The first big performance night of the competition, and it did NOT disappoint. The truth is out of the 10 dances, none of them were complete duds. There were only two or three really brilliant numbers, but overall I think all of the contestants should be very proud. Nobody embarrassed themselves up there, that's for sure, and it'll be tough to see who's going home tomorrow night. Plus, we got our first tickets on the Hot Tamale Train! That usually doesn't pull into the station this early!

Adam Shankman was the guest judge. Good, I like him. He talked about one of his THREE new movies, "Step it Up 3D," and had me all excited when mentioning that Ivan, Katee, and Joshua are in it. But then lost me when he said Twitch has a big role. Blech. Will I never be rid of him?

On to the couples:

Jeanine and Phillip. Hip-hop routine by Tabatha and Napoleon to "Mad" by Ne-Yo. Jeanine, who I don't think we'd ever seen before, is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous. Phillip has received more than his fair share of screen time, both this season and last, and is practically a ringer at this point. Jeanine hit her moves very hard, and aside from a few minor moments, they were very much in synch. There was a great combo lift and spin in the middle that was really impressive. All in all a good routine, told a story in typical Tab/Nap fashion (a couple fighting that wouldn't go to sleep until they settled it), and they danced it really well. I think I kind of love Jeanine. Shankman said she held her own against Phillip; I'd say she did more than that. I couldn't stop watching her.

Asuka and Vitolio. Broadway routine by Tyce DiOrio to "Hot Honey Rag" from "Chicago." They were not together at all. It was a dull routine, although it picked up some life in the middle. Vitolio actually drew my attention more than Asuka, which was a surprise, since I liked her going into the Top 20, and didn't know him at all. There was very little actual dancing in the piece. Mostly they just kind of struck poses. Asuka seemed a little slow, and maybe scared. Mary called the performances safe, and I think that's accurate. Nigel gave Tyce another tongue bath; I will never understand why nobody ever calls him out for being a hack choreographer. Shitty routine + restrained dancing = Bottom 3, most likely.

Karla and Jonathan. Cha-cha routine by Tony Meredith to "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga. Jesus, Jonathan is gorgeous. The overhead lighting at the end really made him look amazing. However, the number left me disappointed. They weren't together for the first section of the song. I found Karla's dancing a little lazy, and her facial expressions nearly manic. It wasn't as hot as it should have been, and given that Jonathan's a ballroom guy, he really should have brought it more than he did. I don't care for Karla at all. The whole thing lacked energy. Shankman called Jon out for leaving a lot of the details out, and I agree completely. Nigel said that their chemistry exploded on the stage. I...must have been watching a different number. I don't feel like they connected at all, although I'm sure they were terrified, so I understand. Another possible Bottom 3 couple, but I hope not. He's sooooo cute.

Randi and Evan. Jazz piece by Tyce DiOrio to "I Only Have Eyes For You" by Jamie Cullam. It was very sensual, which made Evan uncomfortable, since Randi is married. Whatever; it's a dance show. You'll probably be doing worse than that in a few short weeks. Randi impressed the shit out of me. I didn't think much of her at first, but she moved like a dream. Evan I expected to be great, and he was. Incredibly sexy number, and the two of them have real chemistry. The whole thing was great, easily in the Top 3 of the night. I must also say this: I typically hate Tyce's work, but that was a really good piece. Shankman said nobody saw Evan coming. Um, I did. He may be Broadway, but he has always shown versatility, and was spectacular in that routine.

Paris and Tony. Hip-hop by Tabatha and Napoleon to "Let the Beat Rock" by Black Eyed Peas. The two dancers I was least impressed by in the early auditions/Vegas paired up together. That could be good or bad, since Tony seems to be big with the screaming girl crowd. And that means we could be stuck with both of them for a while. Ugh. That said, while they weren't together terribly well in the beginning,  they actually did better than I was expecting overall. Paris shocked me with how well she did; I think she out hip-hopped the hip-hopper. Tony needs to do a little less mugging and a little more dancing. They totally fell off the alignment toward the end. The judges gave them a hard time, so I suspect they'll get a significant number of pity votes. But overall it was kind of forgettable, and I think they're a middle-of-the-pack combo at best.

