So You Think You Can Dance: Top 8 Perform (Episode 418)

Toni Basil has apparently not been resting on her "Hey Mickey" one-hit-wonder laurels the past 26 (!) years and has been working with Bette Midler and Tina Turner. She's also the guest judge this week. Perhaps Nena can grace us with her presence next time and the dancers can do a group number involving 99 red balloons.

The first couple tonight is Courtney and Will, performing a Samba choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux and his wife France. It's a great routine to "I Fell in Love With the DJ," which I must purchase from iTunes ASAP. Will and Courtney's hips are swiveling like Tasmanian devils, and they have terrific chemistry. Aside from the moments when they were thinking too much about technique, Nigel loves it, and mentions Will's sheer black shirt, suggesting that all the hot male bods on this show should be starring in a 300 dance sequel. I don't think it's possible to make that movie any gayer than it is, but A for effort, Nigel. Will endears himself to me by giving us a "Spartans!" Hee.

Mary screams about their chemistry and mad samba skillz, and Toni tells us she basically forgot to take any judging notes because she was enjoying it so much. I was hoping she'd tell them they were so fine that they blew her mind, but alas.

Courtney and Will's second number is a slow hip-hop jam by Tabitha and Napoleon. It's about spending one more moment with the one you love. It's quite a nice piece, featuring lovely dancing and a great emotional connection. I'm a bit distracted by what appears to be a dead black bird attached to Courtney's head, though. Seriously, costume department. Lay off the pipe.

Nigel says this is the first year hip-hop has affected him emotionally, and Mary quietly says she has really high expectations of these dancers and the routine, and that they didn't meet her expectations. She actually fakes me out this time, so I'm glad when she screams that they blew her expectations out of the water. Oh, Mary. Don't ever change. Toni talks about how "street" the routine is, which is her favourite thing to talk about tonight. I guess she's just relieved to be dealing with young dancers and hearing songs other than "The Wind Beneath My Wings."

Katee and Twitch are apparently old friends, which has interestingly never been mentioned before. Huh. They dance a contemporary routine by Mia "I Hate Women" Michaels. It's about a crazy psycho bitch of an ex girlfriend who is basically stalking a nice young man. Man, this job must save Mia a ton on therapy bills. However, it is a very entertaining routine, and Katee and Twitch perform the hell out of it, although there's not so much actual dancing.

Still, it's great and they make good use of the prop door on the stage, with Katee trying to get in and Twitch keeping her out. Near the beginning, Twitch grabs Katee's face and plants a long kiss on her, and let's just say Twitch can kiss me any time. Wowsa! The judges all love the routine and Nigel makes a hilariously inappropriate joke about locking a woman in his apartment and then implies that it was Mary. You wish, Nigel!

Next up for Katee and Twitch is a Tyce DiOrio Broadway number to "Sweet Georgia Brown." Katee is once again playing a woman who's after a man. Geez, don't give the girl a complex, choreographers! It's a fun routine with typical Great White Way hamminess and over the top movement. Judges love it. Nigel praises Twitch for rising about his lack of formal training so well, Mary screams a lot, and Toni says Twitch brings street to Broadway.

Next pair is Comfort and Mark, since the sorting hat apparently figures it's a good idea to keep the bottom dancers together. It's the equivalent of being put in Huffle Puff. Anyway, they're doing a Tabitha/Napoleon hip-hop. The dancers are playing kids getting up to no good in detention, so basically it's a modern version of those scenes in Hairspray. The song is Fergie's "Party People," which I don't love. Mark and Comfort knock over their desks and do a great routine, highlighted by a flip Comfort does over Mark's back. It's kind of roll, but whatever it is, it's awesome.

Mark shows Cat his detention homework, which was writing lines of "I will not be in the bottom…" I think it's funny, but Nigel most decidedly does not and gets strangely pissy. Nigel seems to have soured on Mark of late, which is a shame. Loosen the bone, Wilma! He does go on to praise both dancers for the routine, noting that Comfort is much better when she's choreographed than in her solos. I think that's doubly true of Mark, actually. Mary loved the synchronization and both dancers, and Toni babbles on about -- wait for it -- how street it all was.

