S12.E01: Auditions #1: Memphis And Dallas

[ari333]

Well, Jason seems like a douche. Im floving Paula, but than I have always liked her. I miss Mary. I would easily take Mary over Jason any day and twice on Sunday. :)

Did Mary leave or was she ushered out/canned?

Not a fan of "street." I love ballroom and partner dances so I'm sure that's prolly on the way out. [/my luck]

So Uncle Perv aka Nigel colored his hair and got an eye job? Alrighty then, not a sin. Whatevs. I still dont' like him.

Edited June 2, 2015 by ari333

[luvthepros]

So when we get to the actual show - is going to be nothing but contemporary & street? No ballroom? No Bollywood? No Samba? Because I would probably just skip this season altogether if that's the case.

Team Street is supposedly going to include street Tango and Salsa from what I have heard Nigel say. Nigel has also said Team Stage is supposed to include ballroom. I saw Nigel explaining this on the FOX SYTYCD website.

[EyesGlazed]

Kudos to Paula, I enjoyed her critiques (except she needs to excise "special" from her vocabulary right now) and I loved her meltdown over "ball-jumping".  Jason seems nice but, as pointed out below, his ability to critique the dancing technically seems limited.  Or maybe he just needs to warm up to the show.  

 

I think they need a fourth judge or guest judge to spice up the discussion.  May I suggest Amy Schumer?

 

My favorite of the night was Vishonda Sims.  Her dance just grabbed me.  She's a real storyteller.  Does anyone know what song she was dancing to?

 

[Derulo] may have genuinely been thrown by the "joke audition" aspect of Kioshe and in his mind he also might of thought that Courtney's audition was supposed to be received as a joke too (they made it seem with a couple of camera cuts like there were fellow dancers in the audience who were shocked and appalled that a ticket was given in that instance). Or he legitimately may have an issue.....which is sad, but I'm not going to completely condemn him just yet. I was more frustrated that for as known as he is as a dancer.....his vocabulary to talk about the auditions was seriously limited. 

I agree with this and actually respected Derulo for not playing along with the condescending patting-on-the-heads that Kioshe and Courtney received from the other judges.  Kioshe had a fun personality but his "dancing" sucked, and it irritated me that they spent so many precious broadcast minutes making him the Aerobics Dancer With the Stars.  Courtney has always bothered me because I don't think he loves dance, he just loves attention, and he takes time away from dancers who may actually get somewhere.

Edited June 2, 2015 by EyesGlazed

[Thadeeeyus]

I decided to give this show another chance after taking a couple of seasons off.  Not being a fan of street dancing and tired of contemporary, it was rough.  I don't remember any names, but the only dancer who moved me was the girl who danced to the very unique (bluesy) song towards the end and she was wearing long leggings.  She also had a longer body type and her hair was in a pony tail.  The young man at the end who got a lot of praise (the best we've seen today) -  I thought he was barely adequate.  

[Terrafamilia]

I was a bit put off when Nerdimator guy got sent to Vegas. He just wasn't strong enough. This was especially apparent when the next dancer featured was Vishonda. There was just no comparison.

 

I liked the contemporary valet contemporary dancer. Pretty good for only 3 years but I do think he could be freer and more fluid through the shoulders.

[Jynnan tonnix]

The only one who really caught my interest was the valet guy...There's the potential for a good growth arc there if he makes it through and continues to improve, as I suspect he would if he has gotten this far in dance with only three years' experience. I have no dance expertise or knowledge whatsoever, but he seemed to have some innate musicality, though, as others have pointed out, he lacked some fluidity in his movements. Also, he had pretty much no "hang time" whatsoever in the couple of jumps/leaps in his audition. But he was nice to watch, with a winning personality.

[mojoween]

At the end when they showed the Street dancers who got through there was a guy holding a ticket who looked like the Exorcist. Can anyone confirm?

I didn't mind Jason but that's probably because I think he's hot so I gave him a pass...for now. And I was utterly pleased to see that Paula still claps like a seal.

