The dancers kicked off the show with a spicy, Latin-inspired hip-hop routine (how often do you see those words next to each other?) to Pitbull's "I Want You Want Me." And it was H-O-T, HOT!. It started off slow with Spanish guitar, pulsing beats and close-ups of all the dancers in - ahem - risqu� positions with each other. The music sped up and there was great partnering, speedy footwork and it was a dynamic routine. There was even a "Flashdance" moment when the girls started stomping water on the stage and tables. Loved it. Tabitha and Napoleon, who choreographed the routine, have injected their own flavor of hip-hop to this show and continue to wow me again and again. (Let's keep them and get rid of Lil C! Please?!)

As I suspected, Nigel did give a nod to Michael Jackson, as well as Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon, all of whom died this week. Jackson is the most relevant of the three to this show -� his dance style was truly unique and he inspired many young dancers. Even though his most popular albums were released before I could walk, I can still remember standing in my living room with a winter glove and hat rummaged out of the hallway closet, trying to replicate the moves in his "Thriller" video. His recent bizarre behavior and disturbing legal troubles did creep me out, but I'd like to remember him as an amazing dancer and performer.

After showing a clip of the "Thriller" video and a quick commercial break, it was time to get down to business. Cat brought up the first five couples - Asuka & Vitolio, Jeanette & Brandon, Randi & Evan, Jeanine & Phillip, and Melissa & Ade. Of those couples, Asuka & Vitolio and Jeanine & Phillip deserved to land in the bottom, but Phillip's following came through again and only the former couple was forced to dance for their lives. I'm not surprised in slightest.

But that meant that two of the remaining three couples were in danger. Of the three couples left, Karla & Jonathan were inevitably screwed, but the last spot in the bottom was a toss up. The Viennese Waltz is usually the kiss of death, but Kayla & Kupono survived (yay!) and Jason & Caitlin landed in the bottom.

Time for another performance from the "World of Dance" (I love the addition of this segment to the show). This week it was the Rage Boys Crew, which consisted of about 20 guys ages 5 or 6 to late teens (and I'm guessing here). The younger kids were a little out of sync at times, but were totally adorable, so I'm willing to forgive them. They had some exciting tricks up their sleeves too. At one point, one of the younger boys ran across the backs of the rest of the crew, and at another point, they launched on the little boys into the air like a human cannonball and catapulted him across the stage (don't worry, they caught him too). Lots of fun to watch.

The solos, on the whole, weren't great. Asuka tried her best at a ballroom solo (it's so difficult to do that style without a partner), and her footwork was decent, but it wasn't as spicy as her initial auditions. I thought she could have brought it more. Vitolio came out with some great leaps (the height on his jumps is by far his strongest suit), but it felt kind of half-assed to me. Like he was gearing up to do something really phenomenal and then chickened out at the last second. Karla looked a bit spastic toward the beginning of her routine and didn't have good control (especially on her pirouettes). I thought it sealed her exit from the show. Jonathan's solo was alright, but it was so similar to his solo the first week. He did some weak leaps, tried to do some hip work (eh) and pulled out the gymnastics again, but it was the same tired routine. Very uninspiring. Caitlin's was the strongest of any of the solos tonight. Her center and extensions were spectacular as always, but the musicality and grace she brought to the routine really sold me. I didn't like that she threw in some random gymnastics at the end (it felt out of place in the routine), but she was dancing for her life, so she had to show off her best skills (and gymnastics definitely falls into that category for her). Jason's solo was totally forgettable to me. Seriously. The only note I wrote down was "adequate, but not great". Can somebody fill in the blanks for me?

Tonight's musical guests were rock chick The Veronicas, who performed their song "Take Me On the Floor". Their harmonies are kind of haunting, but the song has a rocker edge to it. They reminded me a little of Evanescence, except with two leading singers and less goth-y. The throaty screams toward the end of their performance put me off a bit, but overall, it was an enjoyable performance (and much better than the lip-syncing crap we got last week).

Elimination time: The judges were unanimous in their decision for the girls, but not the guys. Nigel said Caitlin gave the best solo tonight and that she's safe (no surprise there). Then he came to Asuka and Karla. He called Asuka an exciting dancer, but said she hasn't grown too much during the show, and I guess I can see that. Then he basically tells Karla she sucked, but she's safe anyways and Asuka's going home. Huh? I can't say I'm disappointed with the result - even though I wanted to root for her, the judges were right about her not growing and I didn't think she'd make it to the Top Ten - but I am a little surprised Karla didn't get the boot.

On to the boys. The judges weren't unanimous in this decision (I have a feeling one of the girls stuck up for Jonathan because of his good looks). Nigel said all three guys gave lackluster, uninspiring solos and that essentially none of them were strong enough to be in the competition right now. Ouch. Ultimately, Jonathan was cut and I can't say I'm surprised. He's great for the eye-candy factor (which I'm sure many people will miss) and can do some good gymnastics, but he's not a particularly strong dancer.

That means Karla and Vitolio will be paired up next week, which should be, um, interesting? The last couple eliminations have surprised me, but the judges are ultimately weeding out the weaker dancers, so I can't complain. Anybody else excited for the Top Ten already? Only a few more weeks! � � � �