S16.E04: Auditions 4

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

The auditions continue on the brand new stage in Los Angeles, as the judges search for the best dancers in the nation.

Original air date: 6/24/19

[PhD-Purgatory15]

So, we finally got a "good" tap audition.

What are the odds that of the last couple make it all the way through the Academy? Pretty high right? He's excellent and I could easily see him the Top 20, but to me she was a stretch to even make the Academy. Without the built in love-story, I'm not sure she does...

I would've never realized that Clocks was a former SYTYCD auditioner. He looked nothing like what he did in the clip they showed.

SYTYCD Ballroom nepotism ftw!! Times 3 lol.

The very first girl, that got no backstory.....she was full-on channeling Julia Stiles's character's (Sara?) Julliard audition freestyle dance at the end of Save The Last Dance. All she needed was a chair/prop to make it complete.

[displayname]

Jarrod Tyler Paulson: Showed great athletic ability, but goodness even knows what he was supposed to be conveying.

Madison Jordan: More interesting than Paulson.

Sydney Burtis: I liked this tap audition!

Edwards: I liked them well enough as a package, but they make me wonder how they'll fare as soloists, because they were doing pretty generic moves individually.

Clocks: He was OK.

Jalen Sands: Also OK.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Colton & Trent Edwards:

Jarrod Tyler:

Sydney Burtis:

Madison Jordan:

Jalen Sands:

Brian "Clocks" Volozanin:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I couldn't get past Jarrod's lazy feet and unpointed toes. That may sound like a nitpick to non-dancers, but I loathe how many dancers these days don't bother to point. It's even more annoying when it's a dancer like Jarrod who clearly put time into learning all these technical skills and can't be bothered to pay attention to his feet. It's like a girl in long sexy red dress, perfect hair, and bright lipstick that's smeared all over the place. It just ruins everything else for me.

Madison is strong and flexible with good control, but that's par for the course with female contemporary dancers. She just didn't stand out for me. The one turn she did was a little below average for me too so maybe turning is her weakness.

I liked Colton and Trent, partly because it's rare to see a duet that's so synchronized on this show, let alone one that's two males. I don't know how they'll do on their own though.

Sydney's tap routine was made even better by the choreography. There are so many contemporary routines where I feel like you could swap out one whiny emo song for another and it wouldn't make a difference. In contrast, this routine was clearly choreographed to this specific music and made great use of the song.

Jalen's audition felt like it was twice as long as the others we saw this week. Her dancing seems like the girl who's the best dancer at her small town studio and then she goes to New York or LA after high school thinking she's going to become a star and can't book anything.

The printer jam routine by Clocks was so fun to watch.

[displayname]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Sydney's tap routine was made even better by the choreography. There are so many contemporary routines where I feel like you could swap out one whiny emo song for another and it wouldn't make a difference. In contrast, this routine was clearly choreographed to this specific music and made great use of the song.

She's definitely my favorite thus far.

Also, the Edwards had very pointy feet for you! 🤪🤩😁

Edited June 25, 2019 by displayname

[Tikichick]

So much would prefer they seriously tighten up these audition episodes and use one or two of the episodes for the really enjoyable part of the show -- great dancers doing what dancers do, hopefully to fresh and interesting choreography.

My masters work in SYTYCD viewing is continuing nicely.  The Larkin Studios sign immediately rang a bell -- is that in MN?  Is that maybe where Eva Igo trained?  Yep and yep.  I'd be curious to see what I might notice going back and watching the past seasons after all I've learned over the years.  So many strings would probably appear that I had no clue about back in the day. 

[Prairie Fire]

This is the first ep of the new season I've seen, but I agree changing the auditions to this "live audience" format sucks. Being in front of a live audience used to be a privilege reserved for the top 20, and it was fun watching that first episode and seeing dancers you get attached to during the process, have that "moment" when they first appear on a live stage. But now everyone gets that from the start.

Why did they make this change? To make it easier to push their "chosen ones"? (because if we see an audience cheering for them right away, it makes them seem like more of a big deal, right?)

Or to make the show more like "America's Got Talent" (as in their competition)....? That would also explain the increased emphasis on backstories. Many people who watch that other show don't even care that much about the talent part, they just want someone to pull for.

[tv echo]

The tap routine is the only performance that stood out for me this week. So far this season, the auditions overall have been a yawner.

The Edwards twins were on America's Got Talent in 2017 (when they were 16)...

(Talent Recap)

Edited June 25, 2019 by tv echo

[Lifesabeach]

yaawwnn.........

