S17. E01: Dance is Back! Auditions Show 1

[DanaK]

Quote

**SEASON PREMIERE**--"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" - (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) CC-HDTV 720p-Dolby Digital 5.1

DANCE IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! TOP DANCERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY GIVE IT THEIR ALL ON THE ALL-NEW SEASON PREMIERE OF "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, ON FOX

Welcome back you stupid show. I really missed you

[mojoween]

I am three times Jojo’s demographic, and apparently small children love her, so I’ll just admit that she is not for me.  Also, I hope after today she retired the word literally from her vocabulary because SHE IS NOT USING IT RIGHT.

I still love tWitch duh and I also am still fond of Matthew Morrison.  I cannot tell a lie though because I miss both Nigel and Mary.

Konnor was good, I’ll give them that.  The Russian girl was all arms and I feel like tWitch held back in their “battle”.

[slaterain]

Just saw that this was coming back in time to turn it on. 5 mins in and I’m already super annoyed with JoJo and her constant shouting and look at me me me overexcitement. I actually may miss the hot tamale train and was so over that.

14 mins in and have seen one dancer. This doesn’t bode well about them keeping the auditions short. Seems like they are trying to match the voice with even more backstory and judges backstage and other snippets. I just want to see the dance!!! Interesting that it is all at the LA stage. So no auditions at different cities. Does that mean they have already done a first round of auditions to get to this point? Maybe they will be smart and keep the auditions to a minimum. I hope that they still do their LA/dance week with all the choreographers. 

the Afro-dancer was amazing and so much fun to watch - he has the personality to do well on the show. 

I really don’t care that the 18 yr old likes fast cars. Weird thing to focus on but she was fun to watch dance and agree that wade robson or Sonya would be a fun choreographer for her to work with. 

I wish we could see them dance first before all the background stuff. I wanted the Russian to be better - So was glad that they passed for now. She popped way harder in her battle. She needs instruction and a choreographer. A lot of background for that and all the boxing footage? 
love the couple - liked the white stripes for a ballroom number. She definitely seems a bit stronger than him. Can understand them passing on the guy. 
Loved Macey’s (sp?) audition. Loved when you thought it would be a typ contemporary dance and then the isolations.

wish they had a preview or had given us any idea how the next few eps will go. Not sure Matthew adds much as a judge. But happy to have twitch and cat back. Although they seemed to minimize cat when she used to be a big part of chatting with them amidst auditions instead of all the back stories and I miss that. 
 

 

[rollacoaster]

Why is tWitch not in the middle seat?

That Russian woman played herself. All that talk about her uniqueness, and she hardly brought her A game. And got nerve to challenge tWitch!

I will say that I thought that the dancing she did when she "challenged" tWitch mighta woulda got her a couple of yes votes. 

I hate the sob stories and was prepared to hate the last dancer. I was pleasantly surprised that she was a good dancer.

I was surprised that we got only an hour tonight. 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by rollacoaster

[MartyQui]

I thought this was a great re-introduction to the show.  Konnor did a good job, it was right to let the Russian go, and Maci’s story and dance were really moving.  I was wiping away tears.

[jewel21]

My PVR forgot to record this so I missed it. I'll try and see if I can watch it on the CTV app or something tomorrow. Thankfully it was just the auditions. 

Was it weird not to have Nigel and Mary there?

[Lily H]

I like tWitch and Matthew Morrison. Hated the rest of it. Even the 'good' dancers were just OK. Too many backstories and sob stories, too few auditions. Glad the Russian was sent packing. Don't know who the girl judge is but she's as annoying as Mary, just in a different way. I'm guessing she's some fake social media "celebrity" chosen to reel in the teens and tweens, because she kept throwing around dance terms, presumably to legitimize herself. She needs to dial back the volume.

[meira.hand]

38 minutes ago, Lily H said:

Don't know who the girl judge is but she's as annoying as Mary, just in a different way. I'm guessing she's some fake social media "celebrity" chosen to reel in the teens and tweens, because she kept throwing around dance terms, presumably to legitimize herself. She needs to dial back the volume.

