So You Think You Can Dance - 5/22/08

I'm so excited I could just squeal. I love this show, I love Cat Deeley, I love watching all of the dancers. (I don't know anything about dance more than what I have learned from Reality TV, but I know what looks good).

Nigel Lithgow needs a haircut badly. That's the first thing I can see for sure. The season intro was long, but I am so excited to see some of these fantastic dancers.

First Auditions: LA (Don't you just love Cat Deeley's accent?)

Judges for LA are Nigel, Mary, and Mia Michaels (and they showed a clip of the bench routine, which I loved loved loved)

Devin Oshiro is up first, and there is a very awkward moment where she didn't move a bit, and it turned out her music was wrong. She is a contemporary dancer, and the original music was Baracuda. Not so much. When she got the right music, it was grand. The judges all love her, and Mia says that if she stays in through to the end, she could be stupid. Really stupid. I think that was a compliment.

There was a really long pre-audition segment with Italian Jonathan Anzalone. When he finally got to the dance, it didn't seem so much dance as prelude to a strip routine. The things was just this side of totally inappropriate. Or maybe that side. Not sure. He did some really impressive moves, that's for sure. It's just a shame that his routine was so. . .yeah. Mia Michaels said that he wouldn't be very "sex-essful" as the ultimate Freudian slip. Mary did some cackling. He argued with the judges about dance move names, and Nigel called him smug. He is berated for being arrogant and he didn't listen to what the judges had to say about sending him through. Mary says she wants to send him through, Mia sends him through, but not without saying that she would probably end up throwing him out the window trying to get him to listen. Uck. He's on to call-backs.

And everyone's favorite loser is back - it's Sex! It is his third year auditioning, and he is delusional. He said that he almost got to Vegas the first year (and they showed a clip. He did not), and the second year he claims to have done very well (and Nigel said that he shouldn't be allowed to be a dancer on this planet). This year's audition is weird and strange, like we've come to expect from him, though I am not sure why his hair inside his shirt, and he left the stage before the music was over and before the judges had their say. Mia said that he seemed to be improving last year when she watched the auditions from home. Mary cackles. This guy is delusional and just wanting attention. He claims to have many many years of formal training, with "many master choreographers around the country." Nigel calls it like it is and says that he just likes the attention and he refuses to call him Sex anymore, he's just David. Sex/David mumbles something about dancing right now on Planet California... ugh.

Laura Garcia is up next, and she has retinitis pigmentosa. She is not a bad mover, and she had Mia Michaels in tears, calling her a true inspiration. They worry about how well she can follow choreography. Because the competition is so intense, they say that they can't move her on, but they think she should keep dancing. This is why I love this show - some other shows would play the sob story. "She's what? Almost blind? FANTASTIC, let's milk it!"

Stephen Boss aka Twitch is up next. He was in Vegas last year, and he lost the final spot to Hok. Hok was incredible, so it was a good decision. Before his audition, Nigel tells him that if he doesn't make it though Vegas this year, he's going to kick his ass. He's a very talented and amusing dancer. Mary calls him sick. Again, I think that's a compliment. Then she cackles that he's stupid. And Mia says he gives her Stink-face. Also a compliment. Huh. He's through to Vegas.

The next guy up is Hamilton, and he is terrible and looks like an eskimo. He said that being fat is his niche, and Mia says that's nonsense and he's playing a character, not actually being good to himself.

Irena Something or other is wretched, and she's off balance and not good. She's 46 years old, and separated. She says that she left a half million dollar home just to be happy. It is deemed not good enough for the competition. Mary gives her a Paula-seal clap.

Phillip Chbeeb is up next, and he was cut in Vegas last year. He does some insane tricks. I kind of liked a bobble-head moves that he did. It was cute. His bow was even well choreographed. He's fascinating. He's an engineering and physics major. I like that. They are really hoping for him to be versatile. He's going to go to the choreography call backs.

William Wingfield is up next, dancing to a very depressing poem. I'm not sure what was better - his dancing, or the poem? Nigel says it was clever and cool, but maybe not the best audition for this program. He says there was too much clever stuff and not enough dancing. Mary wanted more, and she loved him. Mia liked it too, but wanted to see more. They send him on for the choreography call-backs.