I wonder how many flies are caught while the new judges are watching someone they consider good.  😮😮😲😲

[PhD-Purgatory15]

OMG, the twins were those AGT twins from a few seasons ago?! They were abhorrent on AGT and they basically got the "show making fun of them/laughing at them not with them" edit. I guess their edit last night was 180 degrees the other way.

So going into the final audition episode, here's who we've seen so far:

Ballroom

Stephanie & Ezra Sosa: Stephanie's a returnee, Ezra's the little brother

Nazz Sldryan & Stefen Yeretsyan: ??

Elan & Jordynn Lurie: Returnees who flamed out at the Academy last season

Contemporary

Matthew Deloch: one of many returnees

Gino Cosculluela: From the NYC Bagel Shop to SYTYCD

Caroline De La Rocha: One of the weaker yes's to the Academy

Colton & Trent Edwards: Super "on" twins who've only been dancing for 3 years. AGT alums

Gianna Newborg: Gave us the "I've been kidnapped" contemporary piece

Luke Romanzi: ??

Lauren Luteran: Auditioner battling CF

Sophie Pittman: Gave us the OTT sexy audition piece a la LoFro

Jalen Sands: Uber Save the Last Dance fan

Madison Jordan: Has alopecia.

Jarrod Tyler Paulson: In a relationship w/ MJ

Hip Hop

Dezi Saenz: First auditioner of the entire season (can be a good sign)

Sumi Oshima: Robotic animator, definitely could battle w/ Dezi for one female spot

Samuel Sweetser: "Mature" Bboy who didn't let his adorable two year old outshine him

Frank "Ghost" Crisp Jr: Another somewhat surprising Yes, works for the Harlem Globetrotters

Bailey Munoz: Tiny, like 5'0 Bboy.

Bryan "Clocks" Volozanin: Returnee from a few seasons ago, previous work w/ Jabawockeez...

Jazz

Sarah "Smac" McCreanor

Lyrical Ballet

Brandon Talbott & Kaeli Ware: Only Ballet we've seen all season...

Tap

Sydney Burtis: On the autism spectrum. Almost the only tap we've seen all season...

**We've also seen snippets of maybe 12-15 other dancers, including Dustin Payne (a returning Hip Hop specialist from last season), they've been pretty evenly mixed between contemporary, hip hop & ballroom so far.

[realdancemom]

I guess that I have to show one audition that didn't make it on every episode.  But I'm bummed that we got to see it instead of the one of the montaged ballroom couples.  Kiki/Sophia and Magda/Vlad looked really hot and I'm sure made Mary's hot tamale train.  We didn't see as much with Ryan and his partner but I'm sure they were good too.  I should be grateful that at least the no auditions are people that really do enjoy dancing and are not joke auditions like Sex.

Since I don't watch AGT, I've never seen the twins before.  They're really good for only dancing for three years.  They have lots of natural ability.  They are also entertainers and funny.  As others have mentioned, I'm not so sure how well they are going to do as soloists.

I agree with Nigel that at first I wasn't sure how well Sydney's tapping matched the music.  Then the music picked up and her tapping matched so well.  Even when the music slowed down, she did too and she moved her upper body along with it.  Next week, Mary is supposedly going to cry during a returnee's tap routine.  Sydney already did that for me this week.  I never cried during a tap routine before.  I think it's partly because I watched her intro package and partly because she just seems so happy to be there.

I remember when Clocks was rejected.  But he looks different that I wouldn't have guessed that it was the same guy if they didn't point it out.  His audition was o.k.  I'm guessing he must be versatile enough if he made it to the Green Mile.

Jalen was good not outstanding.  Liked that she didn't do angsty contemporary.

Usually dancers from the same studio dance similarly.  But Jarrod and Madison don't.  As ElectricBoogaloo pointed out, Jarrod has lazy feet.  Madison doesn't.  Their movement quality is different.  I prefer Madison's movement.  But Jarrod had more technique moves/tricks.  He did fall out of his last turn sequence but he showed a lot of technique before that.

[Haleth]

I hate to say this but I thought Madison looked a little clunky, kind of ploddy if you know what I mean.  Seems to me she and Jarrod were put through because of their story, but perhaps they'll shine at the academy.  

No one blew me away.

[realdancemom]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I hate to say this but I thought Madison looked a little clunky, kind of ploddy if you know what I mean.  Seems to me she and Jarrod were put through because of their story, but perhaps they'll shine at the academy.  

No one blew me away.

I would say the same thing about both of them going through because they are a couple except they let a lot of mediocre people go through this season.  I think not having a choreography round is causing this. 

