S11.E03: Auditions #3

[Tara Ariano]

The third round of auditions features dancers in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Christina Applegate is the guest judge in Los Angeles, while Billy Porter and Misty Copeland share the honor in Philadelphia.

[Mozelle]

I just finished watching last week's audition, and all I can say is "Woot! Misty Copeland!" I am such a fan girl.

[ElleryAnne]

That was a long two hours.  I think I'm starting to get audition-show fatigue.  I'll be glad whe they get to Not!Vegas in a couple of weeks.

 

Still, there were some interesting auditions:  

 

Alla, Jourdain and Amir were all pretty good. 

 

Stanley - Creature moves aside, he was a beautiful dancer.  Probably my favorite audition of the night.

 

Shafeek -  I didn't think his audition was especially great but I'll give him points for pushing past his pride and showing up to try again. 

 

I loved Banks' audition.  I thought he had some wonderful controlled moves.  I'm sorry he didn't pass choreography.

 

I forgot how beautiful a dancer Jenna is.  I wonder if her being an All-Star will give Landon a bit of an edge, if the judges (or production) decide there's a story in reuniting them for the show.

 

Fik-shun and Cyrus still light up a room when they dance, and when they smile.

 

Misty Copeland was lovely.  I wish they'd had a longer segment featuring her dance, because the little bit we did see was beautiful.

[SilvaVocat]

Very few contempo girls featured today, which was good for me, because I get contempo fatigue pretty quickly.  

 

Misty Copeland was interesting to watch when she was judging the funky ballerina. She was scrunching her face, watching the technique closely, but then she'd remember that she was on camera and she'd put on a big smile. And her critique was very polite and encouraging, but still really straightforward.  Funky ballerina doesn't have the strength in her feet and ankles to pull off point. It was one of the places where you saw the difference between a classically trained dancer (in any discipline) and someone coming out of a lower tier program.

[A.Ham]

I loved this episode, probably because there was a lot more diversity (after last weeks's ballroom ban I felt today made up for it). Happy for Alla and Serge in particular, I saw them live a few weeks ago and they were fantastic.

It's shaping up to be a great season!

Edited June 12, 2014 by Usernamefatigued

[s-k-s]

It seems likes they are going for a ballroom winner this year.  I thought they showed a lot of stronger auditions this year, and some definite Top 20 potential.

 

Jenna?  Nigel, are you trying to get this show cancelled?

 

I liked Banks, and thought his krump was good enough to be worthy of a ticket ... how many interchangeable contemporaries are there that they send straight through?  It was different and unique and really talented, and he didn't seem to stink up choreography any more than others they show going through ...

 

I, too, thought it was interesting to compare how the professional ballerina treated and critiqued the "funky ballerina" versus the others - it was pointed and direct and very technical.  

 

Bieber can get off my screen ... right now (cue stoned pointing at imaginary graphics showing him leaving the show).

[Rick Kitchen]

I always thought that Armen was treated poorly last year, they acted as if he dropped that girl on her head on purpose.  Glad to see him back.

 

Alla was absolutely lovely.

[mertensia]

I didn't need to see that kid auditioning. Gah, they throw enough filler in already; they could condense auditions down more. Or just show us final 20, which I'd prefer. 

 

I don't remember Jenna.

[RetailTherapy]

I don't remember Jenna either.  Unless she was one of the cannon fodder that left in the first round.

 

And in a nod to all of the things that I don't remember, let's add the guy who dropped his partner.  Yeah, they were mighty harsh on him.  I'm betting that no one intends to drop someone and if holder or holdee are in an awkward position, it happens. 

 

Ok, I'm sick to death of the sob stories.  Newsflash:  many of us have lost a parent/grandparent/friend/sibling/BFF/relative/acquaintance in our lifetimes and ALL of us have had something bad happen in our lives.  It's just that - life.  It's awful, yes.  Incredibly sad and a hard thing to endure. But for the love of beer, stop with the waterworks!  When every.single.dancer is "defined" by some sort of tragic event, then nothing makes them unique.  At this point, the ones who are defined/inspired by some happy event are becoming the rareity and not the norm.

[kechara]

Jenna looked a lot like the other dark haired girl.  I remember loving her dance with Mark although I didn't remember that was her.

Boy - she's only a year older than her partner?  He looks about 10 and the haircut doesn't help at all.

[Whimsy]

I don't remember Jenna.

 

 

I don't remember Jenna either.  Unless she was one of the cannon fodder that left in the first round.

 

No disrespect meant in this question at all- but did you watch the whole season last season?  Jenna was hugely discussed last year.  Everyone either loved her or hated her.  I personally loved her, particularly her dance with Mark.  She was in the top 8, I think?

