The fourth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" started off with auditions in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater. Naturally, we had the weird, the wacky, and the WOW dancers.
Host Cat Deeley starts off by informing us that the dancers have 1 minute onstage to prove themselves. As usual, they will either get a ticket to Las Vegas if they are great, a trip back home if they suck, or if the judges aren't sure they will be asked to stay for the choreography round. Our judges for the night are the regulars Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphey, joining them is choreographer Mia Michaels.
The first contestant up is Devin Oshiro. Her music starts but she just stands there. Nigel jokes that they would like to see a little bit more dancing. It turns out the wrong music was playing. They get the music correct so Devin can dance. Her dancing was very emotive and fit the feel of the song perfectly. Nigel noted she has incredible technique. He tells her that she will be the dancer that choreographers want to get their hands on. Mary thinks she was great. Mia ponders what she will be like at the end of the show, if she's this good now.
Next up was the arrogant Italian Stallion, Jonathan Anzalone He says he wants attention from people. He strips completely naked for the camera, luckily there was a lovely logo blocking his assets. His style of dance borrows heavily from Michael Jackson. He looks like he'd be perfect for a boyband. Nigel asks Mia how successful Jonathan will be in America. Mia slips and says "Not very sexful" then corrects herself. Everyone laughs, and Nigel explains that it was a Freudian Slip. Mia doesn't think he'll be successful in America. She doesn't think his caliber is up to par. Mary thinks the last couple of tricks were nice, but the rest was weak. He starts to walk off the stage, they try to stop him saying he still has one more opinion yet. He says two judges say no, so that's final. Nigel wants to know why he won't listen, then gives him a dressing down. They want him to stay for the choreography later, though Mia thinks it would be a nightmare to create a piece for him.
Returning again this year is Sex a.k.a. David Soller, who has his supportive mother in tow. Sex has auditioned twice before and is now trying for a third time despite Nigel's scathing comments. Cat asks him why he's back for more and Sex doesn't answer. His dancing is atrocious as usual. He walks offstage, leading Mary to joke that his best moves were backstage. Mia starts off by telling him that he hasn't grown from last year, but he did appear to grow from the first time to the last. She watched it and thought he had gotten really good, leading Mary to have a fit of giggles. Mary tells him this is a joke and that there is no dancing going on there. She says she can appreciate that Mia sees the growth and thought it was really good. Mia says she didn't say that. Nigel and Mary tell her she did. Mary tells Mia to watch the playback and she will be horrified. Mia asks if he has taken a ballet class. Sex tells her that he has many years of formal experience. Nigel nails it by telling him that he enjoys watching himself on TV. I agree with him, but if Nigel really wanted to put a stop to it he wouldn't put him on TV. Sex says his fans find him sexy.
Lauren Garcia is visually impaired. She didn't have many friends in school because she wouldn't open up. She wants to represent and inspire others with disabilities. For someone who is nearly blind, her dancing is very good, but as the judges point out it's not up to the caliber of the show. Nigel tells her it's hard to critique her. He isn't sure how difficult it would be for her to follow choreography. He doesn't think her technique isn't good enough. Mary agrees with Nigel that the technique isn't strong enough. She asks how she would be able to follow choreography. Lauren says she stands as close to the choreographer as she can and asks a lot of questions. Mia, in tears, tells her she is an inspiration. Mia has a friend who lost her eyesight who was a dancer. Mia tells her she has more passion than 90% of dancers she sees. Nigel hopes she continues dancing, but competitions will be difficult.
Stephen "Twitch" Boss auditioned in L.A. and made it to Vegas. He was passed over in favor of Hok last year. He says that he normally likes his performances to be more humorous, but he wants to be a little more serious this year. Nigel tells him if he doesn't make it he'll kick his ass. Mary is happy he's back. Mia gives him the stank face. Nigel thinks he's magic and he deserves a ticket to Vegas. Twitch sweats all over Cat as he tells her that he will be spending time with her in Vegas.
Hamilton Moreno also worked up a sweat. He was a tad on the chubby side. Mia questions him about him not wanting to lose weight because it won't let him stand out. Hamilton thinks if he auditioned normally he wouldn't make it this far. Nigel says it's probably true. Mia says it's unhealthy and hopes that he will look hard at that. Mia tells him he's perfect inside and needs to let that show. Mary tells him he doesn't have enough stamina. Nigel agrees, telling him he's still panting.
Irina Korenkov-Eller comes from Russia. Nigel asks her how long she has been dancing. She says forever, but never professionally. Nigel asks her if she is married. She says she is separated. Nigel says her husband will want her back after seeing that. Irina says she'll never take him back. The judges say she isn't a strong enough dancer, but tell her to keep dancing for her own pleasure.
