S11.E01: Auditions No. 1

[ari333]

 Courtney, - what a character and so much fun. Some nads to go there and found a way to fit in Wendy WIlliams. As mentioned, he would have been big fun in this thing. His dancing wasn't terrible, imo, but his personality won  me. The man does own a stage; I'll give him that. "How you doin'? "

 

I like Wayne Brady and Jenna as  jidges, but I would say that.

 

I hate, loathe and can't stand the crying and the sob stories. I just can't take it. I watch for the joy of the dancing and entertainment and even the music. I don't want to sit hear fighting tears or being annoyed. Bah.

 

Bieber can bite me.

 

Loved the Garcia solo Latin ballroom guy

 

If Mary stopped shrieking, I wouldn't hate it. I know it's her "thing," so that's not going to happen.

[leighdear]

I imagine the Twitter voting component is going to work about as well here as it did on "The Voice"....meaning it will suck, limit voting and completely misrepresent what the viewing public really thinks.  

 

Strangely, I prefer the audition rounds to the later rounds.  At that point, they are all so polished and perfect that I lose a little interest.  

 

Although the choreography round really separates the wheat from the chaff.  Just like with singing competitions, a person can rehearse a few numbers so often that they get everything nailed down perfectly.  But throw something new at them, and they can't adapt, simply because they don't have the foundation and mastery of the basics. 

 

Hate the manipulative backstories and irrelevant personal blathering.  Hate Bieber. Hate Nigel nasty-talk.  

 

Love the show.  

[picklesprite]

I turned it off once, gave it a second try, turned it off again. . .and now after reading all the comments, I think I may have to leave it off until L.A. Dammit.

 

Even though I really liked Megan, I totally agree about the sob stories. If they don't either get shorter or stop altogether, they're gonna make me cry from disgust.

 

Does no one have the courage to tell Nigel to cut it out? Or, better yet, to force him to? Does he have all the power? Dude! You're dirty. Stop it.

 

The second time I turned it off was when he began to make fun of the obese male dancer, asking him if he had to wear tights when he studied (hmm) ballet. I couldn't stand to watch him do that fat-shaming, effete-shaming schtick any more. I was starting to feel like an enabler!

Edited May 29, 2014 by picklesprite

[ari333]

I think I've morphed into hate-watching Nigel. His comments are just awful. He hates people who are not slim, who are not hetero (well, the males) and his commentary to the females is gross, imo.

 

Hana Chan

Nigel's emfemiphobia has been irking me ever since Kupono was on the show. Not every guy is going to be a powerhouse who can forklift a female partner who might well weigh nearly as much as he does. That doen't prevent them from being amazing dancers and giving some of the best performances (the way Kupono and Kayla did with the Addiction dance in their season). And he is still totally gross when it comes to the female dancers. It's like dealing with your redneck uncle (who happens to be disguised as an older, cultured Englishman).

 

I have many redneck uncles and AFAIK none of them would speak to a female the way Nigel does.  

 

Is "exotic dancer" code for stripper? Mary looked super uncomfy during the lap dance and it was supposedly her idea. Jenna was rolling with it.

 

VEGAS!!!!

..um... no.... heh.

Edited May 29, 2014 by ari333

[bourbon]

The thing I have always liked about this show is that, almost alone among reality shows, never really glorified bad behavior among its contestants. In the past when the judges' save was in play, they even used bad behavior or a poor work ethic as a factor in ousting a competitor. That's the problem I have with someone as arrogant, ungrateful, and badly behaved as Bieber being a part of a show that has always celebrated humility, dedication, and other aspects of good character almost as much as it has celebrated talent. Blech. I cannot hit fast forward and/or mute fast enough.

Not terribly impressed with any of the dancers yet and very surprised at the lack of strong hip hop guys. I was disappointed in the show and disappointed in Caleb that he showed up again, TBH. I thought it was refreshing that they bounced him, rightfully so, after choreo. Having him come back with his, "Let's be happy! No, let's grieve!" solo felt so calculated to jerk the tears. I can't say I blame him. He's seen enough of these things to know how it works. I genuinely like him, but Sonya and Mia will eat him alive during Vegas (not Vegas) week.

[Gardencrown]

 

The second time I turned it off was when he began to make fun of the obese male dancer, asking him if he had to wear tights when he studied (hmm) ballet. I couldn't stand to watch him do that fat-shaming, effete-shaming schtick any more. I was starting to feel like an enabler!

