Russell Ferguson wins So You Think You Can Dance

Well, never again doubt for a minute that these results shows are (mostly) live. Things were going very smoothly on Wednesday night's season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance," until it became time to start announcing the final results.

First, host Cat Deeley's microphone went out. The top six took a while getting onstage and it was soon revealed that Russell Ferguson, the krumper from Boston, Massachusetts, had been injured backstage, and unfortunately, that forced the rest of the routines involving him to be shown on tape. As great as it always is to re-live some of these great performances that took something away from it.

As for the results themselves, they went pretty much as I predicted right up until the final three. Once Ryan, Ashleigh and Ellenore were eliminated, in that order. I thought it would be Kathryn and Russell standing at the end going for the title of America's favorite dancer, but then Cat announced that Kathryn was out of the running. So it was down to Russell and Jakob.

At that moment, I wondered if we might see a first: the most straight-up talented dancer might win over the one with the most personality or would the two contemporary dancers cancel each other out in the votes?

At the end of the day, Russell's fanbase, which had been strong from the beginning, came through and for the first time, a krumper won it all.

One can't deny that Russell's ecstatic reaction, crumbling to the ground, then ignoring his injury by standing up and tearing off his shirt, was one of the most memorable moments we've seen on the show. I especially liked that he called his top 20 best friend, Kevin, up on stage with him. There's no doubt that he was truly surprised and over the moon to win this prize.

As for the encore performances picked by the judges (with special guests Lil' C, Tyce Diorio and Debbie Allen), I have no qualms with the ones they picked, though there was an over-reliance on routines from the first noncompetitive performance show.

I would have loved to see Kathryn and Legacy, Ellenore and Ryan, or Ashleigh and Jakob dance again. The two original routines, choreographed by Kelly Abbey (bring her back, please!) and Ashleigh and Ryan were extraordinary. Good for judge Mary Murphy to request that the married couple dance together in their own style.

There were five special performances as well, including a subdued Adam Lambert, a Mary J. Blige performance that absolutely killed, Leona Lewis singing the sleep-inducing "Avatar" theme, and the phenomenal dance crew the Groovaloos.

And then there was J. Lo. Yes, Jennifer Lopez began her performance on a giant shoe, apparently lip-synching a spoken phone conversation, leading into a song that was an ode to Louboutins. The one thing that saved it was the fact that she employed some very familiar faces such as Kayla and Courtney as backup dancers.

Overall, looking back on this season, I'll remember Travis Wall's "War of the Roses" routine with Ellenore and Legacy, Kathryn and Jakob's contemporary routine, and the absolute brilliance of Sonya Tayeh, especially her routine with Ellenore and Jakob.

Which routines will you remember best from season six, and what did you think of the season as a whole? Did Russell deserve to win? Post your response on video, or in the comments below. In the meantime, happy holidays and see you next season.

So You Think You Can Dance

Well, here we are, the final performance show on "So You Think You Can Dance." And with a Gordon Ramsay special breathing down the show's neck, there was no time to waste.

In what was a very rushed hour, the final six (that's right, six) danced their hearts out to go for the title of "America's Favorite Dancer"... and when the dust settled, three of them looked like bona fide contenders. Let's go down the list one by one.

Kathryn McCormick (Odds of winning - 2:1)

Judge Adam Shankman's comparisons to last season's winner, Jeanine weren't far off (just a tad early last week). Talk about a late surge ... Kathryn didn't hit a wrong step all night. She had a scorching samba with Ryan, kept up with Russell, and then some, in hip-hop, and her contemporary routine with Jakob will go down as one of the most memorable in series history.

Adam seems to be pulling for her, while Nigel Lythgoe and Mary have given her high praise. The one thing Jeanine did that Kathryn didn't was the chance to do one last solo, and that proved to be a deciding factor.

Ryan Di Lello (Odds of winning - 6:1)

A great partner, no doubt, and he had a touching moment in a Travis Wall routine with his wife, Ashleigh, not to mention that samba, but he's been overshadowed for several weeks now (including by eliminated B-boy Legacy), and that emotionless jazz routine with Ellenore didn't do anyone any favors.

