SYTYCD: Hot Tamale Train to Georgia

So You Think You Can Dance: "Auditions #4"

I didn't realize that SYTYCD was on Tuesday too this week. Luckily I just happened to flip over right when it started.

Auditions in Atlanta with Nigel, Mary and Lil C. (Has someone already used the "Hot Tamale Train to Georgia" pun? It seems obvious.)

Day 1:

• Billy Bell initially reminded me of Kurt from Glee; there was kind of a passing resemblance. He's a good dancer. Why do the palms of his hands look so pink? The judges pull the "no to choreography...but yes to Vegas!!!" thing on him.
• Amber Jackson looks really strong. Like maybe she could out bench press last season's Brandon. Nigel says her movement is gorgeous, but her performance is (bleep). Mary says that they just want to strangle people like her. They really lay into this poor girl and then send her to choreo.
• Travis Denison was the microphone dude for University of Georgia. He claims that this routine he's doing now was taught to him by Wade Robson, but I don't think Wade would want to claim it. It's definitely very cheerleader-ish. The judges found it thoroughly entertaining but not competitive enough for this competition.
• Nigel kind of hits the nail on the head when he asks if Travis is related to Adam Shankman, because there is certainly a resemblance.
• Jamal Jackson is kind of Brandon-esqe, but taller. Very powerful and with good technique. Through to Vegas.
• I just missed the name of this dude with the black mohawk. He's got superb flexibility and some good pirouettes and leaps. Through to Vegas.
• Anthony and Antwain Hart are twin brothers who tried out in Season 4 and I totally remember these guys. Ack! They're dancing to Black Eyed Peas too! Enough already. They're good hip hop dancers and their performance includes a cute move where they're both sitting and kind of tip over. Nigel says they should go straight through to Vegas, but he's going to make them do choreo because he thinks it's good for them to do choreo when ever possible.
• Amber and Anthony look really good at the Pasha/Anya routine. Antwain didn't do very well though.
• Amber is through, so is Anthony. But Antwain is not. That sucks for him.
• I think they said 13 other nameless dancers are going to Vegas too.

Day 2:

• Matthew "Boogie Links" Pollard is a popper who seems to be here to hit on all the girls. Especially Cat. He is very tall and skinny and has very broad shoulders. I realize that's not particularly relevant, but I'm not so into popping anymore so I'm spacing a little. He's through to choreo, which buys him some more time to hit on girls.
• Jessica Jensen had a rare form of cancer in her hand and had to have it amputated to save her life a year and a half ago. She has a fantastic attitude about the whole situation. As if her performance isn't going to be moving enough, she goes with Imogen Heap's "Chasing Cars." She's good, especially considering that her balance has to be thrown off. Sooner or later, one of these "inspirational" dancers has to get a ticket for Vegas, right? They send her through to choreo.
• Jonathan Bryant, a.k.a. "Extra," is way over the top. I actually like his dancing, but there's an element of control that's missing. He's a little loosey-goosey. This kid gets the 'you have to listen to critiques' speech. And then he gets so worked up that he starts to cry.
• Nigel admits that he'd be "bored stiff" watching them lecture Jonathan on TV and expects this exchanged to get edited out of the episode. Uh, then why are you showing it to us?
• Thomas Hamilton is kind of of a Will/Brandon-style strong contemporary dancer. He says he was born a crack baby. He was raised and adopted by his aunt because his birth mother is a drug addict. He wants a ticket to Vegas so he can get out of his town. He's a good dancer, and he takes the performance aspect very serious. He took a class with Mia and she is his inspiration. Nigel thinks he lost the performance aspect toward the end when he started "praise dancing." He's through to choreo.
• Maybe I'm speaking too soon, but Lil C has really laid off the SAT words tonight.
• After doing the choreo, Matthew and Jessica aren't through to Vegas. Jessica says she's going to go find a salsa club.
• Thomas is going to Vegas, along with seven other dancers from day two.

Just me or have the auditions not been all that exciting this season? There have been some good dancers, but it's been awhile since someone's really, thoroughly wowed me.


Tomorrow: first SYTYCD auditions in New Orleans ever. And it looks like Nigel didn't make the trip (did it coincide with his honorary degree conferral this summer?), so the judges are Mary, Shankers and Lil C. I'm interested to see how that goes.


The audition episodes feel like they're taking even longer than usual this season. Normally we watch them in two-hour blocks, two times a week, so we burn through them fairly quickly. At this rate, it feels like we're not going to make it to Vegas week until sometime in November.