South Africa's Top 10 hottest dancers have been chosen on SABC 1's 'So You Think You Can Dance' show — but the judges' decision to exclude the popular Nqaba from the final 10 caused a major upset.

On Tuesday night, host Sade Gilberti burst into tears and was left speechless when lead judge, Harold Van Buuren, informed the 24-year-old from Cape Town that his solo dance had been "disappointing" and that he would be leaving the show and missing the Top 10 cut.

But it was tears of joy for the Top 10 dancers who made it through to the final stage, many of whom were dancing literally for more than their lives. Making up the final group are Marise, Darren, Megan, Bathembu, Lee, Ash, Elizma, Thabiso, Kim and Takewondo.

Van Buuren and his fellow judges, David Matamela and Debbie Rakusin had been unanimous in their decision to send Nqaba, a classical ballet dancer, back to Khayelitsha, his dream of buying his mom a house and building a community dance studio in the township fading fast.

Still the talented dancer took the decision bravely. "I've had a great time in Johannesburg – Viva South Africa," he said.

Nqaba's partner, Tania, also danced for the last time on 'So You Think You Can Dance' on Tuesday night, and the tears flowed when the 21-year-old Mitchell's Plain dancer bid farewell. "Boo! Big Boo!," she said, adding, "it has been amazing coming here. I am from Mitchell's Plain and this has been big for me. I appreciate this chance and am so proud of myself."

For the Top 10 dancers the tension mounts in this final stage of the competition, as each week the dancers select not only a new dance out the hat but also a new partner which means that the playing field is wide open as 'So You Think You Can Dance' heads for its final stretch.

This Saturday 11 October, the dancing couples and their dances are as follows:
Marise and Darren and they will dance Kwaito
Megan and Bathembu and they will dance Contemporary Lyrical
Lee and Ash and they will dance Hip Hop Fast
Elizma and Taekwondo and they will dance the Salsa
Kim and Thabiso and they will dance the Lyrical Waltz

In the other change to the show format now, it is the bottom two couples on Saturday night who will have to dance for their lives in the results show, with two dancers being eliminated each week until 1 November when four dancers will compete for the R250 000 prize and the accolade of being named South Africa's favourite dancer.

Will it be Thabiso who has danced for England’s Prince Charles or Bathembu who wants to use a winning platform to inspire youths in the townships not to carry the guns that killed his two brothers? Or will it be Taekwondo — the inventor of the dance style ACRO? Or maybe it will be Megan who wants to show those close to her she can make "the right choices" in her life or Marise who lost her mother last year?

Any one of the remaining contestants still have the chance to prove why they made the cut from the thousands of hopefuls at the start of the content and become Mzansi's most beloved dancer.