[beeble]

I think they need a fourth judge or guest judge to spice up the discussion.  May I suggest Amy Schumer?

 

 

In the name of all that is holy and sacred, please make this happen.

[nx74defiant]

I'm glad the show is back.

 

I'll wait and see how the whole "Street" v "Stage" things go.

 

Mary had just become a caracture of herself, so I won't miss her.

If only Niegel would leave the judging panel, His judging is more about his agenda than the actual dance. But I knew that wouldn't happen.

 

I never watched American Idol, so I don't really know much about Paula as a judge. Wasn't she good when American Idol began? Before she went of the rails? Hopefully a fresh start and she will do good.

 

Twitch didn't impress me that much in his season. But he has done a great job as a "All Star". He really seemed to work to help the contestant do their best.

 

Travis as a mentor, mmm, We'll see.

 

I know that they will spend a lot of time on people who won't be in the final 20, so I see no point in getting invested in anyone yet.

 

Having to go in groups during the black out would have been really hard for the "stage" dancers. But that wasn't anyones fault.

[Mertseger]

I think they need a fourth judge or guest judge to spice up the discussion.  May I suggest Amy Schumer?

In the name of all that is holy and sacred, please make this happen.

 

Unfortunately, she's apparently a huge fan of The Bachlorette which we're up against this season: http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2015/05/amy-schumer-as-the-bachelorette-needs-to-happen/ .

Edited June 3, 2015 by Mertseger

[Irlandesa]

I am not homophobic in the least (I have a gay BF), but I see where some people are seeing Jason as homophobic, but honestly do you think main stream Ameriker is ready for blatantly out and out people like Courtney??? Fun performer but just not for this show, and that's where I think Jason was coming from. 

It doesn't matter what "Ameriker" is ready for.  It's all about what the viewers of this show are willing to accept and I think they're likely more willing to accept more effeminate [sometimes] gay men than Nigel.  They've been part of entertainment for ages. 

 

This is a dance show.  Who watches a dance show these days expecting everyone to be straight? 

 

But even if "Ameriker" can't accept him, what's the worst that will happen?  He's  cannon fodder for the first eliminations. 

 

For the record, I'm not saying he should make the live shows but I think lack of machismo is a silly, outdated reason to even consider excluding someone.

[morgankobi]

I'm a little concerned that the "could make exercise tapes for women" guy really thought Paula was talking to Richard Simmons. The way they edited it, it really looked that way. Richard Simmons has been mostly MIA, holed-up in his house for about year, and there is no way Paula was just chatting with him.

 

I'm really not digging Jason's reaction to some of these contestants.

[Lii]

I don't know who this Jason person is, because I'm completely out of touch and that's fine, but apparently he's even more out of touch than I am because he thinks flinching at a hug from a gay man is okay PR in 2015. What a foul human being. Are we sure he isn't just a guest judge?

[Wootini]

Yeah, the valet guy wasn't that impressive technically, but when it became clear he had some skills and quite a bit of natural talent, I knew the judges were going to put him through. He's the kind of dancer they'll be able to mold and train and create a storyline for as he grows on the show. He's top 20 for sure unless he really cocks it up or injures himself in Vegas.

[luvthepros]

I hope TPTB didn't make a big mistake hiring Jason to be a permanent judge. Jason is not getting many positive comments. I'm not liking him either. I would much prefer to see Adam Shankman sitting in Jason's chair and Paula seems to be a space cadet already. Nigel....what have you done?

[scowl]

I'd take Carly Rae Jepsen over Derulo at this point. Not only did he not provide any useful observations, he didn't even look comfortable there except when he was on stage. 

[realdancemom]

I'm willing to wait to see if Jason gives better dance critiques as the show progresses.  He did take tap lessons and he does dance when he sings.  I can see why the show picked him if they were trying to get younger viewers.  Lil C is known to viewers of this show and dancers.  However, I don't think he's known among teens in general.  Jason also does a lot of dancing in his videos.  Since, they are going with this Street vs. Stage theme, maybe they want to find the next Jasmine that would be a great background dancers for these videos.

