(S07E07) The first elimination of 'So You Think You Can Dance' starts off with three women in the bottom three. The judges must have known something to pick six guys to compete in the top 11. With the judges deciding the bottom three, there will be some bias and argument in the background.

Nigel tries his best to advertise National Dance Day, July 31st. I think it would be interesting if we could get Cat Deeley to dance for America. Either way, I wonder how many people would actually celebrate National Dance Day.

Group Performance - Choreographer Tessandra Chavez has her first performance on the 'So You Think You Can Dance' stage. The dance was a bit generic and some of the transitions were walking into place. The routine pans a lot to try getting as many of the contestants, but Alex, Billy and Jose get extra camera time to show off their skills.

The first four contestants are up and Alex, Robert, Kent and Lauren are all safe. I love Robert's reactions because he's so good, but seems genuinely surprised that he keeps moving on, week after week. Likewise, Kent has a lot of pre-competition exposure but continues this little league shock as he moves to the next step.

The next four contestants quickly follow: Billy and Ashley are safe. Melinda and Alexie are in the bottom three. Nigel thought the routine didn't help Melinda's cause, but Melinda lacks a warmth and honesty. Mia thought that Alexie worked so hard, but the performance didn't have enough power. Jose, AdéChiké and Cristina are the final three up. Jose and AdéChiké are safe. Cristina is in the bottom three. In a very unfair moment, she gets no critique from Adam.

Musical Performance - 'Come Fly Away' - The routine is a good one for the contestants to watch because the routine combined a lot of power with raw emotion. The two dancers understand that "unsaid" moment that the judges continued to complain about last night. I was afraid that Keith Roberts wouldn't get his jacket on in time, but everything was perfect at the end.

Solo Performances

Melinda - 'I Got the Feelin'' - The tap microphone is out again, but this time used correctly. I was underwhelmed by her performance overall: She gave no real power moves. Something about the stoic expression on her face throughout was a turn off. The introduction of the timer in the corner was new and very distracting.

Alexie - 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' - Alexie didn't fall out of her spins, which shows a lot of confidence in her routine. She had a lot of flow and control at the same time. But I could have sworn we've seen a variation of this routine in previous episodes.

Cristina - 'La Guarachera' - While Cristina had a lot of fire in her routine, she -- like many ballroom and Latin dancers -- could really benefit from a partner.

Musical Guest - Usher, 'OMG' - While Usher has really catchy music and decent dance moves, there's something about his swagger that rubs me the wrong way. I can't fault the performance, other than the fact that his microphone wasn't loud enough and he was breathing really hard. The audio quality really needs to be fixed for future performers: The screams from the audience were louder than Usher's voice.

Music Video - Justin Bieber, 'Somebody to Love' - This felt a bit like a budget dance video that was all green screen work. I was underwhelmed by the backgrounds, the unnecessary Asian theme, the light bulbs and so on. I loved the Beat Freaks and Poreotix crews, and I'm happy they're getting more exposure, but I wished there was more of them and less of Usher. I'm sure Bieber fans will tar and feather me now.

The judges have a unanimous decision. Melinda has a cool routine, but needs fire. Cristina had the fire, but lacked the choreography. She was the only one dancing for her life. Alexie had a contained movement and she needs to dance with extension and more maturity. Alexie is the first eliminated. Alex knows that she's hire-able, that's the biggest factor. Mia and Nigel know that she's going to get a lot of work.

While I will say I'm disappointed, I understand that the judges couldn't get rid of the lone tapper or the lone salsa dancer so early in the competition. The contemporary dancers are a dime a dozen and, unfortunately for Alexie, she was the only one in the bottom. I was hoping that AdéChiké was going to be the first contemporary dancer eliminated, but all the guys will have another chance to wow the judges next week.

How did you think the elimination went? Leave your comments below.