Here's the rundown of this week's dancers:

Lauren & Neil / Hip-hop
8.0
Great song choice: "The Way I Are" by Timbaland. Cool costumes. Awesome flow and energy. Neil rocked the stunts. Chemistry was there.

Jessi & Pasha / Jazz
8.5
Earthy, urban, and modern. Fresh and new. Reminiscent of The Lion King. Technique and performance were both excellent.

Sabra & Dominic / Contemporary
8.0
Smooth, sleek, and sweet. Lot more likeable this week. Showed more personality, but TMI with the toe shaving.

Faina & Cedric / Fox Trot
6.0
Worst of the night. Cedric was unsure and a weak partner. Stone cold lack of interaction. Experimental choreography, but met with bad results.

Lacey & Kameron / Broadway
8.0
Sexy and dangerous. Really popped with intense attitude. Technique was on point and performance outstanding. Nice costumes, too.

Anya & Danny / Viennese Waltz
7.5
Judges raved about it, but I thought it was a bit boring. Song choice of "You And Me" by Lifehouse made it feel more current, though.

Shauna & Jimmy / Hip-hop
7.0
Unmemorable, but not bad. Stepping wasn't as effective with just two of them.

Sara & Jesus / Paso Doble
7.0
"We Will Rock You" was an odd song choice, but worked for me. Updated and non-traditional take on the style.

Group Dance / Hip-hop
If the music sounded familiar, it's because it's from Britney Spears' Dream Within A Dream tour in 2001, which Wade Robson choreographed. Cedric danced his solo last week to a song from the same show last week. The group dances are awesome when there are still a lot of dancers in the competition. Lots of different formations and group dynamics made this routine mesmerizing to watch, especially that windstorm sequence.

So shocking to see Jessi & Pasha in the bottom three couples. Their dance was the best of the night. (I was so sure that they would be safe that I voted for Lauren & Neil instead.) Shauna & Jimmy belonged there, though. As did Faina & Cedric.

Jessi's solo was weak. I really liked Pasha's rock-inspired solo, despite the judges' harsh words. Shauna's solo was really amazing. Jimmy dances like a girl and his solo showed that he was holding Shauna back. Faina's solo was so simple I could've done it. Cedric is a great freestyler, no doubt.

Faina and Jimmy: out. Judges were right on this week with their eliminations.

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The voting round's arrived as the top 20 dancers began competition on the So You Think You Can Dance main stage in Hollywood. Random dance styles were assigned to each couple, after which America voted for their favorite routines. The six dancers in the bottom three couples would have to dance for their lives with solos and the judges would decide which guy and which girl would be eliminated.

Jaimie & Hok / Hip-hop by Shane Sparks
Hok was right at home and it showed in his brilliance, but Jamie looked awkward. She needs to be sharper and hit harder with more attitude. Wasn't one of Shane Sparks' best routines, but solid nonetheless.
6/10

Lacey & Kameron / contemporary by Mia Michaels
Another of the best dances of the night. Powerfully emotional in its delivery of a love story narrative, it was pretty amazing. Kameron deserved more credit than he got. He was nobody's prop.
7/10

Sabra & Dominic / disco by Doriana Sanchez
It was all right, but forgettable. Sabra lacks a personality, while Dominic looks uncomfortable at times dancing anything other than hip-hop.
5/10

Ashlee & Ricky / Argentine Tango by Alex Da Silva
Not pretty and one of the night's worst. Slow, sluggish, and bland. It lacked life and there was no chemistry between Ashlee & Ricky. The height difference was distracting, but it's not Ricky's fault that he was paired with the lone tall girl in the competition.
4/10

Sara & Jesus / pop/jazz by Wade Robson
Spooky, twisted, and intriguing. Wade Robson seems to favor this type of ugly/beautiful choreography in recent years. Britney or *NSYNC never did any of this, that's for sure. Sara & Jesus could have stayed together more, but did a nice job of bringing the characters to life.
6/10

Jessi & Pasha / waltz by Tony Meredith
Well done. Not my favorite genre, but I suppose it was what a waltz should be. Soft and light on their feet. And, apparently, Ryan Atwood has found his way from the O.C. to Hollywood.
6/10