 

I'm also not going to say if he's homophobic.  The two feminine guys were not that great.  At least, he tried to say something positive to the workout guy.  I also hope that guy didn't think that Paula was serious.  He had tears in his eyes and I hope it was because of the experience.

 

From what I read, it seems that in Vegas week, the street dancers learn choreography in popping, breaking, etc. while the stage dancers  do jazz, contemporary, Broadway, etc.  There was no mention of ballroom.  This gives ballroom dancers a disadvantage.  A street salsa dancer will probably not know how to pop, break, etc.  Hip-hop dancers might not know all the styles either but they would probably do better than the salsa dancer.  Also, a cross-trained ballroom dancer like Tanisha and Jenna would be fine in Vegas.  However, a ballroom specialist like Serge, and Malene wouldn't do as well.  With the old format, the ballroom people would shine in the ballroom rounds and can make the show if they're decent with the other genres.  When we get to the live shows, then everyone will do all the styles.  I don't know why they would wait until the lives.  What if there is a contemporary or ballet dancer that is too upright and lyrical for hip-hop?  What if the street dancer shined in the hip-hop genres but was terrible at stage choreography?  I'm just hoping this season is not a train wreck because this is my favorite summer show.

[luvthepros]

realdancemom...

 

Where did you read this information about how the Vegas call backs are going to work?

[realdancemom]

realdancemom...

 

Where did you read this information about how the Vegas call backs are going to work?

It was linked in the Media thread:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/30/new-look-rules-so-you-think-you-can-dance

[ari333]

That Barnes dude, "How YOU do-in" is pure gold. He has some moves, and he is entertaining... imo. Im in.

[Prairie Fire]

I too was a little dismayed that so many of the street dancers were animators (or at least animation-adjacent). They're not all identical, but they're still too similar to each other. It just doesn't have as much impact when we see a parade of them, as opposed to when they were served up in small doses in the early seasons.

 

And it also makes me wonder - what happened to regular old non-space-age, non-animation hip-hop dancing? Will we see any of that? As in what the show used to feature in its Shane Sparks and Dave Scott routines?

 

Do we know how partnering will work when the Top 20 starts?

[Lii]

Back in the day, when dancing involved moving around the stage...

[ari333]

"Hah YOOOOU doo-WEH?"  (facial expression and mouth contortion)

(How you doin)

That dude is hilarious. I know this is a dance show, but that guy is fun, imo. He has a career.... somewhere. :)

[luvthepros]

It was linked in the Media thread:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/30/new-look-rules-so-you-think-you-can-dance

 

realdancemom...

Thanks for the link.

Edited June 4, 2015 by luvthepros

[Gbb]

Maybe I'm being very naive, but I assumed Paula really did call Richard Simmons. Just because he hasn't been making a lot of public appearances doesn't mean he doesn't answer the phone when a friend calls (if she is one). I hope for Kiosh's sake it wasn't just a joke.

[morgankobi]

It's not that he doesn't go out much, he hasn't been seen at all in a year (and notice he wasn't on any of Letterman's shows to say goodbye, and that was a big omission).

 

On topic: I felt all the time spent on the power-outage was pointless. but what was with the part where Paula is trying to comfort them and Nigel essentially tells her not to give them any hope (right in front of them)?!?! These contestants have already auditioned in front of producer-types and were deemed worthy to then come to the televised auditions. You're telling me they wouldn't have sprung for a few plane tickets for those they already liked to audition in another city? No one thought to see about borrowing some of the portable dance floor tiles from a local hotel and go to a park? Hell, many of the "street" dancers may have been fine auditioning somewhere outside. 

 

I was glad for the lack of multiple tragic backstories, but then they manufactured the hell out of the power outage drama.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am not 100% positive but I think that the reason they couldn't have the dancers audition elsewhere is due to the show's insurance policy. Normally when you get an insurance policy, you have to specify the location and that's what is covered. My guess is that while they were waiting to find out if the power was coming back on and frantically searching for a generator, someone was on the phone with the lawyers to see what their options were. I know that they usually show some of the dancers doing tricks outside on the sidewalk while they're waiting in line, but I assumed that the powers that be nixed letting the dancers do full routines outside on the cement for liability reasons.

