who will make it?

So without further ado, let’s find out who the SYTYCD Top 20 dancers are.

In order to make this recap just a little bit easier to follow, I’m going to just tell you the Top 20 now, and then I’ll recap the dances and any other fun stuff from the two hours. Split into Guys/Girls (in no particular order), here they are:

Top 10 Guys:

Nico Greetham – Contemporary

Tucker Knox – Contemporary

Carlos Garland – Contemporary

Curtis Holland – Tap

Aaron Turner – Tap

Du-Shant “Fik-Shun” Stegall – Hip Hop

Dorian “BluPrint” Hector – Animator

Jade Zubert – Animator

Paul Karmiryan – Ballroom

Alan Bersten – Ballroom

Top 10 Girls

Mackenzine Dustman – Contemporary

Jasmine Harper – Contemporary

Amy Yakima – Contemporary

Jasmine Mason – Contemporary

Hayley Erbert – Contemporary

Malece Miller – Contemporary

Alexis Juliano – Tap

Mariah Spears – Hip Hop

Brittany Cherry – Ballroom

Jenna Johnson – Ballroom

It’s always tough seeing some of the people go that we’ve grown to enjoy. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be the last ones cut! But wow to two animators and three tappers! And I love when we have a good female Hip Hop dancer!

So let’s get to those dances! First of all – hurray for more Cat Deeley! I love her and her adorable disco ball dresses! Also, she gets to introduce the “jidges” – Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman. In the Green Mile flashbacks we also get some Twitch and Mia Michaels! WHEE MIA!

Hip Hop 

Choreographer – Luther Brown

Is there anyone more adorable and more bursting with personality thank Fik-shun? Seriously. Anyone? No. No there is not. He is just TOO CUTE. I hope he delivers in the actual competition. Mariah… I have a lot of hope for. She seems like she has a lot of inherent dance abilities, and she exuded both sexiness and and a sense of humor in that routine tonight – things that will get her far in a lot of other styles. It wasn’t my favorite Hip Hop routine we’ve ever seen, but it was a good introduction to them both because it was a reminder of why we enjoy watching the two of them.

Contemporary

Choreographer – Stacey Tookey

This routine has Jasmine H, Mackenzie, Nico and Tucker. Most importantly, Tucker has cut his hair. This excites me greatly. But beyond such superficial (yet still really important) things, the dance is unsurprisingly beautiful to watch. Sometimes I think these 4-person routines can be hard to choreograph because you are always just looking at one pair if it isn’t done right. But this was perfectly meshed together. They were all dancing together. And yeah – Mackenzie. Watch out ladies. She is not joking. She is for reals, y’all.

Tap

Choreographer – Anthony Morigerato

Finally Nigel gets his way with THREE tappers. Of course, it wasn’t how it was originally going to go. But when Emilio, the third Hip-Hop dancer, had to withdraw, Aaron, the 11th guy on the list got the call and here he is dancing with Curtis and Alexis. I enjoy all three of these dancers, but I always fear for tappers because when it comes times to make use of their upper body in the other dance styles they tend to get lost. Alexis has a lot of potential and she has a great attitude. Beyond that – what a fun routine! I enjoyed watching it. But it does waylay my trepidation of tappers in this competition.

Animation

Choreographer – Christopher Scott

I think I speak for everyone when I say: Whaaaaaa? Two animators. Honestly, I fear for my comment section given how y’all reacted to the uber-adorable Cyrus last year. Because no matter how much adorable Cyrus gave us, y’all hated on him HARD. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing more of that. BluPrint, I love ya, but I don’t see you going far. Jade maybe further. And I love that Mia Michaels said that people who can’t choreograph for him because he is short are awful choreographers. Well, that’s what she insinuated anyway. I’ve missed you, Mia.

As for the choreo- Christopher Scott delivers as always. But I think it pointed out exactly what can go wrong with this style dancer in the competition – they just aren’t used to be choreographed. These two are simply amazing at what they do. and when they were allowed to show that off individually, it was great. But when they had to be in sync… they just weren’t. They aren’t used to dancing with others (or others not in their crew). I’m excited to see where they go, nonetheless. Oh, and the mannequins are going to give my daughter and I nightmares. Lots of nightmares.

Contemporary 

Choreographer – Mia Michaels (!!)

