S12.E03: Auditions #3: Los Angeles

[Tara Ariano]

The third round of auditions features dancers in Los Angeles.

[Whimsy]

Yaya's back!!!!! That's all I got for now.

[WhineandCheez]

Lord, save me from female contemporary dancers with red lipstick, and bra tops who brazenly look right at you in a seductive fashion. Blerg.That whole dad dancing  schtick left off 5 auditions we didn't see because of that nonsense.  It was all an excuse for Nigel to sit next to her, although he can no longer leer because of his brow lift.  Bu the way she was no dancer, her dancing sucked, good gymnast-- no dancing to be seen

 

That Israeli boy will never make it to Hollywood, because  Dolce or Gabanna is sending a car for him right now.  I'll eat my gefilte fish if he isn't a finalist, for looks alone

Edited June 16, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[dustoffmom]

I made it through the first hour and then changed the channel.  This is boring me to death.  But I did get to see the Hebrew breaker, that was worth the time.

[Whimsy]

I thought there were several really good dancers this episode. The aforementioned Yaya and Hebrew breaker as well as the ballet dancers, the returning ballroom dancer, and a few others that I can't remember. I thought this was a good episode for dance MINUS the Jazz dancer who just rolled suggestively all over the floor.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Yes to Yaya. Pumped that she came back. To a lesser degree, the same applies to Marie Poppens. Does anyone know if there will be even gender splits on the two teams? 5 female street dancers making the Top 20 in seasons past would've been a pipe dream...

Hebrew B-Boy was bananas. So was strange spiritual b-boy at the end. His movements actually reminded me of Shafeek Westbrook, a two time Vegas eliminatee.

Took 3 episodes but we finally got a couple of Ballroom partner auditions. I think I liked the guy who recovered from cancer a little better than the returning Mormon mission guy. Me thinks there's probably only one male ballroom spot open on team stage (maybe only one ballroom spot regardless of gender)...since we've only seen snippets of two other successful ticket earners the previous weeks, I'd put him in that frontrunner position for now.

Wonder if the montaged Bollywood girl got a ticket..

Edited June 16, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Commando Cody]

I liked the first ballet dancer.  I get bored with most dancers and stop watching their routines.  If someone can get me to watch their whole routine,that's something. The last time I really enjoyed watching a male ballet dancer was when Danny was on.  I enjoyed the Asian ballet dancer as well.  He had great extension on his pointed toes.  

 

I didn't see any dancing with the girl who brought her dad.  Just a few flips and some posing.  I stopped watching her because I was bored.  She wasn't exactly riveting.  

 

I enjoyed the two brothers break dancing.

 

I used to find some of the street dancers interesting, but now they're all starting to blend together.  It did seem like some of the dancers were using more of the stage tonight than usual.  

 

I did like the street dancer in the yellow pants. 

[Misslindsey]

 

Me thinks there's probably only one male ballroom spot open on team stage (maybe only one ballroom spot regardless of gender)...since we've only seen snippets of two other successful ticket earners the previous weeks, I'd put him in that frontrunner position for now.

I am dreading the breakdown on team stage. I can see it now with seven or eight contemporary or jazz dancers with the remaining two to three spots going to  either one ballroom, ballet, or tap dancer. It will probably help me decide whether to stick around for the whole season or not. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I fear that same thing on the street side too. The cool thing about Cyrus, Fikshun and Blueprint is that they generally inhabited a space no other dancer did in the top 20 of their respective seasons.

But this season if we end up w/ roughly 5-6 predominantly popper animators, plus one or two krump animators....that only leaves room for one true breaker and one waacker (like Jessica from tonight's auditions) and maybe a street salsa dancer tbd later....the monotony of styles could really be a problem...

Edited June 16, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Rick Kitchen]

Anointed left me cold, except for when he was throwing himself around in a circle, he did nothing interesting.

 

Jason telling us that the man must dominate the woman in the relationship was disgusting.

 

And I thought the pandering to the Down syndrome kid was equally disgusting.  Glad to hear that dance is going to be added to the Special Olympics, though.

 

However, there were several good dancers tonight.  And Jaja!

[Iguana]

So i'm confused about the format once we get to the live shows. According to the very brief blurb at the beginning of this episode the street dancers will only be doing hip-hop, krump ,breaking etc. in Vegas and the stage dancers will be doing contemporary and I'm not sure what else to get to a top 10 for each. But then what happens on the live shows? Will they partner up a street and stage contestant and give them a random style from either street or stage for the voting, or will the teams continue to perform only in their respective areas of expertise? I really hope they mix it up because one of the most enjoyable things about the show is seeing dancers performing in styles they are unfamiliar with and how they rise or don't to the challenge.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Iguana

[Racj82]

Anointed left me cold, except for when he was throwing himself around in a circle, he did nothing interesting.