JoJo Siwa. She was the runner up in DWTS last season and I really liked her sweet personality during that competition. She is only 19, so may be a little overwhelmed by her role as a judge.

[mojoween]

My husband asked who Jojo was and I told him that I think she started on America’s Got Talent with a puppet, and I have no idea if that is her or not but I was too lazy to look it up.

I didn’t really get the Afro-dancer, because to me it looked like the same move over and over again.  I can’t tell what a choreographer is going to get from him with a different style.

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

My husband asked who Jojo was and I told him that I think she started on America’s Got Talent with a puppet, and I have no idea if that is her or not but I was too lazy to look it up.

I didn’t really get the Afro-dancer, because to me it looked like the same move over and over again.  I can’t tell what a choreographer is going to get from him with a different style.

JoJo started on Dance Moms as a teen.   And, apparently if you have a tween or younger in your life, she is #1.   She also was runner up on Dancing with the Stars.  I like her, and she is less over the top than I expected, but she still needs to dial it down a bit.   Love tWitch.   Jury is out on MM.  

[sharifa70]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

I feel like tWitch held back in their “battle”.

I did too, but I expected it when he agreed. One thing I’ve always noticed (and loved) about him besides his great dancing is how generous he is as a partner even during his competition season. I love and respect that he’s secure enough in his own talent that he lets others shine.

I never watched Dance Moms and have no kids, but if you know people who have to wear those gigantic bows in their hair, I understand we have Jojo to thank. I found her in this episode to be a little too loud and eager - I hope this is just a newbie thing and she tones it down over time. I’ll cut her some slack because she’s a kid. To be fair, she did offer some very specific technical critiques, which I appreciated. As long as she doesn’t start screaming (I do not miss that about Mary), I’ll give her a chance to settle in.

Cat Deeley is back!

[Quickbeam]

Hated that they showed only a snippet of the tapper. Way too much contemporary. I thought the male ballroom dancer was better than some of the people who got through. 
 

I like JoJo despite my ancient years. I found her appealing on DWTS. 

[Backwards999]

It's good to have the show back.  Jojo is a bit too loud for me as a judge. I actually think they should've asked Allison Holker to judge since she has ballroom experience. I guess we'll see how this season works out. 

[sharifa70]

25 minutes ago, Backwards999 said:

It's good to have the show back.  Jojo is a bit too loud for me as a judge. I actually think they should've asked Allison Holker to judge since she has ballroom experience. I guess we'll see how this season works out. 

I was surprised they don’t have a ballroom specialist on the judging panel. Maybe they figured Jojo’s experience on DWTS is enough? I haven’t watched DWTS in years so can’t speak to her ability in that area.

[realdancemom]

2 hours ago, Backwards999 said:

It's good to have the show back.  Jojo is a bit too loud for me as a judge. I actually think they should've asked Allison Holker to judge since she has ballroom experience. I guess we'll see how this season works out. 

I think they asked Jojo since she's popular with the tweens.  Looked how the kids screamed in Konner's mom's dance studio when he announced that she is a judge.  She is a bit too loud but I like that she gave technical critique.  Mary was the one that screamed and was too screechy.

MM is the one that I'm not sure of.  I think they should have gotten a ballroom specialist.  In that sense, Mary would make sense.  I think Derek Hough is actually a good judge on DWTS but probably has ABC obligations.

[appositival]

14 hours ago, jewel21 said:

Was it weird not to have Nigel and Mary there?

YMMV, of course, but I'll take Jojo over Nigel any day. She was a bit frenetic, but I wasn't cringing whenever she opened her mouth. Hopefully she will tone it down.

I'm assuming that we were shown the interesting auditions. This is the way I would prefer it, but I don't really need the backstories until I know the dancers on sight. I know some people love the backstories, but I would rather just watch people dance.

I loved Anna and her '50 ways' dance. The striped suit was better costuming than SYTYCD sometimes provides.

I suspect the Russian dancer (Anastasiia) is cross-trained (those shoes had ballroom level heels) and she just picked the wrong style for her audition. I'm wondering if she will audition again in a different style?

