Welcome back to season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance, for my money one of the best talent competition shows on TV. Last summer, we saw some incredible dancers, spearheaded by champ Ricky, and got some memorable routines. This year, the show looks a little different. There’s a Street vs. Stage shtick that pits classically trained dancers against hip-hop street dancers until the live shows when they’re combined. It might be a cool twist; it might be a needless gimmick. Comment below with your thoughts.
We also have two new judges. Hot Tamale Train conductor and resident SYTYCD’s loudmouth Mary Murphy has left the judging panel this year and has been replaced by Paula Abdul, a veteran of another TV talent juggernaut. While I wasn’t the big of Paula during her American Idol tenure, she is primarily a dancer/choreographer rather than a singer and will no doubt bring a lot of experience to SYTYCD. When casting the third judge, I was optimistic. There were a lot of great guest judges last summer from the sublime Misty Copeland to Tara Lapinski. But who did SYTYCD pick? Jason Derulo. Yup, Jason “Wiggle” Derulo. I get that they needed a hip-hop dancer on the panel but why not tWitch or NappyTabs or, I don’t know, anyone else. From his past guest judging stints and this first episode, Derulo is about as good of a public speaker as he is a performer. And no, that’s not a compliment. Besides, am I reading too much into his televised comments or was he borderline homophobic to a few contestants? Again, let me know below.
When we get to the live shows, I’ll recap and rate each performance but until then, I’ll just talk about the top five auditions in each episode, listed by appearance.
Andre Rucker (Team Street)
Andre made his SYTYCD debut last season but dropped out during Vegas week due to the stress of the choreography round. While I don’t know how well Andre will do this time around learning others choreo, his audition was pretty great. This Dragon House member lived up to his crew’s SYTYCD successes with a rhythmic and utterly entertaining routine. Showing off his impeccable isolations, Andre ran the gamut from moments of grace, moments of horror and even moments of humor all in one short piece.
Ladia Yates (Team Street)
I’m not expert in Jookin’, Buckin’ or any other style really ending in “in’.” In fact I’ve never heard Jookin’ before this episode. But if that’s Jookin’, I’m a fan. Ladia’s audition was exceptionally fun. From some crazy-fast leg movement to a bone-breaking ankle roll, Ladia’s routine had great hip-hop technique and a killer performance style. If she can harness that technique and entertainment value into a choreographed routine, she could be top 10 material.
Vishonda Sims (Team Street)
One of the most emotional routines of the night belonged to Vishonda, whose freestyle told a complete musical story. Hard hitting and intense, her movement was motivated by some deep-seated pain that spilled over into every movement. Although it was emotional and technically proficient, I do wish she displayed a little more physical vocabulary.
Lily leyva (Team Stage)
Devastatingly beautiful, this 19-year-old’s audition was the most emotionally connected piece of the night. Athletic and delicate, sorrowful and passionate, Lily’s audition was one to remember.
Edson Juarez (Team Stage)
Edson’s aggressive contemporary style showed off a killer command over his body. From great extensions to trampoline-high jumps, Edson is one to watch.
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Others Who Got A Golden Ticket Included:
- Peyton Albrecht (Team Stage) whose audition was surprisingly dark and very athletic but whose movement lacked jus ta bit of definition.
- Jordan "Jojo" Hilgenberg (Team Stage), a gorgeous redhead, who used the control of her impeccable technique to convey the story of her audition song but whose face didn’t quite conveyed the same emotionality of her body.
- Courtney Barnes (Team Street) who did show off some athletic technique in his musical smörgåsbord audition I doubt will last long.
- Guillermo Morales (Team Stage) who just missed the top five performing a really masculine, athletic routine combined with contemporary technique.
- Jaclyn Hamric (Team Stage), a magnetic performer, who delievered a slinky, sexy fun routine.
- Steven Banks (Team Street) who was not the best animator we’ve seen but performed a solid routine nonetheless.
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