[Haleth]

Was that Maliece (sp?) that Armen dropped on her head last year?  I'm glad he gets a second chance (although I remember him being mighty arrogant) and his partner (Alla?) was fantastic.  Lots of wonderful ballroom couples.  Landon was very good too but the bangs have got to go!

 

I remember a whole lot of people hating Jenna.  Her default expression was sort of offputting even though she was a beautiful dancer.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Haleth

[RetailTherapy]

Yes, I watched the entire season.  But that doesn't mean that I was part of the big "discussion" that occured.  Some dancers are simply more memorable than others.  YMMV

[Skittl1321]

 

It was one of the places where you saw the difference between a classically trained dancer (in any discipline) and someone coming out of a lower tier program.

 

Unless she was really newly accepted, and her training isn't actually from there, Dance Theatre of Harlem isn't a low tier program. 

 

I thought Misty was really polite when Nigel criticized her ability to get over her toes she said "it could be the floor".  Basically, Misty gave a fabulous critique of the areas to work on, but also realized that a general dance surface not designed for ballet wasn't going to allow this girl to be her best.  But yes- the girl needs lots of work. She isn't company ready. 

 

 

My only other episode thought:

I thought Que Sera Sera was an incredibly well chosen piece of music for the girl whose Dad died telling her that if she worked hard she could get to where she wanted to be. If she picked that intentionally, it was incredibly reflective of "I tried my best, but this isn't totally in my control"

[bourbon]

Ok, I'm sick to death of the sob stories.  Newsflash:  many of us have lost a parent/grandparent/friend/sibling/BFF/relative/acquaintance in our lifetimes and ALL of us have had something bad happen in our lives.

 

 

Same thing occured to me last night when the girl was talking about losing her dad in a car accident.  It all just sort of loses its impact after awhile.  At the age of 18, many if not most people have had some sort of loss or personal tragedy.  It's tragic, but it's life. Rather than the sob stories, I'm much more interested in what drives some of the "regular people" who try out and their smaller stories.  What is driving the untrained b-boy from the streets to try out for a show that will require him to do Russian folk dancing?  What is driving someone like Armen Way, who has danced professionally on DWTS and already has a considerable following of his own, to take a step backwards and do SYTYCD?  I remember a kid from a small West Texas town who auditioned several years ago.  His dad was the HS football coach, and the kid wasn't "into sports"  (this show's code word for "gay").  Instead of a sob story, we got a shrug from the kid that his dad was cool with it and his small town supported him.  I'm more interested in THAT story than hearing about how you/your dad/grandma/sibling/BFF died/got cancer/had polio/went to rehab/was homeless.  Ugh.  I guess I have a black hole where my heart should be.

 

 Jenna?  Nigel, are you trying to get this show cancelled?

 

I shuddered a little when he said she was going to be an All-Star, and I'm not sure why he thought this would be a good idea.  Did he think any goodwill she's built up as a pro on DWTS this season would spill back over into SYTYCD?  Because I think, fairly or not, a lot of what has been wrong with SYTYCD and the elimination process points directly to her and the judges saving her over and over and over when the American voting public just didn't like her.  Nigel continues to defend the judges' save in the press, but voters don't like to be told they get to make the decisions about their favorite dancers.  Except not.  At this point, I just really wish he would stop trying to make Jenna happen.   

 

I loved having Misty Copeland as a judge actually offering notes to the dancers.  I've loved some of the celeb judges in the past, but I'm getting kind of tired of "I can't even with you" as  constructive criticism.

Edited June 12, 2014 by bourbon

[SilvaVocat]

Unless she was really newly accepted, and her training isn't actually from there, Dance Theatre of Harlem isn't a low tier program. 

 

I thought Misty was really polite when Nigel criticized her ability to get over her toes she said "it could be the floor".  Basically, Misty gave a fabulous critique of the areas to work on, but also realized that a general dance surface not designed for ballet wasn't going to allow this girl to be her best.  But yes- the girl needs lots of work. She isn't company ready. 

 

I didn't realize she was Dance Theater of Harlem (I ff through a lot of the talking) which is of course not a low tier program. I just looked it up, and she started there in 2011, which means she would be finishing up their three year program this Spring. I'm sure she's putting in the work, because I can't imagine that she's going to be allowed to coast there, but if she's not company ready at 21 after three years with Dance Theater of Harlem, then she's not going to be company ready and it's good she's exploring other opportunities. This is not a knock on her at all. Professional ballet requires a very particular skill set, and if I see her out of her point shoes I may love her dancing.

