Vegas Callbacks #1
Updated 2009-10-08 09:29:23
Hey! Las Vegas! Or, as it is apparently officially known by everyone in the world, "Vegas, Baby". As you know, there have been a lot of auditions, which have disgorged many ambitious young people onto this city. Will people bring It, or will It remain Unbroughten? Let's find out!
You know, it took me an entire season before I realized that the theme song to So You Think You Can Dance had lyrics in it. I thought it was just low mumbles interspersed with the occasional squeal, but then I noticed that the squeal sort of sounded like "Dance!" and then the low mumbles resolved into the first part of the title. Just thought I'd share that with you. I'm still pretty sure the "na na na na" part doesn't mean anything.
There are 152 dancers here, and I can't be bothered to go back and see if that matches up with the numbers we were given at the end of each episode. Let's assume it does. Oh, there's the guy with the bowtie and the silly trousers! I remember him! Sort of! Cat joins all the dancers on stage and then brings on the judges. It was more fun when she said "jidges" and we all smiled and thought how cute that was. I preferred that to the current system, where she never says "judges" at all, preferring to make everyone else shout it for her. Anyway, the judges are Tyce Diorio, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe. That's pretty much everyone but Li'l C, isn't it?
Phase One is a round of solos. That's not really going to distinguish this from the regular audition shows. First up is Nathan Trasoras, who showed up last season (like four months ago) but was too young. He likes to do pirouettes and kind of mixes hip hop and contemporary. No feedback is given, so you'll have to take my word for it.
Next up, Ellenore Scott has a very engaging smile (and knows it!) and does a dance in which she falls down a lot and waggles her butt. She throws in enough actual ballet to show that she's not just screwing around. She's just adorable. More dancers leap about in an impressive fashion. Nigel looks bug-eyed at some of the ladies, as he is wont to do.
After the first ten solos, we learn that the dancers need three "yes" votes to stay in. People named Chance and Paige are sent home, but the other people we saw get to stay. I think this ballroom dancer is the Russian one from yesterday.
More dancing happens. It's not all "solo", exactly, because we see some ballroom being done in pairs. One guy does that ridiculous backwards push-up thing that looks like it should pop his shoulders out of joint. People do flips into fancy poses and other people fall down. There's a Kasprzak sighting. Skip, the New Orleans Bounce guy, gets an awful lot of footage while the judges groove along.
Here's a phrase to put a chill down the spine of any recapper: "In the next group of soloists were two dancers who'd overcome incredible obstacles to make it through the city auditions." It's the deaf girl (Allison Becker) and the guy trying to escape the mean streets of Atlanta. That's Thomas Hamilton, and I like how his routine involves a moment where he's climbing the lighting rig that's technically offstage. Nigel doesn't care for it, I think. No, he does not. Allison and Thomas are both dismissed. Thomas admits that he kind of forgot his solo and his improvisation led him to a weird place.
Forty-one dancers get sent home in a quick series of cuts. One gentlemen philosophizes that you win some and lose some, but then amends that, saying "I don't believe that, actually. You don't win and you don't lose. You just get kicked in the [bleep] once in a while.
Oh, lordy. Speaking of phrases I could do without, there's still "one controversial couple" before we're done with the solo rounds. Can your fragile mind handle the concept of ... same-sex ballroom dancers? I hope so, because I don't really want the forums to erupt. Jacob Jason and Willem de Vries dance. It sounds like the judges like the taller one in the blue shirt, but less so the other one. I don't know which is which. Ah, Jacob is the other one, and he's sent home. Willem stays. We see Jacob leave in slow motion with sad tinkly music.
The 111 remaining dancers sit on the stage. The next genre is hip hop, which means that it's time for people to put on sneakers and baseball caps and try to look "street". Teddy (the guy with the bowtie and silly trousers) is wearing a white T-shirt, which I imagine could be taken as some kind of metaphor. Let's see how he can do without elaborate wardrobe, shall we?
Tabitha and Napoleon, which everyone knows should be called Taboleon, lead the remaining dancers through a hip hop routine while we get reminded about that one amazing guy from Boston. He does "awesome power move hip hop", not necessarily "choreographed hip hop", you know?
