'So You Think You Can Dance's Best Performances...

With the ninth season of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) underway, great new performances will surely take place. However, which dances of the past are the show's very best?

That depends upon who you ask. In this case, the question got put to the show's judges, Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy. Sadly, the duo could only agree on one of the top 10 choices listed here.

Here's a hint about the top 10 performances. One of them involves a SYTYCD choreographer. Another involves a pro from Dancing With the Stars (DWTS). Mia Michaels choreographed two of the top routines. Another one came from another SYTYCD star with ties of DWTS. Confused? Don't be. Here they are:

Dancer and choreographer Travis Wall remains one of SYTYCD's all-time favorite dancers. However, now he focuses most of his time choreographingÂ—some of it for the show that made him so famous. Wall choreographed one of the top five routines, entitled "Fix You".

The dance was about a son who desperately wanted to help his ill mother. Two of the show's most popular contenders of the past, Allison and Robert, performed it. The stunning routine is lyrically beautiful and heartfelt, which is why it's an easy favorite.

Dancing With the Star's Lacey (Schwimmer) and her partner, Danny, lit the stage on fire with a red-hot samba. The dance routine made one of Nigel's top picks. Coincidently, the dance another SYTYCD contender who is also an on again, off again pro with DWTS choreographed the number. His name is Dimitry Chaplin.

Mia Michaels choreographed the only routine on which Nigel and Mary could agree. It's called "The Bench". Travis (Wall) and his partner, Heidi, danced it. Mia also choreographed a powerful routine about addiction, which made into Nigel's top five. Kayla and Kupono performed it.

"The Bench" is an amazing routine. It played to the strengths of both dancers and pulled at the heart-strings of the audience. Its pitch perfect vibe explains how and why it's the best SYTYCD performance of all time.

Only one hip-hop routine made into the top 10. It came from choreographers NappyTabs. Alex (Wong) and the ever-popular Twitch danced "Out of Your Mind".

Last year's top dancer, Melanie, also made the list with past contender, Neil. The routine, entitled "Leap of Faith" impressed Mary Murphy because, in the performance, Melanie literally throws her body half-way across the stage into Neil's waiting arms.

This dance is an easy favorite among the show's fans. It showed amazing the amazing strength and resilience of the human soul and two of the show's best dancers of all time danced it. What more could anyone ask?

The remaining top 10 performances included: "Beast" cancer routine danced by Melissa and Ade to Tice Diorio's choreography; "Hummingbird", choreographed by Wade Robson for dancers Hok and Jaimie; and "An Argentinan Tango" by Janette and Brandon, choreographed by Leonardo Barrionuevo.

Since the judges couldn't agree on the best routines of all time, chances you might not agree with them. If one of your So You Think You Can Dance favorite dances isn't listed, which one is it? Sound off below, listing the names of the dancers and the choreographer.

Comments: 2

August Lady Jun 29, 2012, 4:26pm UTC

I've barely watched this season, as I was so turned off by last season & Melanie, not the best dancer, imo~kinda like what goes on an Idol, clearly not the BEST win.

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Isabel Seward Jul 2, 2012, 6:56pm UTC

While I don't disagree with the judges picks (all great dances and performances) I do have many others I adore from this terrific show. Joshua and Katee in Season 4 danced a number by Tabbitha and Napolean to No Air about a soldier being called to war and his girls reaction. Very well done. Twitch danced with Sasha last year to a song Misty Blue choreographed by Christopher Scott that was great too. This featured a couple who had lost their zing and one day the girl had enough and set the fires flaming again. I really enjoyed Brandon and Janette's Cha Cha in Season 5 to Hush Hush was another performance I loved. I also adored Melanie and Tadd's (sorry Lady August many disagree with your take on Melanie) Broadway number to Where Do I Begin by Spencer Liff. That dance was about a choreographer trying to get his dancer to perform better (faking his romantic interest in her). So well done IMO. So many great numbers. There was also a dance about Addiction in Season 5 danced by Kayla and Kupono that was very powerful and well performed. Yes I am clearly a fan. This is but a handful of many routines. I pretty much adored everything Danny Tidwell danced in. That young man can DANCE.

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'So You Think You Can Dance's Best Performances of the Past

Comments: 2

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