By David Valdes

This week on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, viewers were treated to a fun batch of performances, two unexpected cuts and a seriously lackluster Shane Sparks group number. Let’s get to those performances.

Lauren and Neil: OK, I'm not a Dan Karaty fan, but last week he said something I think is spot-on. He told Neil that, sure, he has some neat tricks, but that the dancing in between said tricks was suspect. I so agree! Neil’s salsa last week was mechanical and absurdly unsexy. His hip-hop this week, which the judges shockingly loved, was by-the-numbers and really kind of boring. Save for the song ("The Way I Are" by Timbaland) and Lauren’s wacky outfit, this routine was levels worse than what the judges' praise suggested. Neil sure thinks he can dance, but I'm suspicious. Crazy Mary rattled on about how these two have finally found their chemistry, but I didn't see it.  Apparently, I’m alone because come Thursday night, these two were safe from the chopping block.

Pasha and Jessi: It took me all of 30 seconds to fall in love with Jessi during her "Oil on My Skin" audition. Pasha, not so much. My first impression of him was, “Really? This guy?” But, his performances and, more importantly, his rehearsal footage and non-dancing screen time have proven that this guy is likable and worth rooting for.  The bird-jazz (yes, bird-jazz) routine Jessi and he performed on Wednesday night was, as Mia called it, "quirky" in all the right ways, but it also demonstrated what real chemistry between dance partners should look like. Imagine my surprise when Cat revealed Pasha and Jessi were in the bottom three.

Jamie and Hok: This power couple performed a samba. Nigel said he would have enjoyed it more if looked the kind of samba one might see on DANCING WITH THE STARS. For absolutely no reason, I got kind of nervous when he name-checked that other dance competition reality show. To the naked eye, their samba was stylish and cool, but not all that smooth. It was hard to tell whether it was the routine or their lack of technical skill holding them back. It was probably a combination of both, but the fans enjoyed it enough to keep the couple safe another week.

Sabra and Dominic performed a contemporary number this week. The choreography by Mandy Moore (no, not that Mandy Moore and yes, I'm sure she gets that a lot) was chock full of cool moments, but it lacked cohesion. It was a creative — but somehow unfulfilling — dance to watch.  I was impressed with Dominic, who danced in the contemporary style very well, but dazzled more in both his pre-performance footage and post-performance judges' critique. These two were safe this week, probably coasting by on Dominic’s personality alone.

Faina and Cedric seemed on top of the world during their rehearsals. Faina was dancing a style she knew (the fox-trot) and Cedric was animated, extroverted and eager to learn. He even looked to be picking it up quickly.  Well, damn; that rehearsal footage was not at all indicative of how the pair would do on Wednesday night. Mia likened Cedric to an "insecure Michael Jackson." I concur. They were in the bottom three once again.

Lacy and Kameron, hot off of their successful Mia Michaels routine last week, danced a Broadway routine by Tyce Diorio.  (So, is this guy just going to choreograph every other dance or what?) The routine called for sexiness and danger, according to Tyce. Lacy was definitely all of those things, which makes me wonder just how Mormon the Schwimmer family really is. Serious question. Kameron, on the other hand, is kind of a bump on a log. His funky hair suggests an eccentric dynamo of a performer, but his pizzazz-less attempt at Broadway this week makes me wonder. It didn’t matter to America; they were safe.

Anya and Danny, this season's standout couple so far, performed a Viennese waltz. Slower ballroom numbers like this one are usually very hard for me to sit through. Yes, they are beautiful, but they’re often cripplingly boring. On a show in which fans decide their favorites based on the quality of the choreography, ballroom is often a ticket home. Anya and Danny danced their Viennese waltz so skillfully and seemingly effortlessly that I forgot to feel nervous for them. They are surely the front-runners and won’t soon be “dancing for their lives,” as Nigel says.

Shauna and Jimmy's hip-hop routine garnered some praise from the judges. Mia told the pizzazz-tastic Jimmy that he looks like he is jumping out of his skin when he dances. "Which is a great thing," she confirmed. The routine, which featured a "stepping" interlude, was just so-so. Jimmy was on fire but — a lot like Kameron — but Shauna seemed to suffer from the inability to just go nuts. If she truly was giving it her all, I wouldn't know it; she often looks slow and unenthused. They were in the bottom two again.

Sara and Jesus’ Wednesday's final performance was a wacky paso doble to a remix of Queen's "We Will Rock You."  Jesus, though imperfect, had all the necessary passion. (Between you and me, reader, I hope the previous sentence is never read out of context.)  He did a tad better than Sara, who Mia described perfectly. Mia: "Sara, I feel that you were kind of all over the place. However, have you ever had any formal training?" Sara: "No." Mia: "OK, well then in that case, you're fabulous."

Thursday’s solos were somewhat perplexing. Jessi, who has been consistently awesome so far, danced an underwhelming lyrical piece. She just didn’t really do much. Dancing for her life, she was not. Neither was Faina, who did all that she could do without a partner — and it also wasn’t much. Shauna, on the other hand, completely let loose in a way she hasn’t done since her audition. 

On the guy’s side, Cedric’s solo was innovative and smooth, as usual. Pasha’s was a fun performance, but the judges disliked it mostly because it didn’t show much technical skill. Jimmy’s was just fine, but not all that entertaining.

In the end, it was Faina and Jimmy who went home. Both forgot the cardinal rule of reality show competitions, which is to appear “very grateful for this opportunity” no matter what one is really feeling. They each wore pouts on their faces, which spoke much louder than their canned good-bye speeches.