Conversely, I wonder how much cross-training Maci (the last dancer) has had. Despite her extensive intro package, we never saw her doing any other styles, true?. This show has a fondness for sob stories that don't survive the initial winnowing (the academy).

[Mason]

The producers have clearly revamped the show to appear relevant to their target audience, which clearly is not me. However, I have always watched the show to witness creativity and growth, which these kids can't fake long-term. And I will continue watching for the same reason,  

One sad observation: given the show has been off the air for 2 years, I was hoping to see older contestants. Instead, the focus remains on the barely eligible.

[bobby2018]

I am so glad that Jojo is not as crazy and loud as Mary. I don't mind backstories because I FF them all. I like meaningful critiques from judges, and they all did that. 

I enjoyed the first audition! 

Welcome back, Show. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by bobby2018
correction

[Terrafamilia]

6 hours ago, appositival said:

I loved Anna and her '50 ways' dance. The striped suit was better costuming than SYTYCD sometimes provides.

I thought her outfit was very smart. It definitely accentuated her style, so, kudos to her.

Maci's piece was like kabuki meets hip-hop in the best possible way.

[DEL901]

I had high hopes for the Russian dancer, but when they asked her style, she demonstrated and tWitch didn’t recognize what she then claimed was popping…she wasn’t going to make it.   But what I always liked  about the auditions is tha5 they are never out to embarrass anyone.   A couple of decent dancers in their own style.  But can they adapt?   We shall see. 

[displayname]

Anna Miller was nice. So was Maci. Bored by the rest.

[DEL901]

I’m impressed some of you know the names.  I refuse to learn any during auditions.  

[realdancemom]

12 hours ago, DEL901 said:

I had high hopes for the Russian dancer, but when they asked her style, she demonstrated and tWitch didn’t recognize what she then claimed was popping…she wasn’t going to make it.   But what I always liked  about the auditions is tha5 they are never out to embarrass anyone.   A couple of decent dancers in their own style.  But can they adapt?   We shall see. 

Plus I'm glad they stopped showing auditions from people like Sex that just want their 15 minutes of fame.  The ones that didn't make it at least really did want to make the show and were trying their best.

[ruffy666]

I've always liked this show and I will admit I am change-averse but JoJo Siwa.................. no thanks.  She honestly almost ruins the show for me with her shouting during each routine.  But hey she continues the long tradition of offering kinda dopey critique that isn't really constructive at all

Twitch is mostly charming and the jury's still out on Matthew Morrison.  

[Ilovepie]

I know I should be thankful this show came back at all, but this is just not my show. I can't stand JoJo. She's just so extra it's annoying. But even that pales to the complete change in how the initial auditions work. I know they had changed this before the pandemic, but I really miss them going to the different cities and just doing regular auditions with no studio audience. It has lost that organic feel to the audition process. I don't miss the joke auditions, but this just feels so staged and over produced already. I think I would even prefer it if they had pre-selected dancers but no studio audience. It just lessens the reveal and the importance of getting to the live shows when all the shows are live. I miss the old show. I don't know if I'll keep watching this.

[crowceilidh]

Really can do without JoJo.  I am now ffing through her look-at-me b.s. and Matthew who is just dull.

Really hated the move to big backstories during auditions when it happened, now that it seems to have reached its apex I am even more bored.  Everybody reaches for the emotions during these packages in totally cliched ways - there is nothing new in most stories and the complete lack of authenticity to the way they are put together shows why they aren't necessary.  I am here for the dance; not to find out that you're traumatized by your grandmother's death so that I must vote for you.  I wanna vote for you because you are a gifted dancer.

Also, the judges are NOT the stars of the show, no matter how much competitive reality shows love to wallow there.  Piss off.

Twitch is an in alright choice.  I love him and he doesn't appear to be utterly corrupted by his experiences with fame.

I did so much ffing that I'm wondering if I missed seeing these people go to choreo or are we not going to see that?