[luvthepros]

I don't remember Jenna either.  Unless she was one of the cannon fodder that left in the first round.

 

Jenna has been hired for the troupe on DWTS. She is a really great dancer....can do all styles very convincingly.  Here she is with Mark Kanemura dancing Jazz...

http://youtu.be/--7dfIrlOpE

[Skittl1321]

 

but if she's not company ready at 21 after three years with Dance Theater of Harlem, then she's not going to be company ready and it's good she's exploring other opportunities

 

Ooh, good sleuthing to see how long she has been there. And yep. At that age, she won't likely get into a ballet company at the level she is at now.

 

But if she wants to dance professionally in other avenues- I think her unique look might actually work for her.

[crowceilidh]

I loved the slow krumper (personality and dance) and I thought what I saw of his choreography round was worthy of going on.  I liked that he and the anonymous girl he was with got comfortable with each other so fast.  Maybe at least he'll get a relationship outta the experience.

[WhineandCheez]

I think they made up for the lack of compelling dancers last night by ramping up the sob stories.  I enjoyed ballerina whose brother was an addict, and the Slow Crumper.  But I have a bone to pick--not that it's her fault--but ballerina is going on and on about her brother and they show photos and of course I am thinking he OD'd, and then she says anti-climatically, "Oh he's fine now and we have dinner together every week!" (paraphrase)  What?  To me if the brother recovered--that's not a story to cover.  Sorry brother...

[OakGoblinFly]

I shuddered a little when he said she was going to be an All-Star, and I'm not sure why he thought this would be a good idea.  Did he think any goodwill she's built up as a pro on DWTS this season would spill back over into SYTYCD?  

 

Personally I am thrilled that Jenna was named an All-Star; she is a fabulous dancer and has charisma/sparkle that instantly draw my eye to her.  She was easily the best part of Dancing with the Stars troupe.  I found her engaging, personable, determined, and a lovely dancer. 

[Biggie B]

I watched every episode of the last season and I, too, have no recollection of Jenna. I'm sure if I saw some of the pieces in which she danced, I'd remember but right now, I'm drawing a blank. I've never watched DWTS, so that doesn't help.

[LadyMustang65]

Personally I am thrilled that Jenna was named an All-Star; she is a fabulous dancer and has charisma/sparkle that instantly draw my eye to her.  She was easily the best part of Dancing with the Stars troupe.  I found her engaging, personable, determined, and a lovely dancer. 

 

THIS!  Me too.  And I loved her on SYTYCD as well.  I honestly could never understand why she was disliked by so many.  I know some said they found her expression offputting, but she was such a beautiful, exciting dancer I couldn't figure out why that would matter.  But that's why they have horse races.  Different strokes and all that.

[NextIteration]

I remember feeling bad for Jenna and her inability to connect.  She wasn't my favorite or anything, but I enjoyed her.

 

My DVR failed me so I'm catching this in bits and pieces, BOO to the little kid taking up time to see others!  Send him to Ellen!

 

And YAY!  For another Minnesota dancer, the back story was a little much, but Jourdan is worthy of a spot, she won at YAGP and is in Complexions, it's curious to me what compelled her to audition for this show.

[Morgan of Hed]

Jourdan was my favourite audition so far this season.  Looked her up on Complexions' website, she seems like a dancer who has basically made it, professionally.  So I too am curious as to why she'd put herself into this fishbowl.  Given this show's past association with Desmond Richardson I can't imagine they didn't know who she was coming in, either - another example of the surprisingly small world of dance.

[luvthepros]

Personally I am thrilled that Jenna was named an All-Star; she is a fabulous dancer and has charisma/sparkle that instantly draw my eye to her.  She was easily the best part of Dancing with the Stars troupe.  I found her engaging, personable, determined, and a lovely dancer. 

I agree completely. I never did understand why Jenna was disliked by so many viewers and that actually baffled me. The girl is not only very well versed in Latin Ballroom as that is her specialty but she was so well versed in other genres, including being well trained in contemporary.

[realdancemom]

There were a lot of really good ballroom dancers featured last night.  I wonder how many of them can do other styles well.  Armen probably could since I think he made it pretty far last year.  I think dropping Malece on her head was the last straw.  I think he was more in trouble because he spent a lot of time on his cell instead of practicing.  At least, that's what production wanted to show. 

 

I agree that I noticed that the girl from Dance Theatre of Harlem needs more work on her feet and ankles.  However, her funky moves show promise that she could do other styles like jazz and possibly hip-hop.  Misty gave constructive criticism without sounding negative.  I like that the judges this year have dance experience.  I really liked the other girl on pointe (Jourdan?).  She was stunning to watch.  The only time I felt that way about another female's audition was watching Eliana's.

