Chehon and Allison Holker (Season 2): Contemporary (Stacey Tookey)
The idea here is that they're a couple, but Chehon wants Allison to go pursue her dreams. Stacey exclaims at Chehon in rehearsal because some of his leaps are so amazing. They're dancing to "Leave" from the Broadway version of Once, and hey, I cried my way through that whole number when I saw the show earlier this summer. Might as well do the same here. You guys: CHILLS. Chehon and Allison need to dance a season's worth of routines together. Breathtaking. I can't describe the dance any better than that -- I'm DVR-less and I was too busy with the aforementioned tears to take any kind of notes. I'm not sure not sure what dances I'll replay again and again from this season like I do with so many others, but THIS, finally, is one.

Mary is appropriately tongue-twisted and refers to the "Nommy-Eminated" Stacey Tookey and says this is her year. She also marvels at the difficulty levels of what Chehon is doing. Sometimes Chehon struggles with his emotions, but not here. Okay, not to harp but: so what is Cyrus doing better than Chehon right now, besides striving? And striving is great! But let's be real here: Chehon is miles past what Cyrus can do, is just as dominant in his own style (ballet), and has been weak in certain ballroom routines but hasn't been bailed out by choreography nearly as much.

Eliana and Tiffany: Broadway (Ray Leeper)
When the girls enter the rehearsal studio, Eliana squeals as she sees it: a pole! Never before has someone seemed more wholesomely enthused to dance on a stripper pole. Leeper says this routine is bringing "burlesque to Broadway," though I am saddened that this promise doesn't end in dancing to music from the Burlesque soundtrack. Instead, it's "When You're Good to Mama" from the 1996 cast of Chicago. God, the lesbian subtext in this song is somehow even stronger when it's not being sung by Queen Latifah. You figure that out. So obviously Eliana outshines Tiffany here, as she wraps her leg around the top of the pole at the end and supports her entire body weight with it.

Clearly, that's going to earn a standing O from Nigel, who's got the vapors so much he can't even judge right away. Rob (who directed Chicago the movie, of course) says he's trying to imagine Queen Latifah doing that, which: hey! Low blow. Mary thought it was fun and sassy, while Nigel is all, "It's so hard to think of anything to say that won't get me in trouble." Of course, he follows that up by saying the last time he saw something like that, he was with Randy Jackson, so there's that. Oh God, Nigel and Randy Jackson at a strip club. Throwing $20s at girls and getting lap dances. Are you puking yet?