Phillip Chbeeb was cut last year in Vegas. He called it a wake-up call. He started working on being a dancer and not just a trick artist. Nigel finds him incredible to watch, but wonders what he has done in the last year to help himself move on. Phillip says he did work on foot movement, but with school he worked usually in his room. Mary tells him he's incredible with his hands and arms. Mia says he's one of the best in that genre. She hopes he can do even a little bit with the other genres. They want him to stay to do the choreography.
William Wingfield is from Nashville, but he says he's more a gypsy than anything. He dances not to music, but to a spoken word piece. It was very artistic. Nigel says it was clever and cool. He wasn't sure it was a great audition for the program. Nigel says they need to see some dancing to show that they can handle what they throw at him later. Mary says it was too short. She loved what she saw. Mia agreed that it lacked versatility but honors what he did. They ask him to stay for the choreography round as well.
The final contestant of the day stripped down to his tighty-whiteys to dance. Rijiy Ames danced a lovely piece, but it was too distracting with him wandering around onstage in his underwear. Apparently at one point he falls out of his underwear, as we get another logo. Mary says she would rather not comment. Nigel says you can't concentrate on the dancing because of the underwear. Mary asks him why he picked the underwear. Rijiy says it was a clean slate, they like to mold and create. Nigel tells him there was nothing there he wanted to mold. Mia understands the idea, but says there are other ways of showing that.
Then we're at the choreography round for day one. Travis Wall, from season two, teaches them some choreography. The Italian Stallion is told by Nigel that he isn't good enough. Phillip and William both get to go to Vegas along with 16 other lucky dancers from Day 1.
Erika Gee is trying for her third time on the show. She says she can go to any audition and do her best but here, the judges scare her. She's very cute (I'm sure our Will would like her, but I don't know if he watches dancing shows). Mia thinks there is a lot about her that is wonderful. She thought she was all over the place last year. Erika says she couldn't decide what she was before, but now she has learned. Mary loved her performance and is glad she came back. Erika just had to prove to herself that she could come onstage and be herself. Nigel tells her that she is going to Vegas.
Ballroom dancers Leonidas Proskurov and Aliona Vetrenko don't just dance together, but also date and live together. Mary fans Nigel to cool him down. Nigel says Aliona has great legs and they both have great technique. Mary gives them a WOOO! Mary tells them there is a class to the way they dance. Mia says it was a hot performance. They go straight to Vegas.
Victor Kim was impressive with his street dancing routine, showing a lot of fun and comedy. Nigel says he had great moves, unique actions and comedy. Mary loved it. Mia says he's a goofball. Victor says he doesn't want to be an accountant. He wants to learn and is willing to look stupid. They send him to the choreography round.
Some of the dancers from last year showed up to watch the auditions, including Dominic Sandoval.
Gold Inferno, complete with mask, returned for another audition. He was cut last year because he just wasn't versatile enough. He has taken some ballroom classes now to try to improve. How can you not like someone who jumps around to house music (as an aside I actually recognized the song and it kills me that I hate house and still recognize the song!). Nigel notes that he was 480 pounds before he started the jump style dancing, now he's disappearing. This is Mia's first time experiencing this. Gold Inferno says this style is cool. Mary says she hasn't seen a lot of changes in one year. Mia and Mary say no, but Nigel says he would have sent him straight to Vegas.
Ricky Sun and Asuka Kondoh have a problem. Asuka has been ill and waiting outside in line hasn't been good for her. But the ballroom dancing pair give their audition their all. Mary asks how long they have danced together. Asuka says they have danced together 3 months. Mary says it doesn't matter how long you have danced together as long as you have that connection which they have. Mia likes her movement quality, but wanted more movement from Ricky. Nigel noted that they looked into each others eyes which many partners don't do. Nigel wants them to stick around for the choreography round to see how they work with other partners.
Kherington Payne is full of energy. She plays soccer and says she is very competitive. This is another cute girl that our Will would like. Dusty certainly approves of her. Dominic up in the balcony is watching Kherington and drooling. Nigel says she has a very emotional face and it's beautiful when she's dancing. He notes that Dominic is in love with her. Mary says she has "it" that star quality. Mia says her face is so honest and so real. She went straight to Vegas (and bounced all around when she heard the news).
The last solo audition goes to Robert Muraine who is a street dancer. He started popping with a group, but now works solo. He's also a contortionist. His dance style just can't be described in words. Nigel says Robert is his favorite dancer of 2008. He doesn't know how he'll do with the choreography, but he is right for dancing. He hopes that enough people see him that if this doesn't work out for him that someone will put him to work. Mary has never seen anything like him. Mia was waiting for an alien to come out because he's not normal. Nigel asks him to do the thing he did while warming up. After he does it, Nigel gives him a ticket to Vegas. They do this really neat sort of slow-motion move towards each other to hand him the ticket. From watching American Idol, you'd never know that Nigel has a sense of humor, but he shows it here.