Faina & Cedric / hip-hop by Shane Sparks
Lackluster and uninspired effort. Faina & Cedric were on different wavelengths and not as synched as they should have been. They didn't partner well and had not an ounce of chemistry between them.
4/10

Lauren & Neil / salsa by Alex Da Silva
One of the night's standouts. The movement was clean and sharp. Neil wasn't as cheesy as the judges made him out to be. I liked the chemistry between him and Lauren. It was fun to watch.
6/10

Shauna & Jimmy / Broadway by Tyce Diorio
Again, not one of my favorite dance styles. The costumes, for one, were ridiculous. It was high-energy, but a little over-the-top for my taste. A little extreme in its corniness.
5/10

group dance / pop by Wade Robson
Fresh, cool, funky, modern, original, and classic Wade Robson. And how fast do the dancers change afterwards? Impressive.

Benji Schwimmer / whoknows? by himself?
His face looks painfully emotive all the time. Benji is the definition of nerdy goof. It's just too much, and he doesn't know when to stop. The rip-off-the-pants move to expose his American flag underwear was at once disturbing and an insult to our country's pride.

ELIMINATED: Ashlee
Her solo was a lot of nothing, honestly. Just a lot of weird angles set to a bad song. She deserved to be let go.

ELIMINATED: Ricky
It was surprising to see the judges let Ricky go, though. He was Mia Michaels' favorite and I thought that would have carried him for at least a couple more rounds. I would have rather seen Dominic or Cedric eliminated.

Fifty dancers remained in Vegas to vie for the Top 20 spots in this season of So You Think You Can Dance. One final solo was all each dancer had to prove he or she deserved one of them. Nigel, Mary, Shane, and Mia were on hand to make the selections. And they wasted no time in making cuts: 16 were sent home even before final deliberations.

With 17 boys and 17 girls left in the waiting room, the melodramatic stage, lit with a single line of spotlights, was set. And the judges played up the tension, too, with a string of here's-what's-wrong-with-you-but-you're-in-anyways moments. Bonus points to the dancers who cry and/or freak out about making the Top 20.

I was surprised that Janet, the girl with a prosthetic arm, didn't make the cut. It seemed as if they were setting her up to be the underdog we'd all want to vote for. But I do think her arm would have proved to be an issue sooner or later, especially when dancing with a partner. There's bound to be a disadvantage if you can't hold on to someone with a firm grip, especially considering some of the acrobatic stunts So You Think You Can Dance is known for.

But there are plenty of new faces this year, too. Some of whom we've yet to meet, but here's what I think so far.

Best Hair: Kameron with the stenciled red stars

Worst Hair: Hok and his braided mullet

Coolest Accent: Hok, who I forgive for the hair because he's British

Clutch Player: Jessi, who said this was her last try at a dance career

Oddest: Ricky, who has just a touch of ADD in him

Most Likely to Be Mistaken for Each Other: Faina, Anya, and Pasha, even though the last one's a boy

Nigel and Mary moved on to the Los Angeles auditions, where they were joined by choreographer Wade Robson on the panel. Who could forget Wade's spooky and mesmerizing Rama Lama Bang Bang group dance from last summer? It was definitely the highlight of the season, so hopefully he'll be back to choreograph some more this time around. Luckily for Wade, he wouldn't have to work with some of the disastrous wannabe dancers who tried out in LA.

There was EJ, the big fat guy who could move surprisingly well for his weight, even managing a full split. Still, the guy danced like a girl. Or as Wade put it, "like a girl who can't dance." Mary was "horrified." Weren't we all.

Equally delusional was Bryce, aka Gold Inferno. I just don't see why the judges even let him through to the choreography round. Sure, he's the American jumpstyle champion. Which would be impressive, if the title weren't self-declared. Or if he hadn't learned the "style" from Belgian online videos. Remind me not to Youtube those.

But Hollywood proved talent-rich, too. Olivia, who auditioned so that her sick mom could see her on the dance stage one last time, made the most of the opportunity and earned a well-deserved ticket to Vegas. Benji, last year's So You Think You Can Dance champ, brought his sister Lacey. I never really liked the goofy Benji, but his sister seems all right so far. But my fave former-season returnee has to be Hok, the b-boy breaker who has a work permit this time. That kid is just badass and ridiculously awesome.

