Yay for a New Season! So You Think You Can Dance - 5/21/09

Oh yeah! I am so ready for this. If only Mary Murphy would shut the hell up, but other than that, this show is so fantastic, it takes my breath away.

I can sing. I can sing pretty darned well, if I do say so myself. So, American Idol makes me think "I could have done this, in my younger years..." This show? Simply puts me in awe of what the human body is capable of. I am an erratic dancer at best. I do love to see people who have the talent, though.

Auditions started in NYC. Brooklyn, to be precise. Nigel and Mary were joined by Tabitha and Napoleon.

First up? Gabi Rojis. She grew up in the circus. It's pretty cool. She has rheumatoid arthritis. Ow. poor girl. I love the way she moves. It's just beautiful and fluid and interesting. She's wonderful. Nigel says that he will be suprised if she's not in the top 20, and called it one of the best auditions he's seen in five years of the show, and said that she showed people what they mean when they talk about mixing technique with performance. I muted Mary's scream. Tabitha thought she was like a bird. She's through.

Storyboard P & Hobgoblin. Very very strange. They called themselves pioneers. I call them contortionists. Very distrurbing contortionists. It's not dancing. It's a performance, but it's not dance. They had the jusges cringing and Mary cackling. They climbed up on top of the judges table before they were done. Yipes. They call their genre mutation. They should get jobs in horror movies. Nigel thought they would be suited to Dawn of the Dead, the musical. They were sent to Choreography round, for what Tabitha called morbid curiousity. Let's see about that.

Let's have some painful auditions now, for good measure. Crazy Kate thinks that she's doing West Coast Swing. Not so much.

Peter Sabisino challenged us to a tap duel. He has some great tap skills. He doesn't look like the kind of guy who would be able to tap. And he's really great. He's also charismatic. Nigel called him like a tap dancing boxer. He also has some other styles he nows. Great. Mary said that he should wear something different (he was wearing workout clothes). He's through.

Tiffany Geigel has a birth defect basically that caused her spine to stop growing. She has three vertebrae instead of seven. As a result, she has normal length arms and legs, but her torso is very short and she has no neck. She moves beautifully. It's like something out of a Timothy Burton movie. Nigel said that her legs don't straighten properly, and she said that she has bad knees, but she's working on it. He applauds her bravery, and her hair, which he called magnificent as it swirled around her body as she danced. He wants people to be inspired by her. They gave her a standing ovation before telling her she isn't right for this competition.

Maxim Kappitonikov with Faina (from a previous season) as his partner. Nigel liked that he didn't pull any faces except for a couple winks. Mary liked him a lot, as did Tabitha and Napoleon. He's onto choreogrpahy.

Montage of people doing very well. Then, it's the possible William Hung of SYTYCD, Nabuya. He's actually pretty good. He certainly can move. And he's appealing. He is bendy and has some funky musicality. He admitted that locking is his favorite style. He's through to choreography.

Lauren from Season 3 led the choreography. They had 30 minutes to try to get it right, and the Mutants decide to bail. Results?

Maxim didn't do great, but he's through. An Uma look-alike and a guy with extraordinarily bad teeth, along with Nabuya, were among others who made it though.

Second day in Brooklyn...

Arielle Taylor made it to Vegas before, but it was a couple years ago. She is beautiful and reminds me a bit of Allison, I think. Nigel said he always loves her when he has seen her, and wondered what happened to her previously. They love her, and love that she's back. She's through to Vegas (again).

Thomas Martin was the national baton twirling champion as a child. The Bolero was just odd. It left Nigel speechless, and Mary called it novice. They are not going anywhere but home.

Montage of bad dancers...

Igor and Nina are a ballroom couple and did their cha cha routine (well, part of it) and they were lovely. At the end, he spun her around at an astonishing rate in a beautiful move. Nigel called them tremendous. Mary called it the longest pot stir (I think it's called) she's ever seen. Then she let out a scream. Tabitha and Napoleon loved them. They are through to choreography.

Kellen Stancil danced with an umbrella and used it well. He was quite good. Mary asked what the umbrella represented to him, and he broke down in tears, saying it was representative of his aunt. Tabitha and Napoleon thought that he connected beautifully and moved them. Nigel handed him a ticket to Vegas. Good for him.

Chimezie was the last contestant before the choreography round, and he sure can move. He's a locker, and apparently, a wall climber! Astounding. Nigel called his choreography fun and creative. He gave Mary a smile. Napoleon thought that the choreography lacked some meat, Tabitha said that there are more plusses than minuses, and he's though to choreography.

Who made it though choreography? Igor made it, but Nina did not. That's sad. Chimezie made it, too.

Next audition city was Denver.

Joining Mary and Nigel is Sonya.

Kayla Radomsky has very nice extension, and I think she's appealing. Nigel loved her, and the angles she hit were good. Mary loved it, and Sonya called it hot, and slick and slippery. Nigel handed her a ticket to Vegas. Good for her.

Montage of Sonya being awestruck by fantastic dancers.

It's a same sex ballroom couple! Mischa and Mitch. Mitch is straight, and Mischa's gay, so it's like an Erasure-partnership of dance. Will it be as successful? They can both certainly dance. Until they toppled over in a spin... head hit stage. And ouch. Nigel stopped them, saying it was rather like watching Blades of Glory, and didn't like the same sex samba. He did think they were both individually strong dancers. Mary was confused about the roles in the same-sex dancing, and thought that the technique needs some help. Sonya liked their movements, and they got sent to choreography.

Choreography round!

Mitch went home, but urged to come back. Mischa was just sent packing. 11 excited dancers did make it though.

Allison Moist did a Star Wars themed "dance" dressed like a lion. What? She admitted that the outfit had nothing to do with the dance. Mary said there was no dancing, but it was comical. Sonya couldn't believe she was really serious, and wondered if she understood that the flailing was not good. Allison claimed that she just wanted to be different.

To prove that she is not that different, there was a montage of other "different" dancers.

Elias Holloway is dancing with his brother, who is not auditioning because he's too young. He's done a lot of swimming, and is one of 14 kis. He's cute, and even threw in some belly rolls. It was kind of appealing. Nigel wanted to see more of it. Mary said it was just about the cutest thing she's seen on the show, and loves his look. Sonya called him marketable, because the camera loves him, and he was sent on to choreography.

Natalie Reid, Katee's roommate, is back! I loved her last season and was sad when she got cut. She's just beautiful. I love to see her move. Nigel said it is lovely to see her again. Sonya couldn't contain herself, and thought everything was right with her, and loved how real and sincere she made the movement. She got chills and didn't want it to end, and called her one of her favorite dancers. Mary is proud to see her back, and called it organic and real. Nigel called it superb, and handed her the ticket to Vegas. Natalie then called Katee, who was excited for her former roommate.

And Brandon Bryant, who got cut in favor of Gev last year, is the last of the day. He is phenomenal. The lines! The movements! The height! He's something else. He left Mary in tears, and she blubbered about how fabulous he is and how great her job is. Sonya thinks he dropped his life and love on the stage and called it wonderful. Nigel loved him, and hoped to see him in the Top 20. He got a ticket to Vegas, and Mary screamed. *Sigh*

Will Elias make it though choreography? Not this year. They ask him to come back when he's learned how to do choreography.

Next week is Florida and Memphis. Looking forward to it.

What did you think of the premiere?