So You Think You Can Dance 2009 auditions (spoilers)

[murgatroyd]

Am I the only one who watches the audition rounds?

Here's my plan. I figure one thread will do nicely to give shout-outs about the people whose auditions are too good to miss (or, if you care for that sort of thing, really horrendo).

For the Thursday 5/21/09 OAD, New York and Denver, my must-watch list for the people who would otherwise skip the audition shows altogether:

0:06 Gabi Rojas
0:54 Nina Estrina and Igor Zabrodin (cha-cha)
1:54 Brandon Bryant

And to represent the strange auditions, my top pick is at 1:25 with Misha and Mitch doing the same-sex samba.

It seems to me that if you did same-sex ballroom, all sorts of interesting artistic opportunities might open up. And with this couple, you can see from the judges' comments that they were doing stuff to play with the gender roles, changing up who was leading and who was following throughout the audition. Interesting idea -- it's a pity that their technique wasn't stronger.

Best audition from a dancer who just wanted to showcase what can be done: see 0:25 for Tiffany's audition.

Other auditions I liked:

0:38 Nobuya Nagahama
1:01 Kellen Stancil
1:04 Chimezie Nwosu
1:40 two brothers (I didn't get their names, sorry) doing locking

I also missed the name of the dancer who did the piece with the umbrella (tribute to his aunt who had passed away recently). Lovely work there.

Repeat appearances by dancers who had been on the show before:
0:33 SYTYCD top 20 dancer Faina helps out a fellow ballroom dancer
following the break after Nobuya Nagahama, Anielle Taylor (made it to Vegas before)
1:48 Natalie Reid, who narrowly missed being on last season (Katie got the last spot instead).

Silly bits: Judging virgin Sonya Tayeh was on the audition panel for Denver, and saw a lot of dancers she liked, and apparently wasn't shy about saying so. ;)

I liked the bit at the end where Mary Murphy dropped all the 'Mary Murphy show' schtick and talked straight up to Brandon Bryant about how much she admired his dancing. It's a pity she feels she has to do the big theatrics. Her commentary is much more convincing when it comes straight from the heart.

Sorry about the flubs in my notes -- I was eating dinner while watching the show -- it was tricky trying to watch, eat, and take notes all at the same time.

Jan

[GoHalos]

It was good to see the two dancers from last year come back (Brandon and the female dancer who was friends with Katy). I think I remember people saying last year that Brandon might have been passed up last year to make sure they had another strong dancer this year - kinda sucked at the time, but he should be strong this year.

This is my wife's very favorite show. Mary (and Sonja tonight) bother me with their over-emotional reviews. I much preferred the husband and wife team's reviews. Nigel is sporting a hairdo bordering on Bon Jovi circa 1987.

[realityboy]

I watched the auditions. Every year, I'm amazed how much more I enjoy this than American Idol even though the formats are similar.

I thought Sonya on the panel was a lot of fun. Her facial expressions reminded me of Kara from AI though for some reason.

I'm not sure how I felt about the same-sex ballroom dancers. If their technique was better, the style could be interesting, but this isn't really a show that could explore that with the way the couples are set up. If there was a dancing show that had pairs already together as opposed to mixed and matched by the producers, it would be nice to see that.

Auditions for season 6 already? I hope I'm not sick of it by the time the fall edition is over.

I wonder if Alex Da Silva will show up at all this year after his arrest?

[Cearbhaill]

Did I see Evan Kasprzak (the Gene Kelly style guy) in the previews for next week?
I loved him in last years auditions and will be thrilled if he tries out again.
High hopes that he gets through.

This guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qjvdQnOXc


I wonder if Alex Da Silva will show up at all this year after his arrest?
Seeing as charges were dropped due to lack of evidence I hope that this isn't much of a topic for anyone.

[madscientist]

This show is head and shoulders (and maybe more) above any other reality talent show. I don't enjoy the tryouts so much but at least they don't go out of their way to showcase the idiots. I like how Nigel was so pissed off at people who couldn't dance at all showing up to audition. Tell 'em Nigel!

[realityboy]

Seeing as charges were dropped due to lack of evidence I hope that this isn't much of a topic for anyone.

It's only a topic for me as to how it relates to the show. If he's not back, there's going to be a new choreographer. I never liked his routines. I don't think he's a rapist, but if he is, I hope he's charged eventually, and if not, I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do.

[hapdrastic]

Does anyone know if this show (versus, say, American Idol) has preliminary rounds or if they just put everyone straight through to the auditions as we see them?

It seems that this show doesn't focus on the negative nearly as much as other shows (again, AI). I so much prefer this style of reality TV to the other (more negative) ones. They always seem positive and upbeat, and even if someone clearly doesn't belong on the show, they still critique them and give them props for showing up, etc.

That said, if they do have the prelim rounds, then it seems they're still putting "bad" people onto the show purely for the sake of having us (at home) laugh at them, and kinda blows my theory :D

[hapdrastic]

Also...that Mutation group was really cool - I hope if anyone ever does a remake of Thriller (or an equivalent music video) they get the chance to be in it, they were so fun (and disturbing) to watch!

[murgatroyd]

That said, if they do have the prelim rounds, then it seems they're still putting "bad" people onto the show purely for the sake of having us (at home) laugh at them, and kinda blows my theory :D

In the early seasons, they had a lot of really dreadful people showing up and auditioning, who said when asked that they were dance teachers. Nigel put those people on and told them how horrible they were to make an example of them.

Even if you know nothing about dance, once you are shown extreme examples of really good dancing and really awful dancing, you should be able to tell which dancers belong in each category. (Sorting out the middle is more difficult, and that requires knowledge and experience.)

I think Nigel's idea was, if parents watch the show and see people like Natalie Reid vs. the girl with the lightsabers and kitten makeup, they should be able to tell that Natalie is good and the girl with the lightsabers is just bad. So when they are picking out a dance studio for their kids, they would not send their kids to the studio run by the girl with the lightsabers.

The trouble with that idea is that the bad people can't see the difference between the two ends of the range, which is why they are showing up for auditions in the first place. On the other hand, some really good people have an overblown sense of their own failings, and thus might not try out at all. :(

Jan

[murgatroyd]

Also...that Mutation group was really cool - I hope if anyone ever does a remake of Thriller (or an equivalent music video) they get the chance to be in it, they were so fun (and disturbing) to watch!

