The latest episode of SO YOU CAN DANCE featured the second batch of televised New York auditions. More importantly, it was the last chance for dancers to make an impression on the series’ “jedges” in hopes of earning a ticket to The Academy. In other words, it was the hot tamale train’s last stop before depositing dancers at The Academy. Featuring a frustrating mix of impressive talent and time wasters that caused a lovely mix of slow blinks and outrage, “New York Auditions #2” was even further proof that SYTYCD has returned to its roots. Check out our recap to hear all about the highlights, low points, and everything in between.
The opening.
Nothing says “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE” like Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy doing that thing they do. So, when this last round of auditions opened up with Nigel joking that he hoped Mary would lose her voice one day, there was that same distinct feeling of finally being home that accompanied this season’s premiere. With a week off between the first half of the New York auditions and this week’s conclusion, the series was actually greatly missed — a sentiment that wasn’t exactly present during breaks in either the kids’ edition or that whole “Street vs. Stage” debacle.
But those missteps are (thankfully) in the past, so let’s hop on that hot tamale train and see where it takes us.
Oh. And by the way: Bonus technique points to Mary for letting Vanessa Hudgens join in on the Nigel-slapping fun. It’s a “yes” for me.
The first contestants in “New York Auditions #2” were Magda and Kiki, who were here to show off their cha-cha skills.
Magda was born in Poland, raised in Toronto, and currently living in New Jersey. With all of that moving around, you’d think she might have some trouble with communicating. But it was her partner, Kiki, who couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence. Luckily, Magda was more than happy to do all of the talking for him.
Cue my soulmate Mary Murphy cackling over this on television, just as I was doing the same back home on my couch. (So, she was taped. So what?)
If nothing else, Magda and Kiki were on trend: They set their cha-cha to “Move Your Body,” a Sia song. All they needed was a nude leotard and blonde wig to complete the picture.
Joking aside, the footwork just seemed sluggish and out of sync with the tune, making yours truly wonder whether this couple had fallen victim to the same editing sorcery as Ryan Bailey had. The cha-cha wasn’t even actually slow or imprecise; it just didn’t work with Sia, especially toward the second half of the audition piece.
Judges’ comments: Your regularly-scheduled commentary has been replaced with “three esteemed jedges” (more like two, but who’s counting) standing up and waving tickets to The Academy. After Magda and Kiki left the stage, ballroom queen and hot tamale train gatekeeper, Mary Murphy, had this to say: “I’d like to dance with him a paso doble, I tell you.”
Tell me more. Better yet, show me.
Magda and Kiki’s performance was followed by a montage of ballroom wins.
Sorry, folks: No time to show any of these dancers’ hard work in its entirety because we needed to save air space for insanity, which will come later. We’ll just have to take Mary’s word for it that she was having “the. best. day. everrrrrr!!!!!”
The next full audition came from Zachary Downer.
This was Zachary’s second time auditioning for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. He was lucky enough to get all the way to The Green Mile in season 12 without making the final cut. Yes, I said he was lucky. No, I won’t hear any arguments on that. I mean, would someone this insanely talented really want to be associated with having been on that gimmick of a season? The answer should be a resounding no. If it isn’t, our priorities are out of order here.
Zachary promised a “very masculine and aggressive, animalistic” performance; and he more than delivered. His solo was a gorgeous interplay between different types and dynamics of dancing that fit very well together. And those leaps? Be still my beating heart. Talk about effortless.
Bonus: Zachary’s leg form was even great in his acrobatic elements. Hashtag so blessed.
Between the power, the technique, and the great mixture of an African vibe with contemporary, it was all I could do not to start muttering “Ailey” under my breath.
Judges’ comments: Much like Magda and Kiki, Zachary Downer found himself on the receiving end of a standing ovation. Once the judges took their seats, it was time for my favorite part of SYTYCD and yours: Mary Murphy screaming about the hot tamale train.
Iconic.
Vanessa Hudgens’ critique started out as the embodiment of fangirls’ live tweeting everywhere: “Oh, my gosh. I’m dying. You are so frickin’ fierce. Like, the fire in your performance is just overwhelming.” But then she started talking about a bird? I wish I understood — honestly, I do — because I’d love to fangirl over dancing with Vanessa. I just need it to make sense.
Nigel Lythgoe brought the chatter back to the land of the normal. Proving that he and I should totally talk dance over coffee sometime, he mentioned that Zachary’s dancing was very Ailey-like. A bffdom in the making, if I ever saw one.
Verdict: The Academy. (Obviously.) Pro-tip to the Ailey team: If y’all don’t give this guy a call soon, someone else definitely will.
The hot tamale train’s next potential passenger was Ramita Ravi, who came equipped with her own unique blend of dance styles.
