Top 50 Routines from So You Think You Can Dance

As the daughter of a dance teacher/choreographer, always seemed unfair that I didn't inherit my mother's dancing ability.  However, I did inherit her love of dance, and So You Think You Can Dance is the first show in ages that I actually rush home to watch.  Admit my reason for posting this list is entirely selfish - looking forward to consolidating links to all my favorites in one place, so that I can watch these amazing routines as often as I like!

LATIN DANCE FAVORITES

1. Benji and Heidi, Mambo, "Black Mambo." You don't need to watch those ballroom dancing competitions on Saturday afternoon television - just watch these two nationally-ranked performers show you how the mambo is done!  (Gentlemen, take note: no matter how geeky you look, learn to dance like Benji and you'll have to shake the girls off with a stick!)
2. Danny and Lacey, Samba, "Hip Hip, Chin Chin." Steamy, sensuous, sultry, and sexy, sexy, sexy!  No wonder those Latin countries have the reputation they do!  To be fair, have to split the credit for this one three ways: the choreography is smoking, the song is tight, and the performers don't just land it - they nail it.
3. Lindsay and Cole, Paso Doble, "Unstoppable." The paso doble is hard to pull off - unless the male dancer manages to successfully channel the inner ferocity of the dance, the formulaic moves can come off as painfully awkward rather than masculine.  And then, finally, in the show's ninth seasons, two gifted dancers show how it's meant to be done.  Adrenalin-inducing!
4. Lauren and Pasha, ChaCha, "Telephone."  This isn't even close to the best cha cha ever performed on the show - in fact, most of the moves are pretty basic, but between the way Lauren hurls that fringe around and whatever that is that Pasha's doing with his hips, this performance is smoking hot!

BALLROOM DANCE FAVORITES

1. Jakob and Molle, Waltz, "Ordinary Day." Nothing ordinary about this exquisite performance.  Usually when I think of the waltz, my imagination conjures visions of stuffy people in gilded ballrooms.  But this routine made me realize what the waltz can be at its best: energy, joy, and experiencing - if only for the length of a dance - what it must feel like to fly. Add a touch of nostalgia (the costumes, the scenery, the sweetly innocent "boy meets girl" storyline) and you get one of my favorite SYTYCD routines ever.
2. Robert and Ashly, Quick Step, "The Man With the Hex." Quickstep has come to be known as the "dance of death" on the show because it's incredibly hard to bring the level of perfect precision required to make choreography that's incredibly effortful look effortless.  This is as close as any two performers have come to making it work. Just check out the long run they pull off during the bridge ...!

CONTEMPORARY DANCE FAVORITES

1. Kayla and Kupono, Contemporary, "Gravity." This dark but utterly riveting routine personifies the horror of addiction: both the intoxicating grace with which it tempts the addict, and the brutality with which it imprisons them.  The choreography stands alone but - serendipitously - it's performed here by two dancers who can act, and the result is a performance so haunting that you may have trouble shaking it off afterwards. 
2. Brandon and Janette, Jazz, "Ruby Blue." Fun, fun, fun!  Part silent film, part Raiders of the Lost Ark, this routine made me laugh aloud even as the intricate, tongue-in-cheek choreography left me dazzled - performed brilliantly, by the way, by two of the best dancers ever to appear on the show. 
3. Twitch and Katee, Contemporary, "Mercy." Not the most challenging or demanding routine, but definitely one of the most entertaining.  The choreographer seems to be channeling Amy Winehouse by way of the Alvin Alley Dance Company.  Another example of how the right story + the right choreography + the right music + the right dancers = magic.
4. Adichike and Comfort, Hip Hop, "Falling." The choreographer of this routine has perfectly captured the raw pain of breaking up with a partner who is bad for you. Alicia Keyes should consider making this the official video for her song.
5. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Wave."  Setting aside that pretty much everything Travis Wall does is outstanding, this one rises above the others for its eerie beauty and wave-like quality of movement. Who knew a bunch of men could move like this?
6. Kent and Lauren, Contemporary, "Collide." So it helps that this amazingly sweet story of young love is performed by two of SYTYCD's most lovable young dancers, Kent and Lauren, but after you see the way these two gifted dancers pull off this deceptively intricate choreography - including a section in the middle where, I swear, they sustain flawless synchrony for 12 entire bars - you'll agree that only they could have pulled this off.
7. Robert and Alison, Contemporary, "Fix You." On one level, this is a gorgeous contemporary dance performed with near Siamese-twin-like synchronicity by two gifted dancers. On a deeper level, however, it's an incredibly affecting story about supporting someone you love through their darkest hours. Go ahead and appreciate both levels equally; god knows they're both equally worthy.

