So You Think You Can Dance: 25 best performances yet

Season 6

We already knew Ryan was aces at ballroom, and that Kathryn was a stellar dancer period. But when these two got together for a Jason Gilkison cha-cha, we definitely understood why these hotsy-totsies couldn't keep their hands off each other. (With all due respect to Ryan's wife, Ashleigh, of course.) The final pose, with Kathryn ramrod straight and facing the floor, was the exclamation point on a most sexy sentence. —Adam B. Vary

Watch it here.

Season 3

"Oh, jeebus," we all (or at least I) thought. "That camera-mugging doofus from season 2, Benji Schwimmer, is choreographing a West Coast swing number. And poor Pasha and Sara have just started working as partners, too. What kind of hot mess is this gonna be?" Turns out the joke was on us (or just me). The season 2 So You Think You Can Dance champion pulled out all his signature moves — the shoe slide, the double cartwheel — but it was Pasha and Sara (i.e., the breaker who was not supposed to be able to do this) who brought the number home, performing as if they'd been swing-dancing together for years and keeping the energy dialed to 11 without ever showing us the effort. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 7

Unlike most numbers choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo, "My Chick Bad" didn't have an emotional core. It, quite simply, focused on a "chick" — season 7 winner Lauren — who was bad. But we mean bad in the best of ways. Between her hard-hitting moves, badass performance style, and sheer ability to keep up with hip-hop all-star Twitch, Lauren proved that she could indeed do stuff that other chicks wish they could. Just see those frontward somersaults! —Kate Ward

Watch it here.

Season 3

In hindsight, there's actually not much to this Mia Michaels routine: Lacey's apparently upset, and she flails around a lot, and Kameron basically just tries to keep her from flailing off the stage (when he's not flailing himself). But it's all such artful flailing, opening with such an arresting image — Lacey collapsed in Kameron's arms as she raises her crooked, quivering arms to the sky — that you can't help but be immediately sucked in, right up to Lacey's climactic leap into Kam Kam's arms. Put it this way: I was on vacation in China when this episode aired, and two separate people sent me the YouTube link to it the next day, or, um, the day before, or something — the time difference was confusing. Even in the temporal and particulate haze of Shanghai, I knew this was a dance people were going to remember. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 6

The peerless chemistry between these two, a hallmark of the season, started with their very first number, which choreographer Tyce Diorio called "sultry Broadway," and, for once, miraculously, he wasn't exaggerating. It went a long way toward repairing the serious likability issues plaguing Ashleigh going into this week, and helped launch Jakob all the way to second place. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 2

A perfect example of showmanship trumping technique. You could pick apart this first-time partnership between the final season 2 male dancers, Travis and Benji (i.e., Tranji), because, with all respect to choreographer Shane Sparks, their dancing is a wee bit o' a mess. But why would you want to when it's just so much fun to watch them transform from nerds to crotch-thrusting, assisted-somersaulting studs? —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 1

Any doubt as to why Nick and Melody came in first and second, respectively, in SYTYCD's first season is washed away after witnessing these ha-cha-cha slinky steps from choreographer Tyce Diorio. The couple also made SYTYCD history, inducing the debut of the iconic Mary Murphy scream. We won't hold it against them. (P.S. How weird is it to watch the show without any pre-dance video package or Cat Deeley towering over the dancers in some high-wire-high-fashion frock?) —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 6

Funky and dark and fiendish and cool: in other words, a Sonya Tayeh routine, danced to quirky perfection by Ellenore and Jakob, and one of the few true standouts from the otherwise lackluster season 6. There's a reason the judges gave it a standing ovation. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 5

"If It Kills Me" gave birth to one of the show's finest choreographers: Travis Wall, he of season 2's famed bench routine. The So You Think You Can Dance alum's piece had the maturity of most routines choreographed by Mia Michaels, but felt fresh enough to make annual viewers feel as though they were watching something new — and incredibly beautiful. And it certainly didn't hurt that Jason and eventual winner Jeanine danced it so gorgeously, it nearly killed us. —K.W.

Watch it here.

Season 5

By the time season 5 rolled around, it was easy to question why So You Think You Can Dance continued to force its contestants to roll out a disco routine. After all, the results were always dated, cheesy, and poorly executed — even when performed by the show's most solid dancers. That is, until Brandon and Janette hit the stage for their disco duet, which showed audiences that the genre could be fast, fun, and seriously impressive. Talk about disco fever! —K.W.