The auditions moved to Chicago, where Shane Sparks served as guest judge. This is where we met Phillip, whose hip-hop pop-and-lock freestyle was unbelievable: fun, original, and entertaining. He owned the night. Also memorable was Janet, the dancer with a prosthetic arm. I honestly never noticed until they mentioned it, so you know she's good.

And Quincy, who auditioned in season one, was also missing a limb: a leg. Even though he couldn't (yet) dance like he once could, he truly showed the heart of a champion. Which brings to mind a line from Young Love's "Find A New Way:"

"If you get lost along the way, it's all right. We'll find another way to dance. If you get the chance, you must dance, dance, dance." Indeed.

Read more about So You Think You Can Dance.

So You Think You Can Dance: the name says it all, doesn't it? There might be no better theory in proving just how wrong thinking can be sometimes. We've all laughed through the initial auditions of American Idol. But at least in the case of singers who think they can sing but really can't, I always chalk it up to the fact that they never recorded themselves. But some of these so-called dancers on So You Think You Can Dance - all they need is a damn mirror. And I'm pretty sure every dance studio has wall-to-wall ones, at that.

Apparently not. The auditions began in New York City, where dancing hopefuls began their bids to move on to the next round in Las Vegas. Familiar faces made up the judging panel again this year in New York: Nigel, Mary, and Dan. Nigel, of course, is the requisite British man that most any judging/voting reality show must include. Mary is the Paula Abdul, minus seal clapping and plus shrieking laugh and scream. And then there was Dan, the hip-pop choreographer who back in the day worked with one of my personal faves, a pre-meltdown Britney Spears.

Then there are the "dancers" who, as if embarrassing themselves isn't enough, feel the need to share their talent with students. There was Jenna, the out-of-shape breaker with no technique or physical stamina. I wonder if the little kids in her class laugh with her or at her. My bet is on the latter. Luckily for all, Jenna hinted that she was quitting dance for good. And people say reality shows don't serve a good purpose. Then there was Carmen, who was hired as a dance instructor with no experience required from a newspaper ad. Yikes.

But, to be fair, New York produced some amazing dancers. Anya and Pasha became early favorites with their hot Latin ballroom style. Heather, the tattooed girl with two hip surgeries defied doctor's warnings that she would never dance again with a trip to Vegas. I always love an underdog. Then there was Hanna-Lee, who was a real survivor. That footage of the dance floor falling through was downright scary. And even though she has metal plates in her face, Hanna-Lee was all smiles and really shined. Stanislav from last season brought back his sister, Faina, to audition. Talent really does run in the family, apparently.

But the night belonged to Jamal, who Nigel proclaimed a "star." The big guy proved he could break dance and clown, but while entertaining, the judges wondered if he could contain himself in more structured forms. Turns out they had nothing to worry about as he came back with a swing routine that was equal parts performance and technique. But there's never been a lack of huge performers with acrobatic stunts in the early rounds. Whether Jamal fades like the rest of them remains to be seen. Case in point: Jamal's friend E-Knock, who was knocked out in the choreography round despite flipping backwards and forwards in some of the sickest moves ever seen on the show's stage.

And who could forget "Sex Soller," who returned this season to audition again. Promising "better moves, more enthusiasm, [and] more training," Sex felt more confident than ever. But I knew better than to take a guy wearing gloves, tube socks, red glasses, blue trunks, and long hippie hair seriously. Who claims to have hundreds of girlfriends and has his mom defend him from the audience. Nigel said it best that this guy will never be a dancer. Sex and his momma disagree, but my fingers are crossed that they don't show up next summer.

But this season of So You Think You Can Dance looks to be shaping up to be another exciting and entertaining run. Perfect timing, too, with Dancing with the Stars just wrapping up its season. I picked Apolo to win that one from the start. Maybe I'll do it again for So You Think You Can Dance . Just don't expect me to pick a winner this early, what with all the Dancin' Derricks and Sex Sollers in the mix.

Stay tuned here for future SYTYCD columns.