Jakob Karr (Odds of winning - 3:1)

Is he one of the best dancers this show has seen? Without a doubt. Did his contemporary routine with Kathryn have the crowd on their feet, Adam close to tears, and Nigel urging him to join a dance company? Absolutely. Did he knock it out of the park in his Broadway routine with Ellenore? I think you see where I'm going here.

As I said last season with Brandon, he's in the also-ran position as a very talented dancer but missing that something special that connects with the audience (see also: Danny and Travis).

And no matter how well one dances the fox trot, and he nailed it, it usually doesn't translate to votes. At the same time, I would not be at all surprised if he still ended up winning.

Ellenore Scott (Odds of winning - 4:1)

Here again, one of the most talented dancers the show has seen, but she seems destined for top six, like Mark in the fourth season. Luckily for her, she had a chance to show off her knack for quirkiness in that Fosse-esque Broadway number and robotic jazz routine.

She really, finally broke out, however in the paso doble with Russell. The paso dobles lately have been really good, though I would place this just below Legacy and Kathryn, and Brandon and Jeanine. But unfortunately, I don't think that will be enough.

Ashleigh Di Lello (Odds of winning - 5:1)

One should almost ignore those odds, because she has beaten the odds from almost the start. She was constantly in her husband's shadow during auditions and in Las Vegas. She only got into the top 20 because someone bowed out. She was never outdanced by Jakob, when that could have easily happened many times.

She was injured and forced off the stage, but got voted into the finale, anyway. So how did she did on the final night of competition?

She really had a chance to show off her gracefulness in all three routines: That beautiful moment dancing contemporary with her husband, an elegant fox trot where she actually outshined Jakob, and a lyrical jazz number with Russell which brought Mary to tears. Even so, one example of why she won't win is because Mary's tears were for Russell.

Russell Ferguson (Odds of winning - 3:2)

From the moment we first saw him this season, it was clear he was a star. The judges were absolutely blown away by the amount of growth he had this season. All three of his routines were quite memorable, including the aforementioned paso doble with Ellenore and his hip-hop with Kathryn, which could be crucial because it was last.

Even so, it's hard not to wonder if he or Jakob may have peaked too early.

So I'm really going out on a limb here. For much of this season, and at the very beginning of Tuesday night's show, I thought that Jakob would be in the final two.

Now, I'm not so sure it won't be Kathryn and Russell, with Russell coming out on top. After the year we've seen on shows like this (i.e. Kris Allen, Jeanine), anything is possible.

One thing's for sure: we want to hear from you! Who do you want to be crowned "America's Favorite Dancer?" Do you agree that Russell has the edge? Hoping for one of the other five to pull it off? And can you believe that they're already heading out to audition again in January (quite the nonstop schedule they have on this show)? Post a video with your pick, or in the comments below.

SYTYCD competitors group routine

It was a double shocker as spouses Ryan and Ashleigh Di Lello were sent through to next week's "So You Think You Can Dance" finale, while another possible contender got sent home.

After the Las Vegas callbacks, I thought that Ryan had a shot, though he has fallen down in my estimation, but I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that Ashleigh would make it this far - especially after having to sit out due to an injury the night before.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Kathryn, who was in danger last week, was safe this week, while Russell deserved to go through after such a strong Bollywood performance on Tuesday night. Jakob being safe was the safest bet of all (his former partner Ashleigh is the only other dancer not to be in danger this season).

Between Ellenore and Mollee (yes, I did a double take seeing that - Ashleigh wasn't even in the bottom two), I feared that Ellenore might go home early. Instead, it was the other way around as Ellenore was told she would be in the finale ... though she seemed a bit confused on that point for a moment. Poor Mollee didn't take it well, in tears for the rest of the night. Cat Deeley was there with a hug and comforting words - and that's why she's the best reality show host in the business.

When it came down to Ryan and Legacy, however, I immediately assumed that Ryan would be going home. Once again, I was dead wrong about the Di Lellos as Legacy's journey came to an end. I definitely felt like he was more deserving of being in the finale, but it looks like Ryan's smoking hot cha-cha with Kathryn made a big difference (and his plea with the audience to save Ashleigh didn't seem to hurt).

So, despite a strong performance by Legacy in the "War of the Roses" routine - and, for what it's worth, his solo Wednesday night - two lackluster hip-hop routines sealed his fate.

