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So You Think You Can Dance: Los Angeles Auditions (season premiere)
by Jason Hughes, posted Sep 10th 2009 1:23AM
(S06E01) FOX is easing us into this new fall season of So You Think You Can Dance with only one episode per week for the first three. Then, the show will settle into its regular Tuesday/Wednesday timeslots; keeping them warm for American Idol in the winter.Things kicked off in LA with Adam Shankman joining Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy on the dais. I wouldn't mind Shankman taking that slot permanently, as he's the most consistent of the rotating "third judges." With the shorter one-hour premieres, there was little focus on the terrible; instead they chose to show us more of what was great -- a smart move.
If SYTYCD is to be the showcase for the most talented amateur dancers on the planet, we need to see how great they are. Like American Idol, there have been seasons where SYTYCD went too deep into the bad dance, but anyone can do that. What's amazing is seeing people do things you could never in a million years achieve.
Cole Clemens started us off with some spoken word poetry/dance/face-pulling/tantric/ridiculous ... thing. Welcome to season six. And he wasn't the only one bringing something other than amazing dance. We got terrible jazz, obese contemporary and catatonic tapping. Thankfully, not much of all of that crap.
Both Evan and Ryan Kasprzak were favorites of mine last season, but only one made it to the season five Top 20. I do think that decision was easier for the judges, since they knew they could just send Ryan down the street to the auditions for season six.
Their doing so allowed me to see another outstanding audition by Ryan. He gave a spoken word tap routine that showed that you can do something 100% different and still be outstanding. It's time for a tap dancer in that Top 20, Nigel!
I always love it when dancers merge different styles to create something unique. Christina Santana (23) and her partner splashed a bit of hip-hop into their salsa routine. I don't know if it was her outfit or her expressions, but while it was technically sound, I found myself preferring him to her as that went on. She can hit her spots and turn like no one else, though.
KEEPING AN EYE ON
- Mollee Gray has a lot of raw potential at 18. She showed a lot of ability, but didn't necessarily put together a smooth solo. While she wasn't the greatest dancer, she was just the kind of girl this show is about. She could grow into something amazing.
- Amber Williams (18) wasn't quite as powerful in her motions, but lyrically, she really stood out. She was so smooth and graceful across the stage.
- Ryan Kasprzak (29) was pulled back on-stage even after getting his ticket to Vegas to take on Bianca Revels (20) for her audition. Tap was my favorite style back in my dancing days, so this "trading" was awesome to see. They were both oustanding. I agree with them, that they're both worthy of the Top 20.
- Alexie Agdeppa (25) was a revelation. You almost can't see that she's dancing; you just feel her performance in your soul.
- Paula Van Oppen (18) showed a lot of grace. What's with all these young girls with all this talent?
- Ryan's former roommate, who toured and performed with him on Fosse, showed up to audition, as well. A fellow tap dancer, Phillip Atmore (25), brought a lot of impressive skill to bear as well. Could this be the year of the tap?
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