I've missed one season (the year they doubled, I just didn't have time for the second season), but as they've messed more and more with judges who aren't trained in a field of dance or are just famous/desperate, I've been less and less happy. I know Nigel has a group of ageist cancellers out there who always hated him, but the man laid a golden egg and they have just killed him.  Hmmm. 

I also think casting the very bottom of the age range is stupid -- no way are they all better than older contestants, so there is something else at the bottom of that decision.  I suspect the youngers are easier to exploit.

 

[realdancemom]

1 hour ago, crowceilidh said:

I did so much ffing that I'm wondering if I missed seeing these people go to choreo or are we not going to see that?

 

I know that there is a choreography round.  From what I can tell, everyone that received a Yes will go to that round.  I don't think that anybody automatically makes it to the academy.  I do like that part.  Since the auditions are in LA, they did lose the excitement of getting a ticket to Las Vegas or LA.

4 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I know I should be thankful this show came back at all, but this is just not my show. I can't stand JoJo. She's just so extra it's annoying. But even that pales to the complete change in how the initial auditions work. I know they had changed this before the pandemic, but I really miss them going to the different cities and just doing regular auditions with no studio audience. It has lost that organic feel to the audition process. I don't miss the joke auditions, but this just feels so staged and over produced already. I think I would even prefer it if they had pre-selected dancers but no studio audience. It just lessens the reveal and the importance of getting to the live shows when all the shows are live. I miss the old show. I don't know if I'll keep watching this.

I don't remember not having a studio audience even when they went to different cities for auditions.  Other dancers would be there and there would be families too since Nigel usually talked to their parents.  I didn't watch the beginning of Season 1 so is that when it happened?

[Ilovepie]

42 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

I know that there is a choreography round.  From what I can tell, everyone that received a Yes will go to that round.  I don't think that anybody automatically makes it to the academy.  I do like that part.  Since the auditions are in LA, they did lose the excitement of getting a ticket to Las Vegas or LA.

I don't remember not having a studio audience even when they went to different cities for auditions.  Other dancers would be there and there would be families too since Nigel usually talked to their parents.  I didn't watch the beginning of Season 1 so is that when it happened?

Yes other dancers, but not this staged audience like we have now - it was just the other dancers waiting for their turn and some parents in an auditorium. This feels exactly like the live rounds. No tickets to another city, just "go to choreography".

[DEL901]

41 minutes ago, Ilovepie said:

Yes other dancers, but not this staged audience like we have now - it was just the other dancers waiting for their turn and some parents in an auditorium. This feels exactly like the live rounds. No tickets to another city, just "go to choreography".

Remember Covid restrictions.  And this was likely filmed a few months ago.   It was probably easier to control the risk for crew and judges and Cat of course if the stay in one place.  

[rlc]

Surprisingly, I don’t mind JoJo as much as I once did. She’s trying to shake off the whole glitter/bows/rainbows thing, and seems less annoying. She’s still quite young, and will probably relate well to the younger dancers. She has dance knowledge, and I don’t mind that talking/cheering during dances. Competitive dancers are used to that- no one remains quiet during competitions. I like Twitch, and don’t mind MM (though I’m not yet sure what he’ll bring to the jidges panel). I’ll watch all the early episodes from my DVR so I can ff through the filler (and watch 8 minutes of dance).

Konor is a lovely dancer. Very powerful, and liked what I saw of his technique so far. I wish they hadn’t rushed through so many of the seemingly good auditions. Anna will be interesting to watch. Maci’s audition piece was good, but I suspect she’ll be very limited. The Russian popper didn’t pop. I would really prefer if they would show more auditions and fewer long segments of backstory on people we will never see again.

[Badsamaritan]

So glad this show is back, even if I'm way out of the target age lol.

I liked Anna and Maci the best. I didn't mind the new judges. I am surprised I'm the first to point out Matthew Morrison's Broadway background. He's been in multiple musicals, including Hairspray, and I think was nominated for a Tony. So he does have experience as a dancer. 

Have I mentioned how glad I am this show is back? 

[ww92]

I've missed this show and am glad it's finally back. Twitch is a good addition to the judging panel but they should have added him and kept Nigel and Mary. 

