For the final show, the dancers had to do three couples routines, a solo performance and a group number which was the opening performance. The dancers performed a Pop-Jazz routine to ‘Don’t stop me now’ which was the best opening possible to the show. It was so fun and all of them looked like they enjoyed every second of the routine, there was not a foot, hand, stretch, jump; a move, out of place.

This was then followed by Matt and Katie who performed a Jazz routine; it was so strong, full of fire and attack, the judges even felt that the number set the standard really high for the night. Matt, as always, adapted to the style and was brilliant and together with Katie, they pulled out a flawless routine but this time, compared to previous weeks, Katie really looked to be in her element.

Kirsty and Luke then came out with a Contemporary routine that was packed with lifts, and somewhat more of Luke dancing rather than both of them. The piece was very emotional and Luke showed off his flexibility; the way he moves is simply amazing especially for the height he is, he also showed off his technical abilities which were perfect. Although Kirsty was not as technically great, she, as always, put all her efforts and emotions into the performance, as she does with every dance, and her personality, again, just shone through which easily sells the dance and draws you in.

Each dancer then performed their solo; their chance to really show how much they wanted to win; Katie was up first with a very good, solid performance. Next up was Matt and his tapping self; absolutely amazing of a performance. Kirsty then showed off a sexy side; her solo was full of flare and she ended it nicely in the splits. Lastly was Luke who’s solo was full of gorgeous extensions, he also played with each beat of the song really well.

Kirsty and Matt then performed a beautiful, romantic, calming and graceful, American Smooth Foxtrot. For this routine, Kirsty nailed the technique; both did extremely well, Matt was full of charm and Kirsty was so elegant. They performed the routine properly; Matt led and Kirtsy let him, something that is hard to adapt to, the steps were perfect and the judges saw the connection between the pair.

Another ballroom dance was done; this time being the Tango by Luke and Katie. The dance was not as strong or as sharp as it should have been. Despite this being said, it was very entertaining and passionate, overall a good performance and the lifts looked effortless for Luke, but there needed to be more attack for it to be a great routine.

The boys then came out with a Tap number which was one of the best couple routines this season; nothing went wrong in it; it was a performance that could leave a person speechless. Although Matt is a tapper by nature; he did not outshine Luke, who kept up with everything; both were fantastic; hit every step in time with the music and one another and they were both so charming and charismatic.

This was followed by the girls who performed a Broadway routine that was a little out of sync at the start but they picked it up and overall it was very entertaining. Their play on the song ‘Defying gravity,’ the way they used the speed and lyrics of the music was just excellent. The pair together; Katie’s technique and Kirsty’s personality; really made the dance something superb; and their use of harnesses was an incredible way to end the show and the season.

In the results show, the top 20 came back for one last performance, was definitely great to see them all back with such a bubbly, fun routine. The routines this week were all fantastic and the night was a real test for the dancers. This final was high in standards and they all really did dance for their lives but now it is all over, the season has finished, but the question is, will there be another season or is the end of So You Think You Can Dance?

Couples

Matt & Katie – Lyrical Jazz by Mandy Moore

Luke and Kirsty – Contemporary by Javier De Frutos

Matt & Kirsty – Foxtrot by Katya Virshilas

Luke & Katie – Tango by Artem Chigvintsev

Group

Top 2 Girls – Broadway by Karen Bruce

Top 2 Boys – Broadway Tap by Bill Deamer

Top 4 – Pop Jazz

Top 20 – Jazz by Mandy Moore

Solos

Top 4 Solos

Coming into the final for Saturday, the workload has increased but Luke said he is fully fit and is just going to go for it. Winning the £50,000 would make all the hard work worthwhile especially since he has been learning to dance since he was a child; Luke said “it’s like I’ve finally achieved what I set out to do…be a great dancer.” With the money, Luke said he’d put a deposit down on a flat in London to have a life here as there is nothing more he’d like to do than continue as a dancer and afford to live in London; “it’s where you need to be.” If he does not win, he would like to see Katie win it despite having known Matt for so long, he says it’s more competitive between the two.

