We’ve reached the top 10, which means all original pairs have been split up and everyone performs with a new partner this week. It also means everyone performs a solo, and the audience votes are the sole determining factor in who goes home tomorrow night. Let the games begin!
 
Noelle and Ryan kick things off with a hip hop… sort of. It’s a pretty close ripoff of Mandy Moore’s amazing table routine from a few seasons back, and that turns us off. We just can’t get into it. Our rating: 7/10
 
Ashleigh and Legacy’s contemporary piece starts with some really cool dramatic lighting… and it keeps up the excitement throughout. Legacy is more believable, but they both do a great job and get rave reviews from the judges. This is off the wall and memorable, and besides the fact that we could have done with a wee bit more energy sometimes, this was great. Our rating: 9/10
 
The first solo of the night comes from Mollee. This is probably the best solo we’ve seen from her so far- there’s less posing and jumping around and more actual dancing. We like this. Our rating: 8/10
 
Russell’s solo, however, is about what we expect. We always love him in the partner dances, but we hate, hate, HATE krump. It always looks the same- like the dancer is having a seizure. This solo is no exception. Our rating: 5/10
 
Nigel was right- splitting Mollee and Nathan up was wonderful. Nathan dances with Kathryn tonight in a Broadway routine, and it’s amazing. It’s very mature, and extremely well danced by both of them. Kathryn seems a wee bit detached, but besides that, we love it. Our rating: 9/10
 
Noelle’s solo is absolutely beautiful. In fact, this is the first time we’ve really taken notice of her all season. Very impressive. Our rating: 9/10
 
We cringe when we hear that Ellenore and Jakob have to dance a quickstep, but they actually handle it very well. In fact, this is probably one of the best quickstep performances we’ve ever seen on the show. Also, they make a great couple. Our rating: 9/10
 
We usually look forward to Ryan’s solos, but this one is not as good as he usually is. Having said that, it’s certainly watchable, and there’s a quality to his dance that reminds us of Dmitry Chaplin. Always a good thing. Our rating: 7/10
 
Kathryn’s solo is really strong, and like Noelle, this is one of the first times all season that we’ve really taken notice of her. It’s nice to see these dancers are finally figuring out what “dance for your life” means. Our rating: 8/10
 
Mollee and Russell are back with a contemporary performance… and it’s amazing. It’s very mature, and it’s absolutely captivating. One of our favorites tonight. Our rating: 10/10
 
As tough as we’ve been on Nathan, we always look forward to his solos. They’re so interesting and fun to watch, and we never want them to end. Tonight’s is the same. Really great performance from him. Our rating: 9/10
 
Next are Noelle and Ryan with a slow waltz. “Slow” is right, holy crap. We’re so busy trying not to fall asleep that it’s hard to say whether or not this is good. This is just not something we have any interest in at all. Our rating: 6/10
 
Ellenore’s solos are something we usually look forward to, but this one is not one of her best. It’s certainly not terrible, but it’s not a major standout like they usually are. Our rating: 7/10
 
Round two for Ashleigh and Legacy, and it’s hip hop. Vampire hip hop? Really? We hate Dave Scott and his choreography. Legacy manages to win us over with his portrayal of the character, but this isn’t one of the stronger pieces tonight. Points for entertainment value, though. Our rating: 8/10
 
Kathryn and Nathan’s rumba seems awkward as soon as the music starts, because it’s just not the kind of music we’d associate with this style of dance. And things don’t get much better from there. It’s awkward, it’s boring, and we just can’t get into it. It’s not very believable from either of them. Our rating: 6/10
 
Our first thought about Legacy’s solo is that it’s an interesting choice of music for this style. Usually we hate breakdancing, but Legacy manages to both bring originality to it, and show emotion as he dances. We love that. This is a great solo. Our rating: 9/10
 
Ellenore and Jakob’s contemporary piece is gold. We could not have asked for anything better from either of them. This is the kind of thing we’ve come to expect from this show, and seen far too little of this season. Our rating: 10/10
 
Ashleigh’s solo doesn’t really do it for us. The dancing is less than impressive, and her dress is really distracting. Ditto the music. Our rating: 6/10
 
We don’t expect Mollee and Russell to do very well with jive, but they surprise us and throw a really great performance. It’s not the best thing we’ve seen all night, but it’s certainly respectable. Our rating: 8/10
 
Jakob’s solo ends the evening, and in a really nice way. It’s a very calming, pretty piece and we enjoy everything about it except for the fact that he’s dressed like a five-year-old. Our rating: 8/10
 
Tomorrow night, a guest performance from Snoop Dogg. Excuse us while we leap with joy… or not. We’ll also find out who goes home based on audience voting.