JAZZ/MODERN DANCE FAVORITES

1. Nick and Melody, Jazz/Broadway, "All That Jazz." This steamy routine is liquid awesome by way of Bob Fosse, poured over a glass full of Broadway. Bartender - bring me another one!
2. Neil and Sabra, Jazz, "Sweet Dreams." Who choreographs a dance about a business negotiation?  After this you may be wondering, why hasn't anyone choreographed a dance about a business negotiation before?  Be prepared to be dazzled by storytelling, the athleticism, the precision, and this one breathtaking moment when Neil vaults over Sabra and the table.   (Forget dance - someone sign that boy up for the U.S. Olympics gymnastic team!)
3. Neil and Lauren, Jazz, "Night of the Dancing Flame."  Both dancers are excellent, but Neil's performance as the villain in this "good vs. evil" parody is over-the-top perfection: imagine Dick Dasterdly as interpreted by Bob Fosse.  

BROADWAY FAVORITES

1. Kent and Neil, Broadway, "Damn Yankees."  Don't know if this will make anyone else's "Top 15" list, but for me this energetic, acrobatic routine represents pure Broadway magic with a heaping plate of "Gee Whiz!" on the side.
2. Billy and Katee, Broadway, "McCaverty, the Mystery Cat." I'm not sure choreographers always knew what to do with Billy's style of dance, characterized by a range of movement seemingly unhindered by bones, but whoever figured out he'd make a great cat was channeling genius. Watch this and ask me afterwards if you wouldn't pay $200 a ticket to see this guy in Cats.
3. Gaby & Lex, Tap, "More." This tap-a-licious routine whisks you back to a more carefree era, a time when movies were in black & white, men were dashing, women were fresh-faced, people dressed for dinner, and romance was always just a tap dance away. 

HIP HOP FAVORITES

1. Twitch and Alex, hip hop, "Get Outta Your Mind." The routine features a hip hop-dancing therapist trying to help a classically trained ballet dancer patient get his freak on.  Which is the stuff of great drama - but when you add the fact that Twitch really is a hip hop God, and Alex really is a classically trained ballet dancer, you get magic.
2. Chelsea and Mark, Hip Hop, "Bleeding Love." This was the first time a hip hop routine made me cry. Dare you not to be moved by this simple but exquisite piece of choreography depicting a wife trying desperately to compete for the attention of her workaholic husband. 
3. Comfort, Twitch, Cyrus, Christopher Wade, Dub Step, "Holy Ghost." I'm in awe of this new generation of dancers and the control they have over their bodies, which styles like "animation" and "dub step" highlight.  The incredibly intricate moves of this dub step still make my jaw drop.

ENSEMBLE HITS

1. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic." Seriously, if anyone ever turns Alice in Wonderland into a dance operetta, it's going to look just like this: equal parts beautiful, unsettling, frenetic, and magical. By far my favorite Mia Michaels choreography.
2. Ensemble, Jazz, "Fame." Every time I watch this number by choreographer Wade Robson I'm reminded of a great line from the musical Amadeus, in which Mozart celebrates opera for its ability to transform 20 voices speaking all at once from cacophony to beauty. In this case it's 20 dancers all going about their own business, except that Wade Robson turns all that cacophony into something gorgeous.
3. Ensemble, Jazz, "All That Jazz." So I've already listed an All That Jazz cover on this list, which makes me wonder if I just have a thing for Bob Fosse.  Maybe, but there's also Mark, the lead dancer in this, who sizzles with popping electricity from the moment the dance begins, animating the whole cast.
4. Ensemble, Broadway, "Puttin' on the Ritz." Let's call this what it is: a whopping dose of infectious energy topped by a swirl of good clean fun with a cherry on top. Probably helps that it's the first ensemble dance of the season - the dancers are visibly busting with excitement and pride at having made it on the show and their visible joy is contagious.
5. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Ramalama Bang Bang."  This show definitely explores the extremes of dance. But how can you not love this twisted, brilliant routine choreographed to a song that sounds like the music zombies would make if they could form their own band?  (FYI, the male dancer who's clearly better than all the others is the routine's choreographer, Wade Robson.)
6. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Bang Bang."  This country-themed ensemble number mixes tongue-in-cheek stereotype, energy, athleticism, and a whole lot of neon to produce a number that radiates sheer, unapologetic fun.
7. Ensemble, Contemporary/hip hop, "Velocity." If The Matrix were a musical, it would look like this!  This one's just for the men, who bring the house down with a routine that combines big choreography, raw athleticism, and a totally awesome Jason Bourne vibe. 

FREAKS & GEEKS! A category for all the one-offs and indescribables!