As a child, he was inspired by John Travolta and loves the old classics such as Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive; the sequel, and Chorus Line. The ballroom dance routines in the show have really provided the biggest challenge for him and as a dancer, he is happy that he has conquered the challenges and is more able to do such routines. For the future, he would like to work with Madonna as “all of her concerts, shows and videos have always featured dance and respected it and she’s always got amazing routines.”

Kirsty said she is starting to love dancing in Hollywood, something that had been a dream of hers since she was a little girl and if she won the show, it would be a huge prize for her and the money would of course be a plus. With the money up for grabs, she has plans already made, starting with buying everyone a drink, maybe buying a handbag, giving some to a hearing aid charity, sending her parents camping around Europe in a campervan, giving her brother something he would like and maybe, if her boyfriend proposed, the money would pay for the wedding.

Kirsty’s inspiration came from Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and other dancers of old school musicals as well as Janet Jackson. She also said she would love to work with Janet Jackson or someone like her or Aerosmith as she doesn’t follow boy-bands or pops-stars.

She prefers the old fashioned style, and from the series, has enjoyed the sexy dances like the tango, but she named her Bollywood routine with Lee B as her favourite as it was the most fun. In the future, Kirsty, who also sings, would love to play in Legally Blonde on the West End as Elle Woods.

For Saturday, she said “People should be tuning in on Saturday because they will be seeing a real spectacular show. I’m not supposed to tell you, but we fly in, we’ve got fireworks at the end and pyrotechnics. It’s Queen backing music. So that’s three amazing things in one – pyros, fireworks and Queen. I’m also doing a contemporary and a ballroom piece and they are beautiful. I think people will be crying their eyes out if they have followed our journey. All the music tracks this week are tearjerkers.”

In an interview with Reality Bites, Matt spoke about being inspired by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, learning from them and how after ten years of hard work, he is ready to put in all his efforts and is determined to win So You Think You Can Dance. Last week, he said he slightly injured his back but this has since gotten better and despite being extremely tired, he is pushing through especially since he has achieved his aim of getting into the final. If he does not win, he said he would like to see either Katie or Luke win. He recalled competing against Luke ten years ago in college saying it’s now happening all over again, and called Katie “the most beautiful dancer.” Matt also said that the Contemporary routine he performed last week alongside Katie was one of his favourites and throughout the series he’s enjoyed Mandy Moore’s routines.

After the show, Matt wants to move away from musicals and get into choreography and more commercial work. He has enjoyed being on television and prefers the style of dancing and learning involved compared to that of musicals in which he said “with musicals, you spend six weeks learning and then do the same thing every night. On telly, you spend a short amount of time learning; you do it, and then move on. You’re always doing new projects.
I want to do short exciting projects whether they be choreography or dancing.” If alive, he would have liked to dance with Michael Jackson as him and his dancer inspired Matt growing up; he said the guys in MJ’s videos were more athletic and stylised and actually danced like guys. Out of today, he said Justin Timberlake is one he’d want to dance with.

To close the interview, Matt encouraged people to watch the show on Saturday as “there’s no other dance show like this on telly. It features professionals, not amateurs or celebrities. It tests the best dancers to do the best choreography and it’s so varied as well. It’s a great night’s
entertainment.”

In the final week of So You Think You Can Dance, Katie says her competitive side is coming out as she wants the title of ‘Britain’s favourite dancer’ as well as the cash prize and the chance to go to Hollywood. With the money she could win, Katie says she would like to invest in a production; she plans to spend it properly and not waste it, but only after she’s bought an extravagant breakfast on Sunday morning with extra beans and bacon.

When asked who she thought should win if not her, she replied “we’re all winners. Let the best man win. I love them all, but Luke Jackson has pulled me through this contest and kept me sane. So from a personal point of view, Luke Jackson all the way.”

