So You Think You Can Dance Conference Call: Ryan Ramirez and Alexander Fost

So we’re down to our last double elimination conference call, this time with Ryan Ramirez and Alexander Fost – also our first non-couple to receive the axe.

Neither of them seemed all that surprised to have gone home, but like I’ve said in my recaps, this season is tough and anyone could go home at any time. Ryan at least has been in the bottom several times previously, and I agreed with Nigel that she had trouble connecting with the audience no matter how strong her performances were. Alexander found himself sent packing his first time in the bottom 3, as though the judges had simply been waiting for him to land there so they could send him home.

When Ryan was asked about the comment Nigel made suggesting she seemed down and out, a little like she’d already given up, she denied feeling that way at all. After Wednesday nights comments she thought she “might be in the bottom 3, but I was still excited to dance my solo on the stage and I was still fighting.”

For Alexander’s part, he responded to a question on whether or not he would rather have been judged as a couple or not, he expressed confusion because the judges seemed to have overlooked that they “were part of a team, and no one made a comment about one of us being stronger until that night on the live show. I just had to make the best of it.”

Ryan shared that coming back, making it onto the show the second time around was “everything I thought it would be and more. It pushed me to physical and mental limits. I learned I could push myself farther than I ever thought I could.” She also talked about how special the experience of leaning from the choreographers and the talent and passion of the other contestants.

Alexander was asked about the decision to label him as a contemporary dancer when he is, in reality, a specialist in ballet.  He claimed the biggest problem with being labeled contemporary was that “ballet doesn’t maneuver the body that way, down to the floor and back up” and since they thought he was contemporary the “critiques were really hard.” Also, he did mention the bruises.

Ryan mentioned she’d only just gotten her driver’s license, and when someone questioned the reason for this she admitted to “traveling so much with dance, and that’s been my focus, along with moving to L.A. Dance is my priority and I realized I had to put it first and that all those other things could happen later.”

It turns out Alexander studied with some members of the Russian ballet when he was 18 – old for someone to pick up professional ballet. He said the experience was “very intense. The European dancers are very different from American dancers. It’s not just an art form to them, they all have this intense passion for what they do.”

As far as what styles they wished they could have gotten to dance? For Ryan is was a krump and maybe more ballroom styles like a waltz or a tango. Alex also expressed an interest in learning more ballroom, and even thinks he’ll take classes now that he’s off the show. The paso doble he performed last week was one of his favorites of the season. He’d also really like to try tap dancing, even though it’s not a dance they do on the show.

They talked a little bit about their favorite choreographers, ones they have worked with and ones they’d like to work with. For Alex, working with Tyce was a dream come true and Ryan still loved working with Mia Michaels and would love the chance to work with Wade Robeson one day.

Finally, when asked about what the most difficult or surprising part of their experience, the two agreed. Alex commented it was the “having to perform on live television and being critiqued and judged on more than just the dancing.” Ryan added “It’s not getting caught up in what people are saying, trying to forget how many people are watching and what they might be thinking about you.”

They both agreed the hardest thing, but the thing that got them through was remembering why they were there, that they’d joined the show because they love dance and strive to be better dancers.

I, for one, enjoyed watching them both but as they say, the show must go on.

So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8/7c on Fox.

Photos Courtesy of Adam Rose and FOX