Watch it here.

Season 4

Just when SYTYCD's fourth season was beginning to feel lousy with routines that felt like warmed-over versions of dances from previous years, out came this breath of fresh air from Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan. Of course, I don't quite know how the judges are supposed to seriously critique a Bollywood number, and, indeed, Mary Murphy seemed at such a loss for words that she veered dangerously close to Paula Abdul territory with this mind-blowing apothegm: "On this stage, we have one rule. Heart. Soul. Equals stardom." And yet, with all the natural heart and soul Katee and Joshua poured into this routine, somehow Mary made surprising sense, especially considering these two were the only original couple to make the season 4 finals — and two spots on this list. (Ooh! Foreshadowing!) —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 3

Quirky? Sure. Effective? Totally. Choreographer Wade Robson was quick to note that it was less a "jazz" routine than "my version of a ballet," with Hok cast as a flitting hummingbird trying to seduce the blooming flower played by Jaimie. The piece turned out so beguiling that it felt more like an excerpt from a professional company's concert than a piece on a reality dancing competition, and neither dancer was ever quite able to equal it again. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 7

Even if you didn't know that choreographer Travis Wall created this number as a tribute to his ailing mother — or that dancer Robert had gone through his own trials with his mother's health — watching him and Allison give life to the story of a son desperately trying to help his mom was one of the most heartrending pieces ever danced on the show. If you know someone who can get through it without at least getting misty, be warned: That person is definitely a killer robot. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 5

So unabashedly fun, so filled with innovation and verve was Brandon and Janette's jazz piece, I lost count of the number of times I rewatched it the night it first aired. Did you see how far of a drop that was for Brandon leaping over that first railing? Did you love those wild point-and-kicks, sly ankle turns, and arms-akimbo gumby twirls? Did you hear that wicked Róisín Murphy song that seemed written purely so Wade Robson could set dance to it? Wade's fluid staccato steps are truly unique, and, with lesser dancers, the choreography could easily be the star, but these two managed to match the movement and then some. In a season parched of real Memorable Moments, this was like drinking liquid awesome. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 4

Readers of my SYTYCD TV Watch already know about the warm, well-upholstered spot in my heart for Mark, and this is the routine that put it there. Which is actually kinda odd, since it's really quite bittersweet: A heartsick woman (Chelsie) tries to keep her workaholic lover (Mark) from leaving, but, instead, he steals her heart and then walks out the door. One of the biggest complaints about season 4 is the time the judges spent heaping endless praise upon the choreographers rather than discussing the dancers, but in the case of hip-hop choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo (i.e., NapTab, now and forever), that praise was well-deserved. The couple brought a lyrical storytelling sensibility to their routines that transformed hip-hop from hard-hitting abstract steps to something far more emotionally engaging. Along with Mark, they were my favorite SYTYCD discoveries from the season. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 7

Sure, choreographer Stacey Tookey's social statement slapped you smack-dab in the middle of the face, but it still packed a powerful punch. And the two contestants in the contemporary routine — revolving around the disparity between social classes — only served to advance the story line by being two disparate types of dancers. Billy was as touching as Ade was dominant. Billy was as emotional as Ade was stoic. Thus, "Mad World" was as awe-inspiring as it was important. —K.W.

Watch it here.

Season 3

Sexy. Sultry sexiness. Sensual syncopation of a sexological nature. "Hip hip, chin chin" went the music, and beat beat beat went our hearts when Danny and Lacey first partnered on this number choreographed by another season 2 alum (and certified SYTYCD Casanova), Dmitry Chaplin. I'd like to define just how hot this number was, but since scientists have apparently yet to settle on a measurement for the hottest temperature in the universe, I don't think it's even possible. But I can at least note this: The heretofore supercilious Danny had been a fixture in the show's bottom three for the previous three weeks, but after so expertly moving those hips in this number, he never appeared there again. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 2

After this performance, judge Nigel Lythgoe apologized to Allison for not spending more time lauding her consistently fluid, expressive work, because, for him, the whole number was about Ivan. The baby-faced B-boy stumbled through a salsa in his first week, so watching his fluid, expressive work in this Tyce Diorio routine a mere three weeks later was indeed like watching the boy transform into a man right before our eyes. Of course, it was easy to forget that Ivan wouldn't have looked nearly as good without a peerless partner like Allison — which is perhaps why Ivan ultimately lasted one week longer than she did on the show. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 5

