So You Think You Can Dance: 5/23

Ahh, another one of my summer favorites has come back.  Once this show hits it’s stride, in the performance stage, it’s practically unbeatable.

But to get there, we have to delve through the audition rounds, first.

One reason I really like this show is that they tend to focus more on people that can actually dance, as opposed to the nutjobs that are either delusional, famewhorey, or both.

We met several people in these two cities that were really impressive, or had good stories.

Dancing mom: If she makes it to the show, she’ll be one of the oldest contestants, at 29, but she has the adorable factor of her 5 and 2 year old to back her up.  The best part of her audition was when Nigel had her kids come up to his seat, and then had them give her her ticket to Vegas.  When the 2 year old daughter got on stage in her little pink tut, she started doing toe points and things, and saying ‘my turn!’  Nigel let her, and it was seriously the most adorable thing ever. 

Jarell Rochelle: It rhymes!  His mother is going blind, so Nigel invites her up to his seat as well, and Jarell proceeds to wow everyone with his story, and is mother.

The Exorcist: No, not from the movie.  Hampton Williams claims he can take a persons soul during his dance, cleanse it, and return it to the person more whole.  I was totally expecting this guy to be terrible, but he was great.  He got Mary crying, and everyone generally lauding over him.  Hopefully he can do well in Vegas week.

Sam Shreffler: And he is why I love this show.  We saw him on the bumpers with his cape, and odd look about him, and we expected terrible things, like the wiggles guy from New York.  But then, he got on stage, and Nigel asked him what he did.  We found out he participates in Autism research. “So you have autism, then?”  Nigel asked.  Sam confirmed with a comment about the spectrum, and how he lies on it somewhere.  Nigel was maybe a bit patronizing, but never condescending, seeming to show an actual interest in what Sam had to say.  When Sam danced, it was…not good.  He danced with energy, and emotion, though, and Nigel told him as much, and told him never to stop dancing, even though they couldn’t put him through to Vegas.  It was a great, feel good segment, almost on par with the dwarf dancer from a season of two ago that was actually good.

There were a total of I think 40 dancers that made it through, so this is just a small sampling, but it was good.  I cannot wait for the meat of the show to kick in.