It’s that time of year again! Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with two hours of auditions. Was it just me or was this audition show a little less painful than usual? As many of you know (and the rest of you will learn), I don’t enjoy these early shows. I love great dancing, but if I wanted to watch it being done badly, I’d watch Dancing with the Stars. Oh snap. Kidding. Sort of. Our first two pit stops on the audition train (on the way to hot tamale town) are Brooklyn and Denver.
Oh, and it might be good to recap the judge’s process in case you’ve forgotten or you’re new. If the judges like what they see during the solo or after choreography the dancer is sent to Vegas. If they don’t like what they see, the dancer is sent home. Let’s get started.
Brooklyn — Day 1
Judges: Nigel, Mary, and Tabitha & Napoleon
First up is contemporary dancer Gabi Rojas, who was born and raised in the circus. She’s got rheumatoid arthritis, and her body is deteriorating. But you can’t tell from her wonderfully expressive performance. Her movement is beautiful. Nigel starts the night out with unusually high praise — but maybe since he hasn’t seen any bad dancing yet he’s not his usual crotchety self. He thinks Gabi will make it into the Top 20 and says she’s one of the best auditions he’s seen in the last five years. Mary gives us her patented scream and Tabitha likes her characterization. Vegas, baby. Read More