 

Jason telling us that the man must dominate the woman in the relationship was disgusting.

 

And I thought the pandering to the Down syndrome kid was equally disgusting.  Glad to hear that dance is going to be added to the Special Olympics, though.

 

However, there were several good dancers tonight.  And Jaja!

Dancing relationship. If you are going to do ballroom or something along those lines you need to be strong, in control and lead your partner is what he was saying.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Yeah...it came across pretty tone-deaf/neanderthal, but I think that's absolutely what he was trying to convey. The frustrating thing is at least he gave some sort of specificity in his critique w/ that. Too often he just comments in generalities about whether someone is a star or not. Three auditions in and there doesn't appear to be much of an improvement arc...

Edited June 16, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Cuatro1234]

Unpopular opinion, but I didn't like the Hebrew breaker.  He presented like he was better than everyone else and had to teach everyone a lesson.  Go play with Dolce or Gabana, I won't miss you on this show.

 

Street dancer in yellow pants--why, oh why, must these outfits be so distracting?  The black patch right in the crotch left me wondering at first glance and then just thinking, "why?"

 

I liked the animator krump guy; he seemed different enough for me.  And wacky Jessica was beautiful to watch.  All in all, some really great dancing tonight that definitely held my interest (minus dance dad).  And I hate how they show one audition and then go to commercial......

 

Wish we'd gotten names on all the street ladies who were montaged with Marie Poppins....

[chocolatine]

Unpopular opinion, but I didn't like the Hebrew breaker.  He presented like he was better than everyone else and had to teach everyone a lesson.  Go play with Dolce or Gabana, I won't miss you on this show.

 

That's exactly how 99% of Israeli males act. I'm not saying it's OK, but to me it looked more like culturally ingrained swagger than a superiority complex.

 

The last time I really enjoyed watching a male ballet dancer was when Danny was on.

 

Neither Alex nor Chehon did it for you? I thought Chehon was just as good as Danny, and more personable.

 

And I thought the pandering to the Down syndrome kid was equally disgusting.  Glad to hear that dance is going to be added to the Special Olympics, though.

 

Yeah, I felt uncomfortable watching that too. Maybe it's because I have a sibling with special needs, but I really hate it when special-needs people are turned into "inspiration" fodder.

 

So i'm confused about the format once we get to the live shows. According to the very brief blurb at the beginning of this episode the street dancers will only be doing hip-hop, krump ,breaking etc. in Vegas and the stage dancers will be doing contemporary and I'm not sure what else to get to a top 10 for each. But then what happens on the live shows?

 

 

Right, and what about the non-hip-hop street dancers, should they materialize at the NYC audition? They'd still be out of their element learning the hip-hop styles. A street salsa dancer will have a much easier time learning ballroom cha-cha than animation, for example.

 

Was anyone else disappointed with the krump audition? There was some great krumping shown in the street package, but the guy who auditioned was kinda meh. 

 

But overall, I liked this audition episode much more than the last two. I hope New York doesn't disappoint.

[Prairie Fire]

Waacking Jessica was my favorite of the episode. I think I prefer her style of waacking to the others we've seen on this show before. It seemed heavier on the footwork and lighter on the manic "I'm swatting a horde of imaginary insects" arm movements. And she's adorable. Back off, Jason Derulo. She's with me.

 

I think Stage vs. Street may have a competition within the competition, as in "which team's most popular 'type' will annoy us more?" Will it be the 18-year-old angsty/seductive female contemporary dancers? Or will it be the animators, who I used to like but who now have me asking, "What's the video-game cheat code to stop this crap?"

[mertensia]

You know I liked that Nigel told the dancer with Down's Syndrome that the show was too intense for him but the Special Olympics might be for him. Jason and Paula though?

One season with no contemporary dancers. Is that too much to hope for?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The main thing I liked about the LA auditions is that there was a consistently higher level of talent throughout the episode than in the previous two (which is not to say that there weren't any good dancers in the earlier episodes, just that there were also a lot of mediocre dancers who got air time). In the first two episodes, I couldn't understand why average dancers were getting tongue baths. At least this week, most of the people we saw were worthy of tickets to Vegas.