Carlos, Hayley and Malece are the lucky three who get to dance a Mia routine tonight. Man, it was great to see her choreo back on stage. There is something just so intense about the moves that she puts together. And it suddenly put Carlos on my map. Malece was already a top dancers for me and Hayley I enjoyed. But they were so dynamic in this routine, it stood out for me. No, they weren’t perfect, which the judges liked to point out only sporadically tonight. I found that annoying. Like they were pointing out their favorites to the audience on the sly.

(PS – Did everyone else think of Clueless when I use the words sporadically in a sentence?)

Ballroom

Choreographer – Louis Van Amstel

After a lot of drama in revealing the four ballroom dancers – seriously did that seem extra drawn out to anyone else? – we get to see Brittany, Jenna, Paul and Alan hit the dance floor together. This year instead of two beautiful blond ballroom dancers, we get brunettes. Jenna comes in from Vegas as a favorite, because that final edit of that episode highlighted her. During the dance the boys were falling in the shadow of the girls, which was pointed out by the judges.

Here’s what I’m gathering so far tonight… A girl is going to win this year. Unless it’s Fik-Shun. A girl is going to win.

Contemporary

Choreographer - Sonya Tayeh

Sonya Tayeh choreographs my nightmares. And I mean that in the best way possible. Amy and Jasmine M’s routine was like a bizarre samurai fight meets a pas de deux. You can never mistake a Sonya routine for someone else. I’m a huge fan of Amy’s and I’m so excited to see what she does. I’m also excited to see her parents in the audience every week, hopefully. Jasmine M should not be ignored though. I kept finding my eyes being drawn to her. Side note – I love that Sonya had her hair done the same way as the girls in solidarity.

Top 10 Guys

Choreographer – Christopher Scott

This is quite the intro to the show for these dancers, huh? Not only did they have to learn their intro routine, but also a Top 10 and a Top 20 routine. This was a beautiful routine. But I’ll give you a sample of the running commentary in my head, “Ugh. Sand. I hope that doesn’t get in anyone’s eye when they are throwing it around like that. They are probably going to be finding sand in their hair for a week. What poor guy has to come and clean that up before the girls come out? This is so messy.” But despite my OCD tendencies and issues with sand, Christopher Scott is a legit choreographer and did a FANTASTIC routine. The boys were wonderful. I just loved it. But seriously… sand.

Top 10 Girls

Choreographer – Ray Leeper

While it was visually dynamic, I just wasn’t feeling this routine. I don’t think it highlighted any of them at all. Or the fact that girls seem to be walking into the Top 20 as the favorite to win. Maybe I’m silly and the choreo was deceptively easy… but it seemed too easy. I mean, it was a lot of fun. But that’s it. You know how I know? Adam Shankman said “fun” about 7 times when talking about it.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 10 Top 20

Choreographer – Sonya Tayeh

I love how crazy Sonya gets in rehearsal. And this routine – this is the mix of visual dynamics and difficulty that I was hoping to see out of the big group numbers. There were some who stood out (the camera, or maybe the cameraman, loves Jasmine M), but they functioned as a very large and wonderfully talented group. It has me very excited to see what happens next week when the real competition starts!

Keep it here for all your SYTYCD Season 10 goodies!

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I barely remembered him coming into the Vegas rounds, but Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall has made an impression in his home town, cruising through every round with his effervescent personality and inherent dance skills. I hope we get to see him in the Top 20. He could be great.

The SYTYCD Season 10 Top 20 will be announced Tuesday at 8pm on Fox.

Keep it here for all the info!

She exudes a passion for dance and music, as so many of these dancers have. But there is just that something special that seems to exude from her. And the fact she danced with that guy after he dropped her in Vegas and nailed it (and every other dancer afterwards) made me love her more.

Check out Malese, and many other dancers, this Tuesday on Fox at 8pm when SYTYCD returns to reveal the Top 20.

The Judges Panel for Vegas Rounds (photo courtesy of Fox)

And it will be this group of lovely people that will be sending most of them home! They seem pretty happy about it. Or maybe they’re smiling because it’s not soda in those black cups….

I’m going to tell you, besides overly wrought dramatics of group rounds, Vegas is one of my favorite episodes. I just love how intense it is. These kids won’t work harder the rest of the series unless they make it to the finale. It’s just crazy. And the judges don’t take it lightly.