I laughed when I heard that the auditions had gone to Brooklyn, and I was even more amused when those guys showed up.

Last season on America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC), a crew from Brooklyn was on the show, and did much better bone-breaking than anything those two kids did. (Not that I'm dissing them -- they're young, they'll learn!) Much fanfare was made about them because Li'l Mama, one of the judges, was from Brooklyn, and the boys Made Her Proud.

So when Nigel and company were saying they had never seen anything like that before, I was sitting here going, What? You don't watch ABDC?

Okay, I don't expect Mary Murphy to watch ABDC, but really -- nobody even shows highlights to Nigel? Seriously? The show is packed with people who have also auditioned for -- and have been top 20 dancers on -- SYTYCD!

Full episodes are available online, so if you like that Brooklyn style, you have to check out Ringmasters (http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/dance_crew/crews.jhtml?crew=ringmasters).

Jan

[murgatroyd]

It was good to see the two dancers from last year come back (Brandon and the female dancer who was friends with Katy). I think I remember people saying last year that Brandon might have been passed up last year to make sure they had another strong dancer this year - kinda sucked at the time, but he should be strong this year.

The judges may also have felt that he was young, so if they put him off for a year, he would come back even stronger. No argument there.

But Nigel's comments make it evident why Brandon was passed over last year. It wasn't for any fault in his dancing (which was superb) -- it was that he didn't have the personality which is needed for this show.

It's not enough to bring tons o' technique -- you also have to make a personal connection with the audience. I mean, look what happened with Will last year.

Jan

[DevdogAZ]

And to represent the strange auditions, my top pick is at 1:25 with Misha and Mitch doing the same-sex samba.

It seems to me that if you did same-sex ballroom, all sorts of interesting artistic opportunities might open up. And with this couple, you can see from the judges' comments that they were doing stuff to play with the gender roles, changing up who was leading and who was following throughout the audition. Interesting idea -- it's a pity that their technique wasn't stronger.

Jan
I was in the other room on the computer and heard my wife laughing hysterically so I came in the room and asked what was so funny. She got such a kick out of how they showed one of them outside the bathroom waiting for his partner and you just expected it to be a woman, and then out walks a man dressed the same way he was. I guess she was pretty tired, because it wasn't that funny, but it was mildly amusing. I thought the judge's comments to them were a little closed minded, because I felt like having the lead/follow roles switch back and forth throughout the routine would be very innovative and positive, not something that should be viewed as a negative.

Anyway, that's as much of the show as I saw.

[Cearbhaill]

That said, if they do have the prelim rounds, then it seems they're still putting "bad" people onto the show purely for the sake of having us (at home) laugh at them, and kinda blows my theory :D
I think I am remembering correctly that last year they showed xx episodes of auditions with 90% good people and 10% jokes, then did a full segment (or episode?) of joke types.
As long as "Sex" and his equally demented mother don't show up I can handle it. If they enable him one second more I might just kill my TV.

[murgatroyd]

I thought the judge's comments to them were a little closed minded, because I felt like having the lead/follow roles switch back and forth throughout the routine would be very innovative and positive, not something that should be viewed as a negative.

We have to keep in mind that SYTYCD is not amateur hour -- it is a show for professional dancers. Even though it is a competition, it mirrors the demands that the dancers will have made on them when they go out into the real live dance world.

When the producers are doing casting for a show, they are on the lookout for people who are going to be on that particular show.

You could go up and deliver the most stunning audition in the world, but if the producers don't need someone who does what you can do, it won't matter. Performers who are auditioning are promoting themselves -- they have to show the customer, the audition panel, something that the producers must have for the show.

So while you and I might find the idea of the leads switching back and forth really cool and innovative, if you think about it in the context of SYTYCD specifically, that skill would only come into play once the dancers get to the final four and the show presented routines with two guys dancing together, and the producers decided to let a ballroom choreographer do something for that round.

And for that to happen, Misha and Mitch would have to be strong enough to make it there.

I can see that for someone who is used to ordinary ballroom, where one person leads and one person follows, you are used to looking for that all the time. So when you are presented with this kind of situation, where the lead/follow is shifting about, it would be like someone who is only used to classical music suddenly being presented with jazz for the first time. When you encounter something so different, it takes a while to get used to what you are hearing. As an audience member, it's okay to say 'I love it' and get into it right away, because knowing the fine distinctions doesn't matter, but judges don't have that luxury. They have to look at technique.

If Mary went to a competition where all the couples were same-sex, and she got to observe people dancing this way all day for a couple of days, she would have a chance to get used to the lead/follow passing back and forth, and eventually she'd be able to tell you how skillfully the transition was planned and executed. But that first time -- sure, I can see how it would be too much to take in all at once.

I would not say that the judges were close-minded in the everyday human sense. They didn't say "no, you fell, you're obviously too weak to make it through". They sent them through to choreography to see if they were strong enough to make it through -- they gave the guys a fair chance.

Jan

[That Don Guy]

Am I the only one who watches the audition rounds?

Repeat appearances by dancers who had been on the show before:
1:48 Natalie Reid, who narrowly missed being on last season (Katie got the last spot instead).
The "last one chosen" usually isn't the 10th-best dancer of that gender. (Lacey Schwimmer was the last one chosen when she made it to the final four.) In fact, two seasons ago, Twitch Boss was the last male dancer rejected, but it turned out that one of the ten men originally selected had to leave, and a different dancer was called up into the final 20.

I for one have my doubts about that "revote" between Katie and Natalie.

Does anyone know if this show (versus, say, American Idol) has preliminary rounds or if they just put everyone straight through to the auditions as we see them?

It seems that this show doesn't focus on the negative nearly as much as other shows (again, AI). I so much prefer this style of reality TV to the other (more negative) ones. They always seem positive and upbeat, and even if someone clearly doesn't belong on the show, they still critique them and give them props for showing up, etc.

That said, if they do have the prelim rounds, then it seems they're still putting "bad" people onto the show purely for the sake of having us (at home) laugh at them, and kinda blows my theory :D
Yes, there is a preliminary round - the number of people in line is far more than the number shown inside the theater when the auditions take place.