 

I liked the guy that sounded really happy and shy when they interviewed him and then he played a creature.  It was so unexpected.  I think his name was Stanley.

[ketchuplover]

The Jenna thing seemed spur of the moment to me.  She probably hip-notized Nigel.

[RedheadZombie]

I always thought that Armen was treated poorly last year, they acted as if he dropped that girl on her head on purpose.  Glad to see him back.

 

He left a very poor impression on me.  He was rude, spent his time on his phone instead of practicing like he was supposed to do, and did not act at all embarrassed or sorry when he dropped Malece on her head.  Negligence like that is all it takes to paralyze a person for life. He was an asshole, and I would have preferred not to see him again.

 

I don't remember Jenna.

 

She was a permanent fixture in the bottom three.  Nigel had the hots for her and waved her through time after time.  I recognized she was a charismatic dancer, but for whatever reason, she didn't click for me.  I actively started disliking her because of Nigel's actions, rather than anything she did. I'm over it now, but Nigel has only himself to blame for any residual hostility aimed her way.

[gik910]

 

I recognized she was a charismatic dancer, but for whatever reason, she didn't click for me.

 

This was how I felt about her, as a contestant she never clicked for me, despite the fact that I recognized she was an extraordinarily talented dancer.  I actually think that as an All- Star, that may work to the contestants advantage this season.  I love Twitch, but unless someone is really stellar- he is who I watch.  I think Jenna will make an excellent partner because she did come across as a bit of a non-entity (albeit a very, very talented one).  Some people just don't translate well on tv but I will say I loved her dance with Mark- one of the most memorable for me from last season for sure. If we had gotten that particular dance earlier- I might not have been as hard on her.  

[luvthepros]

I had forgotten that it was Armen Way who dropped Malece. Wonder if that mishap will be shown this season to remind the viewers who watched that season or to give the new viewers a glimpse of what happened.

Edited June 12, 2014 by luvthepros

[Bella]

They've already shown it once, so if he does well in NotVegas, the question is how many times they'll show it again. And if he makes the show, how many times will Nigel chide him about it when mentioning how much Armen has improved? 

[realdancemom]

I had forgotten that it was Armen Way who dropped Malece. Wonder if that mishap will be shown this season to remind the viewers who watched that season or to give the new viewers a glimpse of what happened.

They already showed it during his pre-package yesterday.  RedheadZombie, you reminded me that he didn't seem sorry either.  They never showed him saying "I'm sorry" to Malece.  It looked like he was more worried about his chances than whether Malece was hurt badly. 

 

If the judges think a contestant is a good dancer, they usually don't eliminate them unless it is their third time in the bottom three.  However, when it was Jenna's third time, it was also MacKenzie's third time in the bottom.   They took turns each week.  So in this case, they did choose Jenna over MacKenzie.  I preferred MacKenzie and I actually think Nigel also preferred MacKenzie over Jenna.  But the other judges and choreographers also vote and Jenna won by three votes.  In the next show, Jenna was in the bottom again and this time she was eliminated.  Sometimes, it's a good thing that judges save contestants that are in the bottom a lot.  Otherwise, Danny Tidwell would have been eliminated sooner and he's one of the best dancers on the show.  Of course, it didn't help that the judges called him arrogant.  I thought he was shy and not cocky at all.

[aps817]

Jenna was not put through just because of Nigel. She was all the choreographer's, Mary's and every guest judges favorite as well. She was always in the front during group numbers and was heavily featured in the audition and vegas episodes. She is a very talented dancer and seems like a very sweet person. She just does not translate well on television. In defense of the choreographers and judges they weren't watching her on television. They saw just the talent and charisma that she seems to have in person. Mackenzie had the same problem I think the only real difference is that Mackenzie didn't pull ballroom faces.

 

I think Jenna would be a great all star. She's fresh off the show and is extremely versatile and isn't as much of a spotlight hog as Lindsey and Witney. There's not many other ballroom girls left since I think Anya's probably been used as much as she can be at this point.

Edited June 12, 2014 by aps817

[realdancemom]

I think the choreographers also choose based on who catches quickly and who is a hard worker.  On AfterBuzz, Spencer said that he loved working with Jenna and MacKenzie.  OTOH, I read rumors that the belly dance girl from Season 9 was a complainer and the choreographers didn't like working with her.  So as soon as she hit bottom 3, she was eliminated.

