So You Think You Can Dance 2017 Episode 4

The opening number, choreographed by SYTYCD alum and Lady Gaga dancer Mark Kanemura, was set to RuPaul's "Call Me Mother." One word: FIERCE!!

Part I: Contestants with their All Stars

Koine & Marco
Jazz
Mandy Moore
You know, sometimes it IS nice to not have a storyline - as Koine and Marco said, all they had to do was get out there and dance. They didn't have to worry about backstory, meaning, proper emotions / facial expressions, etc. And dance they did, with good energy, although at times I felt their movements didn't quite keep up with the temp of the music.

Taylor & Robert
Hip Hop
Luther Brown
Remember when I wasn't sure if Kiki was "lit" during his hip hop routine a few weeks ago? I can definitely say that Taylor was! BAM! Oh my goodness, put that girl in a music video right now! In that skin tight outfit that showed off her abs and her mile long ponytail constantly flying in her face, Taylor is in it to win it! I actually forgot Robert was in the piece until he flashed HIS abs. I do think the coat slowed her down just a hair - Robert should have divested her of it sooner. Way to work it, Taylor!

Lex & Gabby
Contemporary
Mandy Moore
Intricate routine - lots of balance needed - and partnering skills. This was definitely Lex's wheelhouse - some excellent spins and turns - and I was impressed with Gabby's ability to do contemporary. Lovely routine. I liked the music a lot too.

Kaylee & Cyrus
Cha Cha
Val Chmerkovskiy
Okay, Aretha's "Respect" makes just about everyone want to move, but I am very proud of Kaylee! She came out, worked that stage, and sold that routine! Yaaasss! She had great hip action, a great bounce, and as Mary said, outstanding confidence! I could not take my eyes off her. She and Cyrus have great chemistry. I'm not sure if they were both supposed to fall during that move toward the end, but if it was a mistake, Cyrus recovered nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed it - what a fun routine! What I didn't like was Nigel dissing Cyrus - grrr

Mark & Comfort
Broadway
Spencer Liff
Who knew that Kaylee and Cyrus could do the Cha Cha, and who knew that Mark and Comfort could do Broadway?! Holy smokes, as Mary would say! They steamed up the stage once again, in a very sexy, jazzy Broadway routine. They slayed that number! WOW! Super hot, sexy, unbelievable chemistry, great jumps, lines, and tricks - I was super impressed! This is an amazing couple!

Kiki & Jenna
Jazz
Travis Wall
There were some very cool lifts and tricks in this routine, but I didn't like how fake their faces looked. They looked like robots. What was going on with the dots on their faces? I don't know. They danced well, but but the routine left me cold. It was a very different Travis Wall piece. And I wonder how Val feels about Kiki kissing his girlfriend every week? The judges liked this more than I did.

Dassy & Fik-shun
Contemporary
Jaci Royal
This routine required so much strength, balance, trust, and partnering work. It showed how far Fik-shun has come as a dancer, as well as how capable Dassy is at dancing other styles. And it was really lovely - especially the beginning and end, when the two of them lying on top of each other. Very affective and effective routine.

Logan & Allison
Hip Hop
Christopher Scott
How adorable was that routine?! That was a very accessible hip hop piece - people of all ages and even people who don't usually like hip hop could easily fall in love with that routine - and with Logan and Allison. It was just so incredibly sweet and made me so happy. I loved the music, the big grins on their faces, the lyrical quality of the movements - bravo Chris Scott! It truly warmed my heart. The kiss on the forehead at the end melted me. Logan is a standout performer. This routine was first rate!!

End of Part I

Part II: Contestants dance with each other

Taylor & Lex
Classical Jazz
Spencer Liff
Arguably the best female and best male dancers vying for the title this season. They danced very well. They each did a turn that made me say "wow" out loud. The lift was impressive. Overall it was a very strong performance by both of them. I just didn't love the piece overall. In season 3 Jaime and Hok danced to a piece called "the Hummingbird" that everyone was orgasmic about - except me. I feel that same way about this routine. It just didn't grab me. I can appreciate how great it was; it just wasn't one of my favorites. The judges gave Taylor and Lex a standing ovation; Nigel proclaimed it was one of the best routines ever on the show. So what's my problem? Sigh

Koine & Kiki
Salsa
Val Chmerkovskiy
Obviously the Salsa is in Kiki's wheelhouse, but this was the first time for Koine to dance Salsa. Val did not go easy on her! That was a very challenging routine with a lot of tricks! They didn't all go smoothly, which caused a dip in the timing and musicality, but most of the routine was very solid. High energy. Great hip action. Sexy. Spicy. They looked like they were having fun. I enjoyed it. Mary loved it. She put them both on the hot tamale train. I agree with Nigel that for a first time dancing Salsa, Koine crushed it.

Kaylee & Logan
Contemporary
Travis Wall
Very cool piece. Very intricate. I think they were in sync. My criticism is that with a piece like this, you have someone front and center, and someone in the background. It the nature of having a person and someone else playing his shadow. It doesn't seem fair to Kaylee that she had to be the shadow. It was an innovative idea, but in a competition like this, the two contestants needed equal exposure.

Dassy & Robert
Hip Hop
Christopher Scott
Sigh. I enjoyed his first routine with Logan and Allison much more than this one. What's the saying? Don't work with children, animals, or props? I'm kidding; I know that's not the saying. I think they did a capable job with the umbrellas. Again, I just didn't enjoy the mannequin look. It was a cute routine, but I wasn't jumping up and down about it. And I know it's not the same because it wasn't a live performance, but for an amazing dance with umbrellas, go to YouTube and watch Glee's "Singin the Rain/ Rianna's "Umbrella" mash-up.

*librarianintx gets sucked into "Glee" videos*

Okay, I'm back. :)

The bottom three:
Kaylee
Dassy
Koine - WHAT?!

Of course Koine was sent to safety. I was holding my breath, because I honestly had no idea if the judges were going to eliminate Kaylee or Dassy. But in the end, Dassy was given the send off.

librarianintx