 

I honestly almost turned off this episode when I realized that I had watched the first 20-30 minutes but had only seen three auditions so far. But one of the best things about the audition shows is Cat. She is always so fun to watch when she is given more opportunities to interact with the dancers. I was cracking up when she said that her arm wrestling career was over but that UFC was stilll a possibility.

 

The editors have got to get it together. When you show me the same girl doing the EXACT SAME LEAP three times during her introduction, you fail. Your options: (1) show her doing another move (2) show her talking (3) show her smiling at the camera. It's not rocket science.

 

What is the judges' obsession with moving around the stage this year? Don't get me wrong - I don't want to necessarily watch a dancer stay in the same 12" square in the middle of the stage for their entire routine, but at the same time that is so far down on the list of things that are important to me during an audition. I want to see their technique, their quality of movement, their musicality, their personality, etc. What I don't need is someone running back and forth across the stage for the sake of using the space (I still remember one modern piece I watched that consisted of 20 girls running stage right then stage left then stage right then stage left - I'd rather see someone dance well in a smaller area than watch that performance again).

 

I never understand what the judges are looking for in contemporary dancers. Sometimes they get beautiful ones and the judges tell them they didn't have enough to put them through to Vegas. Other times they get what look like the typical competition dancer and they rave about them. I've given up trying to understand.

 

Paula was a decent judge on that other dance show she did a few years ago, so as long as she can stay coherent and she doesn't go the Carrie Ann Inaba route and start dissolving into tears after every performance, I might be okay with her this season.

 

I don't recall Jason giving one useful piece of criticism so he can leave at any time. And no, he doesn't need to get on stage multiple times in one episode. I'd rather see Paula dance!

 

I was impressed that the valet from Miami has only been dancing for three years. To start dancing at the age of 16 means you have an uphill battle and if he's in college and working six days a week, that doesn't leave a lot of time to take classes so good for him.

 

One of the things that set Jacquelyn apart (even before she winked at the end, which I didn't have a problem with since it was a moment as she finished her routine, as opposed to SEXY ME FLIRTY ME during the entire routine) was that she chose a pretty song but didn't make the routine angsty and flaily. I remember when contemporary routines were more similar to what she did than what we see now.

 

I agree that there is too much gymnastics being thrown around in contemporary now. Don't get me wrong - I like gymnastics. I just don't need to see back handsprings and back layouts in every damn contemporary routine.

 

I get that this season's theme is stage vs. street (and that the producers are undoubtedly asking street dancers very leading questions like, "Do you think that street dancing is more real than stage dancing?") but it's only the first episode and I'm already tired of hearing the whole "street dance is better/more real" stuff.

 

Also totally unnecessary: having a big "STAGE" or "STREET" graphic on the screen at the beginning of each audition. Believe it or not, I can tell the difference without that cluttering up my screen.

Edited June 5, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Jobiska]

With the dancer with the green crocheted bikini top (I think with the parents that gave up their honeymoon for her ambitions)--I found her under-boob tattoo very distracting!  It was something like a dolphin and curved right under her top, and all the while she was dancing it looked like the outline of a breast falling out underneath the top!

[ari333]

With the dancer with the green crocheted bikini top (I think with the parents that gave up their honeymoon for her ambitions)--I found her under-boob tattoo very distracting!  It was something like a dolphin and curved right under her top, and all the while she was dancing it looked like the outline of a breast falling out underneath the top!

 

THIS! I thought omg her underboob is falling out!

[crowceilidh]

That was JoJo - I liked her dancing and I thought the underboob effect was entrancing because it was NOT an underboob.  I was bemused by my own brain's reading of it.  Anyhow - I really liked her and her story was way better than many although I could still do without stories altogether.