Speaking of, joining Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and returning guest judges, Adam Shankman and Stephen “Twitch” Boss, are (at different stages of these rounds) Hannah Simone (Cece on New Girl) and Jason Derulo. A good group! I look forward to watching them inevitably cry like little babies, so let’s get to it!

SYTYCD Season 10 Vegas Round starts with 159 dancers ready to prove they were worth the excitement of the judges. How many will be sent home in an ambulance? How many will quit? Before they are even allowed to check in to the hotel, they have to do a solo to prove they can stay. Perhaps it is because a Production Assistant forgot to book enough rooms in the Planet Hollywood Hotel. (If so, they are already down two people because the girl whose knee was dislocated was told she had to stay home and Hampton “The Exorcist” Williams was in a car accident. His wife Darlesha Goggens is still there. We hope you feel better, Hampton!) If their solo impresses, they get a room key. If not, a ticket back home. Harsh.

Here’s the thing with these rounds – it’s not cut and dry as the auditions. A lot of names are thrown around. Mostly it’s montages. So I’ll just give the brief(ish) rundown.

The solos are done in that ego-shattering “no feedback” style. After a small group goes the judges let the dancers know who can stay. And once you get that room key, you can head upstairs, don a swim suit and hit the pool area! Probably shouldn’t get a margarita though. (Which is why I am not on this show… Among other reasons.) By the end of the day, 53 dancers went home including Caleb Brauner (whose father yelled “That’s my nerd”), the ballroom girl who danced with her little brother and Darlesha Goggens. It’s always hard seeing some favorites leave. Yet, sometimes we know they probably weren’t going to make it anyway.  If you’ve been watching long enough… you just know.

First round of choreography is HIP-HOP! Of course, we get Napoleon and Tabitha (NappyTabs) here to teach the dancers. The routine is fun and relatively simple, as this round usually is. It’s basic hip-hop to make sure that the kids can find some character and show the beat of the style. Musicality isn’t always smooth like contemporary or ballroom. And before you think it’s just to keep the favorite Hip Hop dancers in the competition- some of them still get the boot. And you don’t have to be perfect, as the Chinese dancer proved.  77 dancers were still in it at the end of the round.

And some may be sad to still be here because the next choreographer here to torture, I mean, teach, the dancers is Sonya Tayeh for Jazz. She has fully become the new Mia Michaels with her scariness and her kookiness. She is unimpressed at first as tells the dancers they have to rehearse all night and be perfect. Unfortunately, I think Malece Miller’s partner was not feeling fully there for this overnight and he dropped her on her head! Ouchy! Cue our first ambulance. But don’t worry – she makes it through. Her partner, gets a very stern talking to, but is allowed to stay. Get your head in the game, buddy.

I love when the judges are just SO HAPPY they can’t keep still and just start flipping out and pointing and screaming. They are a table of huge goobers. It started off really well, and despite the injury it seemed a night of dancing worked out well. Except for the girl who did not like her partner and when she told Sonya, was quickly admonished by her. Ha! I love Sonya. The male partner, Jade, is asked to dance for his life, so thanks, Sydney, for that. But she gets through and Nigel sends her mix messages – Don’t call out your partner. Also do everything to fight for your place! Only 8 get the boot this round, which did not include Jade after his solo. (So there, Sydney!)

Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower are there to teach the next round’s choreography – Ballroom! It’s a sassy routine which is a surprise to no one, given the two who put it together. Can we take a moment and talk about Fik-shun? He’s that Hip-Hop dancer we see every year who somehow just shines in all styles. If he makes it to the Top 20, as it seems very likely at this point that he will, I can’t wait to see what he does. He reminds me a bit of Joshua which has me very excited. Sydney doesn’t make it through this round, and unfortunately, neither does one of my favorites, Tommy Tibball! Sad face.

And here we are… group  night. I love it goes the same every time. The first few hours is all, “YAY MY GROUP! WE LOVE EACH OTHER!” And then… “I hate everyone. They all suck.” Every. Single. Time. But come morning, they aren’t allowed to be tired because Shankman never sleeps either and he is a bright beautiful ball of energy always. I really think that is a big key to this round. Because the ones who come out already defeated often do not do well.

The first group was amazing. Listen, I’ll be honest, I think using the Boston Marathon as your theme is a bit much because, well, I just take issue with things like that sometimes. But at least they backed it up. Their choreography was gorgeous. It did not look like 5 amateurs came up with that in a lobby over night. It made use of all 5 of them and it earned the tears it tried to steal with it’s theme.