Inspired by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly films and a guy called Donald O’Connor, she prefers the old styles. Feeling that Contemporary is more her style, Katie named the Contemporary routine her and Matt performed together, as one of her favourites of the show as it suited her more than any other routine she’d done. She also talked about the Celine Dion Vegas shows which was run by Mia Michaels and said she would have loved to be a part of t and would go for it if it came back, other than that, she would like to work with Beyoncé as “her shows are incredible and her dancers are amazing.”

For Saturday night’s show Katie said “we’ve got even more to do. They definitely haven’t let up on the pace and power of the routines. I’m trying to keep focus and it’s one big push for the final Saturday. It should be an interesting night.”

An insider close to the show has said; “Bosses tried to make it work over here. But they have now conceded that it is not going to and that it is time to focus on other things. It was a good format with good judges, but viewers here in Britain just did not connect with it like the people did in America.”

However, the problem is believed to be the scheduling and promotion of the programme rather than the quality of the show. The BBC’s first mistake was moving the series from January to April as the dancers had to go against a heat wave in the first few weeks, as well as having to compete with Britain’s Got Talent; a very popular show on ITV. Another big mistake the BBC made was moving the shows airtime to 5.30pm, viewers said they often forgot the show was on or they were unable to tune in at the earlier time. Moreover, the promotion for the show was not heavy enough, the series was hardly shown to be returning; many dancers, fans, and potential viewers did not know of its return until after.

The BBC seemed to have messed this one up to a point where it cannot be picked up again; judge Nigel Lythgoe had previously regenerated American Idol, so for So You Think You Can Dance, it was thought the same could be done, but so many of the factors of the show having not been handled properly has instead lead to the show failing to become as successful here as it is in the US. When compared to the numerous Cowell-based shows, So You Think You Can Dance is more credible and offers more true talent and the judges; Nigel Lythgoe, Arlene Phillips, Louise Redknapp and Sisco Gomez, have definitely discovered some greatly talented people through the show, so it is a shame that it is being cancelled.

What are your reactions to this news? Will you be sad to see So You Think You Can Dance come to an end? Can the show recover? Or is it the right thing for it to be axed?

Couples

Bethany Harrison & Lee B – Cha-Cha-Cha by Artem Chigvintsev

Katie & Matt – Contemporary by Mandy Moore

Kirsty & Luke – Broadway by Bill Deamer

Group

Top 3 Girls – Contemporary by Mandy Moore

Top 3 Boys – Paso Doble by Katya Virshilas

Top 6 Dance 1

Top 6 Dance 2

Solos

Top 6 Solos

Luke & Lee B

Katie & Bethany Harrison

Now out of So You Think You Can Dance, despite both having a very good night, are Bethany-Rose and Lee B. The two were paired together this week and performed a Cha-Cha routine that set the standard for the night. Although it was not a typical Cha-Cha routine, it consisted of amazing lifts that really tested their strength, especially from Lee B, and showed their trust in one another. Lee was as good as always and performed a solo that looked fun from the start. This week was definitely a better one for Bethany-Rose; her solo also showed a nice change from her normal sexy routines to a slower, softer performance.

Also in the bottom was Katie who performed a very emotional Contemporary routine alongside Matt. It was slow and strong, the passion of the dance was so easily seen especially with the leap by Katie; Louise even said the routine was perfection. Her solo was also stronger than last weeks with no mistakes this time. Matt, once again, was technically brilliant in the paired performance; he seems to adjust to every style but is outstanding when it comes to his normal tapping ways; his solo was simply a joy to watch.

Luke was the other dancer to be in the bottom, he performed a Broadway routine with Kirsty. Luke was perfect throughout the routine, the fast paced and upbeat choreography would usually be harder for someone of his height, but he hit every move as he should have. His solo was also very expressive, full of high jumps and beautiful extensions. The Broadway routine was fun, bubbly and cute; the prom night theme was so similar to Grease and Kirsty, in the dress she wore, with her facial expressions and personality, was so much like the character of Frenchie, however, the judges believed she was weaker than Luke which, to some extent, let him down. This was also the case with her solo; it was not the best she has done although she did convey strong emotions in it.