I don't care about the judges chatting amongst themselves and I'm sick of the dancers sad and/or inspirational back stories. I tune in to watch people dance. I will make an exception for Cat. Her chatting with the dancers for a few minutes is a nice segue between auditions. 

The good news is that since I FF through all of the filler, I can get through an hour long show in about 20 minutes tops!

[awaken]

Really glad the show is back! The jury is out on how good the season will be though. I wish there could have been a longer Premiere with more auditions. It felt really short and like we didn’t get to see very many dancers.

I’m glad Nigel and Mary are out, they were getting pretty stale and were quite cringey. Not sure how much I like JoJo – she seem way too loud but time will tell how she evolves this season!

I was really annoyed and bored at the lengthy segment on suicide at the end. Of course I care about important issues and bringing awareness, but not while I’m wanting to relax and enjoy watching a dancing show with my child!

[MsTree]

Agree with ww92 & awaken re: sob stories and suicide segments. I watch to be entertained, not to be depressed. I wish producers would just allow us to enjoy the dancing without all the other bullshit. I also DVR this show so I can fast-forward all of that stuff.

Hate to say this, but I'm glad Mary is gone. I couldn't take her shouting anymore...and whatever crazy train she was always screaming about.

[luvthepros]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:57 PM, jewel21 said:

My PVR forgot to record this so I missed it. I'll try and see if I can watch it on the CTV app or something tomorrow. Thankfully it was just the auditions. 

Was it weird not to have Nigel and Mary there?

Thankfully, my DVR did record this first show as I was unaware SYTYCD was coming back. I don't watch much FOX these days so had no idea dance was back.

I miss Nigel!

[luvthepros]

On 5/19/2022 at 3:48 AM, meira.hand said:

JoJo Siwa. She was the runner up in DWTS last season and I really liked her sweet personality during that competition. She is only 19, so may be a little overwhelmed by her role as a judge.

Jo Jo made history on DWTS here in the US. She was teamed with Jenna Johnson, a first for the US show. I guess Jo Jo likes girls. As an aside, I stopped watching DWTS when Tom Bergeron was fired so I did not watch Jo Jo compete. I did, however, watch a couple of her dances on YouTube.

[Tikichick]

I like JoJo, but for me she's misplaced in her role on the judging panel.  I find it particularly annoying she's the (overly) dominant voice on the panel -- Twitch Boss is right there for Pete's sake!  I wouldn't bat an eye watching her give tips and commentary to 15 and unders at a dance convention or at a dance studio, but sorry, she does not yet have the gravitas or experience to sit on a panel like this and offer up her opinions IMO.  I also do not enjoy when the bulk of the focus is on the judging panel -- I'm here to watch the dancers.   Just because you've picked up the cast off WOD stage, don't model the show after that one, thank you very much.

Montage the auditions of dancers with the most solid chops, so back to normal.   Didn't find much to enjoy in the "featured" auditions and backstories.

Wonder what song the ballroom couple actually danced to that the show couldn't, or wouldn't, get the music clearance for? 

[luvthepros]

On 5/19/2022 at 11:06 AM, Quickbeam said:

Hated that they showed only a snippet of the tapper. Way too much contemporary. I thought the male ballroom dancer was better than some of the people who got through. 
 

I like JoJo despite my ancient years. I found her appealing on DWTS. 

Both ballroom dancers were great. I was pissed at Jo Jo for giving Misha a "no". How dare she? She is aware how difficult ballroom dancing is and the guy looked every bit of pro at his craft. Where the hell did she and MM come off giving him a "no"??????

[luvthepros]

On 5/19/2022 at 11:14 AM, Backwards999 said:

It's good to have the show back.  Jojo is a bit too loud for me as a judge. I actually think they should've asked Allison Holker to judge since she has ballroom experience. I guess we'll see how this season works out. 

Allison is a contemporary dancer through and through. She "faked" ballroom when she was a pro on DWTS. SYTYCD needs a ballroom trained judge. I get it that most people are done with Mary Murphy. How about Derek Hough? He would be great on this show as a judge.