The second group gave us our usual drama. “I want to sleep!” “Stay Up!” “I’m in charge!” “I hate they are in charge!” The third group had the “I’m not good at that!” It was the group rounds we know and cringe at. Sometimes that showed on the stage, as it did with Fik-Shun’s group, and sometimes, like in the third group, they made it on through together. And then sometimes it looked like something put together in 10 minutes by some 12 year olds, like the final group. No originality at all. Overall, most made it through. We only saw 4 get cut and there are 54 left.

The final round of choreography is contemporary with Stacey Tookey. It’s a tough one and takes out some familiar faces including Jennifer (Beals) Jones. We’ve reached the point where people start begging and the crying gets a lot harder. Including poor Curtis (Wayne Brady’s fake little brother) who was so moved by the routine he was crying before he even heard his fate. Nigel of course messed with him, but he was through. Jasmine (Cyrus’s ex) and Bluprint (Cyrus’s crew mate) danced this routine together which really worked in her favor because she could use her past in the routine which was about a broken up couple. Bluprint, meanwhile would have to battle with Jade to be the animator that could stay.

This led to the best Cat Deeley moment as she stood between them and asked them to put on their fight faces. At first she laughed at the seriousness, and then, suddenly struck by them, said, “Wow. These are good faces.” I love her so much. Twitch was basically beside himself during the battle. But it wasn’t up to him… it’s up to Stacey… who keeps them both. Because this isn’t the green mile episode. Come on, now. Did you really think one was getting cut right here?!

The remaining dancers have to say why they should be there. There are standard and creative answers but they are all versions of “I’m really good, I want to be better.” 8 are ultimately cut in this last, heartbreaking round. The 33 that made it through to the green mile got to party it up. Which, since many are underage, seemed to consist of playing with helium balloons in a hotel suite. But hey – that can be fun, right?

Next week, our top 20 are introduced and get to dance on the SYTYCD stage for the first time! I’m excited to see who is there, I have my favorites. Who are yours?

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Wheeee!

Holy crap. Look at his toes! His lines are insane! Okay… we’ll get there. Time to recap the last stop before Vegas for SYTYCD Season 10!

Our final guest judge joining Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy for the Season 10 auditions is none other than Wayne Brady. Everyone likes him, right? Oh man, I miss Whose Line Is It Anyway! (It’s coming back!)

Dorian “BluPrint” Hector: First up tonight is a member of Dragon House so we are already off on the right track. What I love about the entire crew is that they are just so brilliant at what they do, and so creative. It’s art. This guy’s so good Mary Murphy dropped an F-bomb when putting BluPrint on that hot tamale train! Wayne entered a fit of giggles. Nigel meanwhile, dishes out a dose of reality – Vegas was not kind to 2 of the 3 members of the crew last year and he could be in trouble too too. But Nigel doesn’t give a s—. (Yep – one audition in and they’ve cursed twice. It’s gonna be a good one, kids.) VEGAS!

Curtis Holland: This 18 year old kid is basically what a tap dancer would be on a massive sugar high. Or possibly meth. He was super speedy and a bit insane. If Tracy Morgan was a tap dancer, maybe? He probably needs an adderall and then he would be amazing. He is off to choreo to see what he can do in a bit more controlled environment. We’ve reached the point where I want to cry when I hear the choreo song,by the way. How much do the judges hate it, I wonder? Over and over and over. Whatever, Curtis made it to VEGAS.

Tucker Knox- What is with the super bizarre reenactments this season? Tucker was in a car accident after he was accepted into school. The story was very moving, but the weird over dramatics is distracting. Did they always do this? I don’t remember. Anyway, Tucker was a gorgeous dancer. It’s impossible to believe he had a broken back. The curls of his hair, however, lie somewhere between bizarre and adorable. I want to pull them so they’ll spring back. Hopefully someone will do that when he’s in VEGAS.

Cue montage of 3 dancers who all had a lot of personality. Hopefully we’ll get to know them more soon when they are all in Vegas.

Courtney Thurston- She is a wonderful dancer – a lot of power. She did a spin into a split that Nigel mentioned which was remarkable. I think she hit some of the beats of her song a little too on the nose too often, but otherwise, amazing. She has a single dad who took her to dance class and then eventually married her dance teacher. Oh the fun Nigel had with that and making Dance Dad came up on stage to dance-ish. It was adorable. And while he was up there, they sent her to VEGAS.

