auditions, screws up in the middle of the routine and walks off stage and has an adult tanty.  Bad move, Jeremiah.  He has lost all of the judges' trust, and is cut.  He officially apologizes for his behavior and promises that he'll be back next year.

Mia's routine was responsible for cutting 22 other dancers.  But nine dancers must now dance for their lives.  In the middle of his routine, Dominic Pearson collapses in the middle of the floor.  A medic takes him away, and his journey is over.

The final step between the remaining dancers and the top 20 is a solo performance in their own styles.

After the performances, each dancer individually appears before the judges to receive their verdict.  Kelli Baker, the daughter of Bonnie Story, does not make the cut.  But Courtney Galiano is in the top 20. 

Chelsie Hightower and Susie Garcia both make it to the top 20.  (I guess I have egg on my face because I didn't think Susie would make it.)   Kourtni Lind, the Uma Thurman lookalike is also in.  On the boys' side, Anthony Hart doesn't make it but is encouraged to try again next year.  Bianca Revels also doesn't make it.  Hip hop dancer Twitch, who lost out to Hok last year, makes it to the top 20.  Kherington Paine, the tomboy soccer player, joins him.

Many other dancers are either promoted to the top 20 or sent home.  William Wingfield, a protege of Debbie Allen, makes it to the top 20.  This means that Debbie Allen is not allowed to be a judge while he is in the competition.

Four dancers are left in the holding room, but only two spots are left in the top 20.  For the boys, it's Brandon versus Gev.  Gev makes it but not Brandon.  What a crock!  Brandon was my favorite male dancer in the entire audition round!  For the girls, it's between BFFs and roommates Katee and Natalie.  Katee tells the judges that if she doesn't make it this year, it's unlikely that she'll come back next year.  The judges hate that kind of 'tude, and they deliberate again.  Katee would have made it in the original vote.  According to the re-vote, the judges are split down the middle between the two of them, which means that the original vote stands, and Katee is through.  Natalie promises to be back.  She also says that she missed her college graduation to be in Vegas.  Aww, Natalie looks so sweet.

So, now you have it.  The top 20 is complete.  They are: Gev, Kourtni, Joshua, Rayven, Matt, Courtney, William, Katee, Twitch, Kherington, Jamie, Chelsie, Chris, Jessica, Mark, Susie, Marquis, Chelsea, Thayne and Comfort.

So You Think You Can Dance begins in earnest next week with the first round of performances on Wednesday night.



-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of FOX)