The episode opened with last year‘s winner, Nick Lazzarini, performing a solo dance.Then, Cat introduced this episode‘s judges: Nigel Lithgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty. She also announced that this year instead of drawing a partner every week, the partners were randomly assigned and will stay together until one of them is eliminated.This week‘s pairs danced together: Benji and Donyelle, Ivan and Allison, Jason and Aleksandra, Jamyz and Jessica, Stanislav and Erin, Dmitry and Joy, Ryan and Heidi, Ben and Ashlee, Travis and Martha, and Musa and Natalie. Afterwards, voting was opened up to the audience.

I‘m starting to think there‘s a hex on the cast of So You Think You Can Dance, Season 7.  Exhibit A: Alex Wong. His partnered dance with Stephen "Twitch" Boss had the judges bowing (and me replaying the video like six times.) Exhibit B: Ashley Galvan. Like Alex, Ashley wasn‘t dancing in comfortable territory when she donned a ninja costume and allowed herself to be spanked on stage by a sword--a routine that had Adam Shankman labeling her as the season‘s "quiet contender."
Read more »