But we can’t all be winners, so it’s time for a bad dancer montage. Hey, Memphis is known for it’s music, not it’s dancers, right?

Shanshan Qiao-Rothlisberger – Winner for best name goes to Shanshan! She does a traditional Mongolian dance that involves balancing bowls on her head. Normally they would be full of horse’s milk. Shanshan unfortunately calls it horse milk. It sounds like whore’s milk. Cue Nigel and Wayne quickly going down a very bad path because, well, that’s just who they are. Especially Nigel who will always jump on an inappropriate comment, especially one that is possibly politically incorrect. The dance itself was so pretty. The audience loved her. They send her off choreo. Nigel screwed with her afterwards, and pretended like she wasn’t making it. But – VEGAS.

Nico Greetham- Nico’s personality was almost too much for me sometimes, but he was so good that I forgave his weird little wink-y wave thing. His mom seemed like she was a personality too. He looks like he can be a Neil maybe, dance-wise? We will see when he is in VEGAS.

Elyse Frelinger  - This one works at that trapeze school on the Santa Monica Peir. Her leotard is like the Ringmaster of a Circus. The dance was interesting because it almost seemed like she was still just flowing in the air. I don’t know if she’s quite as trained as some others, but she had a natural quality, so off to VEGAS with her.

Jenna Johnson – Jenna is from Provo, UT so I expect greatness because that is what SYTYCD has taught me over the past 9 seasons. She brought her dance partner to dance the Cha Cha with her. He’s too young this year, but he’s smart and seeing it as an opportunity to impress the judges for next year. At one point she started to sing along with her music which I thought was cute. It was like she was just having too much fun NOT to. You know how when someone is so good they are just taking it easy up there and having fun? That was her. She was excellent. VEGAS.

Novien Yarber - His dance style was contemporary but every once and awhile it almost veered into African. It was incredibly strong. He did this one move where he popped up from a split to standing with his legs in a V. It was just a wow moment. He was a man on the stage, as Wayne said. And we know how much Nigel loves that. VEGAS baby. VEGAS.

Isabel Freiberger - This Salsa dancer is kind of insane. Her tricks were so inventive. And she hit every beat like it was just how she walked around all the time. I think if there was ever going to be a year of the ballroom dancer, this is it. They have had some really solid ones come through! But they only send her to choreo. Perhaps because her dance was so much about the tricks? Who knows. But it turns out they made the right call because she stumbled through choreo.

Caleb Brauner – This kid is a complete goofball. His story is about how he took dance classes in secret because people said dancing is girly. His personality bubbles over into his dance which is really good, but also keeps them laughing. It took a lot of creativity. His dad yells out “That’s my nerd!” so I’m in love with all of them. Then dad comes and dances with his son and they send him to VEGAS. Caleb. Not Dad.

Time for another montage of several male contemporary dancers, including the pic above. They all flirted with Mary or she flirted with them.

Larry Booze –  I need a drink. Anyway, the things this guy did with his feet were amazing. He was so fluid, I was starting to think this theater had one of those moving walkways on stage. While he was great, I expected he would be sent to choreo, and he was. While there, his poor partner was very frustrated. He left because it was too much, and he wanted to give her a better shot.

Jasmine Harper – Jasmine is Cyrus’s ex. They had video of them dancing together, so I’m not sure if that was filmed last year? It was weird. The way she talked about it was very… sad. Nigel made the poor girl talk about it. Until she cried a little. And then tried to pimp her out to any single guys int he audience. Keep it classy, Nig. Maybe it was the choice of Amazing Grace as her song, but her performance can only be described as soulful. She was connecting to the dance Gods for sure. I really really liked her. VEGAS for sure. (Loved the #myturnnow hashtag.)

Paige Pellicano- I love how entirely horrified Paige was when her Elvis Impersonator father was asked to sing by Nigel. But come on, she had to see that coming, right? Anyway, she was very good, but I wasn’t as drawn to her. The judges must have been feeling the same because they sent her to choreo. She just didn’t hit it, which is sad, but she was close so Mary said to come back.

That’s it. 200 tickets to Vegas later, it’s time to start the next round. Twitch and Adam Shankman are back along with New Girl’s Hannah Simone to judge. Sonya, NappyTabs and more to do choreo. Mary gets mad at attitude. People puke. Everyone cries. Ambulances are called. You know…. VEGAS!

