America's favorite dancer? We'll see

Call a young lady a beast in the real world and she might just sock you in the nose. But on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?," the pretty young "beasts" -- as the judges have repeatedly dubbed them -- simply flash their megawatt smiles, gush thank-yous for the praise and get ready to sink their teeth into the next angst-ridden contemporary piece or high-octane ballroom number.

This year, it seems, the women are the ones with bite.

On Wednesday night's season 8 performance finale (8 p.m., Fox/5), contemporary dancers Melanie Moore and Sasha Mallory, along with Marko Germar (jazz) and Tadd Gadduang (hip-hop), battle for the title of "America's Favorite Dancer," which will be announced Thursday night on the finale. Here's a look at the finalists:

MELANIE One of the favorites from the start, the tomboyish beauty with the flawless technique hasn't had a misstep all season. She and Marko took advantage of their early pairing to establish huge fan bases and deliver jaw-dropping performances, including "Turn to Stone," a piece choreographed by former contestant Travis Wall in which they played two statues falling in love. (Surely an Emmy nomination for the show next year.)

SASHA Another early favorite, who auditioned with her sister (she was cut before the top 20), Sasha has dazzled with her passion and athleticism. Last week's love-gone-wrong contemporary piece with "all-star" Kent Boyd left the judges in tears, leading guest judge Christina Applegate to say that some dancers have great tricks, but "You put your finger against a wall, and you break my heart."

MARKO Perhaps the one guy who could pull off an upset, the Guam native is a remarkably versatile and technically brilliant dancer. He loves his mom, too, tearfully dedicating a dance to her the first time she got to see him perform live on the show (winning "ahhhhs" and votes from moms everywhere). He apologized to her for being a "brat" when he was a boy. We don't believe that for a second.

TADD The pretty-boy "B-boy" with acrobatic skills that could make an Olympic gymnast gasp, he's handled everything thrown at him, from waltz to contemporary to Broadway. As show co-creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe says, he's "brilliant" at what he does. But he's a long shot to take home the crown.

OUR PICK Melanie. But we wouldn't be surprised, or displeased, if Sasha wins. The Beasts will roar.