So, let's hear your thoughts on this next-to-last results show. Did Ashleigh go through because of Ryan's plea, or was it more of an anti-Mollee vote? Are you shocked to see Ryan in the finale as well? Who are you rooting for next week? Share your thoughts on video, or in the comments below.

Ryan and Kathryn perform a sizzling cha-cha

As our judges reminded us Tuesday night, this is it: America's votes determine who will be in the season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance" next week. In fact, they implored us so many times to vote that I half expected Diddy to show up. After the top eight took the stage for the last time of the night, it was tough to decide which two would be cut before next week.

Last night's episode was also brought to you by celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson, whose remixes were featured in two performances: Kathryn and Ryan's disco and Jakob and Mollee's Broadway routines. The first one was great, aside from Ryan's ballroom-esque posture, as pointed out by Nigel, but not quite up there with routines we've seen in this style in the third and fifth seasons.

However, Jakob and Mollee's dance to "Easy Street" was a real highlight for me, and as much as it pains me to say it, not being the biggest Mollee fan, that could have sealed her place in the finale. Both of them were quite synchronized (unlike their Viennese waltz, which didn't impress me nearly as much as it did the judges), and Jakob made her a better dancer, the same way he had with Ashleigh.

Speaking of Mrs. Ryan Di Lello, she injured herself during rehearsals on a Bollywood routine with Russell, so her fate is completely up to the audience based on her past routines. Despite a touching moment where Ryan pleaded for his wife to remain in the competition.

This followed another underwhelming solo from him which ended just after it got going. Lucky for him that his cha-cha with Kathryn "sizzled, boiled," to quote Ryan himself, and set the place "on fire," to quote Mary Murphy, who gave them both a ticket on the Hot Tamale Train. That was high praise, considering that tickets have been harder to come by this season. It didn't hurt either that the routine got a standing ovation.

Meanwhile, Kathryn followed up last week's incredible solo with another one. It wasn't flashy compared to many of the others, so hopefully the cha-cha was flashy enough to get her through...

... Which brings us right back to Ashleigh, looking more and more like an unfortunate victim, after such strong performances by the other girls. Judging by the short clips we saw of her rehearsals, things were going swimmingly in her two routines with Russell, who once again had to hit the floor with a pair of choreographer's assistants.

It was no surprise that he hit hard on Shane Sparks' old-school hip-hop routine, but he really shined doing Bollywood, and most importantly, he really sold it. As always, his krumping solo was "bucc," (apologies to Lil' C), but I could have done without the Santa Claus suit and the business with the toy (bah, humbug). Kudos, however, for working through having lost his shoe two-thirds into it.

Leave it to "SYTYCD" alum Travis Wall, however, to once again steal the show with a "War of the Roses"-inspired number that was the perfect marriage between choreographer and dancers.

Everything that was great about Ellenore and Legacy was shown off here, and I still can't get over his simultaneous leap over, with her roll under, the dinner table. (On the other hand, it's unfortunate that, that had to be followed by their alien hip-hop routine by Tabitha and Napoleon ... NappyTabs, leave the overly-weird stuff to Wade Robson.)

As for the rest of the solos ... Legacy marred an otherwise stunning solo, with a cheap trick involving a phone. (Unless your name is Twitch, enough with the props.)

Jakob was amazing, as usual, but he hasn't really stepped it up. Compare this with Brandon and Jeanine last season. Well, there's always next week for him, as I think he is definitely safe. Ellenore (surprisingly) and Mollee (unsurprisingly) did nothing for me.

So if I were a betting man, who would I say won't be going to the finale next week? I'd say Ryan and Ashleigh Di Lello will be eliminated together. (However, I'd still like Old St. Nigel to grant my Christmas wish to see them dance together one last time before the season ends.)

Who had your vote Tuesday night? Did Ryan's pleading sway you at all? Tell us who deserves to be on stage for the finale on video, or in the comments below.

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Once the competitors make it this far on "So You Think You Can Dance," there really are no "losers," as all of them will get the chance to tour the country next year. Still, it was somewhat bittersweet to see two more dancers go, after showing so much potential.