Comfort and Mark's second number is a foxtrot by Jean-Marc Genereux and his wife France. Jean-Marc wins points by delighting in making a ton of puns with Comfort's name in rehearsal, which she does not enjoy as much as I do. I'd think she'd be used to it by now.

As you might guess, the foxtrot doesn't go particularly well. It's not bad, and it's no Mark/Kherington two-step of shame, but it ain't great. Nigel calls them on the lack of chemistry, which I agree with, and Mary talks about a lot of technique that I don't understand. Toni doesn't love it, but mentions how great the hip-hop was earlier, which is a valiant effort to keep these two out of the bottom this week.

Our last pair is obviously Chelsie and Joshua, who tell us they have a love/hate relationship. Basically, she gets on his nerves, which I can understand. First up is an Argentine tango by Dmitry Chaplin. It takes place in a backroom bar, since in the '20s the tango was much like the lambada in the '90s: the forbidden dance. I think it's really sexy and well performed, with Chelsie making a meal of all the little kicks and swivels. Nicely done.

Nigel talks about Chelsie's legs and the amount of junk in Josh's trunk, which is plentiful. He also liked the dance, in case you were wondering. Mary loved it, and the Hot Tamale Train finally comes back into the station, with Chelsie and Josh on board. Guess what Toni tells us about the Argentine tango? Yes, she actually says it's the most street of the ballroom dances. Toni, you have a street obsession. This is clearly a cry for help.

Chelsie and Josh's second routine is disco by Doriana Sanchez. Blerg. Honestly, I love cheesy fluff, but none of her routines have wowed me. There are a ton of hard lifts in this number, and I know they're hard because they look hard. They should look effortless, which I realize is extremely difficult, but I found this routine rather clunky and laboured. I love both dancers and give them full marks for effort, but I wish I hadn't seen so much of said effort. In addition, Josh clearly stumbles on a twirl at the beginning. Methinks he's exhausted, which is understandable.

However, the judges don't mention Josh's mistake or the fact that we could see the dancers huffing and puffing far too much. Huh. I don't like it when I feel like they're propping up their favourites. They all praise the lifts, especially an airplane spin/lift thing, and agree it was a great way to end the night. Eh, I'm not so sure.

We also have solos tonight, of course, and we're treated to fluff pieces on how all the dancers got their start.

Comfort, whose dad tricked her into going to an arts school by telling her it had hip-hop when it was actually stinky ballet, starts us off with some poppin' and hip-hoppin'. It's the usual stuff.

Will endears himself to me even more tonight by telling us that Patrick Swayze jumping off the stage and leading the group dance up the aisle in Dirty Dancing inspired him. That's so geeky and awesome. Will's solo is a James Brown impersonation (including wig!), and he gets full marks with me for doing something different each week. Most dancers do the same solo to different songs, but Will truly changes it up and shows his versatility. Kudos.

Katee's parents put her in dance class because she walked around on her tiptoes all the time. Her solo tonight is basically the same as last week, and equally well danced, but it’s a bit boring.

Mark was the only boy at his dance school as a kid and he was also weird. Good thing there were no other boys around to beat him up! His solo is really disappointing. Not enough technique -- he's basically just running around being quirky. He jumps off the higher part of the stage and there's no leg extension, and I'm very underwhelmed. He's really so much better with a choreographer.

Chelsie, who started dancing because she was shy (she's certainly gotten over that!), does the same boring hip shaking and prancing as last week.

Josh's teacher was the one who got him into dance class, since mini Josh couldn't stop moonwalking all over her classroom. Aww, cute! Josh's solo features some great popping.

Courtney's parents got her into dance and she loves it, etc. Her routine is the same contemporary emo stuff we've come to expect. It's not bad, but as I said before, it gets old.

Last up is Twitch, who only got into dancing in his senior year. He tells us guys dancing isn't really accepted in Alabama. I suspect Twitch was too big to get beaten up, though. His solo is his standard popping, locking, etc., and is entertaining. Again, though, all these dancers impress me so much more in the pair routines.

Well, I think Comfort and Mark are going to be saying goodbye this week. I really can't say who will join them in the bottom four, though. Can we offer up Toni Basil instead?