[RedheadZombie]

Jenna was not put through just because of Nigel. She was all the choreographer's, Mary's and every guest judges favorite as well. She was always in the front during group numbers and was heavily featured in the audition and vegas episodes. She is a very talented dancer and seems like a very sweet person. She just does not translate well on television. In defense of the choreographers and judges they weren't watching her on television. They saw just the talent and charisma that she seems to have in person. Mackenzie had the same problem I think the only real difference is that Mackenzie didn't pull ballroom faces.

 

I think Jenna would be a great all star. She's fresh off the show and is extremely versatile and isn't as much of a spotlight hog as Lindsey and Witney. There's not many other ballroom girls left since I think Anya's probably been used as much as she can be at this point.

 

Even though she didn't click for me on TV, I recall telling my mom she was made for Broadway.

[Miss Dee]

No mention of Landon? He was my favourite all night! Something about the way he comes across as boyish and gawky in interviews, but when he dances he comes across as very masculine and more mature. Plus he's tall and has a cute butt.

[Aethera]

As I watch:

 

The Kat conversation with Alla at the start is what we need more of - Kat is the best...so much better than Bieber!  Speaking of that first couple, has someone who previously made the green mile ever come back to auditions and not gotten a ticket?

 

I feel like it's been a while since we've seen a bboy like that.  He was good.  

 

The kid was just an excuse to pull Fikshun up again.  I like him but now it's too much.  But wait...wait!  Twitch was there? Now I feel cheated.

 

Johnny Waacks:  Grow up jidges.  At least he laughs as they are so rude about it, and has some awesome confidence.  I'm glad he made it through.

 

I am so glad so many of these dancers are in their mid or even late 20s this year.  I hope the top 20 isn't just teenagers.

 

With the sob stories sometimes I wonder if the producers are literally asking "ok so hi, dance style? age? Aaaaand what's the worst thing that's ever happened to you?  Ooh dead dad, ok...but can you relate it to dancing in any way? Make it up if you have to.  You can? Excellent!" 

 

I'm glad the funky ballerina made it through. She was like a better version of NotMiley.  I agree that ballet might not be her thing, but she might be made for this competition if she's trained in other styles.

 

Jenna was ok last season.  As for being an Allstar, I don't see her as any worse than Chelsie, Lindsay or Witney.  At least her name is spelled normally.  And people are right:  she'll pull focus less than others.  That is definitely a problem sometimes.

 

Stanley was completely awesome.  The acting is something that dancers lack sometimes, and he has it.  And he was just so humble and nice seeming, too.

 

Banks also awesome.  I'm sorry he didn't make it.

[luvthepros]

 

They've already shown it once, so if he does well in NotVegas, the question is how many times they'll show it again. And if he makes the show, how many times will Nigel chide him about it when mentioning how much Armen has improved? 

 

They already showed it during his pre-package yesterday.

I'm just now watching the show so I didn't realize Armen's dropping Malece was already shown. I guess I should have watched the show before I made that comment.

[Absurdist1968]

It's too much to ask, I know, but the thing I'd really love:

 

STOP DEVOTING AIR TIME TO PEOPLE THAT AREN'T EVEN ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE.  It's not like there isn't enough footage of JUST AUDITIONING DANCERS to fill several two-hour shows.  The B-reel backstory of just dancers who won't get out of the callbacks is also plenty sufficient.

 

If you need ratings, quit making me wait for the callbacks, 'cause I'm taking my Nielsen journal with me.

 

But seriously, there are some hella good dancers among the ones we're seeing, and I don't want another Sabra Johnson situation this season.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Absurdist1968

[90PercentGravity]

If I hear that One Direction song one more time I'm going to scream.

 

I don't usually care for the backstories, but the kid whose family didn't show up after his mom died broke my heart. I'm glad his mom's friend stood up for him and he didn't end up in the system.

 

Banks should have gone through. He was amazing. Maybe next year.

[chocolatine]

But I have a bone to pick--not that it's her fault--but ballerina is going on and on about her brother and they show photos and of course I am thinking he OD'd, and then she says anti-climatically, "Oh he's fine now and we have dinner together every week!" (paraphrase)  What?  To me if the brother recovered--that's not a story to cover.  Sorry brother...

 

 

That package was disgustingly manipulative and biased me against her, even though she turned out to be a great dancer. 

 

I was happy to see ballroom couples dancing something besides cha-cha. 

 

I'm very meh on Jenna, though I did enjoy her dance with Mark last season. My problem with her was the constant mugging and the overtly sexy dancing. I didn't see in her the subtlety and sophistication of someone like Anya. Landon is an amazing dancer but I just can't get past his little-boy face.

 

How many more audition episodes are left? I'm ready for Not!Vegas Week.