 

I did not understand why Mary Kate, the girl with the non-dancing dad, got a ticket to Vegas. Clearly she was very strong and had great control, but the majority of her routine was just walking around with a few tricks thrown in every once in a while. I'm not saying every routine has to be nonstop tricks, but I need more than strolling around the stage.

 

I liked the first ballet guy from Armenia (Avo?) but I thought that the second ballet guy Jim (the Korean kid who was adopted) was even better. The second guy had much cleaner technique and was more precise. The first guy wasn't bad by any means but I don't think that they are going to have two male ballet dancers in the top twenty, especially since this season we are only going to have ten stage dancers.

 

I agree with the previous poster - I am dreading when they cut down to the top ten stage dancers because I fear it will be seven contemporary dancers (heh, or six contemporary dancers and one jazz dancer), one ballet dancer, one ballroom dancer, and one tapper.

 

Street dancer in yellow pants--why, oh why, must these outfits be so distracting?  The black patch right in the crotch left me wondering at first glance and then just thinking, "why?"

Ha, I was totally distracted by that dark patch on his crotch too. At first I thought it was a shadow but no.

 

I liked the Swiss breakdancing brothers but I don't think that they will both make the top 20. You know that they are going to have them do the green mile together and pick only one of them for ~drama~ and tears.

 

I was surprised that the judges liked Asaf the Hebrew breaker so much because I thought he was okay but not great. Maybe they just wanted to throw him in the mix since they have so many animation dancers and krumpers (I did like B Dash the animation krumper though). Ha, I loved that he thought he was going to stand out with his shafar and Paula already knew what it was (both of her parents are Jewish).

 

I think Jessica the wacking/house dancer has potential so I will be interested to see how she does in Vegas. Weird that of all the dancers who have auditioned in twelve seasons, this is the one time Nigel mentioned that the show is not So You Think You Can Choreograph and that he was going to overlook her limited choreography. On a shallow note, I liked her outfit because it wasn't the usual sports bra/booty shorts combo or some other sexy type of outfit.

 

I can totally see Anointed as a street dancer (and I mean that in a good way). Jason was correct when he said that you really have to catch the attention of people walking by and then you have to hold their attention and his routine was really perfect for that. I just hope he will be able to hang in Vegas when he has to learn someone else's choreography.

 

Nice to see Jaja and Marie Poppens again. It will be interesting to see how many female dancers make the final street team.

 

Between the two male ballroom dancers, I liked the first one (Allen) better. Brandon (the one who was too young to audition when he partnered with Lindsey) seemed a little sloppy and I kept getting distracted by his feet. I swear, I am not a foot fetishist either! I think he seemed a bit flat footed several times. Maybe it was his shoes. I have no idea.

 

Anyway, loved that after Allen's audition, Nigel brought up Benji's West Coast swing audition. I feel like Benji was one of the better dancers on the show but he is kind of ignored by Nigel. I was actually really surprised when he was finally asked to choreograph something for the show a few seasons ago because it seemed like he was in Nick Lazzarini territory where Nigel barely acknowledged his existence.

[ari333]

Omg ......

Give it to Assaf right now.

Assaf FTW.

Looks..... holy crap

Personality and sense of humor.... confident... unique...... the accent OMG

Random.... loved the Armenian ballet dude.

His thigh muscles. That is all.

Nigel skeeves me out.

I am loving Paula and want to see her dance

Jason.... bah

oh yeah and Hebrew dude can dance. I forgot to mention that heh

Edited June 16, 2015 by ari333

[LadyMustang65]

We thought this was the best group of auditions so far.  A lot to like here, although we too were surprised that girl with (non)dancin' dad got a ticket.  She didn't seem up to the rest.  Particular favorites were the Hebrew b-boy, both ballet dancers - the first one was more classical, and he totally had us with that first gorgeous leap while the second one combined ballet with contemporary and so made both seem like something new, the wacker girl, the first ballroom dancer, the breakdancing brothers, Jaja and Marie Poppins.  I think there were a couple of others as well, but these are the ones I remember most.

 

I thought it was very classy of Jason to give the kid a ticket to Vegas on his own dime.  After the boy was done dancing, my son said that he thought the boy had some potential and could be good with a mentor.  Sending him to Vegas where he can spend some time and learn from the others is a really sweet thing to do for him.  Special Olympic gold medal anyone? 

[ari333]

The Israeli dude said that Hebrew is different than Jewish. Really? How, I wonder.

I thought Paula is of Arabic heritage. Not that it matters, but it isinteresting imo.

If I have to like anything street -since I totes prefer ballroom, I guess I like break dancing more than the robot stuff... locking.... or animation etc. I hate with a passion that joint dislocation stuff. Get off my lawn? Am I old?