1. Dominic and Robert, Hip Hop, "Scars." Does it get creepier than zombies?  One word for you: clowns.  The frenetic choreography of this piece perfectly complements the disturbing score, creating a dance that you'll remember ... in your nightmares!
2. Courtney and Mark, Jazz, "The Garden." And now for something completely different ...!  This is so strange, which I'm sure is what makes it so fascinating. Sexual energy literally explodes from the dancers with each lunge, kick and pounce.  Fierce!
3. Jaimie and Hok, Jazz, "The Chairman's Waltz." For all they talk about the importance of different styles of dance, SYTYCD has a blind spot with respect to ballet.  Which is a shame, because this luminous performance shows that ballet can be about a lot more than tutus and toe shoes.
4. Brandon and Janette, Disco "Loving is Really My Game." I know ... DISCO. But you know how one tends to forget the painful memories and remember the idealized ones? Here's your chance to forever bury any painful recollections you may cling to of "bump" choreography and white leisure suits and replace them with what all of us who actually lived through the 1970s like to believe disco was really about - energy, celebration, dazzle, spectacle, and pure, unrestrained joy.
5. Tiffany and Eliana, Pole Dance, "When You're Good to Mama."  This number will make you wonder why burlesque ever died.

Best Performances from Glee

I'm not sure my 3 years in "show choir", our high school's version of glee club,  qualifies me to nominate the best performances from the show Glee to date, but I'm taking a stab at it anyway.  (How well I remember the tension and adrenelin of those regional competitions ...!)  I thoroughly enjoy the show, but you don't have to be a fan to acknowledge that these kids have serious talent.

The following aren't necessarily my favorite songs from the show, but they definitely my favorite performances, the ones I enjoy watching again and again.

1. Don't Stop Believing ("original version"), New Directions.  Am starting with this performance because it was the first one to knock my socks off.  Just the original 5 featured cast members when they were at their most young and endearing, singing their heads off, plus a little drama as their song choice inspires their disconsolate director to perservere.  By the end of the song I was definitely a believer, as (I suspect) were any television critics who had not yet boarded the Glee bandwagon.
2. Journey to Regionals ("Regionals version"), New Directions.  But wait, there's more!  Here's Don't Stop Believing again, this time performed by the whole Glee ensemble at Regionals and paired with two other Journey songs.  I especially love the part where the curtain goes up ... well, see for yourself!  An adrenelin-filled and thoroughly entertaining performance.  If I'd been a judge, no way they would have come in third!
3. Thriller/Heads Will Roll, New Directions+.  The show doesn't do all-out performance numbers as often as you'd think; this is one of the best.  Zombie football players: who knew what a great fit it would be?
4. Bills, Bills, Bills, Warblers.  Love all the Warblers songs, which makes it hard to pick the ones that belong on this list.  Not sure this is even one of the best, but it's certainly one of the most fun ... or maybe I'm the only one that's tickled by the idea of a bunch of clean-cut private school boys channeling their inner enraged black girlfriends?
5. Dream On, Michael Morrison & Neil Patrick Harris.  In my opinion, one of Glee's most successful "special guest star" episodes.  Not only a great reprise of a rock classic, but Doogie's performance blew me away!
6. When I Get You Alone, Warblers.  Wish I could have been at the Gap the day the Warblers decided to invade the retail outlet in order to serenade an obviously unappreciative salesperson.  The combo of tight harmonies and choreography makes this a keeper.
7. Say A Little Prayer for You, Glee Cheerleaders.  Love the song but adore the choreography that goes with it.  After watching this, bet Celine Deon wishes the mores of the time would have allowed she and her backup singers to don cheerleader uniforms with those swingy skirts that emphasize every innocent/naughty hip shake! 
8. Keep Holding On, Glee Cast.  A little melodramatic but undeniably moving.
9. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Lea Michaels. This one's pure, unapologetic melodrama ... but then, so was the Bonnie Tyler original.  To understand this, helps to know it's meant as a lament after the lead character, Rachel, realizes she's pissed off not one, not two, but three boyfriends.  What I love about this performance is the staging - the way the song moves between the classroom and the ballet studio is wonderful, and all those ballet lifts are such a great metaphor for trust.
10. Bust Your Windows, Glee Cast.  This one has a Bollywood feel to it - the way the action stops so everyone can burst into song, the unapologetic blending of reality and fantasy, the way over-the-top costuming. (Never have tall athletic socks and tennis shoes been employed to achieve such a joyously slutty effect!)
11. Lean On Me, New Directions. No one's going to argue that this isn't a fabulous song in its own right, but I love the arrangement of the song they chose, and the simple but sincere choreography. 
12. It's My Life/Confessions, New Directions (boys only).  Well choreographyed and wholly entertaining cover of a great Bon Jovi tune.
13. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy, Lea Michael & Chris Colfer. Okay, so you caught me out.  There's no real performance here - no costumes, no choreography, no "show."  Just two superb performers belting out a ballad the way ballads were meant to be belted.  Babs and Judy would approve.
14. Marry You, New Directions.  The lyrics of the song are not quite as romantic as one might hope (hey, since we're drunk already, let's get married!), but the cast does such a good job of performing the hell out of this number that it doesn't matter.  Dare you not to feel a little happier life and love after watching this clip.
15. Loser Like Me, New Directions.  As someone who spent years in glee club, couldn't help but love this anthem to gleeks everywhere.  My favorite line: "Push me up against a locker/And hey, all I do is shake it off/I'll get you back when I'm your boss."  So there!