[ali59]

Jenna was in the troupe for DWTS?  I didn't see her and I would have noticed her because she's not blond.  Or, did I misunderstand and she's signed up for next season on DWTS?

[mcjen]

Former Jenna-hater here, who has since done a complete 180.  At this point, I can barely believe how little I cared for her last season, or remember just what it was I had against her.  I think her default facial expression may have struck me as a big smug; I'm ashamed now to think that that alone may have been enough to allow me to ignore her dance ability.  Gaw...how incredibly shallow I was!  I've gone back and looked at a lot of her dances since last season and gained much appreciation for her.  And whatever "attitude" I thought I was picking up from her is belied in every package, where she consistently displayed a hard-working, down-to-earth demeanor, with a sense of humor.

 

But, the sad truth is, last season, I was fine with her being in the bottom three and I did think Nigel and the judges were bending over backwards to save her, which just seemed annoying then, and didn't make me like Jenna any better.  Until she did that wild jazz number with Mark Kanemura - that one had me sold completely and started to open my eyes to just how terrific she might be.  I'm not sure but I think she was finally cut almost immediately after that.  And I promptly forgot about her.

When she turned up in the troupe on DWTS this past spring, it didn't initially make a lot of impact on me.  I often have a hard time picking out individual dancers in the troupe (small television).  But then Jenna had the moment that completely turned me around on her...and she had it twice.  During the Disney "Be Our Guest" number, Jenna and (I think) Lindsey were dressed as dishes.  On the lyric, "Try the grey stuff - it's delicious!  Don't believe me, ask the dishes!", the camera panned to the two female dishes, who were supposed to be "caught in the act" with spoons nearly to their mouths.  The first time I saw this bit, I chuckled out loud at Jenna's facial reaction - big wide eyes at being caught as she was just about to gobble a big ol' bite.  There was something very Lucille Ball/Carol Burnett about the physicality of that comedic moment.  (In contrast, the other female "dish" was far more ladylike and tentative.)  I might have written it off as a fluke, but that dance was repeated in the finale and, once again, Jenna caught me by surprise and elicited a laugh from me on that same lyric.

And that was my turning point - the moment when I stopped thinking of her as "stuck up" or "overrated" or whatever else it was I got in my head last season.  I started looking up some of her past dances on SYTYCD and listening to her actual interviews, and pretty much came to the conclusion I was an idiot.  It makes me wonder how many other dancers I've written off because I didn't like their facial expression, their hair, their laugh or something equally ridiculous.  I shudder to think.

Well, I can't change the past, but I for one am happy that Jenna will be an All-Star and I'm glad for every bit of success that comes her way.  It can't have been easy to dance well on television and essentially have the voting public say "You suck!" week after week.  More power to her!

[phoenix780]

I am so glad so many of these dancers are in their mid or even late 20s this year.  I hope the top 20 isn't just teenagers.

 

It's refreshing to see fully-grown people dancing.  And, as a bonus, it doesn't make me feel as old as when the contestants are like, "I've been watching this since I was a kid."  

 

I was a Jenna hater by the end last year (by the middle, probably).  I tried to watch the kid audition with her this year, and I just couldn't.  It's the face, mostly.  To me it's off-putting, though I can imagine she'd be fantastic in a comedic moment.  And she does remind me of the elimination process, which I'm not looking forward to.  I loved her dance with Mark last year, caught a flash of her on DWTS and was glad she got work (I think it's cool that the shows cross-pollinate that way).  But I still just can't with her for some totally irrational reason and I hope she's not needed very often.  

 

Aside from that, and the Beiber stuff (I literally have no idea what's going on, as I've ff-ed every time I see his face), I'm really kinda into everything they're putting out there.  I hate sob stories on other shows.  Here, lately, I just think it's kinda cool for these kids to get their little moment.  I dunno, again I'm irrational, it just feels good to me when I watch.

 

I also am feeling like the dancers are somehow fresh.  It's not the same contemporary girl doing the same five moves to the same slow song.  I'm hoping the show choreographers will keep that up. 

 

I don't get why slow Krump guy got cut.  I thought he showed enough to get through.  

 

I almost wish it was all auditions this year.  I'm nervous about what'll happen when it's back to Tyce and Sonya and bad Broadway and weird judging.

[luvthepros]

......I don't usually care for the backstories, but the kid whose family didn't show up after his mom died broke my heart. I'm glad his mom's friend stood up for him and he didn't end up in the system.....

 

 

My heart broke for him too. Such a sad story.

...... Landon is an amazing dancer but I just can't get past his little-boy face.

 

If Landon is in the Top 20, I look forward to a change in his look. I'm sure the hair stylists will get rid of the bangs. They are soooo bad.

Edited June 13, 2014 by luvthepros

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I loved Cat's interview with Alla. She is such a great host for the show because not only is she totally enthusiastic and supportive of the dancers all season, but she is able to talk to the contestants she has just met at the auditions in a fun but still sincere way. Alla and Serge were both fun to watch and I feel like we hadn't seen a lot of ballroom dancers during the auditions this year (well, until later in this episode when we got a bunch).

 

I liked that Timothy the breakdancer mentioned that dancing really takes a toll on your body. It's true of most styles of dance but doing all that gymnastics is really tough on the joints, especially if you're not on a sprung dance floor or gymnastics mat.

 

Casey's choreography was like every contemporary competition piece smushed together: valdez, flexed feet, running in place, fouettes, etc. He can do crazy turns but there's something about his posture when he turns that makes me want to poke my finger between his shoulder blades and tell him to pull up. I hated Nigel asking him about his hair. Last week he asked about Faux Miley's hair so what is his obsession with the dancers' hair this year?

 

I hated the montage of the judges telling dancers they were perfect and the best of the day, etc. Quit wasting time showing me the judges and let me see this allegedly amazing dancing. Also quit wasting my time with a 9 year old who is allowed to come up on stage, lie about his age, then more talking, asking Cyrus and Fikshun to come onstage, etc. With all the time they spent on this kid who isn't even old enough to make it to the top 20, they could have showed me some of the perfect amazing best dancers that they gave tickets to. If they're going to insist on putting this kid on camera, then let me watch him dance instead of cutting to the audience and the judges clapping. Ugh. Do we really need to pad a two hour episode?

 

I didn't love Jourdan's audition. I think it's clear she has beautiful technique but I felt like the choreography didn't show us nearly what she was capable of.

 

Poor Johnny Waacks. I have a name that always evokes the exact same jokes/remarks whenever people hear it for the first time. I'm sure this kid is used to hearing the same stupid wacking jokes and sophomoric giggling which is why he took it in stride. I actually thought that Nigel and Mary were being a bit patronizing and overpraising him in an effort to seem less like assholes.

 

I think Malena and Armen are a good example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. When I watched them individually, they were good but together they were great. When I watched them separately, I found her feet to be a little clunky or awkward in some way but they had such great chemistry together that I didn't notice the minor flaws if I watched them as a pair. It sounds like her last partner was an abusive asshole, so I'm glad she found someone who makes her happy to dance again.

 

I loved when Cat tried the hat trick out on the street with the dancers waiting in line. She continues to be adorable!

 

I noticed the funky ballerina's feet during her audition too so I was glad that Nigel and Misty mentioned it too.

 

I wasn't a fan of Jenna last season. My favorite dance of hers last year was the one she did with Mark the week that she was eliminated. On a shallow note, I hate Landon's haircut. But I did laugh when Jenna said usually before their performances, they make out. Ha!

 

Dead dad girl was obviously a really great dancer based on all the footage they showed before she even auditioned. My dad died recently so I feel for her but at the same time, I don't watch this show for the sob stories. I'm glad that she was such a good dancer because I would have been really annoyed if they spent all this time on her backstory and then she sucked and we never saw her again.

 

I can't decide how I feel about Shafeek coming back. On the one hand, it takes some nads to audition again after saying on camera that you would never come back. And I am willing to concede that I know I've said some rash things that I didn't really mean when I was angry or frustrated but luckily I didn't say those things on camera. Maybe he's matured in the two years since he was previously on the show.

 

Poor Stanley. I'm obviously not a fan of the sob stories but dude, your family didn't even show up to the court date after your mom died? That is fucking cold. And this poor kid says that he kind of felt abandoned by them? Kind of? That is the very definition of abandoned. And like the dead daddy girl from earlier in this episode, he had the dance ability to justify telling me his story. Don't get me wrong, SYTYCD - I'd be fine watching dancers like this without any of his sad back story so feel free to eliminate that filler.

 

I liked that the slow krumper brought something different to his audition. And as someone mentioned earlier, I like that we are seeing some older dancers who aren't joke auditions (and by older I mean older than the 18-19 years we so often see).

 

I hope that having Misty and Fabrice as guest judges has shown Nigel and the producers that having professional dancers as judges is just as effective and popular as having celebrities/actors/actresses with (sometimes nominal) dance backgrounds. Although I love how how much some of them clearly love dance and the show (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Christina Applegate come to mind), I really appreciate that Misty and Fabrice give much more constructive criticism. We barely saw Billy Porter at all this week so I can't tell how good he was at judging but I'd rather see him come back than have another Hollywood celebrity guest judge.