Oh yeah, I forgot this. After Nigel asked him about wearing black tights -- my daughter said, "Did Nigel actually manage to insult his race, his sexuality, and his body all in under ten seconds?"

 

Yeah, it's Nigel. SO wish he would get out of his own way.

[Skittl1321]

 

The thing I have always liked about this show is that, almost alone among reality shows, never really glorified bad behavior among its contestants.

 

 

That, and unless you said you were a dance teacher (which is different from an aerobics instructor that came up this episode) they have always encouraged people who love to dance, but suck, to keep dancing.  Although I don't think we've seen a dance teacher smack down in awhile.

 

I also like that they highlight dancers who are so NOT for this show during the audition rounds.  Many of the various freeform hip-hop dancers have no place in the competition, but are really interesting to watch. 

[Steph01924]

The thing I have always liked about this show is that, almost alone among reality shows, never really glorified bad behavior among its contestants. In the past when the judges' save was in play, they even used bad behavior or a poor work ethic as a factor in ousting a competitor. That's the problem I have with someone as arrogant, ungrateful, and badly behaved as Bieber being a part of a show that has always celebrated humility, dedication, and other aspects of good character almost as much as it has celebrated talent. Blech. I cannot hit fast forward and/or mute fast enough. 

 

I totally agree. The only way I can justify it is that it likely wasn't anyone's decision who really 'cares' about the dancing part of the show, you know? It was probably some corporate exec saying, we need the show to be more relevant (whatever that means) and get some bigger ratings otherwise we're gonna cancel it, so get someone big, like Bieber, to come on and get some guaranteed twee viewers to watch. It's pandering and absolutely stupid, and I wish they had found someone better with more dance skills and integrity, but I can't figure out who fit that mold that would be on par with the star power Bieber has.

 

It's probably providing some reciprocity to raise Bieber's reputation, too, as I realized after seeing him last night that he's been pretty absent from the headlines lately after all that crap that went down a few months back (at least, I assume so, as someone who does not seek out info on Bieber intentionally but ends up hearing about it when it's on every news network). 

[luvthepros]

.... Does anybody who goes on to choreography actually go on to do well on this show in the Top 20? ....

I know of one for sure....Benji Schwimmer, winner of season 2. In fact, he did not actually make Top 20. He was a replacement for a contestant who had to drop out of the competition before the start of the season.

[chocolatine]

It's pandering and absolutely stupid, and I wish they had found someone better with more dance skills and integrity, but I can't figure out who fit that mold that would be on par with the star power Bieber has.

 

 

Lady Gaga would have been a great choice. She's arguably the bigger star, and already has a connection to the show, having had Mark Kanemura in her videos and on her tour, and having guest-judged on previous seasons.

Edited May 29, 2014 by chocolatine

[marcee]

I wish 12-year-old-supports-herself-girl didn't decide to talk about how pretty she is and how she used to think it was a bad thing, but now that she's an adult, she's happy that she's really pretty. Man, that totally turned me off.

[ari333]

I wish 12-year-old-supports-herself-girl didn't decide to talk about how pretty she is and how she used to think it was a bad thing, but now that she's an adult, she's happy that she's really pretty. Man, that totally turned me off.

 

Do 12 year old females actually roam the streets? Or make their own money for a home somewhere? Although I don't know who rents to a 12 year old.  Seriously? Because that's what "on my own" means.... without getting picked up for truancy or IDK what. I'm sorry for her childhood, and congrats on turning her life around. That is awesome and totally not easy by any means. But her delivery was off for me.

[Shades of Red]

Is "exotic dancer" code for stripper?

 

Yes. 

 

Can I chime in on the fathers dancing and say how much I despise that part of the show.  It was cute a few years ago but now it's boring and smacks of desperation.   The "bottle dance" was not funny and really gross at least in my books it was.

 

Oh and have to say something about the ladies dancing "contemporary" especially the one who constantly used the HMV move.  I don't remember her name, but thanks to the TWOP forums and the people posting there I had that phrase in my mind every time she did the move.   I know there's more to contemporary dancing that the boring moves that keep showing up on my screen.

[Princess Sparkle]

I wish 12-year-old-supports-herself-girl didn't decide to talk about how pretty she is and how she used to think it was a bad thing, but now that she's an adult, she's happy that she's really pretty.

 

 

You know, hers was the only back story I caught, because I got up to feed my cat and could hear it in the background.  My total unsubstantiated assumption when she said she didn't like when people called her "pretty" when she was younger, but was ok with it now, made me think that perhaps she was getting some unwanted attention from her mother's boyfriends, or from someone inappropriate.  I'm probably off-base, but that's the first thing that popped into my head.    

Edited May 29, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[thewhiteowl]

I can't say I mind so much, Caleb getting thru to Hell Week on a pity ticket. His solos are pretty good so it's not like he can't dance at all. However, if he continues to be pushed thru on the pity ticket and not his dancing, it will annoy me to no end. I've had enough Jose's and Cyrus's to last me a lifetime.

[leighdear]

Pretty girl mentioned that she lived with 10-12 foster familes, relatives & assorted people, so I don't think she was sleeping in a cardboard box and eating out of dumpsters.  Although maybe she did.  She obviously overcame a lot, but only her dancing really mattered to me.  

 

I'm there for dancetime, not storytime.  

[Spicy Bubbles]

I do not usually watch the auditions, mainly because I don't want to see the fathers who embarrass themselves and their families, or the people desperate for attention, or all the sob stories. My digital reception was a little spotty yesterday (darn rabbit ears), so I was glad to miss some of the aspects I don't care for. On the other hand, it was hard to pay attention to the legit dancers. None of the auditions stuck with me from last night, so either I am not easily impressed anymore or it was just a lackluster group. I was wondering what is the male equivalent to the HMV, because I felt like the guys were doing that quite a bit as well.

[chocolatine]

What does HMV stand for?

[WhineandCheez]

but I did not enjoy the 'strong man' guy with the scar. It looked sloppy to me and he was annoying.

 

Me either--I thought they were going to say "no" and they go and give him a ticket?  His hands and arms were blocky and stiff.

 

Megan on her own at 12-- I am sure she was in the foster system-- did have a quiet dignity to her. But the (what felt like) 5 hours of shots of her wistfully looking into the horizon or doing a HMV were GAH!  too much!  She is unbelievably gorgeous though.

 

Caleb whose father passed--ok this sounds bad--but when he pops up again in Chicago, goes on again about his late Dad's last voicemail  and dances to  a musical piece that starts with a voicemail--YUCK--it was all too literal.  Like when dancers act out the words of a song, like making a finger heart when the music says "heart."

 

What does HMV stand for?

 

HERE'S MY VAGINA!!!!  this was decided like 10 years ago when the show started. It's the position (name?) where the leg is raised parallel to the head

Edited May 29, 2014 by WhineandCheez

[chocolatine]

Thanks, WhineandCheez! And ew! :) I used to think of it as the look-how-flexible-I-am move.

Edited May 29, 2014 by chocolatine

[ari333]

I admit I'm weird and gross, but I loved the bottle dance. Does anyone here know what the music was for that? It was familiar, but I can't think

 

TIA.

:)

[chocolatine]

I admit I'm weird and gross, but I loved the bottle dance. Does anyone here know what the music was for that? It was familiar, but I can't think

 

 

I believe that was Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

[ElleryAnne]

also like that they highlight dancers who are so NOT for this show during the audition rounds.

 

 

This is one of the reasons I watch the auditions.  There's always a chance of catching something great.  Last year, for instance, there a contestant who performed a Mongolian bowl dance that was just beautiful.   There are so many kinds of dance out there, and I appreciate it that the show occasionally steps outside its usual contemporary/ballroom/hip-hop zones to show them, even during auditions.

 

 

I wish 12-year-old-supports-herself-girl didn't decide to talk about how pretty she is and how she used to think it was a bad thing, but now that she's an adult, she's happy that she's really pretty.

 

 

It didn't bother me, because I didn't get the impression she was boastful about it.  She sounded like she associated the, "oh, you're pretty" comments with less-than-pleasant experiences and had to grow to appreciate her own worth to put that in place.  But of course, some of that is also coming from the place where the editors just ask her to say stuff for her sympathy segment. 

 

 

Lady Gaga would have been a great choice

 

 

I''m not even a fan of Gaga but agree she would have been a better choice than Bieber.  Paula Abdul's name came to mind first for me when I tried to think of a better replacement.  I wish they didn't have to cast that spot based on big-name draw, though.  I'd rather have just had Cat handling it.

 

 

Caleb whose father passed--ok this sounds bad--but when he pops up again in Chicago, goes on again about his late Dad's last voicemail  and dances to  a musical piece that starts with a voicemail--YUCK--it was all too literal.  Like when dancers act out the words of a song, like making a finger heart when the music says "heart."

 

 

Yeah.  Not all dancers can channel their grief into dance.  Some can, and it can move me to tears.  But some just can't.  It's such a personal thing.   I think, honestly, it's just too soon for Caleb to be tackling this show, given its connection to him and his father.  If he doesn't make it through not-Vegas week, he could come back next year and possibly be fantastic.  But right now I don't know.

Edited May 29, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[luvthepros]

What does HMV stand for?

Here's my vagina. Can I say that?

[picklesprite]

You all are reminding me that there are sometimes wonderful, out-of-the ordinary dancers in the try-outs, and that may be the only chance to see them. Not gonna get tricked into watching more try outs, though. Nuh-uh. I'll just rely on you and You Tube.

[leighdear]

 

I wish they didn't have to cast that spot based on big-name draw, though.  I'd rather have just had Cat handling it.

It absolutely has to someone that commands a Twitter Army of tweens & teens.  Age is the key factor here, because the number of credible YOUNG dancers with an enormous Twitter following is small.  Gaga would have been an unbeliebable coup, but she's too busy.  

 

As I mentioned upthread, it was a huge debacle on "The Voice" because teen Twitter followers were merely voting for singers they were told to vote for by people they followed.  A big % of the votes were from people that had NOT heard any of the contestants sing.  

[ari333]

I was wondering what is the male equivalent to the HMV, because I felt like the guys were doing that quite a bit as well.

 

I don't know what the official acronym is, but here at the house it is, "HMTAB" (hemtab) as in -- Here's My Twig And Berries.

 

Ok I'll see myself out after that.

[Rick Kitchen]

I wonder what the show will do if an when Bieber winds up in jail sometime during the season.

 

Watching the previews for the next Chicago show, they were showing dancers performing in front of the glass wall and floor in the Willis Tower.  And then today I read that that overlook glass floor cracked yesterday.  I was already freaked out over people doing cartwheels in mid air in that thing.

[Haleth]

I know, Rick Kitchen! I was there recently and was like "oh, wow!" when they showed that last night, but then heard the news story today and was like "oh. Wow."

More often than not the people who are featured in the auditions don't make it onto the show, so I wish they'd spend more time showing genuine auditions and less time on the stupid stuff like dads embarrassing themselves or people who obviously are not cut out for the show.

[m74]

I'm calling it now - the two Miami friends are going to be numbers 20 and 21 on the Green Mile.

 

Overall, I usually can't remember much from the audition shows.  I watch them, enjoy the small snippets of actual dance we are allowed to see, and try  to tune out the rest of the nonsense, which unfortunately seems to take up an increasingly high percentage every year.  But I'm still SYTYCD's bitch, and when it's on, I'm watching.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I thought the Miami boys were brothers at first. Nick was doing something weird with his hands at the beginning of his audition. It reminded me of when gymnasts try to do ballet hands. He seems like a competition kid with dramatic drops, but I'm mostly okay with it because doing a ballroom solo is difficult as it's not very flashy or impressive to the casual viewer. I know Mary would still recognize whether the ballroom technique is good but it's just not as show offy as solos in other styles of dance. Rudy's solo looked like a typical contemporary solo. I didn't hate it but it didn't stand out as better or more interesting than other contempo dances. I knew Nigel would like him though because he looks like a buff masculine manly man.

 

I hate whenever Nigel says he's never seen a particular move before. That speaks more to his ignorance than someone else's originality. I'm 99% sure that if I went back through 10 seasons of auditions and solos, I would find someone who has in fact done a reverse cabriole to the floor. It's not that unique a move.

 

I didn't like seeing Caleb audition again in Chicago. Dude, you blew the choreography round in New Orleans. Are you going to get that much better at partnering in another week or so? I also dislike the way he hunches his shoulders too. Getting a ticket to Los Angeles seemed like a pity gesture.

 

I really could have done without Mary screaming during the chair dance. Gawd, STFU, woman! Jenna was a good sport and her facial expressions were hilarious. I love that the guys are fine with going to choreography and then admitting that it was too much for them. Honestly, better for them to leave before they had to perform it with a partner for the judges. I always feel bad for dancers who are sent to choreography and then get paired with other dancers without any partnering experience. It's dangerous and it also makes the dancers look worse than they really are. I would not want to launch myself into the air and trust that some dude was going to catch me without hurting me.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot this. After Nigel asked him about wearing black tights -- my daughter said, "Did Nigel actually manage to insult his race, his sexuality, and his body all in under ten seconds?"

 

Yeah, it's Nigel. SO wish he would get out of his own way.

I suppose I should give Nigel credit for being so efficiently insulting someone all in one fell swoop, but gawd his attitude drives me crazy. It's only the first episode and I'm already tired of his homophobia, his leering, and his not so subtle fat shaming. It was fine for Wayne to point out that the guy was already out of breath after that short zumba segment because there's no way he could handle a strenuous 90 second routine if he made it into the top 20. Yes, it's health related but Wayne was voicing a legitimate concern. Nigel asking about the tights was just him being a dick as usual.

 

What does HMV stand for?

Here's My Vagina, the acronym created specifically for Melody in S1.

 

It's the position (name?) where the leg is raised parallel to the head

Just to be super nitpicky, the leg isn't parallel to the head. The foot is usually next to the head and the leg is perpendicular to the floor.

 

I believe that was Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

Of course the show would pick a date rapey song for a fun dad dance!

 

Watching the previews for the next Chicago show, they were showing dancers performing in front of the glass wall and floor in the Willis Tower.  And then today I read that that overlook glass floor cracked yesterday.  I was already freaked out over people doing cartwheels in mid air in that thing.

I'm afraid of heights so that thing always freaks me out, even in pictures. When I saw that girl doing a side aerial in the box, i was like ARE YOU CRAZY?? So knowing that the glass cracked just justifies my paranoia.

[pagooey]

It didn't bother me, because I didn't get the impression she was boastful about it.  She sounded like she associated the, "oh, you're pretty" comments with less-than-pleasant experiences and had to grow to appreciate her own worth to put that in place.

This is how I read it, too--that being "pretty" and stuck in the foster-care system at puberty might've been a particular kind of hell. I admit, I preferred her story to the at-least-one girl we get every year who's all sweet, virginal, possibly Mormon, and claims that for some reason people think her dancing is...sexy, ohmigosh, tee-hee! And then punctuates it by writhing around on the floor making come-hither faces.

 

I'd also like to bludgeon Nigel with a cast-iron #YesAllWomen hashtag. Produce the show, critique the dancing, and SHUT IT, you nasty old fart. (And I could happily go to my grave without ever hearing "Blurred Lines" again, but...)

 

Oh well. We're off to a bit of a slow, wincing start, with the Beebs and the sob story and too-many mortifying famewhore dads...but deep down I love this show for the moments, the feats, that make me yelp out loud with their beauty and/or seeming impossibility. It was nice to see the revamped credits, with a few of those moves preserved for posterity! That LEAP of Melanie's, still, always...I shrieked again. :)

[Gardencrown]

 

I don't know what the official acronym is, but here at the house it is, "HMTAB" (hemtab) as in -- Here's My Twig And Berries.

Okay, this made me laugh. Because I'm twelve. And it is SO true that more male dancers are doing this move. I believe that at the late great TWOP, this move was referred to as HMS, if I'm not mistaken. But I move to make ari's term canon over here at previouslyTV:) I feel like we're growing, guys.

 

 

I'd also like to bludgeon Nigel with a cast-iron #YesAllWomen hashtag. Produce the show, critique the dancing, and SHUT IT, you nasty old fart. (And I could happily go to my grave without ever hearing "Blurred Lines" again, but...)

Amen to this. So much amen. I try, try, try to think of Marko and Jasmine's dance from last year which was super cool because otherwise that song makes me want to stick a pin in my eye...nope, sorry, still makes me want to stick a pin in my eye.

 

The more I think about it, I see Megan making top 20, along with the African American guy who was Witney's partner a couple of years ago (you know, it pains me to type her name with the correct spelling), and the "sexy" blonde ballroom (ish) girl. She will be on my nerves within .02 seconds of the actual season starting.

[crowceilidh]

I thought Nigel had dialled it WAY back this year.  I never actually found him all that creepy, but I expect it might be how close I am to his age.  I often wonder if the people obsessing about Nigel's "perviness" realize that they are often bordering on totally age-ist in their remarks.  Now, Nigel's strange homophobia (which I expect comes from his life in dance where someone as pretty and blonde and slim as him was, no doubt, assumed to be homosexual, in an era where homosexuality got socially-acceptable hostility from nearly everybody) is something that is worth being upset about, no matter how understandable it is that he may have ended up that way considering the mores of the world he grew up in.  

 

Mary and Jenna on stage being stripped at was UTTERLY disgusting.  I don't think that men and women are the same nor that they should always be treated the same, but if Nigel had been in a chair on stage while 4 female "exotic dancers" teased him, the internet would have exploded.

[Mya Stone]

Here's my vagina. Can I say that?

Yes, yes you can. 

It made me snort, so good job, guys. 

I passed out cold (from exhaustion, not anything fun) after Courtney's amazing audition, so I'll be watching the rest tonight, but man...I agree with the sob stories AND the Nigel-ick factor. 

As for his "homophobia," I believe he was all about Brandon and Will, who I'm pretty sure are both gay, but masculine contemporary dancers, so I think it's more about the effeminate males, which does not make it any better, but I suppose it's more about what he's looking for in male dancers - strength, good lines, ability to partner, and less about sexual orientation. 

But really, he can STFU about that poor Utah girl's mom. Disgusting old lecher. 

[leighdear]

HMS

 Here's my sack?

[ramble]

Here's my sack?

Ha! I was wondering as well & thought maybe, "Here's my schlong."

[kb3]

Trevor Bryce used the music from one of my favourite Travis Wall pieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEyX_1O2JQ

 

And I like what Ade did with it too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBUkuBN30qU

Edited May 30, 2014 by kb3

[Anothermi]

Here's my sack?

Ha! I was wondering as well & thought maybe, "Here's my schlong."

Hee!  Both of those work excellently.  TWoP posters went for anatomically correct names so it was "Here's My Scrotum" but whatever works for you! ;-)

[pamswhirled]

I'm not happy with Bieber taking air time from Cat.  The producers must be getting some sort of kick back from Bieber's agent.  Did anyone recognize Bieber's choreographer as one of the boys from that all-boy Jersey group from ABDC?  (Then again, Jersey teenagers tend to look the same to me.)  In any case, I'm solidly on the #bieberbegone team.

 

This may be wishful thinking, but I think mainstream TV is finally starting to get more comfortable with LBGT people just being themselves.  I wouldn't be surprised if DWTS pairs a gay male "star" with one of their pro male dancers on an upcoming season.  We've come along way since Ellen's sitcom was cancelled.  Nigel is a dying breed of old white men who feel entitled to prejudices, cultural ignorance, and pervy comments.  I wish he had the humility to acknowledge his unevolved thinking instead of trumpeting it as if it were somehow charming.  #shutupnigel 

 

I love Wayne Brady.  My favorite part of this episode was his zumba dance-off with the chubby guy and his encouragement to keep on dancing and being healthy.

 

I miss the hey day of twopperville and their excellent show 'cappers, but I'm looking forward to interacting with y'all here.  I hope we have a name-that-thread contest for the dancers.  Cheers to a fun season of snippy and biting screeds laced with the occasional well-earned sugar!

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Danny's post on the episode!

[90PercentGravity]

I admit I'm weird and gross, but I loved the bottle dance. Does anyone here know what the music was for that? It was familiar, but I can't think

Me too. I loved the daughter's deadpan "It's a party-starter."

 

This is how I read it, too--that being "pretty" and stuck in the foster-care system at puberty might've been a particular kind of hell.

Agree. I didn't think she was being vain at all. Not only did she probably have to deal with the unwanted attention, but she probably also had to deal with jealousy from a lot of foster moms as a result of that attention. There are way too many crazy-ass women who blame the child for being too appealing, instead of blaming the boyfriend/husband for being a creepy fucking pervert. I'm sure she met a few.

[Mertseger]

Uncle Pervy and Auntie Scream were certainly in fine fettle this episode. Sigh. Can we #SYTYCDNoMoreScream or #SYTYCDNoMoreLeer to vote for some new schtick? Or maybe Bieber can share some tiny fraction of his weed with the jidges before the cameras start rolling? 

 

The one edit that bothered me was Caleb's second partner just disappearing from the shot when his group gets waved through to Burbank. Sorry unnamed young dancer, you kind of demonstrated that Caleb can almost partner when he concentrates, and we have no more room for you in his narrative. You might consider bringing your own tragedy next time.