From what I have read, on the first day, you "improv" in a group of 10; the music they play is based on the style that most of the people in your group do best. If you advance, there may or may not be another improv round before you get to solo.

(Supposedly, having the audience laugh at them isn't the only reason the bad acts make it to the judges; it's to have the audience get a feel of the entire range of acts that show up.)

The judges may also have felt that he was young, so if they put him off for a year, he would come back even stronger. No argument there.
Not as much just coming back stronger as going from a "might get into the tour" position to a "having a legitimate chance to win" position. I wouldn't be surprised if this is why Natalie wasn't chosen last year.

-- Don

[Roadblock]

Nigel is extremely annoying. I wish they had someone less lecherous/unfashionable/dorky for that role.

[firerose818]

Did I see Evan Kasprzak (the Gene Kelly style guy) in the previews for next week?
I loved him in last years auditions and will be thrilled if he tries out again.
High hopes that he gets through.

This guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qjvdQnOXc


I definitely hope he is back! I seem to remember you and I *loving* him last year and being so disappointed when he didn't make it.

I finally got to watch this episode this morning, and I really enjoyed Natalie's audition. I also liked the very first girl in NY (Gabbi?) and the guy with the umbrella. And also the Japanese guy - he should be fun to watch this season!

I am so, so, so glad this show is back. And that Jan is doing commentaries again. :)

[Ment]

I don't think Pete the tap guy should have made it straight thru to Vegas. Given the high bar ballroom dancers have to overcome, a great tapper IMHO doesn't mean he has the skills in learning a new dance routine. He should have gone into the choreography portion to judge his overall skill.

Nice to see Denver represent. I had no idea there was dance talent here ;)

[Kamakzie]

When does the top 20 start? Mid-June?

[Cearbhaill]

Nigel twittered yesterday that they had just finished selecting the top 20 and informed them.
Found this:
"Las Vegas Round" coverage will air on Wednesday, June 6 and Thursday, June 7 from 9-10PM ET/PT, and end with So You Think You Can Dance 3's Top 20 finalists -- 10 males and 10 females -- being revealed to viewers.

[realityboy]

Those dates sound good, but you do realize that was from 2 years ago. We're on 5 not 3. :)

[Kamakzie]

Ooops :D

[Cearbhaill]

Ha :D

[Kamakzie]

Not sure about anybody else but Tyce was REALLY annoying me tonight. He was pretty obnoxious.

[jay_man2]

Not sure about anybody else but Tyce was REALLY annoying me tonight. He was pretty obnoxious.He was Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. :p

Late in the show I got a chuckle out of seeing a Twitch look-a-like (maybe it was Twitch) in the seats behind Nigel, but up a few rows; complete with taped glasses and all.

[murgatroyd]

Fave auditions:

0:36 Eric "Silky" Moore
1:07 Marico Flake
1:50 Ryan Kasparik
1:53 Ryan's brother

Really wish they would cut out the judges' reaction shots in the middle of the auditions. Let me see the damn dancing already. I can put up with any amount of Tyce dramatics or Mary screaming as long as I can also see what they are bitching or screaming about.

Also wish they would spend less time telling me what I was about to see and just get on with showing it to me.

Jan

[dbranco]

I find Mary SO MUCH more appealing when she's simply critiquing the technique. Her commentary is interesting and I always learn something from her.

Her screaming and histrionics are obnoxious and drive me to the Mute button every time.

[David Platt]

I think Jan is going to have an aneurysm tonight, judging by the previews:


Sex is back!

:D

[TheDewAddict]

I really liked the older brother with his tap/whoppee cushion routine. I'm normally not a big fan of tap - I understand how hard it is and how skilled you have to be to do it right, but I couldn't watch too much of it. Glad to hear that guy knows lots of other styles and can choreograph as well.

I too was annoyed with the cutaways to the judges faces. It's fine to do that during the bad auditions, but not during the good ones! If you must show their reactions, do it "old school" with a small window in a corner of the screen, and leave the dancer in the big picture.

I was surprised the kid whose Dad was a football coach is going to Vegas. I didn't think he was very good at all. Of course, I know nothing about dance. Perhaps they just recognized his raw ability and are taking him for that?

The girl in Miami who danced like a stripper (complete with the shirt pulled up over the too-small bikini top) that Tyce went off on. What move did he keep saying he couldn't believe she did? Was that the leg split?

[firerose818]

I really wanted to smack Tyce through the screen. He was so annoying. I was relieved to see Little C for the second half.

I loved, loved, loved Evan & Ryan. I hope we get to see a lot more of them!

[jlb]

Not sure about anybody else but Tyce was REALLY annoying me tonight. He was pretty obnoxious.

I really wanted to smack Tyce through the screen. He was so annoying. ........

+100. He needs to be smacked upside the head. I mean, that seems worse in tone than anything Simon Cowell ever says on his various shows.......

Speaking of Tyce and any of the choreographers........I really hope the finals rounds don't turn into the "choreographer love-fest" that often happens. I am sick and tired of the "Let's give some love to XXX for creating such a wonderful piece of oart" yada yada yada.

[Bill Reeves]

I thought Tasty Oreo was on something when he was judging. It's like when you are sober and hanging out with a friend who is drunk, and they're being socially unacceptable, they think they're really funny but they're not -- that's what Tyce was like on last night's show.

[That Don Guy]

Speaking of Tyce and any of the choreographers........I really hope the finals rounds don't turn into the "choreographer love-fest" that often happens. I am sick and tired of the "Let's give some love to XXX for creating such a wonderful piece of oart" yada yada yada.
I wonder how much of this is catering to the choreographers in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences that are on the panel to decide who gets nominated for Emmy awards. (Keep in mind that this season's choreographers won't be eligible until the 2010 awards...where they will have to compete with this coming fall season's choreographers as well.)

As long as "Sex" and his equally demented mother don't show up I can handle it. If they enable him one second more I might just kill my TV.
Somebody who was in Seattle says that not only was he there, but they put him through to choreography. Whether it was to show him once and for all that he couldn't handle it (which could backfire as he and/or his mother might be under the impression that he's improving - remember, auditions for this fall's season just started), or somebody actually trained him (I heard that somebody offered to take him under their wing, as it were), I don't know.