After all of the solos and paired performances, the boys performed a hot Paso Doble. It was the perfect routine from the guys yet again. There were no mistakes, they were in sync and hit every step right. Each of them attacked it full on, and individually they were so strong, but together they were even better. Out of them all, Luke stood out the most; the dance really suited him and his stature as he performed it, was gripping.

This was then followed by the girls, who did a Contemporary routine which started out of sync but got better. The canon effect worked really well, with the snow and the white dresses, the whole piece was really beautiful, calming and peaceful; a very nice contrast to the boys’ routine and for this routine, Bethany-Rose was more eye-catching than the other two.

In the results show, the dancers performed another group routine, 60’s style, which was packed with energy, character and it looked as if they all had a great time doing this routine; it definitely worked more in the favour of Luke and Kirsty as their personalities just shone through.

Now onto the finals and down to the final four; Matt, Katie, Luke or Kirsty, who will be crowned the winner of So You Think You Can Dance?

What did you think of the performances, did the right people go? Who do you think will win? We welcome your own opinions, you can add them below.

Charlotte’s solo was bubbly and we got to see her spinning that got her into the competition in the first place, but it was not the best solo. She was paired with Lee B whose solo was very unique and gripping to watch. The pair performed a Contemporary routine which was a great performance, more so for Lee. They made a good team, however, the judges said the dance exposed Charlotte; her technique was not right, compared to Lee’s whose was perfect, and her face did not tell the story properly.

This week, Katie and Israel became a pair and performed a Broadway routine. Although Katie’s technique was flawless, and the style really did suit her in every way, at some points in the dance, it looked as if she did not trust Israel. Despite his solo performance being a decent one showing his hip hop abilities, for the Broadway routine, he did not look as comfortable. For some of the lifts he looked nervous, but he managed to keep it together and perform it well, but was not as strong as Katie. There were little hiccups within the routine but overall it was a good performance.

Bethany-Rose was one of the first solo performances which was lively, full of energy and was a strong performance. This week she was teamed up with Luke whose solo was very good; he uses his body, his height and the length of his limbs to his advantage. Together they performed a Hip Hop routine that, for her, went wrong from the start. She was all over the place, not in time with the music or in sync with her partner, and for some of the moves it looked like it took all of her energy to get back up and perform. Luke on the other hand, attacked the dance and showed strength, technically, he was not the best but he did not look as if he struggled, whereas Bethany-Rose did. She really needs to step up her game for the semi finals.

The last couple to perform was Kirsty and Matt, who picked out a Rumba. Both are amazing dancers, very strong in their previous couples, and when paired together, the strength remained. They adapted to each other and the style so well. Their Rumba was slow, sweet and hot all over; a great performance. They also both had fantastic solos, Kirsty’s was so cute, lively, upbeat and extremely fun to watch, and Matt’s was full of tricks; his tapping talents finally got to be seen after so long.

After all of the solo and paired performances, the sexes split for their group numbers. The girls kicked it off with a very well choreographed Jazz routine. Out of the four, Kirsty stood out the most; she kept the character and made no mistakes. Bethany-Rose also did well, had the character and the sexiness down. Charlotte looked to have the most energy, but as with her paired performance, the facial expressions did not match the story. Usually one of the strongest dancers, Katie, did not outshine the others this time around; she was hardly noticeable for this routine.

This was then followed by the boys’ jazz routine which was the best routine to date that has ever been performed on So You Think You Can Dance. Each one of them were fantastic, they all looked extra hot, smooth, and they owned the routine as individuals and as a group.

Overall a good show, now onto the semi-finals and that bit closer to the final, weak spots were definitely seen this week, but how will it be next week? Who will fall under the ever increasing pressure and who will triumph?

What did you think of the performances, did the right people go? We welcome your own opinions, you can add them below.