I don't know if I've ever seen two dancers throw themselves so deeply into a SYTYCD routine, let alone a SYTYCD routine that so expertly explored a subject as pitiless and unsentimental as addiction. I suspect it was that very rawness that muted the judges from their usual paroxysms of praise, but, no matter. This remains, for me, the best routine of the disappointing fifth season because it had it all: choreography that challenged its performers, felt fully connected to the music underneath it, and told a complete, cohesive story — and dancers who delivered nuanced performances filled with aching emotion and technically stunning movement. If this reads like a justification for why this Mia Michaels routine is on this list and Tyce Diorio's quite-good-if-overpraised-by-the-judges "Cancer" routine isn't, well, that's just an agreeable coincidence. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 2

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Heidi and Benji are cousins and have danced together practically their entire lives, and the mambo is itself a cousin to the couple's West Coast swing style, so the deck was stacked incredibly in their favor from the get-go blah blah blah...this dance frakking rocked. The couple was tasked with trick after trick: Heidi starting off as a human belt; Benji dropping under Heidi's legs in a split; Heidi spinning underneath Benji's leg — and they pulled it all off with effortless aplomb. Pure entertainment. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 7

Alex. Alex Alex Alex. Oh, Alex Freaking Wong. It is mind-boggling to realize he lasted only three weeks on this show before his Achilles' heel gave out, and yet, he left such an indelible mark on his season and the show itself. That started with his very first paired number, an aching, deeply felt Sonya Tayeh routine about striving for salvation that was brimming with hurt, yearning, hope, and effing unreal dancing. Mia Michaels called it "the best hands-down piece of work danced on the So You Think You Can Dance stage anywhere in the world up to date." We don't *quite* agree with that statement, but we can totally understand the sentiment behind it. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 3

Rather than wax on about Mandy Moore's dynamite (and Emmy-nominated) "'80s jazz power lunch," I'm just going to turn things over to the inimitable poetry of the reaction from the night's guest judge, Debbie Allen: "Honey, all I can say is that's how I like it / I like it like that / I like it like that, honey / Give it to me hard / Give it to me strong / Sometimes jazz can be a little itsy-bitsy / This is the way we like it, honey / I'm just thrilled to see you, Neil / Grow like that / That is so beautiful / And Sabra, I just adore you / Absolutely adore you."

Amen, Debbie. Amen. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 2

Travis and Heidi never overplayed their yearning throughout this stunning number, known simply as "The Bench," which just makes the quiet flourishes — the hands touching through the bench, Travis collapsing like a rag doll, Heidi slowly pulling the sunflower toward her with her feet — that much more tender. This dance was so good, it won choreographer Mia Michaels an Emmy, but, more than that, I think this routine was a watershed moment for SYTYCD, moving it from just a fun and frivolous summer diversion to a show capable of moments far richer and emotionally resonant. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 4

This hip-hop number from the illustrious NapTab is a perfect match of story (a soldier telling his girlfriend he's going back to war), music ("No Air"), and the two dancers performing it. Katee brought her technical finesse and deep feeling, while Joshua came through with his preternatural talent and strength, and together they created a number that felt all of a piece, that transcended its steps, imbuing the movement with an uncomplicated humanism that is doubly impressive considering it was their first ever full performance on a nationally televised dance competition show. (I guess Emmy voters weren't watching the show, because it was inexplicably snubbed.) It's no wonder these two dominated so much of that season, but nothing they or anyone else has done on So You Think You Can Dance has quite equaled the agile, eye-misting power of their earliest routine. —A.B.V.

Watch it here.

Season 7

Everyone — and we mean everyone — went out of their minds watching this Napoleon and Tabitha-choreographed number. The judges. The crowd. The viewers. Anyone, essentially, with a pulse. It was entertaining enough to see ballet dancer Alex Wong prove he was more than a one-trick pony when he broke out some serious hip-hop moves, but it took only one minute to realize we were watching a ballet dancer execute the best hip-hop dance in SYTYCD history. The dance was exciting, jaw-dropping, and boasted more adrenaline than a whole case of Red Bulls. We witnessed the fury of Alex Freaking Wong, and we freaking lost it. —K.W.

Watch it here.