-- Don

[Cearbhaill]

Nigel tweeted:
I promise all you SYTYCD fans that this is the final time Sex will appear on the show. You'll see why!!!?

[bareyb]

I thought Tasty Oreo was on something when he was judging. It's like when you are sober and hanging out with a friend who is drunk, and they're being socially unacceptable, they think they're really funny but they're not -- that's what Tyce was like on last night's show.

Yeah. What was UP with Tyce last night? I sure don't remember him being so... Whatever the hell he was trying to be... last season. It was so... AWKWARD...Methinks he's trying to the "Simon" of the show this year. HAAATED IT. :down:

[Snappa77]

OMG Local FOX affiliate froze before "Sex" came on. And unfroze back for the news. DubyaTeaEff. Now gotta wait till it show up on YouTube.

[realityboy]

You actually want to see Sex? Maybe the affiliate was trying to protect you.

[madscientist]

My TiVo has been broken for over a week; I had to order a new disk and reinstall etc. Luckily I got it fixed JUST IN TIME to have enough buffer to be able to FF past the entire part of the show Sex was in.

Whew!

[jradosh]

I liked seeing the people from last season in the audience. :up: I'm so looking forward to this season... even with all the fawning over the blessed choreographers.

[cl8855]

ok that 17 yr old guy was the best I have seen all the auditions.

Amazing. They automatically put him through to Vegas for the fall season (he's not old enough for this season).

Other than that, I really missed the break dancer/pop-lockers
usually LA would have a ton of those, but they didn't show many.

I look at lyrical/jazz/ballroom and know I could do that at least somewhat if I trained, but I could NEVER do some of the street dance moves, is why I like them so much.

[aRKade]

Not sure about anybody else but Tyce was REALLY annoying me tonight. He was pretty obnoxious.

I had the exact opposite reaction to Tyce. I liked the fact that when a dancer was good he was really enthusiastic about them and when they were bad he immediately let them know it. This is supposed to be a serious competition and people who are not trained, skilled dancers should not be wasting the judges time. If you want to try out for a TV show where you are constantly going to be judged and voted on you better be able to take having someone tell you that you aren't any good.

[That Don Guy]

ok that 17 yr old guy was the best I have seen all the auditions.

Amazing. They automatically put him through to Vegas for the fall season (he's not old enough for this season).
Notice that they dubbed in Nigel's remark when he wrote "Season 6 - This Fall" on the ticket. The audition took place in February; presumably, Fox had not told anybody, including Nigel, about their plans to move the show to a fall timeslot.

Which brings up the question: will Nathan be 18 before the next Los Angeles audition, which is in two weeks? (If he gets a free pass, I can see any number of 17-year-olds demanding a chance to audition on the grounds that if they waive the "you must go through the audition process and be 18 on the first day of that city's audition" rules for Nathan, they have to be waived for everyone else.)
(Then again, if he turns 18 by late July, they can claim that "he was old enough for the Salt Lake City audition" and leave it at that.)

-- Don

[bareyb]

Notice that they dubbed in Nigel's remark when he wrote "Season 6 - This Fall" on the ticket. The audition took place in February; presumably, Fox had not told anybody, including Nigel, about their plans to move the show to a fall timeslot.

Which brings up the question: will Nathan be 18 before the next Los Angeles audition, which is in two weeks? (If he gets a free pass, I can see any number of 17-year-olds demanding a chance to audition on the grounds that if they waive the "you must go through the audition process and be 18 on the first day of that city's audition" rules for Nathan, they have to be waived for everyone else.)
(Then again, if he turns 18 by late July, they can claim that "he was old enough for the Salt Lake City audition" and leave it at that.)

-- Don

Also keep in mind that this guy was outstanding. I don't think they'd make the same deal for just any 17 y/o.

[firerose818]

Yeah, Nathan was amazing. I can't wait to see him in the fall. :)

It was also nice to see Philip dance - with a partner! Those were probably the best pars of the night for me.

[murgatroyd]

Whoa, most disappointing audition show ever.

highlights:
the 17-year old that was put through to Vegas -- when he is eligible
Phillip Chebeeb and partner
Adam S. dancing with the Lindy Hop dancer, and the SYTYCD alums playing the part of the judging panel -- priceless

Apart from that -- OMG, four dancers from the choreography round on day 1 in Seattle? twelve dancers from Seattle overall? :eek:

Jan

[murgatroyd]

I think Jan is going to have an aneurysm tonight, judging by the previews:


Sex is back!

:D

No, not me -- I have a high tolerance for bad auditions (as opposed to bad singing, which is why I can't watch Idol).

I reserve judgment on Nigel for the whole business with 'Sex'. Clearly in a sane world you would never put him through to the choreography round. Real dancers, who happen to be untrained, are like the kids from Brooklyn with the bone-breaking style -- they take one look at what they are being asked to do, and understand that they don't have the chops to do it. But hideously deluded people like David just sleepwalk through the choreography and still think their dancing is just swell the way it is. :rolleyes:

But hey, this is Fox we are talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if some network executive had made them put David and the dance-off in.

Either that, or there is some hella dare going on with Mia and Nigel -- and I'm not sure I want to know what it is. ;)

Jan

[jay_man2]

... But hideously deluded people like David just sleepwalk through the choreography and still think their dancing is just swell the way it is. :rolleyes:

....Well, from what I saw he made a decent effort to learn the choreography, all things considered. I hope that's the last of him. :p

[Aniketos]

So I enjoyed Kelsea's audition, but apparently their was copyright issues with her song, so this is what she was supposed to be dancing to. It made me love her, what a difference a song can make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv6h29oofdA

[Cearbhaill]

So I enjoyed Kelsea's audition, but apparently their was copyright issues with her song, so this is what she was supposed to be dancing to. It made me love her, what a difference a song can make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv6h29oofdA
I did help the choreo tremendously, but as songs go I liked the Oona one better although my husband absolutely hated it.

[photoshopgrl]

My two favorites so far were Kelsea (the quirky asian looking girl they said Sonya would love) and Evan (his brother did his choreography and did the tap with whoopee cushion).