[MissSunshine]

Guys go watch the twins Colton and Trent on America's got talent. They were HORRIBLY ANNOYING

[slaterain]

1 hour ago, MissSunshine said:

Guys go watch the twins Colton and Trent on America's got talent. They were HORRIBLY ANNOYING

The online version of "This milk is bad... here, TASTE it!" 🤣

[MissSunshine]

49 minutes ago, slaterain said:

The online version of "This milk is bad... here, TASTE it!" 🤣

Ha!

50 minutes ago, slaterain said:

The online version of "This milk is bad... here, TASTE it!" 🤣

It's so bad I just want the people saying positive things about the twins to realize what they really are. And obnoxious at 100 on a scale of 1-100 is what they are!

[mojoween]

Mary.  Ryan was ON THIS EPISODE.

So no, Jarrod and Madison are not your first SYTYCD couple.

Although I am curious about the status of Ryan and Ashleigh after the way his partner wrapped her legs around him.  That was very familiar for a partner, no?

[springbarb]

I'm always inclined to like tappers, but Sydney using a Mika song just put her over the edge. Fantastic.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

I am curious about the status of Ryan and Ashleigh after the way his partner wrapped her legs around him.  That was very familiar for a partner, no?

In my experience, it's pretty common for dancers to be very physical with each other even when they aren't dancing. It's no big deal to see dancers who are friends (not in a relationship with each other) sitting in each other's laps, draped over each other, etc. Most of the time it means nothing. Dancers are very comfortable with their bodies as well as other people's bodies so a lot of times what other people interpret as intimate/overtly sexual is what dancers consider to be normal behavior between friends.

Similarly, for many dancers it is no big deal to strip down naked in front of each other, change clothes/costumes in front of each other because it's just skin and they've all seen it (and when you have a quick change between numbers, you don't have time to be a prude and run somewhere private to take off one costume and put on another - time is of the essence!).

[WhineandCheez]

I was glad that they let the mediocre single male salsa dancer perform with the girl.  He wasn't overly good, and of course the red V neck chest baring top was never helping anything.  I'm glad they let him go on a positive spin.  It takes guts to go for it.

If the male twins or Jarrod and Madison make it to the green mile, the show is 100% making one dancer make it over their brother or GF/BF

[realdancemom]

14 hours ago, mojoween said:

Mary.  Ryan was ON THIS EPISODE.

So no, Jarrod and Madison are not your first SYTYCD couple.

Although I am curious about the status of Ryan and Ashleigh after the way his partner wrapped her legs around him.  That was very familiar for a partner, no?

I thought of Ryan and Ashleigh when Mary said that too.  The judges always seem to forget Ryan when he's there.

Ryan and Ashleigh are still together.  In the alumni thread, I posted a GoFund me for Ashleigh.  It's organized by Ryan's sister, Charity.  It states that if somebody wants to contribute using Venmo, to use Ryan's account.  I agree with ElectricBoogaloo's comments about dancers being physically friendly with each other and not having too many boundaries in the locker room.  They see each other naked or in nude leotards for quick changes.  They tape each other up since you really can't wear underwear with some of those skimpy outfits, etc. 

[Terrafamilia]

Is the move where the dancer stands with feet apart and bends over back till their head almost touches the ground like they were auditioning for So You Think You Can Limbo this year's version of the HMV?

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

Is the move where the dancer stands with feet apart and bends over back till their head almost touches the ground like they were auditioning for So You Think You Can Limbo this year's version of the HMV?

God Bless the HMV.  I noticed those 2 twin brothers were liberally using it, although they most assuredly are missing the "V" part!

[hula-la]

13 hours ago, WhineandCheez said:

God Bless the HMV.  I noticed those 2 twin brothers were liberally using it, although they most assuredly are missing the "V" part!

That would be known as the HMTB (for twig and berries). 

[crowceilidh]

As I don't listen to the judges (although, strangely I did for landscaping guy) I haven't heard any clues about how the show is going to be organized this year.  Have there been any?  Have they said "top twenty" or anything about "allstars"? or anything like that?

[hula-la]

On 6/29/2019 at 8:04 AM, crowceilidh said:

As I don't listen to the judges (although, strangely I did for landscaping guy) I haven't heard any clues about how the show is going to be organized this year.  Have there been any?  Have they said "top twenty" or anything about "allstars"? or anything like that?

I just watched the latest episode, and they mentioned a top 20 that will be going to a final cut. I’m assuming that it’s a top 10 for the show then.