Edited June 16, 2015 by ari333

[ari333]

Ok seriously that dude in the striped capri pants number 8275 in a montage just before Korean adopted guy....ok 8275 capri pants rolled on the floor and did crab moves like Mary with non dancing dad did. But oh wait. She is hot. So there, Nigel

[Primetimer]

We hit Los Angeleeze, where everyone is from somewhere else.

Read the story

[LizBug]

Happy to see so many guys get through this time.  Usually it's 10 girls to 1 guy.

[Wootini]

So why did all the actual talented dancers who can grab your attention wait until LA to audition? This was the first time where I felt like I was watching an audition and actually thought "Hey, this one could go all the way."

 

I also appreciated that for whatever reason they finally had some actual b-boys auditioning, because I'm really getting bored with animation. It's cool, especially if the dancer is exceptionally talented (glad Jaja will make it in this year on the Street side because I'm sure she's already blown her paycheck from her small role in the last Step Up movie), but there's a LOT of them and most of them are decidedly average.

 

I assume the Hebrew Breaker will get through just on personality and looks alone (good GOD his looks… O.o) but I was pleased he had at least some skills to back up all this boasting at the start. Jim, the Asian ballet dancer was AMAZING. I literally couldn't even. His control was off the charts.

 

I zoned out during Generic Blonde Jazz Dancer #284's audition, but as soon as I heard them ask about her dad, I was like, "Oh dear God, don't drag her father up here to perform like a trained seal." And they still did. I wish he'd declined, but clearly he lapped up the attention. I don't see her getting far in Vegas unless she learns to pop. And not the dance. Grab attention.

 

When the kid with down syndrome came up, I steeled myself for some unbelievably condescending tripe, but I was glad to see they restrained themselves for the most part. There were a few genuine moments in there. Like the look on his face when he got to hug Jason Derulo. I'm only human. (Although why he would be your idol is beyond me…)

 

I think the worst part of the episode, though, was showing us all the preview of Vegas callbacks with all the drama, but then at the end saying "PSYCHE! We still have to do the New York auditions next week! Sucker!"

[crowceilidh]

For some reason my PVR missed the early showing, so I haven't got through watching last night, but I had to reply to this:

 

 

I thought Chehon was just as good as Danny, and more personable.

 

I could make a case for Alex Wong being as good as Danny (although I still like Danny's style better), but certainly not Chehon.  I loved Chehon and I agree he was easier for most people to relate to (partially because Danny hit the show when it was still screwing around with narratives and they really did an amateurish number on him and partially because Danny was breaking new ground as the first ballet dancer to compete and partially because Danny is pretty dang shy (still)) but Danny had an innate quality of movement that Chehon did not to my eyes.

 

That first ballet dancer tonight was breathtaking in the way he took the air and spectacular in his imperceptible landings.  I haven't seen the second yet, but it was beautiful watching the Armenian.

[MizArk]

When it comes to this show, I'm relatively easy to please. With the exception of Pretty Blonde Roller-and-Strutter #2255 and her bedazzled dancing dad, I really enjoyed this episode. I thought both male ballet dancers were really good, enjoyed quite a few of the other dancers, and wasn't much annoyed by anything the judges did or said tonight. I didn't even think they were overly condescending to the young man with Down Syndrome (I don't remember any names this early). Nigel actually gave him specific dance comments and Jason made his year (I generally ignore Paula's special snowflake raves). I still have no clue how this stage v street thing is going to play out, but I'm looking forward to finding out, so I'm in for now and glad to have it back.

[cali1981]

I was very pleasantly surprised by last night's show.  The first two audition shows were meh for me but this one was very entertaining with some great talent among both the street and stage dancers.  It was interesting that what the ballroom guy from Utah did for Lindsey in her audition, her kid sister did for him last night.  If there's another season, she's a lock to get to Vegas.  I thought that the girl with the "non-dancer" dad was pretty good but what really struck me that she was almost a dead ringer for Virginia Madson when she was an up and coming actress.  There was some nice playing between Paula and Nigel and Jason seems much more comfortable now and isn't half bad. 

[ari333]

Paula looks good imo. Good for her. I do miss Mary and can do without Jason.

I need more ballroom.

I hope it gets better. Bah

[realdancemom]

I also think the LA auditions had more talented auditions than the other two shows.  Previously, it seemed like they were giving tickets to a lot of average people especially in the first show.  I liked Jaja and the two ballet dancers especially the Asian one.  He does remind me of Alex.  Both of them use similar music and they were more contemporary vs. classical.  He was really flexible but strong with great balance.  I liked other people but I just don't remember all their names.

 

I do remember that I wondered why the girl with the non-dancing dad received a ticket.  She didn't do anything but act sexy.  So I guess that's Nigel's type: blonde, beautiful, and sexy so she gets a ticket for that.

 

Last week, I mentioned that there were a couple ballroom dancers that made it to Green Mile (still won't spoil if they make it or not).  Brandon is one of them.  Like other Vibe dancers, he can also do jazz and hip-hop.  This gives him an advantage in Vegas over a strict ballroom dancer. 

Edited June 16, 2015 by realdancemom

[Prairie Fire]

I think Jessica the wacking/house dancer has potential so I will be interested to see how she does in Vegas. Weird that of all the dancers who have auditioned in twelve seasons, this is the one time Nigel mentioned that the show is not So You Think You Can Choreograph and that he was going to overlook her limited choreography. On a shallow note, I liked her outfit because it wasn't the usual sports bra/booty shorts combo or some other sexy type of outfit.

 

Not only that, I also liked her "background" package. A lot of auditions seem to go to two extremes - the 18-year-olds who seem to have had a charmed existence so far and who have been told by everyone around them how great they are (though in all fairness, they've worked hard, just not for as long) and the older contestants who've just been beaten down by life and have a certain tragic/desperate vibe (though who's to say they're not deserving?).

 

But my favorite auditions are from the older contestants who've had setbacks in their careers but still maintain an upbeat attitude about auditioning. Those are the ones I always feel will do the best in the competition and get the most out of it. And they're just more fun to watch.

 

They're definitely up to something different this year (re: Nigel's "I'm overlooking your limited choreography" comment)

[Cuatro1234]

 

I hate with a passion that joint dislocation stuff. Get off my lawn? Am I old?

Scoot over and make room for my lawn chair, too, Ari, because I feel the same way.  And can you speak up?  My hearing's not what it used to be.....  :)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I thought Paula is of Arabic heritage. Not that it matters, but it isinteresting imo.

According to her wikipedia page:

Abdul was born in San Fernando, California, to Jewish parents. Abdul's father, Harry Abdul, was born into the Syrian Jewish community in Aleppo, Syria, was raised in Brazil, and subsequently immigrated to the United States. Her mother, the concert pianist Lorraine M. (née Rykiss), grew up in one of the two Jewish families in Minnedosa, Manitoba in Canada, and has Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors from Ukraine.

[crowceilidh]

Well, I've seen Jim, the other ballet guy now.  He is very very good, but I still prefer the Armenian's ability with air.  I suspect that the Armenian (what was his name?) doesn't have the "story" to take it though.  

 

I've got a swoon guy now - that guy with the bandana headband who we saw lengthy clips of was gorgeous.  I also really liked the face and smile of the ballerina whom we saw lengthy clips of.

[crowceilidh]

Okay.  Usually I hate the special twinkie stuff and I don't have much time for JD - but Jason Derulo straight up made me bawl when he hugged Cody and I'm glad they're letting him have the Vegas experience without leading him on that he will be cast.  I hope they don't become exploitative with him later.

[WelcomeStranger]

I fear that same thing on the street side too. The cool thing about Cyrus, Fikshun and Blueprint is that they generally inhabited a space no other dancer did in the top 20 of their respective seasons.

But this season if we end up w/ roughly 5-6 predominantly popper animators, plus one or two krump animators....that only leaves room for one true breaker and one waacker (like Jessica from tonight's auditions) and maybe a street salsa dancer tbd later....the monotony of styles could really be a problem...

Yeah, all those guys that dislocate their shoulders and bend their skinny arms around behind them like a pretzel are interchangeable to me. It's the counterpart to the flail-forward and hair-flip on the girls' jazz/contemporary side. Strong ballet or contemporary male dancer will always win my heart, but this season I'm calling it now: it's going to be YaYa's season to lose.

[Commando Cody]

Something about the girl who brought her dad made me think of the girl who was always going to the bathroom.  She didn't really dance either, but she did a lot of gymnastics.  Maybe she reminded Nigel of her on some sub-conscience level.  

[Zuleikha]

Oh my goodness... you all were not kidding. Asaf Goren is freaking hot.

 

I am also not clear what Asaf thinks distinguishes Hebrew breaking from Jewish breaking since he brought in religious elements rather than cultural Israeli elements. The cloth he had over his head in the beginning was a tallis, which is used during prayer. He blew the shofar using the specific notes from Rosh Hashanah, which begins the Jewish year and also starts the Days of Awe, the holiest days of the Jewish year. If anyone other than a Jewish dancer had started that way, it would have been very offensive. I'm a little borderline on whether it was appropriate for Asaf to begin his routine like that. Part of me thinks it was inappropriate, but the other part of me thinks it was breathtakingly beautiful. It helps that his dancing was so strong. I don't speak Hebrew, so I don't know what his music choice was like.

 

In any case, I will be shocked if he's not a finalist. His dancing is strong; he's gorgeous, and he has the type of personality that Nigel loves to put on the show.

[crowceilidh]

"The competition was open to all eligible dancers - professional and amateur.  Due to the nature of the dance profession, members of the cast, choreographers, and/or judges may have had varying levels of professional interaction prior to the production."

 

I like this.  I'm sure it's been there for years.  But I just read it now.

[Prairie Fire]

If I have to like anything street -since I totes prefer ballroom, I guess I like break dancing more than the robot stuff... locking.... or animation etc. I hate with a passion that joint dislocation stuff. Get off my lawn? Am I old?

 

I'm just afraid one of those guys actually is going to dislocate a joint while auditioning, then will be writing around on the stage screaming in pain, "AAAAHHH! I DISLOCATED MY SHOULDER!" and the judges and audience will be cheering and going wild, "Yeah, we know! You're amazing!" instead of getting him the necessary medical attention.

[Terrafamilia]

Though I don't think she should have gone through to Vegas, I'll give Mary Kate (the one with the dad) credit for being mature enough to carry off the sexy floor rolling, hair flipping thing fairly well. Certainly a sight better that the usual 18 yr olds who are only sexy vixens in their own minds.

 

The anointed guy wasn't as good technically as some of the others but he did have musicality, great control, and worked the stage well.

 

Car crash girl was better than Mary Kate so Nigel wanting to pass on her came across as clearly superficial. I did keep wondering if she had a leg length discrepancy while I watched her, though.

 

I liked the first ballroom guy but I thought he could have been a little more engaged with his partner.

 

I really enjoyed the Swiss brothers and JaJa was incredible. Hebrew guy was also really good but I could have done without his shout-out to Flashdance at the end. (was that movie really that long ago? boy, I'm getting old)

 

I loved both ballet boys and hope they both do well in Vegas.

[bluvelvet]

Was Brandon the same kid who performed with Brittany on DWTS when they were 13. I know Brittany got cast in sytycd and was paired with Bluprint. Anyway I agree that he was sloppy, actually I think he did better when he was on DWTS and when he partnered Lindsay.

[Rick Kitchen]

Asaf Goren is a model, with Wilhelmina:

 

http://wagnerla.tumblr.com/post/118206698381/recent-shoot-with-wilhelmina-la-model-asaf-goren

[Adez]

For some reason my PVR missed the early showing, so I haven't got through watching last night, but I had to reply to this:

 

 

I could make a case for Alex Wong being as good as Danny (although I still like Danny's style better), but certainly not Chehon.  I loved Chehon and I agree he was easier for most people to relate to (partially because Danny hit the show when it was still screwing around with narratives and they really did an amateurish number on him and partially because Danny was breaking new ground as the first ballet dancer to compete and partially because Danny is pretty dang shy (still)) but Danny had an innate quality of movement that Chehon did not to my eyes.

 

That first ballet dancer tonight was breathtaking in the way he took the air and spectacular in his imperceptible landings.  I haven't seen the second yet, but it was beautiful watching the Armenian.

I felt Danny was the best dancer of the entire series so far, but had a deep appreciation for both Alex and Chehon. However, I can't remember a time when Nigel ever stopped "screwing around with the narrative". Danny's treatment as arrogant was agregious, but I also remember the narrative for Chehon as cold towards his partner ("I just wish you would show some warmth towards your partner!"), which couldn't have been farther from the truth. Maybe by Chehon's season, the audience didn't fall as hard for Nigel's shennanigans, as we could easily see Chehon smiling and hugging Witney every time they complimented her while she seemed to be the distant one. But lord knows, they did try to make that stick. It was satisfying when the narrative backfired, as with Brandon and Adechike's attempted beat-downs by Mia.

 

Both of the male ballet dancers were fantastic. I doubt they are cross-trained, as they seem quite disciplined in their specialty, but one can hope they'll last awhile.