There was a lot going in Nathan's favor: first and foremost, his tween fanbase, not to mention the fact that he got a ticket to Las Vegas back in season five after auditioning at the age of 17. The judges certainly saw a lot in him, as they sent him through to the top 10, and at one point, Adam Shankman offered him advice on what to talk about in his video profile to connect with the viewers.

Yet, for whatever reason, the heartthrob was eliminated Wednesday night after getting the fewest number of votes. Where did it go so wrong? It might have had something to do with being paired with Mollee, which ended up emphasizing their immaturity. By the time the two were separated this week, he showed some progress with Kathryn, but she still outdanced him. It was too little, too late.

The same could be said of Noelle, who had one brief shining moment with Russell dancing Afro-jazz. She really got to show off both her elegance and her capacity to smolder onstage with Ryan, but it wasn't enough, as the contemporary dancer from North Carolina was sent packing.
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There were a lot of memorable moments on Tuesday night's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance," but once again Sonya Tayeh's routine had them all beat. After a respectable but hardly memorable quickstep, it seemed as though two of the most skilled dancers, Ellenore and Jakob, might be in danger. All of those fears were erased as the audience and judges rose to their feet after their pitch-perfect performance of what Adam Shankman called "The Garden, part two," referring to Sonya's classic from season four. As fellow judge Nigel Lythgoe pointed out, it was pure brilliance with great chemistry to boot.

Chemistry, however, was sorely lacking with some of the other new couples in this top 10 group: namely, Ashleigh and Legacy, and Kathryn and Nathan. Don't get me wrong, there were some great moments in some of both couples' routines - except for Ashleigh and Legacy's hip-hop, featuring a flowing, all-too-distracting Dracula cape.

In Kathryn and Nathan's joyous Broadway routine, Nathan was the best he's ever been (Kathryn can certainly be thanked for that) but despite some wonderful technical work in their rumba, the connection wasn't quite there.

Noelle and Ryan had chemistry to spare - not a big surprise as Ryan has lots of experience partnering. So what if their office desk routine was a bit reminiscent of Neil and Sabra in season three? This may have been the best moment for choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha in two seasons ("Calle Ocho" aside).
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Ladies and gentlemen, your top 10 dancers! And... not too shabby. If you had told me a few weeks ago that Mollee, Ashleigh and Legacy would still be in the competition on "So You Think you Can Dance," I wouldn't have believed you.

On this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that Legacy, Kathryn, Ashleigh, Jakob, Noelle and Russell were safe on Wednesday night's result show. I was definitely less surprised than the judges that Mollee and Nathan ended up in the bottom three - it seems like their "fan favorite" status isn't all it's cracked up to be. It will be very interesting to see how they do with new partners next week. Another disagreement with the judges: I enjoyed Nathan's solo better than Mollee's. I've been betting against Mollee for a while now, and I don't think she'll make it far in the top 10.

Karen and Victor going into the bottom three was pretty obvious from last night, but Ryan and Ellenore in danger was a real shocker. For the life of me, I can't figure that one out (other than to say that Russell seems to be a true "fan favorite"). I enjoyed the couple's solos, though the judges were not too pleased with Ryan's.

After a Shakira performance that reminded me a bit of "Rhythm Nation," judge Nigel Lythgoe didn't seem to have any more of a clue than I did on why Ellenore isn't getting votes. Needless to say, though, she was safe, and Karen's ouster was as certain as a food-coma on Thanksgiving.
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After the loss of star choreographer Mia Michaels, how lucky is "So You Think You Can Dance" to have Sonya Tayeh? Both of her routines ranked among the best of this season. But those weren't the only highlights, and despite some really rough patches, this top 12 performance show really delivered.

The combination of Kathryn and Legacy, who have yet to make a wrong step all season, with Sonya's best piece since "The Garden" made for an explosive performance. This really highlighted what my favorite couple does best, together and separately (that backwards crab walk!). I had to watch it again right away. They followed up with a Viennese waltz which more than made up for what it lacked in technique with a beautiful performance. It will be a real shame to see them go their separate ways next week, and I hope Nigel is wrong in saying that they might be in danger.
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'SYTYCD's' top 14 group routine

The solos on Wednesday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" results show were much improved after judge Nigel Lythgoe admonished them last week. As pred... wait, can I just pull an Adam Shankman and interrupt myself to say how much Wade and Amanda Robson's group routine rocked? I smell another Emmy!