[tiellv]

I really liked Evan last year and this year I loved him! His brother did an amazing job with the choreography :up:
I really hope, hope, hope he can dance other styles so that he lasts a little longer than last year.

[Havana Brown]

Not sure about anybody else but Tyce was REALLY annoying me tonight. He was pretty obnoxious.

My kid was commenting on how annoying he was. Then it bothered me even more!!

I looooved Adam dancing with the woman, and then getting a ticket to Vegas and then screaming through the doors. I was busting out on that. :D

[Kamakzie]

I'm really surprised that they cut Natalie especially after Sonya had her and the one guy demo the dance she was choreographing.

[debtoine]

Agreed, Kamakzie! I also believe it was unfair to not give her a second chance.

Also, that one guy that had to dance the same choreography again, while others could do a solo. It all seems so random, and a bit unfair.

Toine

[Kamakzie]

Also it looks like in the previews they might pull the Katee/Natalie stunt again except this time with blood relation!

[murgatroyd]

I really liked Evan last year and this year I loved him! His brother did an amazing job with the choreography :up:
I really hope, hope, hope he can dance other styles so that he lasts a little longer than last year.

I figured if there was any justice, if Ryan made it through to the overnight 'choreograph a group dance' challenge, his group would kill the challenge.

Didn't they used to spend more time in Vegas?

Too much recap, not enough dancing. And not showing us more of West Side Story was just mean. :mad:

Jan

[cl8855]

Agree with all above on LV week.
Though I could live with what they showed up to now IF
they would just show all 32 solos for the last people.

Give me some dancing dammit! Oh that's a different show I guess...:p

[That Don Guy]

Didn't they used to spend more time in Vegas?
In terms of TV time, "sort of" - Vegas has pretty much always been two episodes, but until now they have both been two hours each, and there is more dancing in the second episode. This year, the second episode is only one hour, and apparently it is just the 32 dancers being told which ones made it into the 20.

Meanwhile, over on the show's "official" message board on the Fox website, there's a major meltdown over why Natalie was eliminated so early and wasn't allowed to "dance for her life" like some other dancers. (They didn't say this on the air, but I think the rule is, if the judges are split 3-3, you get to dance for your life, but if four of the six want you out, you don't.) I think it's only a matter of time before there are calls to put Natalie on the next tour, although it probably coincides with Season 6.

Conspiracy Theory Alert:
Why do I have this gut feeling that the real reason they let Natalie go so early was (a) to generate more talk about next season, and (b) to set up "Nathan vs. Natalie"?
Now watch Natahn not make it to the final 20 in Season 6...

-- Don

[sbelew]

I'm really surprised that they cut Natalie especially after Sonya had her and the one guy demo the dance she was choreographing.

I thought this too. She didn't get a chance to "dance for her life" , Sonya didn't have anything to say about her getting eliminated. What was that all about? A few other dancers got to dance for their lives after bad/screwed up auditions.
There have been a few other things I have noticed this year that seem odd or skewed. Something definately seems different this year.

[Cearbhaill]

I think Evan is the brother to move on- Ryan may be only 29 but he looks 45, and not in a good way. Definitely use him as a choreographer, though- his work is fun.
And speaking of- where in the world did the dancing geeks find all that horrendous clothing?

I think Natalie’s issue was her looks, sadly. We didn't see her group work in a couple of styles, though, so it is possible she just tanked on styles not her own.

I really liked the little Japanese guy a lot- he oozed personality.
I was also very sad to see Silky go.
I think that the male Miami Ballet guy (Alex?) was awesomely exciting but heard he had contractual issues and couldn't compete?

I think Brandon will go through but then will be tormented by judges repeatedly calling him out for lack of personality. I recognize his talent and am in awe of his power but so far he leaves me a tad cold.

I try and not get attached to any of them at this point though- seems like every year at least half of the top 20 saw no previous air time at all.

[realityboy]

I think Evan is the brother to move on- Ryan may be only 29 but he looks 45, and not in a good way. Definitely use him as a choreographer, though- his work is fun.


I agree with this. He looks way older than 29. They're both good, but I couldn't justify 2 of the top 10 going to brothers. The only other way to make it work would be for Evan to come back next year and let his brother have the spot this year.

[That Don Guy]

Meanwhile, over on the show's "official" message board on the Fox website, there's a major meltdown over why Natalie was eliminated so early and wasn't allowed to "dance for her life" like some other dancers. (They didn't say this on the air, but I think the rule is, if the judges are split 3-3, you get to dance for your life, but if four of the six want you out, you don't.)
Nigel Lythgoe has confirmed this on his Twitter site. Apparently, Natalie was actually eliminated in the fourth round of Vegas dances, but it was heavily (if not misleadingly) edited.

I think that the male Miami Ballet guy (Alex?) was awesomely exciting but heard he had contractual issues and couldn't compete?
Nigel also mentioned that he had some problems with the original Top 20 selection in terms of eligibility, but did not mention any names, nor did he say if any changes had to be made.

-- Don

[Kamakzie]

I'm glad Asuka and Phillip made it to top 20.

[tiellv]

I was kind of hoping to see both Evan and Ryan get through but as mentioned, they both have similar styles, so it's better to not have them both. But I'm glad to see that Evan was the one to make it :up:

[murgatroyd]

I was kind of hoping to see both Evan and Ryan get through but as mentioned, they both have similar styles, so it's better to not have them both. But I'm glad to see that Evan was the one to make it :up:

I was kind of hoping that they would put Ryan through because he is older, and encourage Evan to come back again.

Neither brother seems to have worked out that if they compete in different seasons, it makes it possible (not likely, but possible) for BOTH of them to win the show. If they both got on the same season, only one could. :D

On the other hand, think of what the top four week might have been like, with the two of them dancing together. :cool:

I do think we'll see Ryan on the show eventually -- if not as a top 20 dancer, then as a guest dancer, or behind-the-scenes as a choreographer.

Jan

[murgatroyd]

I'm really surprised that they cut Natalie especially after Sonya had her and the one guy demo the dance she was choreographing.

I thought this too. She didn't get a chance to "dance for her life" , Sonya didn't have anything to say about her getting eliminated. What was that all about? A few other dancers got to dance for their lives after bad/screwed up auditions.
There have been a few other things I have noticed this year that seem odd or skewed. Something definately seems different this year.

As any figure skating fan who saw Michelle Kwan's two Olympics knows, it doesn't matter if you turn in the performance of your life in the morning's practice session, or in an earlier round of the competition -- it is the one you give in the present moment that matters. (If Michelle had delivered the performances she gave at US Nationals, she'd have two Olympic gold medals instead of a silver and bronze.)

Yes, Natalie and Brandon were fab when Sonya asked them to do it for everyone else, no question. But from what I could tell, from the sucky edited bits that they showed us of the performance before the judges, the two of them were split up and were dancing with other people.

That alone could make a huge difference in the performance level because you'd be dancing with a stranger, and also on stage with other couples. You have to spend some of your energy thinking about spacing and floorcraft, whereas in the 'showdance' setting you are with a familiar partner and have the floor to yourselves. It can definitely take the edge off.

Let's not forget that these are professional dancers, and that SYTYCD is not the only game in town. If Sonya loves Natalie, there is nothing at all stopping her from hiring Natalie for whatever gig she likes. It won't even disqualify Natalie for a future season of SYTYCD. The only sucky thing is that when that happens, most of us won't see Natalie dancing Sonya's work. :(

But I'd bet that Natalie will get to dance Sonya's choreography again.

Jan

[Ment]

so does Alex have a reserved ticket to Vegas next season (or whenever his contract expires)? He was top 20 for sure, dancing so precise, almost like demonstrations of karate kata.

Mary was so p*ssed off about criticisms of Brandon. I've never seen her so mad. He's good no doubt but he's not automatic top 4 or anything. I hope she is more neutral the rest of the way about him vs the other dancers.

So I'm pulling for Kayla Radomski for the girls. Way to represent Denver!

For the guys Philip Chbeeb, hope he can grow his way thru the competition.

[cl8855]

Loved Alex sad to not see him on -- but like Hok from 2 years ago, why don't these people work out their visa/contract issues before they even try out!?!?! THough I guess in a way it gets their name out before another season when they can compete.

[photoshopgrl]

I think Natalie’s issue was her looks, sadly.
So Natalie isn't pretty enough but Paris is? Holy crap. And Paris won some beauty contest to boot? Seriously, with that chin? :rolleyes:

[Cearbhaill]

I do think we'll see Ryan on the show eventually -- if not as a top 20 dancer, then as a guest dancer, or behind-the-scenes as a choreographer.

Nigel's been tweeting about that this morning and asking for comments- Ryan can either try out again or do choreo. He is @dizzyfeet

I say let him choreograph- I don't think he's going to look any younger this fall and doing choreo would certainly boost his career.

Sad that Rickey (Asuka's partner, and I don't much like her) didn't make it, and I'm still mourning Nobuya and Silky.

[firerose818]

So glad to be able to see more of Evan this season! I'll miss Ryan, but I bet this is not the last we have seen of him. :)

[mwhip]

I am just glad we are to this part of the show. I am always happy with the top 20 the judges do a good job every year. Hearing Debbie Allen talk made me miss her so much last year, I am glad she does not have a student in the competition.

[jay_man2]

... I am always happy with the top 20 the judges do a good job every year. ....With Wednesday's show they sure made the judges look like arbitrary asses, with Mia leading the parade. I don't get her at all.

[Jayjoans]

yeah, Mia is a butt.

We chuckled when one of the judges said something like "this dancer will be good for the competition". Not that I ever thought this show was about the best dancer, but obviously they're casting a tv show, not a dance competition. You could pretty well pick out who was going on and who wasn't just by the "cast" they already had in place. They need the hot chick, the backstory hard luck chick, the asian, the troubling black man, just one of the brothers, etc.

In our house we often use one of Mia's total BS lines from a previous season "I totally respect the statement you are making with your dance". Oh man, what a load of crap. And what about the crotch shots she puts in her choreography? I think Nigel busted somebody for too many crotch shots in their routine, looks like Mia believes in the power of the crotch too.

[murgatroyd]

If you want to see the list to learn more about the dancers they haven't shown us yet, it's up on the website:

Top 20 finalists revealed (http://fox.com/blogs/dance/2009/06/05/top-20-season-5-so-you-think-you-can-dance/)

As usual, I am in trouble -- I have three guys to root for already, and three more guys I am interested in watching to 'see how they grow' :p -- meanwhile, I only like two of the girls they have featured so far.

Lots of contemporary girls this year, and of the ones they have shown us so far --- zzzzzzzzzzz. I'm not gettin' the love.

The show has never been about the best dancer -- it is about who will be 'America's favorite dancer'.

Especially now that we are into season five, it's pretty clear that they are casting for type, and to make the show, you have to be 1) good enough and 2) the best of the dancers that fit your type.

Let's be practical, folks -- it is just like a play or a movie. You don't cast five leading ladies and three leading men and have no supporting actors, just because those are the best actors who showed up to audition. You have to fill the roles that the show requires.

Jan

[jehma]

yeah, Mia is a butt.

At least she finally admitted her love for the male dancers on-air.

[murgatroyd]

Nigel's been tweeting about that this morning and asking for comments- Ryan can either try out again or do choreo. He is @dizzyfeet

Great tweet from Nigel:

"I'm happy we don't all agree. Friction breeds creativity."

Jan

[murgatroyd]

Hey, who bumped this old thread? :D

So sue me -- I wanted to put my comments in a thread where people were actually talking about dancing, if you get my drift.

But I digress.

I just watched show 1 of Las Vegas week for the Fall 2009 season.

If you haven't seen this yet, RUN do not walk to your TiVo, go to the 30 minute mark, and behold round two, the ballroom round. This time out, the test is a lightning-fast cha-cha choreographed by Louis van Amstel, set to "Disturbia". (Anya helps Louis demo it for the dancers.)

Dancers to watch out for: Ten Dance* ballroom champ Iveta Lukosiute -- and her partner, Russell Ferguson, who auditioned in Boston, and is the first krumper ever to make it to Vegas week.

That cha cha was buuuuccccccccc.