 

Asaf Goren is a model, with Wilhelmina:

 

http://wagnerla.tumblr.com/post/118206698381/recent-shoot-with-wilhelmina-la-model-asaf-goren

I noticed that the other day and checked to discover he's on their Mainboard, while I expected he'd be on the "development" list. I like that he didn't bring it up in his interactions with Cat. I'm certain it will come up at some point, though. I'll bet there aren't many on that site that have breaker photos in their portfolios.

http://www.wilhelmina.com/los-angeles/models/mainboard/men/833295/asaf-goren

 

I don't think Asaf is the best breaker I've ever seen, but he was good, and better than quite a few other shown. As above, I wonder about a narrative for him.Jason cited his initial conversation as "off-putting" before complimenting him. I rewatched the audition and the first couple of minutes were spent with some good-natured horsing around with Cat & the shofar (thanks for identifying it for us, Zuliekha), exibiting a self-deprecating type of humor that I enjoy. The only statement of hubris was how he was "bored with the kinds of breaking" he was seeing, but it was clearly a tongue-in-cheek statement to set up the revelation that his style was different because it represented his culture. I don't see how what he said was any different than the many crews who are featured as they declare they've invented a new style of dance whose awesomeness the world isn't prepared to see. I take all of it as required posturing for authentic street dance and don't find any of it off-putting or offensive at all. I hope Nigel doesn't "Jess Leprotto" him, as another arrogant or over-confident contestant.

 

I'm prepared to give Asaf a chance, not because of his looks. Personally, I like the more rough and rugged type...the pretty boys, not so much. But he seemed truly touched by their critiques, had an odd but fun sense of humor, and was somewhat inventive at his craft.

 

I was very happy to see so many intriguing female street dancers! I'm hopeful they will be versatile enough for several to make it through. Add some guys who know how to give us some traditional hard-hitting hip-hop and I'll be happy with that side of the teams. I'm much less interested in the animators.

 

I get my fill of ballroom on DWTS and America's Ballroom Challenge. I have no issue whatsoever with contemporary dancers.   I have major issues with how this show choreographs contemporary dancers, especially in recent seasons. There were enough floor-writhers to keep Travis inspired for the entire season. Blech. Every season, I miss Wade more and more. Even Mia, in all  her vitriolic glory, would be a welcomed change from Travis, Mandy, and Stacey.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Adez

[pamplemousse]

For some reason my PVR missed the early showing, so I haven't got through watching last night, but I had to reply to this:

 

 

I could make a case for Alex Wong being as good as Danny (although I still like Danny's style better), but certainly not Chehon.  I loved Chehon and I agree he was easier for most people to relate to (partially because Danny hit the show when it was still screwing around with narratives and they really did an amateurish number on him and partially because Danny was breaking new ground as the first ballet dancer to compete and partially because Danny is pretty dang shy (still)) but Danny had an innate quality of movement that Chehon did not to my eyes.

 

That first ballet dancer tonight was breathtaking in the way he took the air and spectacular in his imperceptible landings.  I haven't seen the second yet, but it was beautiful watching the Armenian.

I think Danny is the best ballet dancer the show has ever had. IMO Alex and Chehon can't compare -- Danny was more attenuated than both of them, had purer technique, better ballon, better flexibility, better control and spot and better turning ability. His port de bras was also beyond outstanding. I do think Alex and Chehon had more telegenic personalities. But strictly ballet dance ability? Danny FTW imo.

 

Avo had great ballon in his leaps and jumps. I just wasn't too impressed by what he did when he wasn't en l'air. His transitions, what few there were, were clunky and his whole piece seemed disjointed. Also, I did not like his choice of music and some of the miming he did was pretty cheesy.

 

Jim has great control and flexibility (his feet are crazy, his toe point is out of this world), and I like how he had a very polished audition piece with unusual and intriguing music. However, his pirouettes (what few there were in his piece) looked weak and sloppy -- they dragged (lazy spot perhaps?) and were not finished in a real position.

 

With that said, I still like both of them (I like Jim a bit more) and I hope they make it far.

 

I was quite impressed with the younger of the two Swiss breakdancing brothers. He looks quite tall but his flares and windmills were great and that's very hard for a tall guy to pull off. If we can have him and Asaf in the top 20, we'll be blessed with some major breakdancing eyecandy. Asaf kind of reminds me of Patrick Kuo from last season of SYTYCD Australia -- may come off a bit arrogant at first but is actually a goofy endearing lug.

 

LA did not disappoint, I feel like most of the auditioners did not come out to play, they came out to take care of business. I hope NYC is the same.

