When they do 'So You Think You Can Dance' twentieth anniversary, this routine will be on there. – Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer
Utah dancers Alexia Meyer and Hailee Payne received rave reviews from the "So You Think You Can Dance" judges Monday night, making it into this season's top 16 dancers.
In the first trio of the night, Orem native Alexia Meyer performed a contemporary piece about the many forms that bravery takes alongside street dancers Derek Piquette and Jana "JaJa" Vankova. In the piece, Meyer plays a single mother, Piquette a veteran and Vankova someone straight out of an abusive relationship.
"Stacey (Tookey) really wants me to dance bigger than I am," said Meyer. "I'm 5 feet, and she wants me to dance like I'm 6 feet tall."
"Alexia is beginning to shine in this competition," said Tookey, the choreographer of the piece, "so this week it's time to step it up."
After the emotional piece, the trio got rave reviews from the judges.
"(Meyer), you're a little fireball," said executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. "You did a tremendous job there."
Roy native Hailee Payne also got rave reviews, dancing a robot-inspired hip-hop piece with Virgil Gadson choreographed by Pharside and Phoenix.
"I was really, really surprised about (Payne)," said Pharside.
"I had a feeling (Payne) was going to be really good at hip-hop," said Travis Wall, her team captain, "but I was not expecting to be completely blown away by her."
The judges agreed.
"That was a really memorable routine," said Lythgoe. "I think in 20 years time when they do 'So You Think You Can Dance' twentieth anniversary, this routine will be on there."
At the end of the night, breaker Burim "B1" Jusufi and contemporary dancer Moises Parra were voted off the show, leaving the two Utah natives part of the top 16 dancers.
Tune in to Fox Monday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. to see if Meyer and Payne make it in the next round of the competition.