In the choreography round, Victor failed to impress, but Ricky and Asuka did move on to Vegas. A total of 30 dancers from Los Angeles will be headed off to Las Vegas.
I just love this show! Your recap was spot on Curlio!
Robert Muraine completely blew my mind! I agree with Nigel, I'm not sure how he'll do with choreography, but hopefully the exposure will help him to take off. I cannot believe some of the things that he did!
Would you not kill for some of those ballroom dancers legs? Wow!
If you can't be a good example, then be a horrible warning!
It's too bad the arrogant Italian Stallion, Jonathan Anzalone couldn't have a better attitude. He would have been hot with a partner on the Latin ballroom dances. I guess he's destined to be a Chippendale dancer.
I don't know why they even let "Sex" come onstage, as Nigel told him not to come back last year.
Rijiy Ames probably could have made it to Vegas, if he hadn't danced in his "tighty whiteys".
I'm excited to see the ballroom dancers Ricky Sun and Asuka Kondoh, and Leonidas Proskurov and Aliona Vetrenko and hope they make it in Vegas. And Leonidas reminds me of Pasha from last year.
Kherington Payne is cute and interesting and I hope she can dance as good as she looks, in Vegas.
Robert Muraine did the same style as Bryan Gaynor from last year, but on a more advanced level. I loved it that Nigel gave him a ticket straight to Vegas!
Dominic is soooo cute!!!
I love "So You Think You Can Dance" and love watching the dancers perform each week. And later when they are in the top 20, watching the ballroom dancers learn hip hop, and the B-Boys learn ballroom dancing. They really have to work hard!
Re: Nigel commenting on David Soller, how embarrassed I am for the human race, as a representative of it abuses a mentally ill man who thinks he can dance - and is quite poor at it. Are we not supposed to be growing wiser and kinder as a race? Certainly David S. is innocent of all accusations by reason of insanity! He is not a good dancer, but he WANTS to dance and might be able to some day were it not that he is so cut off from reality, in particular, his body. So Nigel should give him advice, kindly (note: he gave him no advice about dancing at all.)
Advice could sound like this: When you dance, you need to try to feel gracefulness in your body and spirit, when you dance, all the movements you make need to flow together, (Your movements start and stop as you transition from one to another) when you dance, and are making arm movements, your arm must be stretched out (farther than you do yours) gracefully, you must try to feel the dance inside your body and not so much think of how you look. Your dancing looks more like an athletic work-out, because you don't make your movements flow like the wind in the trees, or a river, or running water, waves crashing and receding on the beach. There must be a rocking rhythm in your body, move all around not just up and down, not just thrust your pelvis back and forth. You must feel the dance coming from your abdomen and flowing through your spine. The whole middle of your body needs to be energetically involved. You need to go, humbly, to a dance teacher, and ask for help - not from a position of pride, but from a realization that although you want so much to dance, you have a lot more to learn. Dance could really help you enjoy life, not because of what people think of you, but more because it feels so good to do.
Okay - Nigel is in the position to say this to David - and many other dancers, to teach, to infuse people with his knowledge - but what does he do? He caters to the Public's desire for blood and gore, the emperor urging on the lions and gladiators to kill. His opportunity to teach the public what is important and what doesn't work in dancing is lost, and he (and Mary et al.) have reinforced people's tendency to bully and to sneer at the weak, the faulted, and the mentally ill. Nothing to be proud of, Nigel.
Replying about Irina Korenkov-Eller...Her soon to be ex-husband who is a wonderfully sweet man is my father in law. I missed the show (had to work) but wish I could have seen the mess that she made of herself. But it wasn't right her going on national tv airing her personal laundry. Just my opinion. But if anyone has the video LOVE TO SEE IT!!!
Guest said: Re: Nigel commenting on David Soller, how embarrassed I am for the human race, as a representative of it abuses a mentally ill man who thinks he can dance - teacand is quite poor at it. Are we not supposed to be growing wiser and kinder as a race? Certainly David S. is innocent of all accusations by reason of insanity! ..... and he (and Mary et al.) have reinforced people's tendency to bully and to sneer at the weak, the faulted, and the mentally ill. Nothing to be proud of, Nigel.
Obviously you haven't watched all the previous seasons where "Sex" comes on the show to promote himself, and his 'sexuality'.
I don't feel sorry for him at all. And last year Nigel told both him and his mother to not come back, and they did, so I don't blame Nigel for telling him off.
He is not trying to dance, he is trying to get attention, and he is definitely not sexy... and doesn't even make an attempt to be sexy, which would at least be interesting.
He is an idiot and I agree with Nigel. And shame on his mother for promoting his name as "Sex".
And I hope they don't allow him to try out next year, and they better not show him on TV if he does!
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