Anyway, as predicted, Karen and Kevin's weak "Sweet Charity"-inspired number landed them in danger. Despite an entertaining birdcage routine, Channing and Justin joined them.

Surprisingly, and thankfully, Russell and Noelle got enough votes for their fox trot to stay safe. Despite showing a good deal more maturity this week, Nathan's female fanbase didn't vote in enough numbers to save him and his partner Mollee from the bottom three. After last week, I would have preferred to see them go, but then I saw their solos. Like it or not, they really brought it, particularly Mollee with an incredible cartwheel onto her knee.

I'm not much of a Victor fan but I also have to admit that he had a pretty impressive solo this week, too. Kevin was by far my favorite of the three guys in danger, but unfortunately, his solo was more of the same (and still reminiscent of Twitch). Like I suspected, Kevin was sent home, leaving the hip-hop contingent this season to two.

It's just too bad that Channing had only started to show her personality, but her solo didn't wow me, or the judges, apparently. With Mollee in the clear, they kept Karen, who has been one of their favorites, despite an off week (I'm guessing judge Mary Murphy really fought for her). This time, I was happy to be wrong in my prediction.

So we have an unusual situation where Victor and Karen will be paired up next week, only to be broken up - assuming they make it to the top ten.

Now it's your turn: Did the judges make the right call this week? Do you agree with my (begrudging) opinion that Mollee and Nathan earned a place in the top 12 with their solos? Sound off on video, or in the comments below.

Ashleigh Di Lello and Jakob Karr

Just a few weeks ago, who would have thought that Legacy, Ashleigh and Kathryn would be where they are today? Tuesday night's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" showed astonishing growth from dancers who might very well have been dismissed coming out of the Las Vegas callbacks.

I was a much bigger fan of Legacy than Ashleigh, mind you, but these two are really beginning to shine - though in Ashleigh's case, it certainly doesn't hurt that she has one of the most talented dancers this show has seen, Jakob, as a partner. He's probably been the most consistent dancer this season. Ashleigh has matched his performance for the second straight week with a typically strong Tabitha and Napoleon hip-hop routine. (Last season, it was foreclosures; this season, text messaging ... always of the moment, those two.)

I worried about Legacy's troubles with transitions in his solos but he's really shown he has what it takes for this show, and Kathryn, only known in Vegas as the girl-who-cried-a-lot, showed the judges that she could bring maturity, not to mention intensity, to her performances, as the two of them took on a paso doble every bit as good as last year's "Matrix"-inspired routine with Brandon and Jeanine.

Russell took on the fox trot for the second time, and this time got to perform with his actual partner, Noelle. The judges liked his performance better this week, though I'm still at a loss to see what they didn't like about the first one. Their chemistry continues to improve, but fox trots don't usually make people pick up the phone.

Breaking out of her cage, quite literally, was Channing, in a Tyce Diorio routine where she portrayed a bird with Victor. Nigel Lythgoe's critique that she appeared to be enjoying herself for the first time was all too true. The judges seemed to like Victor's technique a lot, but not much else. However, this was their best routine, so that could be enough to save them.

Fresh off the worst salsa dance ever, Mollee and Nathan went to Laurieann Gibson's pop jazz boot camp, and came out with a lot more determination and synchronization in their dancing, but there's still a long way to go for them. Still, I have a pretty good feeling that they won't even be in the bottom three couples.

Also having a rough time of it last week were Ellenore and Ryan, but they must have figured they were as good as safe when they pulled "SYTYCD" alum Travis Wall's name out of the hat. I still prefer last year's Jeanine and Jason routine but this one was nearly as good. It was certainly in Ellenore's wheelhouse, and Ryan matched her brilliantly. As expected, Mary Murphy teared up, telling Ryan that he inspired fellow ballroom dancers everywhere.

Unfortunately, it looks like Karen and Kevin's number may be up by default, as they faltered with a Broadway routine that didn't allow Karen to smolder onstage. If so, they'll certainly be missed ... all too often on this show, when it comes to ballroom and hip-hop dancers, three is a crowd.

The competition has really started now, but do you agree on who will end up packing it in this week? And are Legacy, Ashleigh and Kathryn surprising you as well? Share your opinion on video, or in the comments below.