On a night that Nigel Lythgoe called “the flattest [he'd] ever experienced on So You Think You Can Dance,” something extraordinary happened suddenly at the end of Wednesday’s episode.

Set to “This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell, Melissa and Ade brought to life a piece by Emmy-nominated choreographer Tyce Diorio that was inspired by women around the world facing the exhausting battle against breast cancer. Danced with beauty, passion, feeling and strength, the performance had Nigel and the rest of the judges searching for words and choked up with tears. The emotional panel unanimously proclaimed it a history-making piece that will be remembered for years to come.

The night started out on an upbeat note with Travis Wall’s group number which had the top 8 dancing to Kevin Rudolf and Lil Wayne’s “Let It Rock” in laser tag uniforms. However, once the men picked new female partners, the show took a bit of a wrong turn. If it were not for joking guest judge Ellen DeGeneres, some may not have made it to the night’s emotional climax.

Evan and Janette missed a jazz number and then a rumba, a dance that was up her alley but that he was unable to stir up enough passion to execute properly. Lucky for Evan, he always redeems himself with fabulous solos.
Brandon and Jeanine’s chemistry waltzed away with a yawn-inducing tempo, but they bounced back with a pop jazz routine choreographed by Laurieann Gibson.

Finally, Jason and Kayla shined in a smooth Broadway routine, also by Diorio. “You will take Broadway by storm!” judge Mia Michaels told Kayla. For the final performance, they danced a Night of the Living Dead-inspired piece by Shane Sparks. Nigel, who’s been disappointed by the hip-hop this season, credited the number with bringing back the genre.