Teddy's in the first group, and he appears to know the routine. But the music gets stopped halfway through by Nigel. What's going on? Well, he's just screwing with everyone on stage. They're all through. Teddy's in! In the next group, the awesome guy from Boston is dismissed. Twenty-one other people also don't make it, but it's time for Ryan Kasprzak, whom I'm sure we all remember. Remember that time his brother was on the show? Like two months ago?
Cat claims that "hip hop is way outside [Ryan's] comfort zone", but he looks fine to me. We hear the judges conferring and disagreeing. They're 3-3, which means that Ryan is barely through, although he has to endure a scolding. Ryan is chastened but optimistic.
The next day, there will be a cha-cha-cha. Everyone is seems a little hyper at breakfast, which does not surprise me, really. The choreographer is introduced, and since he's assisted by Anya, I assume it will be Pasha. But no! It's Louis van Amstel. It's a very fast routine, and I enjoy seeing Louis and Anya demonstrate it. I'd like to see more of that sort of thing, because I like seeing how the routine is supposed to work.
Suddenly! Blood on the dance floor! A young man has gotten whacked in the face by an errant spin by his partner, and he's got a bloody nose. Ouch! But the rehearsals must go on! Russell Ferguson, the krumper from Boston, is doing pretty well. His plan is to use "weight, power, passion, and love." Also, he wants to put Boston on the map. Isn't it already on the map? I mean, it's a pretty big city. Russell is with Iveta, the Russian ballroom dancer from Salt Lake City. And Billy (the guy with the bloody nose) is recovered enough to dance, but he has to get some emergency rehearsal in the aisles.
As Russell and Iveta dance, I like that Nigel walks around behind the judge table talking to everyone. He's probably just doing it so he doesn't have to talk to Mary the whole time, but still. Russell dances very precisely. He's in control of his movements at all times. Anyway, everyone in this group goes through, and Adam gives Russell and Iveta their own personal standing ovation. Iveta and Russell appear to get along pretty well, and she jokes that maybe they can go do a combination ballroom-and-krumping show.
More dancing. People get praised. It's time for Nosebleed Billy Bell, who is a little worried since he's never done the routine to music. Also, his partner almost broke his nose. He's in the same group as Legacy (a B-boy from Phoenix), who has problems with the basic idea of copying someone else's movements. Legacy is unsure and tentative and is told to fight for his life. LIP-SYNC FOR YOUR LIFE! Wait, that's a different show. Anyway, Billy's through. Good for him. Another dancer gets told to fight for his life. Legacy plans to "go bonkers on that stage". Man, I'd like to see that!
Ryan Kasprzak is in the final group. He'll have to have the dance of his life! When we come back from commercial, Ryan tells us that he's trying to calm down and do well. Frankly, I think he's trying a little too hard. He's making odd faces and stomping into his spots. Anyway, Nigel tells him that he got an extra chance after the hip hop because his solo was outstanding. Today, Nigel says it was "frighteningly strong", with "nothing of the style involved with this routine". He's cut. We see him call Evan to tell him the news. Well, there you go. Bye, Ryan! Everyone still seems to really like you! That's gotta count for something, right?
We're done except for contemporary dancer John Litzler and B-boy Legacy, who get one last solo. John auditioned in New Orleans, where he did some fancy flippy-flippy. Mia observes his solo with a stony glare. Nigel complains about John's emotionless face during the dance and then votes no. Mary and Adam vote yes. Debbie thinks there are stronger dancers and votes no. Mia votes no. It's down to Tyce, which has to be worrying. Tyce votes no, and John goes home. Although Nigel and Adam both tell him to audition again next season, which is nice.
Legacy is tearing up and might be tensing up a bit. And here he goes! He does some big moves and appears to enjoy himself out there. Nigel tells him that his cha-cha stinks (oh, you never want to hear that on national television!) and that he'll have to learn to dance on his feet as well as on his head. Nigel and Tyce vote yes. Mia calls him a [bleep-bleep] and complains that he stops too much. That's valid, I think. The moves could be chained together a little better. Yes for Mia. Yes for Debbie. Adam emphasizes transitions (by saying "Transitions. Transitions. Transitions") and also votes yes.
Somewhere offscreen, Teddy and Skip got cut. That part always feels anticlimactic, doesn't it? Where we were following people closely right up but we don't get to see them leave?
Next week: More Vegas! Um, "Baby!"
You can email Monty at montykins@gmail.com if that's your idea of a good time.