So You Think You Can Dance season 17 Top 2: Who’s in the finale?
By Sabrina Reed
So You Think You Can Dance season 17 is winding down. Last night the Top 2 dancers were selected from the trio: Essence, Keaton, and Alexis. The competition was fierce as each contestant left in the competition were from very different dance backgrounds (hip-hop, contemporary, and ballroom, specifically).
The structure of episode 11, “The Final Cut,” gave semifinalists three opportunities to shine on stage and vie for their spot in next week’s finale. They each danced with a fellow contestant then were paired with an All-Star to showcase their talent in their personal style.
Who managed to snag a spot in the Top 2? Here’s what we know!
So You Think You Can Dance season 17 Top 2
Pairings
- Alexis and Keaton – Bollywood
- Essence and Alexis – contemporary
- Essence and Robert (season 14) – hip-hop
- Keaton and Audrey (season 9) – contemporary
- Alexis and Kiki (season 14) – Argentinian tango
- Keaton and Essence – jazz
It was Keaton’s night to lose since he’s the only dancer in the competition to not land in the Bottom 3 during the entire season. He, however, rose to the occasion in all three of his performances. His Bollywood routine with Alexis was praised as was his jazz performance with Essence that saw him taking the note he’d received during his contemporary dance with Audrey to heart.
Consistency and technique are Keaton’s strong suits, but embodying character seems to come third for him, and if he’s not careful he could lose his connection to the audience if he doesn’t give his all to the acting portion of dance as well. So his jazz routine with Essence where he leaned into the flamboyance of the dance stuck out as a last minute rebound to spotlight his ability to immerse himself in a role.
It worked in his favor as he secured a spot in the finale. That left Alexis and Essence. Both women were vying to make history as the first female ballroom dancer or first female hip-hop dancer to win the competition. Alexis fared better than Essence throughout the majority of season 17, but this is a series all about growth and, arguably out of the Top 3, Essence has grown the most.
Still, it was up to the studio audience to decide. And, while both dancers had mixed performances with necessary feedback, Alexis came out on top and took the second spot in the finale. It also looked like Essence injured herself, though it’s unclear if that played into the audience’s decision or not.
Top 2 dancers: Keaton and Alexis
Keep reading for the full list of songs featured in “The Final Cut.”
So You Think You Can Dance season 17 episode 11 soundtrack
- “Jai Jai Shivshankar” – Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal, Vishal-Shekhar (Alexis and Keaton’s Bollywood performance)
- “Hero” – Mariah Carey (Essence and Alex’s contemporary routine)
- “Wipe Me Down” – Foxx (Essence and Robert’s hip-hop performance)
- “A Song for You” – Donny Hathaway (Keaton and Audrey’s contemporary routine)
- “Obertura” – Broadway cast recording and Lisandro Adrover (Alex and Kiki’s Argentinian tango)
- “Vibe Check” – District 78 and Leah Levi (Keaton and Essence’s jazz performance)
dark. Next. So You Think You Can Dance winners: Who’s won the Fox dance competition?
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