DonnaK:  Here’s the deal. I have a MASSIVE flu from hell and barely have the energy to sit here and type, so this is going to be really short and sweet. The Top 8 really went all out tonight - everyone performed better than they have all season. This is honestly a crap shoot at this point - the skill levels are so close that it’s not longer about talent. This is purely a “who do you like better” contest now, so with that in mind here are my quick thoughts on the show

It was a week for injuries - Ellenore hurt her rotator cuff but was able to dance, but Ashleigh popped her shoulder out of the socket and was medically barred from dancing. She’s still in the competition so we have to vote for her from her past work alone. This left poor Russell without a partner for the second time - that poor man!

Kathryn and Ryan were fantastic in both their disco and their cha cha, although I got a distinct - and strong - vibe from Kathryn that she dislikes Ryan. She actively moved his hands off of her at least twice during the ciritiques and I think it’s clear she couldn’t stand him. It’s a credit to her that she made the dances work so well. Ryan is the one one of the whole group who’s dancing is slightly sub-par - he’ll definitely be the guy to go tonight.

Mollee and Jakob were lovely in their Viennese waltz although it was clear Mollee was trying desperately to keep up with Jakob. The pair worked together better in their Joey Dowling Broadway number which was stunning. Mollee’s fighting hard but I don’t know if she has the fan base to hold her spot.

Ellenore and Legacy had not just the Awesome Dance of the Week with a simply mind-blowing Travis Wall contemporary number… it was the dance of the season. It was so far beyond good it defies words, really. Their Nappy Tabs hip hop wasn’t as strong, but that was almost entirely Nappy Tabs fault and not theirs. It makes me worry for Legacy a bit - he might be the one in the bottom two with Ryan.

Russell dances with his choreographers due to Ashleigh’s injury, but he was bang on the money for both his Shane Sparks hip hop (DAMN he can hit hard!) and his Bollywood number. He impressed the hell out of both me and the judges and I feel very sure he’ll make it into the Top 6 with those performance and his huge fan base.

As far as solos go, the only dreadful one was Ryan. He made a completely fake “crying” plea for everyone to vote for Ashleigh… I say fake because one does not sob and have one’s voice break without one’s eyes getting red, moist and tearful… unless you’re Ryan Di Lello of course. Yeah, fake. Boot this guy already, k? Russell and Legacy both had amazing solos with props and everything - those boys went ALL out! Everyone else was wonderful - again, the skill level is really even save for Ryan.

Ryan’s definitely bottom two and I think Legacy will join him, but Ryan is definitely the one going home. The girls are harder - I think Ashleigh will bottom two due to not performing but it could be anyone their with her. I hope it’s Mollee as she’s my least favorite but I don’t feel sure of Kathryn’s fan base. If I had a gun to my head and had to pick I would say that - due to popularity only - Kathryn might be out. But honestly I don’t know with the girls, just the guys.

Okay, that’s enough typing from me today. Next week is the final so it should be one HELL of a show. Thoughts?