Ramita’s parents were originally from India. In order to keep their culture alive in their daughter, they signed Ramita up for classical Indian dance lessons when she was five years old. At the same time, she also enjoyed learning “jazz, ballet…all that stuff.” So, her choice to marry classical Indian dance to contemporary was a way to make her passion more accessible to her parents.
I’d be hard pressed to try to comment on the Indian portion of Ramita’s solo, given that I know nothing about the style. With that being said, though, the second she exploded into showcasing some of her contemporary moves, right on target with one of the big moments in the music, was worthy of nothing more than just…wow. That’s it. “Wow.”
From that point on, watching the interplay between the Indian dance and the other technique was fascinating. The whole audition just had something unique — and almost quirky? — about it.
Judges’ comments: Nigel found Ramita’s piece to be interesting and uplifting, while both Mary and Vanessa were all about the hands. Vanessa was all, “oh, my gosh. I love your hands. I want them,” just before moving on to critique the moments where Ramita lost an awareness of her face. And really, it’s impossible to fault Vanessa for that response because I’ve been there, time and again, with certain dancers’ feet. (Ricky Ubeda and Brooklin Cooley, I’m looking at you — among others.)
After showing several clips of dancers discussing how they’d worked hard their whole lives to perfect their art, it was time for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’s latest absolute waste of time: Peter Mangione.
Peter started training a whopping six months ago. Obviously, that means he deserves to be shown on television when there are professional-level dancers whose SYTYCD auditions get left on the cutting room floor. Add in the fact that Peter and his friends think he’s “not that bad. I mean, I’m not…good. But I’m not that bad,” and it’s time for yours truly’s weekly fit of rage.
Ummm. He couldn’t even pronounce ballet properly. So, really, the folks at SYTYCD are just lucky that Mary Murphy is back or else I would’ve broken my television and sent them the bill.
Everything about this audition was awful, from Vanessa Hudgens’ giggling over Peter’s abs, to whatever that guy was calling “dancing” in his baggy shorts.
Judges’ comments: Vanessa said she wanted Peter’s performance to show people that they should just go up there and have fun. Then, there was something about Nigel wanting to “see more people come down here and take the chance.”
Y’all are kidding me right now. There’s taking a chance, and then there’s…that. Just no. The train has gone off the rails.
Still with us? Click through to the second page to see if SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’s New York auditions improved after whatever that just was. Spoiler alert: They did.
Arielle Disciascio had the somewhat unenviable position of having her performance shown after Peter Mangione’s.
At this point, SYTYCD really had to prove itself, so there wasn’t a lot of patience left for listening to Arielle’s backstory. Placed anywhere else in the episode, Nigel Lythgoe’s shoutout to Arielle’s mom, whose cancer was now in remission, might have been heartwarming. Catch your Resident Judgmental Dancer in the bad mood she was in after that last fail, though, and it was more of an opportunity for annoyance.
Just. Dance. Already.
Thankfully, when Arielle finally started to dance, it was well worth the wait. Her technique was lovely, and that was a pretty epic tour leading into her floor work. Massive, yet controlled right on down to the ground. (Try doing that without good control, and get back to me on your wish to die from all of the bruising, folks.)
And those toes. Yes.
The only thing that could have made this solo better — aside from not wasting so much time before airing it — would have been a much, much bigger contraction right at the very end.
Judges’ comments: Nigel was first up with the praise, telling Arielle, “you danced that beautifully, darling.” Mary complimented how “utterly controlled” the dancer’s movements were; but at the same time, she wanted her to try to “live life more dangerously” in future pieces. Vanessa Hudgens thought the solo was beautiful.
Verdict: Mary wanted to send Arielle straight to The Academy. Nigel, on the other hand, saw plenty of potential but still wanted her to go to the choreography round first. Vanessa acted as the tie breaker, sending Ms. Disciascio straight to The Academy — and Ms. Murphy straight into a fit of screams.
Montage of familiar faces!
Chris Andrews and Jason Kidd were more dancers who were lucky enough not to “win” a spot in season 12, and Chase “Ctut” Lindsey was back after falling short of being one of season 11’s top dancers.
This was all just a way to set up Romainson Romain’s return to the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE auditions. Just like Chris Andrews and Jason Kidd, he had previously tried out in season 12 (aka the season most of us wish had never happened).
While “New York Auditions #2” was the hot tamale train’s last stop before making this season’s voyage to The Academy, it wasn’t the end of the road for most dancers. Romainson, on the other hand, was really down to his final shot. Next year, he’ll be too old to audition.
As if having just one last chance to make the show wasn’t enough pressure, Romainson had also decided to dedicate his performance to his cousin Marvin, who died just last year.
The desperation definitely showed its ugly face in Romainson’s performance. Those turns, while an admirable attempt from a hip hop dancer, were…not good. And those sneakers didn’t exactly help with the feet. What Romainson lacked in technique, though, he made up for in raw emotion.
