So You Think You Can Dance: Top 8

This week the pressure and dancing are getting kicked up a notch! Instead of just a dance with an All Star and solo, the contestants now have to dance with an All Star and are randomly paired with another contestant in a different dance styles. To start, we get the unfortunate news that Alex is injured and he'll be out this week. At worst, he could be out the rest of the season. If the favorite to win this season is out, that leaves this race wide open for the remaining contestants. I hope Alex's injury isn't too serious for him to return next week.

Lauren with All Star Pasha
Jean Marc and France Genereaux Cha-Cha
"Telephone" by Lady Gaga and Beyonce
 That was a great cha-cha! I definitely agree with Nigel, she was a WOMAN dancing with Pasha. I loved the song choice and never would have thought it would work with a ballroom routine.

Jose with All Star Lauren
Mandy Moore Contemporary
"Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS
That one lift where he's holding her by her leg and she flips completely around was phenomenal! He did a great job, but I don't think the choreography was very challenging for him. There were a few b-boy moves, some contemporary walking and rolls, but mainly just lifting Lauren. Solid routine, but I don't know how much credit I can actually give Jose.

Kent with All Star Comfort
Dave Scott Hip Hop
"You're Not My Girl" by Ryan Leslie
I'm impressed he was able to pull off that b-boy move! The routine was solid, but last week's hip hop was so tremendous that it's just a hard act to follow. Side note: Comfort needs to eat a sandwich.

Adechike with All Star Courtney
Mandy Moore Jazz
"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Dinah Washington
The dance is set in a bar, with Courtney as a women on the prowl with Adechike in her sights. Another solid routine, but there was nothing that made it stood out for me. I agree more with Mia than Nigel, it was a mediocre routine where nothing really stood out.

Billy with All Star Katee
Spencer Liff Broadway
"Macavity: The Mystery Cat" from CATS
Allison's old rib injury flared up this week, so Season 4's Katee came in to dance with Billy. It was a better than average Broadway routine, full of slink and story telling. I really enjoyed them slinking around with the cat-like movements. All the judges loved it, I enjoyed it, but I don't know if it will get the votes since there weren't any eye-grabbing, showstopping moments.

Ashley with All Star Dominic
NappyTabs Hip Hop
"How Low" by Ludacris
They're both ninja assassins trying to take each other out. The vertical split that Ashley then fall on to was the stand out moment of that routine for me. I liked how they ended it by getting off the stage and get in the judges face. It was very nice to FINALLY see Ashley do a style other than contemporary.

Robert with All Star Kathryn
Sean Cheesman Jazz
"Sinking Feeling" by Roisin Murphy
They're two dolls that break out of the box. The routine was good, but the all the lifts were just a little off. They weren't smooth and it seemed like they had to stop and think about them before and after they were executed. The judges were very nice, but I think it was an attempt to get Robert out of the bottom three (which I don't think will work).

Adechike with (Alex's Replacement) Marla
Nakul Bollywood
"Mourya Re" by Don the Chase Begins Again
The jump into the splits over Marla was INSANE. The routine was ridiculously fast and very challenging. It's obvious why this routine could injure Alex. Adechike put the head waggles in and it was just a little too much personality. But Cat had a good point that just a couple weeks ago, the judges commended Jose for putting his personality in to his Bollywood routine.

Kent with Lauren
Travis Wall Contemporary
"Collide (Acoustic Version)" by Howie Day
That was my favorite routine of the night so far. They were so in sync and just so in the emotional moment of it. They were playing a couple after high school prom, so the characters weren't a stretch but they pulled off the chemistry beautifully. I don't think Travis Wall has let me down yet. His routines are always among my favorites of the season.

Robert with Ashley
Jean Marc and France Quickstep
"Man with the Hex" by The Atomic Fireballs
For the "dance of death" that was really fun. This is not going to help Robert get out of the bottom 3 - Nigel had critiques only for him and ballroom isn't a style the highlights the male.

Billy with Jose
Sean Cheesman African Jazz
"The Hunt" by Mikey Hart
 Jose played the hunter, going after Billy's jaguar. It was a powerful routine that didn't have that power coming from the dancers to make it believable. Billy played a cat again in this routine and it didn't seem different from his broadway cat. It had the potential to be as big as last week's "Get Outta Your Mind" but fell flat.

Favorite Routine: The high school prom date from Kent and Lauren was by far my favorite. They had the chemistry, they had the choreography, the dance just resonated with me.

Prediction: Robert, Billy, and Alex. Robert did not have the dances to pull him out of the pattern he is in right now. Billy may be one of the strongest dancers, but he was in the bottom last week and I don't think his routines were memorable enough to bring him up in the standings.