They got a standing O from Shanks, a 'touchdown' gesture from Mia, a "yeah, baby" and cheers from Nigel -- all well deserved.

Russell was smokin' hot -- and I liked Iveta's dancing here better than her audition.

In the offstage interview, they were finishing each other's sentences, like twins, talking about how it felt like a partnership, it wasn't work to dance together, how they should keep on dancing together, they could do ballroom, and then "I could learn ... what is it called?"

Yeah, baby!

Please, please, please, let them make the top 20, and be paired on the show. That would be awesome.

* "Ten Dancers" compete in both Smooth and Latin divisions (in international competition each division has five dances) -- thus the name -- they dance all ten international-style dances.

Jan

[firerose818]

I loved them Jan! They were phenomenal. How much of the krumper's talent was his partner? Or, is Russell full of ballroom talent he never knew existed?

I was also going to ask you about an audition from a couple eps ago...the Theatre Arts couple? I think they called it ice dancing without the ice. I loved the lifts but had never heard of this style.

[cl8855]

I love vegas week, I wish they'd show more here than in the auditions. Like the group dances, I wish I could see every one of them for the full time.

I haven't watched last night's yet though...

[Snappa77]

I really like Tice's choreo but I cannot stand him when he talks. He is ALMOST as annoying as Lil C with his thesaurus vocab.


LOVED Iveta and Russell. Quick question: How old is Iveta? I didn't catch it during her original audition but I remember thinking she looks like she might be in her early 30's. On this ep I changed my opinion to LATE 30's.

My daughter is devastated that Ryan didn't make it. She kinda feels betrayed. She asked me why did they keep showing him last season over and over and not have him make it. Also she pointed out that he was one pick away from the top 20 last season and now he was booted early. I started to explain that there are alot of strong dancers this year but I knew that wasn't true. I am really surprised they didn't give him a chance to 'fight for his life'. I've been saying that it if he made top 20 it would be unfair to practically everyone cuz of all the exposure he got. Maybe they realize that too and took him out now. But I do hope he tries again next year.

[Ment]

My daughter is devastated that Ryan didn't make it. She kinda feels betrayed. She asked me why did they keep showing him last season over and over and not have him make it. Also she pointed out that he was one pick away from the top 20 last season and now he was booted early. I started to explain that there are alot of strong dancers this year but I knew that wasn't true. I am really surprised they didn't give him a chance to 'fight for his life'. I've been saying that it if he made top 20 it would be unfair to practically everyone cuz of all the exposure he got. Maybe they realize that too and took him out now. But I do hope he tries again next year.

The judges have bias on solo dances that favor tap vs bboys in the audition rounds. IMHO forms that are primarily solo should always go into choreography instead of straight to vegas. The judges would have seen Ryan's weakness earlier then.

[firerose818]

Iveta was shown as being 29 on the SLC audition show. I'm not sure I believe it.

For some reason, I thought Ryan was also 29, and thus this was his last year of eligibility, but I could be mistaken.

[murgatroyd]

I was also going to ask you about an audition from a couple eps ago...the Theatre Arts couple? I think they called it ice dancing without the ice. I loved the lifts but had never heard of this style.

Theatre Arts (also called 'cabaret') style is actually more like pairs skating without the ice. (Brief digression: ice dancing was created by people who wanted to bring ballroom dancing to ice, and in the compulsory rounds, you can see waltzes, tangos, Paso Dobles, rumbas, etc. Ice dancing emphasizes footwork rather than acrobatics, and the male partner is restricted in the kind of lifts he can do -- the rule used to be that in a lift, the man's hands can't go above the level of his shoulders. By contrast, pairs skaters use a lot of the lifts you'll see in theatre arts -- the lifts are learned on the floor first, then taken to the ice once the technique is sound.)

Back to the dance floor. Theatre arts is one of my favorite styles, since a lot of the moves are familiar to me, and I can appreciate the technique I'm looking at. If you want to see my favorite theatre arts program of all time:

Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruZw_VxQg8U

(On the TiVo, search for "Eric Luna" and look for the one that says "Show Dance".)

This is their program to the soundtrack from "V for Vendetta". Tony Meredith does the commentary (IIRC Marilu Henner is his co-host). The performance is from the PBS show America's Ballroom Challenge from a couple of seasons ago, which is recorded at the annual Ohio Star Ball.

(Eric and Georgia did an updated version of this program on Superstars of Dance, but it wasn't nearly as effective, due to the idiotic lighting, direction, and stage furniture.)

If you look on YouTube, you can find video of Kimalee Piedad, who auditioned for SYTYCD, with her partner Jessie. In addition to her audition, I found a couple of clips of their most recent theatre arts program (you can see how they turned it inside out for the audition, and put the big trick at the end of the program first in the audition, following Nigel's advice to show your best stuff first). There's also a group dance from an American Smooth competition where you can see them do waltz and tango and two other dances.

They come from Fort Walton Beach, where Eric and Georgia are based, so I'd be really surprised if Kimalee and her partner don't study with Eric and Georgia -- if not students, then at the same studio (or who knows, maybe they're from the rival studio across town).

Jan

[murgatroyd]

The judges have bias on solo dances that favor tap vs bboys in the audition rounds. IMHO forms that are primarily solo should always go into choreography instead of straight to vegas. The judges would have seen Ryan's weakness earlier then.

For an ordinary soloist, I might buy this argument, but Ryan was in the top 40 last year. They already know he can learn someone else's choreography, and already know he can do partner work. It would have been ridiculous to send him to choreography in the audition city -- what purpose would that have served?

I think that Nigel may have put his finger on the real problem -- Ryan spends far too much time coaching and encouraging Evan, and not enough time on his own dancing.

It's a real shame -- Ryan's group dance last year was fabulous, and even if he hadn't made top 20, I was hoping he would at least get as far as the group dance, to see what he would come up with this year.

Jan

[firerose818]

What a great video! :up:

Thanks for the info!

[gschrock]

I think that Nigel may have put his finger on the real problem -- Ryan spends far too much time coaching and encouraging Evan, and not enough time on his own dancing.

I agree that it easily could be this. He had to have been better last year, because there's no way what I saw would have gotten him as far as he got last year. I mean, even *I* could tell that his dances just looked plain bad, so I'm not really that surprised he got cut. I just can't remember if last season they showed as much of him in these rounds to have been able to tell how he was doing.