They spend some time on the bad auditions on this show, but much less than American Idol, so it is less painful. The last contestant of the day strips down tohis skivvies before dancing. Yipes. Rijiy Ames does some almost ballet/almost contemporary in his tighty whities and dance shoes. They had to censor his last roll... The thing is, it might have been not so bad if he hadn't been almost naked. That's a gimmick gone bad. Mary flat out asked him why he was wearing only his underpants, and he said he wanted to be a clean slate for them to mold. Nigel said there was nothing there he wanted to mold. It's a unanimous no. He says that he will try something more clothed next year. Let's hope so.

Travis from Season 2 is teaching the Call Back Choreography (I loved him).

First up is Phillip Chbeeb and a girl, and then Jonathan who ignored his partner, and William Wingfield. They don't mention the women at all. Jonathan is gone, and he says he is just too beautiful for this competition. Right. Way to take what Nigel said ("Take away some of that arrogance and replace it with actual talent.") to heart, Jonathan. Buh-Bye.

Phillip Chbeeb and William are through to Vegas.

18 go through from Day 1 in LA.

Erika Gee is trying the third time, and she's really pretty and she moves really well. She's another contemporary dancer. Mia says that last year she was really all over the place and unfocused, and Erika thanks them for cutting her after that, because she needed the focus. She's on to Vegas, where I hope she can continue to be herself.

Leonidis and Aliona are up next. They are a couple as well as partners. I love seeing good ballroom couples. They were smoking. Leonidis has a crazy hairdo. Mary lets out a hoot and a cackle. She loves them, as does Nigel. Mia says they are hot hot hot. They are on to Vegas. She is a little washed out as a blonde, I would like to see her with darker hair.

Randy Lewis would be an embarrasment in a dark club. He's giving himself the Stink Face, and t this time it is not a good thing. Edwin Martin is up next, looking like Super Mario, and collapsing after dropping his hat. It was funny at least.

Victor Kim is up next, and he is one of the craziest breakers I have ever seen. The way he moved made me wonder if he does yoga. He finished by walking down the stairs on hi hands and sitting next to Cat pretending to clap for the performance on stage (that was him). He was funny, he was a fantastic mover, he was great. He's studying business and economics, but says he doesn't want to be an accountant. He's on the the Choreography callback.

Dominic, and Hok from last year are back to see the auditions. Cool. The Golden Inferno is back to audition. Ugh. Really? Nigel encourages him to keep his head up, and tells him to smile behind the mask. That man is seriously insanely skinny. He was 485 lbs according to Nigel before he started doing his "jump style" dancing. I wonder if that is true. He is not going on. Nigel claims that he would have put him straight to Vegas. Somehow I doubt that. Bye-bye Inferno.

Ricky Sun and Asuka Kondoh are up next, and Asuka is really sick (and not in the good/Mia Michaels way), but you would never know it on stage. She's a good performer. Ricky was also very good. They have only been dancing together for 3 months, and they had a great connection. They are back for the Choreography call backs and have to dance with different partners for that. Asuka sees the medics after her audition and looks kind of green around the gills. Whenever Cat says her name, I think she's calling her Oscar.

Kherrington Payne is a tough soccer player. The judges notice that Dominic (from last year) seems to like her. Nigel says that she is beautiful and commercial looking, Mary says that she is joyful and has the it-factor. Mia also loved her. She's through to Vegas. Nigel picked on Dominic's instant love for her.

After the break, there's a montage of bad excuses for not getting through, including the genius who says the judges are "racist against tall people." Yeah, sure.

The final audition is another popper, Robert Muraine. He's pretty much a contortionist. He is very entertaining, that's for sure. I think Phillip Chbeeb has some competition. He has great facial expressions. I think Mia Michaels is peeing herself thinking about things she could choreograph for his body. They let him keep going an going. I think it was one of the longest auditions I have seen on this show. It was phenomenal. Nigel says he is officially his favorite dancer of 2008. He wants to see him doing choreography, and says that even if he is not good for this show, he hopes that enough people would see him that he gets exposure and jobs elsewhere.

And - YARGGGGGG - this is where my dvr cut off! Blast Fox for running late! Did he get through to Vegas? What happened in the choreography? Did we even find out? Help me out here, dear readers!

Edited to add: I read on another blog that Victor Kim did not make it through after the choreography, but Asuka and Ricky did. Also, Robert got a ticket to Vegas right off the bat.