It's in the eyes!

In less than two minutes, the dancers have to get your attention, let you know what the 'scene' is, and go about articulating a clear and cohesive story, and makes you want to see more at the end of the dance. Check out what EW has to say about the 7th Greatest Dance Routine from SYTYCD Season 4.

7. Mark & Chelsie's Hip-Hop
Season 4, Top 16, June 25, 2007

Readers of my SYTYCD TV Watch this season 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 (Mark) lover 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 Dumo (i.e., NapTab, just 'cause), 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're my favorite SYTYCD discoveries this year