'SYTYCD:' Round 1

Season Five of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" is bringing the big guns.

For the first week of performances and subsequent bootings from said performances, it would appear that we're in for one heck of a season.

The costumes are better. Mary's screams are louder. Nigel's hair is inching closer and closer to the Quaker Oatmeal man's whispy mane and Adam has already cried ... twice.

So let's recap, shall we? Here are a couple of the hits and misses from the week:

The HITS
Hip-hop with Philip and Jeanine
I love, love, loved this performance. Any routine that can tell a good story, I'm all for. Tabitha and Napoleon really kicked the show off right with this routine and it seemed to please the judges as well. I tend to wonder how Philip's audition partner -- and real-life main squeeze -- would feel about the judges' constant praise of nailing the chemistry but I'm guessing that her getting the boot in Vegas probably was hard enough on their relationship. Plus, I'm sure the chemistry is the only thing these two are, um, nailing. The only complaint I had from this top act was that certain moves were quite reminiscent of Tab and Nappy's (new nicknames, it'll catch on ...) choreography of "Bleeding Love" last year with Mark and Chelsea. Yes, I realize only a true nerd of the show would make that connection, but still. Let's keep it fresh!

Samba with Max and Kayla
First of all, it was incredibly difficult to look at anything else in this routine but Kayla, especially in that dress. That flapper-like outfit was more mesmerizing than watching a lava lamp in blacklight. What? Those still totally amuse me. Anyway, the dance was extremely upbeat, fun and delightful and earned the couple their first trip on the hot tamale train. Woo! Woo!

Jazz with Kupono and Ashley
I couldn't agree more with Nigel's assessment that Wade Robson is truly a genius. I don't believe there's anything that he has done that hasn't absolutely astounded me. (Sleeping with Britney Spears included, har har.) His idea of a crash test dummy love story was incredibly outside the box and I loved every second of it. The shakey, been-hit-too-many-times dummy learning to slowly live life to the fullest, no matter what happens was incredibly creative. I hope to see a lot more from Robson in this competition.

The MISSES

Broadway with Asuka and Vitolio
P.U. Seriously. I'm sure following a crazy hip-hop routine wasn't exactly fair for this pair but man, I was not impressed at all. That could partly be because I'm just not that fond of the broadway performances but even so, it just didn't do much for me. I thought the judges' were a little harsh, however, by just blaming the dancers for not intertwining their personalities into the routine enough because I think a good chunk of its suckiness was the choreography. It was just a bunch of running around, then kick, then spin, then running around again. I didn't really see how Vitolio was supposed to be the "producer" in this storyline either. Looks like America felt the same way as these two were forced to "dance for their life" last night.

Hip-hop with Tony and Paris (see above)
Perhaps it's just me, but I don't get what the hub-bub is with Tony. I think he's kind of arrogant -- especially for someone who has cried more times than Adam Shankman -- and he has the face of a 10-year-old pre-pubescent boy. I find him to be an awkward dancer, unless he's doing his solos, and for someone who specializes in hip-hop, it just wasn't that good. It's tough too when you're paired with Jay Leno but still, I think Paris outshined him in his own genre. The routine could've been sweet, but it just fell flat for me. If you're dancing to a song that emphasizes the "boom, boom, boom's" then you gots to hit it -- or quit it. Time to be 3008, you so 2000 and late. Sorry, it's Friday and it's been a long week ...

Cha-cha with Jonathan and Karla
Jonathan looks exactly like David Archuleta. Seriously. It freaks me out. And perhaps is the reason I just couldn't enjoy this performance. But I believe it's also because the performance -- as much as the judges' loved it -- just wasn't that good. Everytime Jonathan did anything sexual, it was uncomfortable. And his performance with out-stretched arms every time he hit a move was more circus act than dance routine. As for Karla, I think she did a better job than her partner but still, not quite good enough. In a competition with so much talent, she just didn't stand out enough for me. Not to mention, after Kayla knocked it out of the park, she kind of became the Queen Bee of the "K"-name-ends-in-"la"- competitors.

It seems America and the judges agreed as well. With Thursday night's results show -- close, but not quite as annoying as the "American Idol" results shows -- we saw Tony and Paris packing their dancin' shoes. I'll be honest, they could've sent Tony, Paris, Asuka and Jonathan home and I would've been fine with that decision.

We'll see what's in store next week but good news for the rest of the dancers, I guess ... no one has to change partners.

Tune into "So You Think You Can Dance" Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

-- Sara Boyd, sboyd2@greenbaypressgazette.com