 

At the beginning of the episode they had a short preview of Vegas week and went over the choreographers names who will be doing routines for Street and Stage (yay Dave Scott is back for Street!). I could be wrong, but I don't think any of the three choreographers they named for Stage were ballroom? One of them was a broadway choreographer so he'll be doing either a broadway or jazz routine, but if none of the three Stage choreographers are ballroom, that seems pretty unfair that the Stage dancers won't get tested in ballroom and the ballroom dancers won't have a chance to show off their skills other than in their solos.

[Zuleikha]

Asaf Goren is a model, with Wilhelmina:

Thank you for sharing that link. :)

 

I've been catching up on YouTube, so now I must wax rhapsodic about Jim Nowakowski. I totally saw where Nigel got the Alex Wong comparison from, but Jim actually reminded me more of Cole Horibe. Jim's solo was like martial arts ballet. It was incredible. He's another one that I will be floored if he's not in the finals

 

I'm glad Jaja is back. I love her style.

 

Brandon did seem a little unpolished in his audition, but I thought he was amazing for having taken two years off of dancing. I'm sure he trained intensely for Vegas, and I won't be surprised if he gets his polish back and makes it through. I really want to know the backstory behind the Mormon dominance of contemporary US Dancesport, too. 

 

ETA: Jessica Rabone is also a phenomenal dancer and also breathtakingly beautiful. I don't know what's happening with pairings, but if she and Asaf get paired at any point, there will be a ridiculous amount of pretty. Per her YouTube show reel, she also models.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Zuleikha

[Adez]

I forgot to mention B-Dash, the dancer who combined krump & animation. I thought it added a whole level of interest to the idea of animation.

 

Also agree on the Swiss brothers. The taller one seemed to be clearly more skilled, but both of them finished strong on the routine. I wonder if we'll get a "which brother will it be" Green Mile pairing? Just one of the show's recurring memes.

 

This is the first episode where I feel I must watch again to collect my list of names to watch out for. There were so many, while the first two episodes yielded nothing but ho-hums from me.

[Lemons]

Lord, save me from female contemporary dancers with red lipstick, and bra tops who brazenly look right at you in a seductive fashion. Blerg.That whole dad dancing  schtick left off 5 auditions we didn't see because of that nonsense.  It was all an excuse for Nigel to sit next to her, although he can no longer leer because of his brow lift.  Bu the way she was no dancer, her dancing sucked, good gymnast-- no dancing to be seen

 

 

There is one of those "jazz" dancers every season and they are interchangeable.  They start on the floor, roll around a bit, have their back to the audience and bend over with butt in the air while looking over their shoulder seductively.  Dancing not necessary.  I think Nigel finds them in an upscale gentlemen's club.  Bring dad along to fool everyone.

[violetr]

I'm prepared to give Asaf a chance, not because of his looks. Personally, I like the more rough and rugged type...the pretty boys, not so much.

 

 

Me too, but good god, there's one's usual type, and then there's THAT guy. No one should be allowed to be that pretty. His personality actually annoyed me, but I'll keep an open mind. Israeli men just do tend to have swagger. 

 

Jason telling us that the man must dominate the woman in the relationship was disgusting.

 

 

That comment really pissed me off. Even if he was just referring to ballroom dancing, it sounded creepy and sexist. We're in a very hot period of gender politics right now culturally. You need to be sensitive, especially on the public stage. I also wondered why the show didn't edit those comments out. Trying to stir up controversy? 

[pamplemousse]

There is one of those "jazz" dancers every season and they are interchangeable.  They start on the floor, roll around a bit, have their back to the audience and bend over with butt in the air while looking over their shoulder seductively.  Dancing not necessary.  I think Nigel finds them in an upscale gentlemen's club.  Bring dad along to fool everyone.

Yes, there have been so many of these dancers, your description is so on point, and I've seen their boring samey-samey routines so many times, that I can visualize it with crystal clarity. They're all studio kids from places like Abby Lee Miller's and the other ones shown in Dance Moms and the routines they use seem to be the same rote by numbers 'sexy jazz' routines with little content (mostly just posturing, strutting 'sexily', and doing some superfluous acro) that they've trotted out a million times at competitions like Showstopper, MOVE, Jump, etc. They're all a bunch of Maddie Ziegler clones only less famous.

 

I actually really enjoyed that one male dancer with the big fluffy 'fro and the patterned harem pants -- his routine looked like a parody of all the angsty contemporary ones, I thought he was hilarious. I don't think he was trying to be funny, though, and he got rejected by the judges.

Edited June 17, 2015 by pamplemousse