On 5/19/2022 at 11:41 AM, sharifa70 said:

I was surprised they don’t have a ballroom specialist on the judging panel. Maybe they figured Jojo’s experience on DWTS is enough? I haven’t watched DWTS in years so can’t speak to her ability in that area.

HELL NO!!!!!!!!

[luvthepros]

On 5/19/2022 at 3:56 PM, Mason said:

The producers have clearly revamped the show to appear relevant to their target audience, which clearly is not me. However, I have always watched the show to witness creativity and growth, which these kids can't fake long-term. And I will continue watching for the same reason,  

One sad observation: given the show has been off the air for 2 years, I was hoping to see older contestants. Instead, the focus remains on the barely eligible.

Wasn't the Afro dancer 27? I loved how he moved and his facial expressions were off the charts.

On 5/20/2022 at 10:03 AM, displayname said:

Anna Miller was nice. So was Maci. Bored by the rest.

I'm so damn happy to see this show back. I wasn't bored for one second. LOVED it all.

[Ilovepie]

On 5/20/2022 at 4:39 PM, DEL901 said:

Remember Covid restrictions.  And this was likely filmed a few months ago.   It was probably easier to control the risk for crew and judges and Cat of course if the stay in one place.  

Well, I don't know about that - Covid restrictions were dropped in California in February (where I live) and I know other places were even earlier. Plus, American Idol still went to various cities, so why couldn't this show? Also, they don't seem to have any worries about the live audience there in that theater. I just don't think this is about Covid at all. I think it's about being cheap.

My issue is that everyone there has already in essence made it past the first audition just by being given the ticket to LA. So if everyone is already pre-selected, fine, but that makes this round superfluous. They should just begin the competition at the choreography round and then have the live shows.

[peachmangosteen]

3 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

So if everyone is already pre-selected, fine, but that makes this round superfluous. They should just begin the competition at the choreography round and then have the live shows.

But didn't the popper girl not make it to the choreography round?

[Ilovepie]

39 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

But didn't the popper girl not make it to the choreography round?

She didn't. I guess these are technically the "audition" rounds, but she had to have been invited to LA for this "audition", so these people have already been vetted by someone to get here. Of course, I'm sure someone was vetting who got in front of the judges in the old format as well; it just felt more like a real audition than it does now.

[Terrafamilia]

6 hours ago, luvthepros said:

I miss Nigel!

I kinda do, too. I want someone to say, "Cue music."

[luvthepros]

On 5/23/2022 at 6:17 PM, peachmangosteen said:

But didn't the popper girl not make it to the choreography round?

Correct. She was crying because she did not make it to the next round.

On 5/23/2022 at 7:31 PM, Terrafamilia said:

I kinda do, too. I want someone to say, "Cue music."

Absolutely. Sad.....In a text, Nigel said he didn't know who was going to say "Cue music" but he wished that person well. I do really miss hearing Nigel say those two words. It is just not the same without him.

Edited May 25, 2022 by luvthepros

[MsTree]

7 hours ago, luvthepros said:

I do really miss hearing Nigel say those two words. It is just no the same without him.

Agree. It's interesting how missing a few words makes everything feel so different. It's similar to Probst dropping the word "guys" after he says "come on in" to the tribe. 

[displayname]

14 hours ago, luvthepros said:

I'm so damn happy to see this show back. I wasn't bored for one second. LOVED it all.

Y'know, you have a point :)

[peachmangosteen]

I have fast forwarded through the judges for years and I will continue doing that so I don't even notice any differences lol.

[Haleth]

Finally got a chance to watch and also FFed through all the boring back stories and uninteresting judging.  (I wouldn't mind listening to Twitch, but Jojo is too much and I don't know Matthew Whoeverheis.)  I liked Konnor and the quirky 50 Ways girl.  Everyone else was meh.  While I sort of miss the multi city auditions, those seem to go on and on and on, and I get impatient for the winnowing down to more talented contestants.  

[Mason]

On 5/23/2022 at 6:17 PM, peachmangosteen said:

But didn't the popper girl not make it to the choreography round?

The exception that probes the rule.