I can’t wait!

Find me on Twitter – @Serrae

And for SYTYCD updates – @sytycdnet

I just really loved this kid. He seemed like a solid guy and a strong male dancer. Nigel likened him to Billy Bell and Jakob Karr which is no small thing. I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table.

Did you like Tommy? Any other SYTYCD season 10 auditions you’d like to see?

Boston Judges

The always crazy, hysterical and uber-talented Adam Shankman. So let’s get to some more So You Think You Can Dance Auditions!

I have no witty intro tonight because I’m kind of tired. So without further ado…

Ashley Goldman & Philip Kudryavstev - What a fun way to start the night. These not-a-couple-anymore ballroom dancers were so sweet  in their interviews with Cat Deeley and the judges. Ashley did all the talking, Philip said maybe 3 words. Their chemistry, even being broken up, was astounding. And for a silent guy, Philip came to life as soon as he started dancing. They were magnetic, both with each other and with the audience. Of course – VEGAS!

Natalie Vilos - This jazz dancer used a prop – a huge leopard print lamp shade. Normally, props are just ways to get attention. And while I’m sure that’s what this was, she at least used it creatively. Natalie has a sense of humor. It was kind of fun and made good use of her music. It wasn’t great as far as technique goes, so I wasn’t sad to see her go. But I love that she had a great attitude and let Adam try on her lamp shade and dance with it. Good news! He gets to go to Vegas!

John Tesoriero - John’s friend is beat boxing for him instead of playing music so I’m immediately more interested in his audition. But even if he had just used music, the humor and musicality of John’s hip hop style was so inventive that he would have stood out. And not just because of the bizarre felt lion’s tail. I loved the ingenuity to his audition, but as Adam said, who knows what else he can do – so choreography. Sadly, John is sent home. Hopefully to go take classes.

Katlyn Rodriguez - Katlyn’s latin ballroom partner flaked last minute, so her 16 year old younger brother filled in learning the whole routine in 3 hours. First of all, little brother needs to audition in a few years when he is eligible. That guy is amazing. Second, if you are going to dance with your little brother, wear more than fringe and jewels. Literally. That’s all she’s wearing. It’s freaking me out.  She was very good (as was little bro), but I personally think she pulled one too many faces. She is sent to choreo… and eventually toVEGAS.

Jennifer Jones - This former ballerina had a back story that reminded me of a mix of Eva and Maureen from Center Stage. After struggling with an eating disorder she’s no longer a ballerina, and now studies Jazz. It agrees with her, as does the camera. She looks likes Jennifer Beals, which she embraced adorably when they mention it. She is very, to quote Mary repeatedly this season, “So SYTYCD.” She radiates charisma. Oh yeah, and she danced the crap out of her routine as well. Anyone else get the feeling that this season is going to be amazing and that Vegas is going to break our hearts? Speaking of… She’s going to VEGAS!

Next is a montage that includes a few more tickets to Vegas. Including two guys who looked like they had a lot of potential. I’m always interested in strong male auditions. I want another Ade, you guys. Another Robert. Gimme.  In an ‘ask and you shall receive’ moment, the next audition is…

Tommy  Tibball - I love a good family back story, and Tommy has it. He is creative director at his family’s dance studio. Mom runs the business, his two sisters teach and dad does maintenance. They look like a fun group I’d love to see in LA. And why do I mention LA, not Vegas? Because OMG Tommy’s audition was amazing. His pirouettes were to die for. His feet… holy crap. When he went up from his knees to his toes to lift himself off the ground – I was in tears. Please oh please, make it through Vegas because just like Adam, I can’t wait to see the choreographers get their proverbial (literal) hands on him. I love Tommy. Tommy! In case it’s unclear, HE MADE IT TO VEGAS!

