billy bell

In this first double elimination of this season's 'So You Think You Can Dance', self-trained B-boy Jose Ruiz and classically-schooled contemporary dancer Billy Bell were sent home.

Neither seemed particularly shocked: Ruiz told us he was proud of how far he'd gotten while Bell said he'd "gotten used to being in the bottom."

Bell also spoke about Nigel Lythgoe's "slightly androgynous style" comment that lit up Twitter the next day and whether he regretted his decision not to dance on an injured knee.

The two dancers gabbed about their favorite dances, what they've learned and what they're looking forward to on tour.

This is it! This is the last week that the judges can eliminate contestants on 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Thu., 9PM ET on Fox). So really, this is the time for the judges' final decision. (And yes, we realize that we already said that in the headline. Just wanted to drive that point home, in case you weren't paying attention.)

[Spoiler alert.]

Tonight's episode involved the elimination of two contestants -- which has never happened before. Billy, Jose, and Lauren were potentially about to be kicked off. No! Not Lauren! She's the only girl left on this show!

In the end, the formerly injured Billy was kicked off, and Jose as well. Lauren was saved. And now we're down to four contestants. Hopefully, the judges have made the right decisions up to this point. Because after this, they don't get to have a say. All the voting for the final contestants will be done by you, the viewers. So do a good job, guys.

Welcome back to 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Thu., 9PM ET on Fox). It's elimination time, so someone needs to be kicked off. ... Right? But when it came time to do the eliminating, Nigel Lythgoe confessed that the judges were suffering from a mild bout of confusion.

"We haven't made up our minds," Nigel said to host Cat Deeley.

" ... You haven't?" Cat replied.

[Spoiler alert.]

Billy, Robert, and Jose were up for potential elimination. Last night, as you may remember, Billy Bell became the third injured dancer on this season's show. And the previous two injured dancers have already left the contest. ... What to do, what to do? Should another wounded contestant be bounced off the series? Billy made the judges' decision a little harder -- because doctors had cleared him to dance. Yet he still refused to perform this week.

We had ANOTHER injury on 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Wed., 8PM ET on Fox). What's going on with this show? Is it suffering from a voodoo curse? Is the stage built over an ancient Indian burial ground? We've never seen so many dancers go down before.

[Spoiler alert.]

Billy Bell became the third injured contestant this season -- after hurting his knee during rehearsal. Now, he's in the dreaded "Bottom Three," and faces elimination. Ashley and Alex, the two previously hurt dancers, have both left the show. Will Billy be able to survive?

We can't know Billy's fate yet, so let's move on to the good news. Adechike had an amazing performance tonight, dancing to 'Fallin'' by Alicia Keys. In the end, Adechike poured so much emotion into his routine that he ended up crying during the judges' review. Adam Shankman summed up the judges' universally positive reaction to the dance. Pointing at the weeping Adechike, Shankman said this: "Everything that you're feeling right now: look at you .. that is how you made me feel."

We had a very appropriate (but unintentional) metaphor tonight on 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Thu., 9PM ET on Fox). During this episode, the Cirque du Soleil dance troupe showed up. And they performed a version of the Elvis song 'Return to Sender.' But their act featured only a few girls -- who were lost in a sea of men.

It's hard to think of a better metaphor for the show right now, as the guy/girl ratio is becoming seriously skewed. As of tonight, we had six men and only three women. And by the end of the show ... there would be one less dancer.

[Spoiler alert.]

How many contestants would you like to see on 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Wed., 8PM ET on Fox). Would you like ten contestants? Twenty? A million of them?

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I don't want to toot my own horn, but I predicted that illness would fell more reality show competitors in last week's TV Squad APB podcast. It turns out that the first to be affected was Billy Bell. Fox's official website posted a message wishing Billy a speedy recovery. There were no details of his illness.

It's a shame to see Billy go so soon. After seeing Monday's performance, which was pre-taped, he showed power and technique. He hopes to try out for Season Seven.

If you want to be spoiled on who replaced him, the replacement's partner and dance, and another injury continue reading.

(S06E09) Tonight, we started with 38 dancers, and by the end of the hour, the Top 20 stood revealed. I'm never quite sure how to take these episodes; American Idol always has one, as well. For the most part, it's just contestants walking in front of the judges and hearing "Yes" or "No." For those of us who've been watching since the beginning and finding our early favorites, it can be a little tense and exciting.

But then I think about someone who's never watched the show, and who's maybe tuning in for the first time tonight. What a boring hour of television they would be in for. You barely get any snippets from the good dancers who make it through. Mostly it's just a parade of faces you don't know and lots of crying.

But before we get to the tears, we need to get excited. For the first time, and to give everyone a more even playing field going into the first performance show, this Monday at 8pm ET, FOX offers a special non-elimination episode where the Top 20 get to show us their stuff.