[Ment]

For an ordinary soloist, I might buy this argument, but Ryan was in the top 40 last year. They already know he can learn someone else's choreography, and already know he can do partner work. It would have been ridiculous to send him to choreography in the audition city -- what purpose would that have served?

I think that Nigel may have put his finger on the real problem -- Ryan spends far too much time coaching and encouraging Evan, and not enough time on his own dancing.

Jan

I'm not convinced of his pair work or maybe cha cha is his second worst dance besides hip-hop. It's hard to think you lose your ability to pick up pair choreography in that short a time between seasons. What pair dancing did he pass through on last season before he got cut? As you noted he did an incredible group number.

[Aniketos]

I really liked the second person they showed, the girl that had the fake mess ups in her dance.

[murgatroyd]

I agree that it easily could be this. He had to have been better last year, because there's no way what I saw would have gotten him as far as he got last year. I mean, even *I* could tell that his dances just looked plain bad, so I'm not really that surprised he got cut. I just can't remember if last season they showed as much of him in these rounds to have been able to tell how he was doing.

Remember that last season is not 'last year' -- last season just ended. The audition rounds we have just watched were going on at the same time as the live show. I wasn't reading Nigel's tweets much, because it was maddening seeing everyone talk about so-and-so's audition that was so good, when there was no guarantee whatever I would be shown that audition once the show came around. So I'm not sure exactly when Vegas week took place, calendar-wise.

You can see what I mean, though -- if Ryan was hanging out with his brother through the whole time that the live show wasn't going on, if he was 'in the studio with us' then he wasn't training. He wasn't learning anything new in between seasons, and he wasn't keeping his training up for the dancing he already knew. The older you get, the easier it is to lose conditioning. Mentally, too, if you don't practice every day, it takes longer to come back up to speed -- and time is a luxury that you just don't have in Vegas week.

I can totally see how a guy could go through Vegas week with his brother and have this huge rush of confidence because of their goal of both getting on the show together, but when he comes back on his own, he loses his fizz and bombs out. In the first case, it doesn't matter who gets on as long as one of them does -- in the second, the pressure is all one the one guy.

As for air time, they had a LOT of 'brothers together in Vegas' moments but not so much dancing. From last seasons Vegas week, I remember:

1) Mia's contemporary round. They showed Ryan's group, and she commented that while Ryan was not getting the movement right, he was more 'in the moment' than any of the other dancers on stage.

2) glimpses of West Side Story that were waaay too short, where he was killing it (not surprising, it's his style)

3) Ryan's group number

Those are the bits of Ryan dancing that I remember during Vegas. There may have been more, but they don't come immediately to mind. (I don't remember him with a partner in any of those segments.)

P.S. to Ment -- I don't expect a dancer to be equally good at picking up someone else's choreography, across all styles. Some people are gifted at it, sure, but I expect most people to be good at picking up some styles, and bad at picking up others. And with partner work, as we've seen, some partnerships work right away, some don't.

I think it's more of a case of losing his nerve. Look at the brief glimpses of him that you see in the cha-cha demo and rehearsal, before his group goes on stage. That is not a happy and confident guy.

Edited to add: they did Waltz last season for the ballroom round. I don't know if they showed us Ryan then, but it wouldn't be surprising if it were easier for him to pick up a smooth style than a Latin dance.

Jan

[murgatroyd]

What a great video! :up:

Thanks for the info!

Isn't 'Vendetta' awesome? The power is great, but the musicality is there, too. Watch Georgia's hands in the quiet moments, how she fills out the music.

My favorite moment is the swirl lift, which we saw at much faster speed in Brandon and Janette's disco routine. The way Eric and Georgia do it, you can see the shape so clearly, and they have that lovely gravity-defying quality. It's breath-taking.

Jan

[Snappa77]

Isn't 'Vendetta' awesome? The power is great, but the musicality is there, too. Watch Georgia's hands in the quiet moments, how she fills out the music.

My favorite moment is the swirl lift, which we saw at much faster speed in Brandon and Janette's disco routine. The way Eric and Georgia do it, you can see the shape so clearly, and they have that lovely gravity-defying quality. It's breath-taking.

Jan

That vid was INSANE. Thank you so much for posting it.

[murgatroyd]

That vid was INSANE. Thank you so much for posting it.

Glad you liked it!

For another favorite -- go to Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin (http://www.tonyandmelanie.com/)'s website and check out the video of their Rumba (marked Super Club NYC). That's the hottest rumba I have ever seen.

The interview from Ballroom Dance Channel is also fun -- they talk about what it's like to work on SYTYCD.

Jan

[Cearbhaill]

Well, I was not upset to lose Ryan. While I appreciate his choreography tremendously, I was not very charmed by him personally to begin with plus had read spoilers about it weeks ago and had time to adjust.

I am already emotionally invested in Russell Ferguson, though, and I really try not to do this so early on. I remember that in his initial audition he said he had trained in other styles and the judges nodded their heads like "yeah, right, move on", so I was ecstatic to see that he actually has skills! I think I whooped out loud during that cha cha cha!!

[murgatroyd]

I am already emotionally invested in Russell Ferguson, though, and I really try not to do this so early on. I remember that in his initial audition he said he had trained in other styles and the judges nodded their heads like "yeah, right, move on", so I was ecstatic to see that he actually has skills! I think I whooped out loud during that cha cha cha!!

It's interesting that you say this, because I had read another comment elsewhere about how the judges reacted to Russell's audition that didn't match my memory of what I had seen.

So last night, I went back and looked at my recording and watched Russell's audition again. And then I listened to the judges comments. Mary was the one who said that she was interested in seeing him do other choreography, and asked if he had trained in other styles. He said that he had trained in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and African. Tyce then went on to say that Russell was one of his favorite people in Boston. So I came away with the impression that they liked him, and wanted to see what else he could do.

(I suspect the other person who thought the judges didn't like Russell so much was thinking of the reaction the judges had to a different dancer.)

Jan

[Cearbhaill]

See- I told you I was emotionally invested.
I am already being irrationally and needlessly protective and defending him against non existent threats.

Oops.
;)