Jennie Begley- No offense to Jennie, but when they said she had an emotional journey to get here and said she was from Aurora, CO, I thought she was shot in the movie theater. No. It was just the trip is really expensive, so her brother bought the plane tickets. (I always wonder why someone from CO would go to a Boston audition, not, say, LA… but I understand schedules are weird.) Anyway, brother is there and they are super tight. Her audition is intense. She has some moves that kind of remind me Mark Kanemura in a weirdness combined with undeniable talent way. The judges loved her. They fake her out with the “no to choreography” bit, and Jennie gets a super sad face. Turn that frown upside down, Jennie. They were just messing with you! VEGAS! (But to continue his streak of being ridiculous, Nigel follows that up with basically calling her brother fat. Oh Nig…)

Jason Kidd - Obviously, no, not that Jason Kidd. He’s busy playing basketball (still! Seriously he’s been playing forever!). This Jason Kidd won 5th place in the Dance Olympics in Germany. I have high hopes. He uses the same pieces of mechanical sounding music that so many hip hop dancers use, which,  I must admit, is starting to drive me completely insane. But beyond that, he’s just really good. Like REALLY REALLY good. They don’t even judge him. They just walk up and put a ticket to Vegas in his outreached hand. Oh yeah, and he’s really cute.

Shannon “Shizzy Shake” Tarantino – As the name indicated, Shannon’s a whole lot of personality. And then as she starts dancing I realize why they show her confessional interview. She seems like she is going to be just a joke. But, um, wow. She’s a gorgeous contemporary dancer. Not a shizzy or shake to be found. Just extensions for days,  a lot of deep emotion and a sense of ease. Thankfully they send her straight to VEGAS. I really really like her. Oh this season is going to be a problem.

Elena & Gene Bersten – Hey, an actual married couple! These two have an adorable 6 month old baby. My ovaries ached looking at that kid bouncing in the dance studio. I am kind of loving how many amazing latin ballroom pairs we’ve had the chance to see already. And these two were just so perfect together. Which is good, because, you know, they’re married. Gene had earned a ticket to Vegas before, so off he goes and so does Elena. The marrieds are going to VEGAS.

Ernest “E-Knock” Phillips - E-Knock auditioned with his cousin back in season 3. His cousin drowned a few years ago and it left E-Knock in a bad place. The back story for him was kind of long, but it was very moving and it was nice to see he had found his sense of purpose again which he put all of into his routine. To say it was moving would undersell it. He was crying before it started and Adam was weeping before it was over. They sent him to choreo because, I think, it was so emotional, they didn’t want the story to overshadow the talent. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it to Vegas. He now turns to his new foster sister as the hopes for their family, telling her to take classes. I just want him to be happy, you guys.

Alexis Juliano- Yay! A tapper! And a girl tapper at that! She talked about how she was going to show how a tapper could do emotion not just fancy footwork. I thought at first that was all just talk… until we got to just the whistles at the end of her song, Mr. Bojangles. The end was just gorgeous. It was the first real emotional moment we’ve seen in a tap audition. Well done, Alexis. Off to VEGAS with you, my dear.

Anthony Bryant – Ribbon Boy is back. He’s a long-standing “I’m going to fight with the judges and cause a scene” dancer who has auditioned several times. He is good, but he loves to push boundaries, but it seems only for the sake of causing a scene. How do I know this? Because they FINALLY send him to choreography and what does he do?? He says he doesn’t want to continue. And now my problem isn’t with Anthony, it’s with SYTYCD for continuing to give him screen time.

Anthony Savoy - He has a job with a company already, and they don’t know he’s here. So, while he was amazing and  brilliant, I’m not prepared to get too invested because we’ve gone down this road before when people couldn’t get out of their contract. But oh my lord, those pirouettes. And that performance. And then just to show that this Anthony is better than that previous Anthony, they pretend to send him to choreo just to show that he’s so humble about it. But really, they sent him to VEGAS. (Will he be able to show up?)

Kate Kapshandy - Kate has won several ballroom dancing awards and is partnering with Max who was top 20 in season 5. So obviously, she is going to be good. She is wearing a fringe dress which is adorable and is the perfect thing to wear while dancing Latin ballroom. She is effortless. She is also “sex on a stick” which Nigel points out to all of us Americans, is an expression that doesn’t make sense. VEGAS!

Toshihiko Nakazawa – Nigel’s humor barely translates with people who speak English, so you can imagine how it went with Toshi who could barely understand him at all. This gold lame wearing hip-hopper was so insanely creative. He used the music better than almost anyone, telling a story with the body and the music combined. So fantastic! And super sweet when he couldn’t totally understand that they sent him to VEGAS. This kid cracks me up.

Whew. So that’s Boston. Next week, Memphis. And Wayne Brady. WAYNE BRADY. Yesssss. I’m happy.

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Enjoy! See you back here next Tuesday!