[Canada]

I really wanted to vote for the female tapping group, but when one started talking about how they represent feminism.... honey, with your T&A on show, you have a pretty warped view of what feminism is.  Stop dancing and go get an education!

 

Pretty flat episode.  Not a lot of great dancing.  Too many parents.  Way too many sob stories.  When my-dad-died guy came back for a 2nd audition, I got weird stalker vibes from him.  They needed to send him for therapy, not give him a ticket.

 

Hope this season gets a lot better!

[Pestilentia]

 

As for his "homophobia," I believe he was all about Brandon and Will, who I'm pretty sure are both gay, but masculine contemporary dancers, so I think it's more about the effeminate males, which does not make it any better, but I suppose it's more about what he's looking for in male dancers - strength, good lines, ability to partner, and less about sexual orientation.

 

This.

I am nearly certain I heard Nigel address this in some past season interview. He is not homophobic and has no issues with gay men dancing on his show but he does expect them to be able to effectively portray the masculine role. He wants the boys to dance like boys and the girls to dance like girls.

I'm not a Nigel apologist, I swear, but hate to see homophobic charges leveled at a show that for me has always embraced all factions of our human spectrum.

 

As far as his perviness- he is 100% guilty as charged.

Sometimes I doubt Nigel is even human- it's as if he has somewhat learned to imitate humans but his reptilian origins always seem to show through. His smile is more of a grimace- as if an alien was told to contract muscles a, c, e, and f while relaxing muscles b, d, g, and h in order to show humor. He comes off so insincere sometimes.

Mary is just Mary.

 

Hate all the backstories but damn if I don't love all the dancers.

That this is such an incredibly good show in spite of pervy Uncle Nigel and (a seemingly liquored up) crazy Aunt Mary as well as the manipulations and contrived sob stories makes me sad for the show it could be were all these issues addressed.

I love it anyway.

Glad to have it back.

Vive la dance!

[DHDancer]

Thanks, WhineandCheez! And ew! :) I used to think of it as the look-how-flexible-I-am move.

 

I have two problems with this "side attitude" move:  1.  They seem to only ever do it on one side, usually the right leg only.  What's with this?  2. I automatically think of them as trick churners, a la Dance Mom competitions -- a series of "trick" moves barely connected by steps.  

 

I'm a bit sick of these contemporary routines -- they are all the same IMO.  I don't find them very beautiful.

 

And count me in with everyone who says "ENUF" with the sob stories.   They're getting to be the norm, not the exception, and they really shouldn't be relevant to the competition EXCEPT to explain a disfigurement or something unusual in their style.

[Bella]

 

I am nearly certain I heard Nigel address this in some past season interview. He is not homophobic and has no issues with gay men dancing on his show but he does expect them to be able to effectively portray the masculine role. He wants the boys to dance like boys and the girls to dance like girls.

 

Emphasis is mine.

 

To me, a dancer should be able to partner with anyone. There are any number of talented gay actors who convincingly portray straight men, and vice versa, for example. If this is analogous to Nigel's point, then I'm with him on that. I'm not sure I'd put it as "boys dancing like boys," etc., but a dancer portrays a role and as part of that needs to present whatever sexuality is required of that role.

 

Along the same lines, I wish they'd bring back the element of the Final Four competition in which the dancers had to dance with their same-sex competitors. Some of those dances were quite compelling.

[Mertseger]

 

Mary is just Mary.

 

Don't get me wrong: I was the first to shout "More margaritas for Mary! Woo!" when she began to separate herself from the other choreographers as a jidge. When she's actually critiquing the dancers, she's right up there with Ben Folds as one of the best in the business of competitive reality jidging (though it's still a loss that we do not get to see her work as a choreographer any more which was quite good). I just wish she'd cease the scream and terminate the train. She does not need the gimmicks any more than this episode's Megan needs a sob story.

[iknow]

Novien's audition last year was probably my favorite of the season, and I was really bummed when he just disappeared from the show. Needless to say, I was super excited to see him again last night! The audition wasn't quite as breathtaking for me as last year's, but I like him a lot and am definitely rooting for him. The Miami boys were also very good and charming, especially the ballroom kid.

 

Enough with the sob stories. And definitely no more dancing dads, please!

[rereader2]

The father's "bottle dance"? That is NOT the bottle dance. THIS is the bottle dance (starting at about 1:15):