 

When they put people in groups for the dimly-lit auditions, I felt very strongly like we were seeing the man behind the curtain a bit.  They know who they're going to send on before the recorded-for-tv audition dance -- they just do (adjusts tin foil antennae....)

[Aethera]

Paula was definitely far better than I expected - she seemed…normal? And that was a very odd feeling to have. I mean, she did say a few things over and over (you’re so special!), but she definitely didn’t seem off like she has in the past.  I only like non-screaming Mary, and we got less and less of that as the years went on, so I’m fine with that change if Paula keeps it up and stops repeating  herself. Jason Derulo was incredibly bleh. I would far rather see a rotating panel of great guest judges - Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, etc. Maybe do some actual judging before getting up and singing your own song with a bunch of 9 year olds.

 

I will say I hope Paula gets up and dances at some point during the season, as the judges normally do.

 

Really glad we’re not going to have to call it NotVegas week again this year.

 

I agree that I wish it hadn’t just been all street and contemporary getting featured. But I honestly despair of really seeing much dancing in the audition episodes anymore. I FF though most of them. And then this time we had the ‘drama’ of the blackout forever. I mean, it sucked, but did we have to tease the hell out of it?  And I have to imagine auditioning in groups like that was horrible, when you’re not choreographed. I’m surprised we didn’t get a lot of footage of dancers banging into each other - I was expecting it from the moment Nigel mentioned the groups.  Way to leap over the super-low-expections bar I have, producers!

 

I’ve been skeptical of this ‘theme’ since the start, because the only street dancing they ever do on this show is hip hop, and it seems so unfair to say “here, street dancers, master these 40 stage styles” and then have the stage dancers only have to do one.  You can’t teach animation in 3 hours, I know, but you also can’t really teach samba in 3 hours, yet they alway seem to.  I agree that the only good part of it is we’ll probably get more female street dancers.

[Steph01924]

I didn't mind Jason but that's probably because I think he's hot so I gave him a pass...for now. And I was utterly pleased to see that Paula still claps like a seal.

 

Yes, when she busted out that flat-handed clapping I started cracking up so hard. I haven't watched AI since Katherine McPhee won, so it's been years since I've watched her 'judge'. She did seem fairly decent in this episode. During the live shows last year I ended up fast forwarding through almost all the judges' comments, except when it was Jesse Fyler Ferguson, so at this point the judges don't matter much to me either way.

[ari333]

Yes, when she busted out that flat-handed clapping I started cracking up so hard. I haven't watched AI since Katherine McPhee won, so it's been years since I've watched her 'judge'. She did seem fairly decent in this episode. During the live shows last year I ended up fast forwarding through almost all the judges' comments, except when it was Jesse Fyler Ferguson, so at this point the judges don't matter much to me either way.

I enjoyed JTF as a jidge too. Not loving Jason and really liking Paula; always loathed Nigel so that is not new.

Oh, and fwiw, Mcphee did not win.

As for fast forwarding, I do that too.... thru the sob stories.

[Steph01924]

I enjoyed JTF as a jidge too. Not loving Jason and really liking Paula; always loathed Nigel so that is not new.

Oh, and fwiw, Mcphee did not win.

As for fast forwarding, I do that too.... thru the sob stories.

 

Lol, whoops, shows you how much I was paying attention by the end of my time watching AI then! 

[Cuatro1234]

 

With the dancer with the green crocheted bikini top (I think with the parents that gave up their honeymoon for her ambitions)--I found her under-boob tattoo very distracting!  It was something like a dolphin and curved right under her top,

OK, so happy it wasn't just our family that was obsessed/distracted by this too.  We finally figured out (the 7-year-old did) that it was a mermaid.  That was driving us crazy.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Cuatro1234

[ari333]

OK, so happy it wasn't just our family that was obsessed/distracted by this too.  We finally figured out (the 7-year-old did) that it was a mermaid.  That was driving us crazy.

 

Hee. We were also perplexed by the underboob tat.... we.... HATH (Here At The House) :)

It was indeed distracting. And don't get me started on whether that will age well. [/me being rude]