Edited June 13, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[luvthepros]

Jenna was in the troupe for DWTS?  I didn't see her and I would have noticed her because she's not blond.  Or, did I misunderstand and she's signed up for next season on DWTS?

Jenna was dancing with the DWTS troupe in this past season that just finished. She is on the left in this bumper....

http://youtu.be/lcxCvl6ziUI

Former Jenna-hater here, who has since done a complete 180.  At this point, I can barely believe how little I cared for her last season, or remember just what it was I had against her.  I think her default facial expression may have struck me as a big smug; I'm ashamed now to think that that alone may have been enough to allow me to ignore her dance ability.  Gaw...how incredibly shallow I was!  I've gone back and looked at a lot of her dances since last season and gained much appreciation for her.  And whatever "attitude" I thought I was picking up from her is belied in every package, where she consistently displayed a hard-working, down-to-earth demeanor, with a sense of humor.

 

But, the sad truth is, last season, I was fine with her being in the bottom three and I did think Nigel and the judges were bending over backwards to save her, which just seemed annoying then, and didn't make me like Jenna any better.  Until she did that wild jazz number with Mark Kanemura - that one had me sold completely and started to open my eyes to just how terrific she might be.  I'm not sure but I think she was finally cut almost immediately after that.  And I promptly forgot about her.

When she turned up in the troupe on DWTS this past spring, it didn't initially make a lot of impact on me.  I often have a hard time picking out individual dancers in the troupe (small television).  But then Jenna had the moment that completely turned me around on her...and she had it twice.  During the Disney "Be Our Guest" number, Jenna and (I think) Lindsey were dressed as dishes.  On the lyric, "Try the grey stuff - it's delicious!  Don't believe me, ask the dishes!", the camera panned to the two female dishes, who were supposed to be "caught in the act" with spoons nearly to their mouths.  The first time I saw this bit, I chuckled out loud at Jenna's facial reaction - big wide eyes at being caught as she was just about to gobble a big ol' bite.  There was something very Lucille Ball/Carol Burnett about the physicality of that comedic moment.  (In contrast, the other female "dish" was far more ladylike and tentative.)  I might have written it off as a fluke, but that dance was repeated in the finale and, once again, Jenna caught me by surprise and elicited a laugh from me on that same lyric.

And that was my turning point - the moment when I stopped thinking of her as "stuck up" or "overrated" or whatever else it was I got in my head last season.  I started looking up some of her past dances on SYTYCD and listening to her actual interviews, and pretty much came to the conclusion I was an idiot.  It makes me wonder how many other dancers I've written off because I didn't like their facial expression, their hair, their laugh or something equally ridiculous.  I shudder to think.

Well, I can't change the past, but I for one am happy that Jenna will be an All-Star and I'm glad for every bit of success that comes her way.  It can't have been easy to dance well on television and essentially have the voting public say "You suck!" week after week.  More power to her!

Appreciate your admitting that you have changed your mind about not liking Jenna in her SYTYCD season. I was always on board for her and, as I've said before, was just baffled at the disdain she was receiving from many posters on message boards. I'm so happy for Jenna's current and continued success. BTW....I read she is dating Val Chmerkovskiy. Lucky girl!!!

[Whimsy]

Poor Johnny Waacks. I have a name that always evokes the exact same jokes/remarks whenever people hear it for the first time. I'm sure this kid is used to hearing the same stupid wacking jokes and sophomoric giggling which is why he took it in stride. I actually thought that Nigel and Mary were being a bit patronizing and overpraising him in an effort to seem less like assholes.

 

 

That's not his real name.  He chose that name because his style of dancing is "wacking".  When the title card came up with his name it was Johnny "Waacks" Whateverhislastnameis (I don't remember his last name).  Just like Mary Poppins changed her name to reflect her dance style, so did Johnny.  I agree that the snickering was absolutely ridiculous.  Wacking is not my cuppa tea for dance style at all (not enough foot work), but he didn't deserve that disrespect.

 

I also am shocked that the slow krumper wasn't put through.  I liked him so much.  I don't even understand why he wasn't put all the way through to the next round.

Edited June 13, 2014 by GenL

[AV8n]

Typical SYTYCD screening...

 

Producer - Anyone in your family die lately?

Contestant - Nope.

Producer - Anyone survive cancer/addiction/other tragedy?

Contestant - Yep.  My cat was bad into catnip, but has finally kicked the habit.

Producer - Okay, we can work with that.  You got anything else that can make Mary cry or Nigel make a weird face?

Contestant - Well, I know a lot of fart jokes.

Producer - Okay, cool.  You're in.  Oh, almost forgot - you can dance, right?