Virgil Takes On A Classic SYTYCD Dance

He's the last man standing and it's easy to see why he's stuck around for so long. Virgil is the only guy left on So You Think You Can Dance, and let me tell you friends, this guy can dance. Even though I've been saying since day one of Season 12's roller coaster of a season that a female dancer (actually a female street dancer to be more accurate) will take home the title of America's Favorite Dancer, Virgil has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to win as well. I'm still fairly positive that a woman will win the competition this season — in fact I think the winner will come down to Jaja vs. Gaby — but on Monday night's finale part one, Virgil brought his a -game and the house down with a Hip Hop performance with All-Star Joshua. Choreographers Pharside and Phoenix claimed the dance was "the answer to Comfort and Jasmine's 'Run The World' routine" from Season 10, but was it as good as that classic performance? Not quite, but man was it close.

Virgil and Joshua had their work cut out for them if they were going to take on the "man's version" of that now-iconic So You Think You Can Dance routine by Jasmine and Comfort considering how incredible it was when it premiered two season prior. But they were definitely up for the challenge, especially considering Joshua is a former SYTYCD winner and Virgil has proven time and time again that he's insanely talented. Pharside seemed to take on the brunt of the choreography for this routine which definitely was a showstopper of the night. And yet, it still wasn't quite good enough to beat the "Run The World" routine.

Yes there were some amazing tricks, yes it was hard-hitting. But here's the thing about Jasmine and Comfort's dance to Beyonce's "Run The World," it was unique. Not only did it have great tricks and was hard-hitting like Joshua and Virgil's routine, it was smooth, it transitioned so well, it fit with the theme of the music, and it just worked on so many levels. It's not about women vs. men, even though the choreographers and dancers kind of made it about that. It was about who had the best choreography and who executed it the best.

In my opinion, Jasmine and Comfort were on equal footing in the "Run The World" routine. No one out-danced the other, no one was hoping to achieve more than the other, even though Jasmine was the one competing in Season 10 and Comfort was the All-Star. They were in sync and they were stronger together. Tabitha's choreography was on point. Plus dancing to a Beyonce song, especially as two women dancing to a Beyonce song about women's empowerment, just gives Jasmine and Comfort a huge advantage. Virgil and Joshua were both incredibly strong and definitely did a great job. But there were many times in the routine that it seemed like Joshua out-danced Virgil, it seemed like the choreography was a little too choppy or even a tad sloppy at times. Virgil and Joshua's number was loud and had a lot of showmanship, but that doesn't necessarily make for the better routine.

Overall both performances deserved the praises they received. Both routines are incredible and deserved to be remembered on the show. And in many ways Virgil and Joshua's routine was the "male equivalent" of "Run The World." But to phrase it that way seems unnecessary, because it unnecessarily turns the routines into a gender competition. And to pit the dances against one another just doesn't seem all that fair. "Run The World" ekes out its competition by a hair, but man, Virgil and Joshua definitely still destroyed that stage.

Images: Screenshot/FOX; Whipclip