Caitlin and Jason. Bollywood number by...Nakul? Didn't catch the name. To "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire." Of course. Love this style; so glad they brought it back after last year. Jason gave really good face; he didn't overdo it. The piece was very technical and precise, and occasionally the two of them slipped a bit (especially Caitlin, it seemed to me). Some great acrobatics by Caitlin. They were not together in parts, and the piece kind of lost itself in the middle, but it had some strong moments, like the very impressive throws/lifts. I think the judges were a little easy on them, but it was a good number.

Janette and Brandon. Foxtrot by Louis Van Amstel to "Come Fly With Me" by Michael Buble. The most interesting parts were Brandon throwing Janette's ass around the stage like a sack of clothing. It was uneven; at times they looked smooth and graceful, but at others Jason in particular was a bit stiff. They had almost no chemistry as a couple. I think Janette danced it very well, and Brandon excelled at the lifts, but overall I didn't love it.  Mary made a ridiculous Botox joke at her own expense, and I loved her crazy self-deprecating response. God, I love that bitch.

Ashley and Kupono. Jazz routine by Wade Robson to "Felt Mountain" by Goldfrapp. They were crash-test dummies. Ashley was a new dummy, Kupono was a dummy who had been broken a bunch of times. The costumes were...insane. It was certainly unique. I was cold on Ashley going into it, but she danced the number very well. Kupono's moves were a little too feminine for the routine to work as a male-female dynamic. And I felt Kupono failed in the storytelling element of it - I didn't get what the interaction between the two of them was, at all. All I knew was that it was some weird shit, and not my favorite of Wade's work. I thought the moves were interesting, and the dancers hit them well, but...I am ambivalent. The judges were overall positive, although they acknowledged that it was pretty wacked out.

Melissa and Ade. Contemporary with Mandy Moore to "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx. Really, Mandy? Richard Marx? Welcome to my eighth-grade dinner dance. Which I did not go to. So thanks for bringing back that painful non-memory. Anyway, it was a pretty number; nothing I haven't seen on this show a million times before. But it was lovely as a whole. Some very good lifts. Ade seemed like the stronger dancer to me, but he needs to lose the pick-in-the-hair thing. Gack. Adam very nearly cried, and made a big deal about the fact that Melissa is an old hag at - gasp! - 29. My friends noticed that Melissa's ballet training kept showing through. I didn't necessarily see it, but whatever. I worry that this couple is low on star power, and may get cut early.

Kayla and Max. Samba by Louis Van Amstel to "Jum Bah Day" by House of Gypsies. Two words: sexy bitches! Now THIS is hot ballroom. Kayla proved that she is the strongest female dancer in this competition, and possibly the strongest dancer overall. She's a contemporary girl and she commanded that stage like a pro. My viewing party wanted more ass-shaking, and I agree, but I thought she had charisma, she had moves, and she had those legs, which should be outlawed. I also loved her outfit, this spiral of hot-pink fringe. Isn't she only 18? Insane. She's not quite Chelsie Hightower, but for Week 1, this was VERY impressive. Max held up his end of the bargain. He partnered her well, but he got completely overshadowed by the hotness that is Kayla. As a reward Mary put them on the Hot Tamale Train! Well deserved in my opinion.

Predictions for tomorrow: I think Asuka and Vitolio and Karla and Jonathan are in serious jeopardy. The other spot is a toss up. Tony and Paris should be there with them, but I think he's got a voting bloc that will save him for a few weeks at least. Ashley ad Kupono could suffer from a What the Fuck Was That? response. Melissa and Ade were good, but a little forgettable. Janette and Brandon could suffer the Ballroom Curse, but I think he's got some sympathy votes coming from Mia's bashing session last week. If I had to bet, I'd say it's the end of the road for Asuka (between her and Janette, Janette's the keeper) or Karla (who?), and probably Vitolio, who is probably the most forgettable guy on the show this season.