SYTYCD: First time voting, did America get it right?

For the first time this season America got to vote for their favorite dancers on So You Think You Can Dance and, following a performance show Tuesday, one guy and one girl was sent home Wednesday. Below is a recap of Tuesdays performances as well as information about who was safe and who danced for the last time. One point before we go on, I know I've said it before, but I am still so impressed by how well some of the dancers are adapting to dance styles out of their comfort zone, especially the hip hop guys.

1) Karen and Kevin danced a hustle choreographed by Maria Torres
Honestly, I wanted this dance to be more upbeat, comparable to a disco routine. That said, Kevin's technique impresses me and the lifts/tricks they completed were good. Overall, this was a good performance and they are a good couple. (Notice that I said good and not great.)
2) Ashleigh and Jakob danced a jazz routine choreographed by Mandy
The cane they used in this dance was a part of their movement and so much more than just a prop. This was a very controlled performance and the couple was very in sync throughout. Mandy gave them intricate choreography, but it worked and they did really well. As Nigel said, it was reminiscent of the boardroom/table dance Sabra and Neil performed in season three.
3) Pauline and Peter danced a quickstep choreographed by new choreographers JT and Tomas
The quickstep is usually the dance of death on this show, but honestly these two didn't do that bad. Adam said it (but I wrote it in my notebook first) but these two may have avoided a trainwreck because the choreography was not only steps but there was a story and the two had to play characters. This was an energetic, adorable routine that was not great technically, but was entertaining enough.
4) Kathryn and Legacy performed a Broadway routine choreographed by Andy
This was a cute routine with a great story. Though they obviously have a great connection and perform well together, Legacy stole the show while Kathryn was just there. Either way, it was an entertaining routine.
5) Channing and Victor danced a Stacey contemporary routine
There were high expectations for this new couple because they were both dancing in their style. This wonderfully choreographed routine was very physical with lots of lifts, and they performed it well in my opinion. I think the story was successfully portrayed, but one thing that bothered me was that Channing seemed emotionless most of the time. Nigel was very disappointed with the pair, but I thought it was a nice routine.
6) Ellenore and Ryan danced a Lil C hip hop routine
I agree that this routine was so far out of Ryan's comfort zone that he delivered better than I expected. But even still, it was good not great. I also noticed that the routine got sluggish as it went on, especially for Ellenore. Nigel gave this a very bad review and I would probably second him in his disappointment.
7) Mollee and Nathan danced a salsa routine choreographed by new addition Gustavo
This routine was horrible. They were often out of sync, their movement was frantic, the lifts were awkward, etcetera. She wasn't sexy and he wasn't smooth. Their chemistry was off and it looked like they were lost. I was extremely disappointed.
8) Noelle and Russell performed an Afro-jazz routine choreographed by new choreographer Sean
This was a super fast and powerful routine. They worked really well off one another and kept the energy up throughout. It was a great way to end the night.

Now, onto Wednesday night's results show. It started with a group routine choreographed by Dave Scott. The routine was very animalistic and combative, but it showed off their strengths well. I enjoyed it.

As for the bottom three couples, they were: Ellenore and Ryan; Pauline and Peter; and Karen and Kevin. Missing was Mollee and Nathan who sucked Tuesday night but have a following because teenage girls think Nathan is hot. Nigel had it right when he pointed out that better dancers have to suffer because of the spell Nathan has put young girls under.

Now the solos: Ellenore showed her personality, but not her technique; Ballroom solos are always weird, so I was expecting the worst from Ryan, but it wasn't too bad; Pauline's solo was upbeat and pretty entertaining; Peter took a risk by having no music but overall it was a great tap solo; With Karen, I'm still not sure if she is actually a good dancer or just sexy, but I do often notice that she doesn't finish her arms; and Kevin danced more than just performed tricks like some hip hop dancers may have.

When discussing the verdict, Nigel spoke about how the judges were not impressed with any of the solos. While I don't necessarily agree, I'm glad he has finally pointed out that some of the best dancers have a hard time with these solos. In the end, Pauline and Peter were sent home, which means all of the tappers have been eliminated only three weeks into the top 20. As much as I really wanted them too, I guess they don't fit on this show.