Judges’ comments: Vanessa wanted Romainson to be set free; and Nigel wanted all of that weight off of his shoulders. Mary echoed her colleagues’ feelings, delivering a heartfelt and teary-eyed motivational speech of sorts: “We all have grief in our life and so many tragedies…[But] take that step, and trust me it will be okay. You gotta dance. You gotta live! You gotta bring joy back. And only you can bring the joy back.”
Verdict: Romainson was going to have to prove himself in the choreography round if he wanted to get his ticket to The Academy. Mary’s advice on how to pass? “Let it go. You love them; they love you. They want you to shine!”
Indeed.
Next up: Marc “Fullout” Royale, aka This Guy Should Go Dance With Peter.
Ok. That was probably harsh. Marc’s hip hop was way better than whatever that wasted time from earlier was supposed to be. But it still wasn’t anywhere near what belongs on on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. At least Marc had the decency to apologize, though.
Judges’ comments: Nigel sang along with Marc’s music. Important. But “you can only go full out for so long, can’t ya?” Indeed. Vanessa complimented Fullout’s energy level, but thought the “technique needs a bit of work.” You don’t say.
Verdict: Nope.
And then, at long last, SYTYCD reunited me my first love: Ballet. And Claire Rathbun was here to prove that it was possible to be a ballerina with personality.
Ok, I have no idea why we’d need to prove that. But whatever.
At any rate, Claire was a hit the instant she put on her pointe shoes and called herself “super awkward!” (She gets me.) Her solo was lovely, and she was more than just “[giggles] good, usually.”
With that being said, nobody does ballet without being open to corrections. So.
Let me clear my throat. Ahem. Let’s go.
Claire’s chest was angled forward for a bit longer than I would have liked to have seen. It works for certain steps and facings, as well as just conveying particular feelings, but it was a wee bit excessive here. Keep that back nice and straight — it’s tried and true.
Secondly, that passé was a bit over-crossed. That one comes down to preference and the like, though. The position wasn’t really wrong; it just wasn’t a favorite. The main area where the technique definitely needs a bit of a clean-up was the piqué turns. You can’t blame camera angles for that slight loss of turnout, but it’s definitely not something we should see for that particular step. Or any step that’s not intended to be in parallel, really.
Judges’ comments: Vanessa Hudgens wanted to see more (same), and she got dizzy just watching the turns (girl, no). Mary Murphy told Claire she had “a grace and elegance that we really haven’t seen today,” and she complimented the dancer’s presence and control. Nigel agreed with both ladies but actually wanted to see even more of Claire’s personality when she was dancing.
Verdict: The Academy or bust.
At long last, it was time for New York’s final audition. The honor went to Lex Ishimoto…but not until after a very tired Nigel Lythgoe cued music for an empty stage.
I really wish that whoever does the editing for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE knew as much about technique as your average live tweeter. In Lex’s introductory video package, he talked about all the styles of dance that he knows, including lyrical. Awesome, right? Wrong. Just as Lex was mentioning lyrical, there was a shot of him, mid-air, with his feet in a dead hang.
Yikes.
So, color me pleasantly (and massively) surprised when he stepped on stage and did that.
The stretched feet, the beautiful mixture of styles, the control…Everything Lex did was gorgeous. To say that his audition was impressive would be an understatement; and the fact that he was still able to get me this excited about his dancing after days on end of going nuts over The Dance Awards speaks volumes. (No, really. Catch a live stream of TDA and/or hunt down some videos on youtube. You’ll see what I mean.)
Judges’ comments: Nigel told Lex he was going to be a star, and he asked if he’d done anything professionally. The answer: Your boy’s a part of Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound. Yes, that Travis Wall. (How’s that going to work out if Lex makes it into this year’s top group??)
Mary Murphy was up next, and it’s honestly impossible to recap her enthusiasm without just quoting it. So, here we have it: “I love the way you move. I love the way you think. You’re a smart dancer. You have a different way of doing things. You’re in the tenth dimension! “ When Nigel Lythgoe asked if that meant Lex Ishimoto was a passenger on the hot tamale train, he got an earful: “of course he is! WOOOO!!!!”
(Please add as many Os to that as deemed necessary.)
Verdict: Academy.
The final order of business was the world’s quickest clip of the choreography round.
Romainson Romain, Ramita Ravi, and 25 other dancers proved themselves worthy of tickets to The Academy. But, you know, we didn’t get to meet those 25 other dancers because we were all busy being tortured by that Peter mess.
I’m not bitter or anything.
Next stop: The Academy.
Make sure to watch SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE on Monday, July 17 at 8/7c on FOX to see everyone’s favorite exercise in dancers’ torture.