So You Think You Can Dance: Miami, Memphis, Los Angeles and Seattle Auditions

This week, So You Think You Can Dance wrapped up the first round of auditions with visits to Miami, Memphis, Los Angeles and Seattle. They sure do know how to make their way around a country. Let’s see who you should look out for next week in Las Vegas and those so bad you WISH you could have been there to witness the destruction.

VEGAS BOUND

MIAMI

Mary and Nigel are joined by Tyce Diorio, who I assure you, did not hold anything back in his criticism.

Janette Manrara and Romulo Villaverde are salsa dancers. Janette got cut before the Top 20 and Romulo didn’t get to Vegas, but they’ve been practicing all year, and you can see it in the crazy tricks they did. Nigel says he hasn’t even seen some of the things they did.

Priscilla Marreo is a beautiful contemporary dancer who captivates Tyce from the get go.

Joseph Smith is the first hip hopper who shows any inkling of a personality as vibrant as last year’s Twitch. He’s already has a slogan. “SCHWAM!”

Erik Moore also goes by “Silky” because he’s so smooth. He mixes some tap with fun hip hop and entertains as well as amazes.

Geo Smith took a leap, and I do mean literally (into the judges’ area), when he brings African dance to SYTYCD for the first time. He clearly has some rhythm, but he has to prove he can do other things when they send him to choreography. Luckily, he does.

MEMPHIS

Lil’ C doesn’t bring much buck to his criticism of these auditioners, but he does bring an obvious seriousness and sincerity in his position as a judge.

Marico Flake brings juking to the forefront. There’s a bounce to it and a lot of footwork and is clearly something I could NEVER do. Oh, and he’s a police officer. He has a little bit of the subtle, sweet but funny personality that Joshua has, and that’s a BIG compliment seeing as he won last year.

Caitlin Kinney‘s sister made it to Vegas in Miami, though she must not have been THAT entertaining to not have warranted screen time. She’s been dancing for five years, but she’s graceful and beautiful, especially after having undergone a hip relocation surgery that most people would never dance after.

Anna Dunn dances to express herself after her father committed suicide. Apparently, Lil’ C lost his father in the same way. I think she’s fabulous but the judges think she’s over choreographed and needs to connect more. Well, they know more than I do and want to send her to choreography before they send her to Vegas.

Travis Prokop would rather chat with the cheerleaders than play for his coach of a father, but the best thing is that his dad is happy and supportive of him going for his dream. He’s a little effeminate for our judges and needs to strengthen up, but the progress that he showed, just in the choreography, is enough to send him through.

Brothers Evan and Ryan Kasprzak show that talent runs in the family. Evan was in the Top 40 last year and is just as great as I remember him with his old school Fred Astaire style tapping. Plus his routine is fantastically choreographed. Ryan is Evan’s older brother, and he’s taught him everything he knows. He goes a cappella, using a whoopee cushion for flair and is funny and entertaining. Both are straight through to Vegas.

I don’t know what it was with family this season, but twins Lydia and Lauren Guerra do some contemporary style dancing. Lydia’s got the performance aspect down, and Lauren is technically stronger, but after shining in choreography, both get to go to Vegas.

LOS ANGELES

Hairspray choreographer and director Adam Shankman joins our judges in the City of Angels. And Joshua, Comfort, Katie and Lauren, from last year, come to watch!

Bianca Revels was a tapper last year who didn’t make the Top 20, but she came back looking snazzier and ready to steal the stage. Apparently out of the tapper, she holds the steps long enough that people who don’t really get tap can get the rhythm. And Mary thinks she’s the best female tapper they’ve ever had which I think she said last season. (Don’t know if that bodes well.) But she’s off to Vegas.

Asuka Kondoh and Ricky Sun also tried out last year. Ricky was nowhere near Vegas but Asuka made it to the Top 40. This year Ricky’s stronger and Asuka is just as sparkly. Together they’re magic AND on to Vegas.

Sammy Ramirez is a wrestler turned pop ‘n locker. His choreography is fun and his body isolation is ridiculous. They send him through to choreography where Adam says he’s crossing his fingers so hard that he can pick it up, and he does!

With another family sob story that totally chokes me up, Amanda Kerby‘s father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has been symptom-free for six years. She believes if he can do what he does, she can do anything. And then he cries when they’re interviewing her, and I just want to hug them both. She relies a little more on her pretty face and body than her dancing, but she clearly has the technique. On to Vegas she goes!

And Philip Shabib returns with friend Arielle in tow. Last year, he made it to Vegas but couldn’t go because of pneumonia so he’s got an automatic ticket that he didn’t know he’d get ’til he got there. He still has to stick around to partner Arielle who I think is a beautiful dancer and entertainer. Very Kerrington for last season. And she’s through too.

SEATTLE

Mia Michael‘s is back! YAY! I love her. Enough said.

Kelsea Taylor is the only one on Day 1 that we get to see dance and get a ticket to Vegas. It was THAT rough. (Only four make it through and not many more the next day.) She’s zany and slightly crazy but so intriguing, and Nigel thinks Sonja would love her. And like the Mia I love, she says she’s a beautiful, disastrous weirdo. After proving herself in choreography, she’s on to Vegas.

THANK G THEY WERE BOOTED

Dustin Dorough is Howie from the Backstreet Boys’ 2nd cousin but he clearly didn’t pick up his boy band moves.

A brother-sister pair Brynelle and Xavier Branton that gets (ick) mistaken for a boyfriend-girlfriend pair, gyrate and choke hold all over the place. You shouldn’t look like you are killing someone when doing a lift. It’s the most absurd dance I’ve ever seen.

Stacy House is a spastic 80s teen. I couldn’t keep my eyes off that hideous outfit and bright headband.

Kevin Cormier aka Shakiro shakes it like his hips don’t lie, but obviously they do to him.

Nick “Nasty” Salzman actually breaks well but when the judges even give  him a little bit of a critique he goes OFF, especially on Nigel. He should learn to put his foot in his mouth from the start.

There’s also the largest man I’ve ever seen on point, a mime dance and a fairy medicine dance, whatever the hell that is! Oye, I’m so glad Vegas has, at the very least, adequate dancers.

SURPRISES

Nathanial Trasoras is not only a pretty boy who almost stopped dancing because it made him “uncool” in school, but he’s quirky, interesting and graceful. He also happens to be 17, which doesn’t make the age limit. The judges loved him so much though that Nigel gave him a ticket to Vegas this year if he promised to come back next year. Why wouldn’t he with a free pass already?! Now just don’t break your leg, boy! (Don’t worry I knocked on wood after I typed that.)

Until Calico Sequiera who does a fun lindy hop that Nigel says belongs more in a lindy hopper club than on SYTYCD gets Adam to come up on stage and dance with her, making her look more adequate and a hell of a lot more fun.

Five-time rejectee and H-list star Sex battles newbie Leonid Knyshov. I love the added commentary like it’s a boxing match.

So 178 dancers are moving on to Vegas, and I am ready to see some good dancers go down in flames with awfully choreographed numbers. I think this is just a way for the producers to prove that THEIR choreographers really do add just as much as the dancers do each season, and I have to agree. Hello! Mia and her bench routine Emmy anyone? Oh, I can’t wait.

Season 5, Episodes 2&3: Miami, Memphis, Los Angeles & Seattle Auditions (originally aired May 27 & 28, 2009)

For another take on this episode, check out So You Think You’ve Got Attitude by Robin Reed.

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro