So You Think You Can Dance S16E07: The Academy Pt. 2

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Emotions run high as dancers say goodbye and contestants say hello
by Stephen Mosher

Part Two of The Academy aired on July 22nd and it was a really fun, and really emotional, night for the dancers who, by this point, are cashed. In fact, at one point Mandy Moore told the interviewing camera that 'they are mentally at capacity ... and that’s when the best stuff comes out' - clearly the truth because some of the dancers absolutely rose to the occasion.

The first of the remaining 54 dancers to come out on stage were the contemporary boys, Jarrod Tyler Paulson and Luke Romanzi. Both dancers are talented and endearing but the judges chose to release them both and both men took it very well. Jarrod said he would leave with his head held high, while Luke declared he would come back even stronger and harder next year. Good sports, both of them, they are the type who will succeed, either on this show in a future season, or in life. Tyler, being the stand-up dude he is, waited around to see how Madison would do, because she was next onstage.

The contemporary girls were Madison, Juliette and Kaeli. Juliette and Kaeli were dismissed, with Kaeli sharing that she was 'proud of myself'. Madison, when asked how she felt about the performance, said she felt good about it before Mary told her that she was magical and that it was 'difficult for me to see anyone else.' Jarrod was waiting outside for Madison and when he got the news he could not have been more thrilled or more supportive. She states that she will, now, dance for the both of them. I hope Jarrod comes back next year, he really has something.

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Down to 43, Mandy Moore and Robert Roldan get the entire gang onstage for a dynamic group routine that will combine all the dances they have done this week, to an entirely new piece of music. I love the way she talks to them - she is firm and demanding, but kind and supportive: 'I’m on your team!' And when she teaches them the dance, she is in it with them, making sure they are challenged and that they all meet the challenge. 45 minutes later, when she is finished with the choreo lesson, the dancers are all dispatched to the lobby and other areas of the theater to get it together, and it is a beautiful thing, watching all these young people help each other. They are all competing for a spot on the show, and they are helping each other. That’s not nothing. There were examples seen that, among these 43, there are 'a bunch of leaders' and those leaders helped to guide the team in, even if Eddie Hoyt does seem to be erring on the side of being dramatic and emotional, when he could just get his head in the game, focus, and do the work instead of complaining, which reminded my husband of a story he was told by a friend who danced on Broadway for many years:

During a grueling rehearsal with the legendary Chita Rivera, the dancers were on a break during which all were sitting around and lamenting the pain, the hard work, the complex choreography. Passing by, Ms. Rivera overheard the conversation and said, 'Are we complaining about dancing now? Is that what we’re doing? … Never complain about getting to dance.' Wise words from the greatest, if you ask me.

Returning to the competition, Nigel tells the camera that this stage of the game 'scares the hell out of them, and it should' and that 'every second counts.'. Well these beautiful young dancers waste no time, indeed, capturing viewers’ attention and the judges’ attention with a spectacular performance of Mandy Moore’s routine. It was truly magnificent. Of particular note to this lover of dance was how Madison was not only front and center, but how you couldn’t get your eyes off her, and it would have been the case had she been in the back. She just has that quality about her, as do Sumi and Bailey. This number was, in fact, so good that Dominic was crying. Had I been watching it live, I probably would have been crying, too.

The dancing done, the judges began another round of eliminations with Sophie being told by Mary that she brought magic that day and by Laurieann to 'stay in it!' Sweet Sydney was cut but was a good sport about it, while Mariah and Melany were told to prepare for their solo rounds. Other dancers staying included Ezra, Stefan, Stephanie, Eddie and Madison. Eliminations sent Desi, Jordyn, Elan, James and Caroline home, and the count was down to 33 as they gear up for the solo rounds. When Desi left Laurieann told her to 'Keep fighting and you’re gonna be fire' and Desi told the camera, 'I’m so proud of myself' -- one hopes she will come back again, she was a refreshing change from so many of the other departing dancers who were so bitter. It’s an unbecoming look.

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As far as the solo round goes, I couldn’t breathe while Gino was dancing, there was so much color and light to his performance, while Sumi was all precision and stillness, dancing with every part of herself, even her face, in a most confined space on that huge stage. Dominic was destroyed, face in hands, unable to contain his emotions. Eddie came forth in a baffling costume that weighed him down, especially when one of his shoes came loose, but he kept on going, dancing like the artist he is - but he really needs to get control of his emotions. Bailey was the only remaining dancer to get a lengthy display of his solo because the program faded into quick showings of who got cut and who advanced -- but while Bailey was onstage it was a perfect display of talent, timing, personality and heart. The kid is marked for stardom.

By the end of the episode, some lovely dancers had to take hits and bad news, some handled it with grace and others, not so much. I am sorry for Stefan Yeritsyan to go but maybe he will be back, it would be nice. With these final eliminations, SYTYCD 2019 had its Top Twenty.

Girls: Anna, Sophie, Ashlye, Sofia, Nazz, Madison, Melany, Stephanie, Sumi and Mariah.

Boys: Bailey, Brandon, Benjamin, Ezra, Vlad, Nathan, Aleksander, Gino, Clocks, Eddie.

Now, I’ve been a SYTYCD watcher and fan since season one. I’ve studied the show and I am usually pretty good at predicting who will move forward. You can tell by how much time the camera and interviews give certain contestants that they will be on the live program, you can tell by the lackluster performances of dancers who get lackluster critiques and still end up in the Top 20 that their sole purpose on the show is to be one of the 10 who get cut, and you can tell by sheer grit and talent, who is meant to be on the show. I am going to predict (and I hope I’m right but if I’m not, I’ll own it) that the dancers who make it to the live shows are:

Girls: Anna, Sophie, Madison, Sumi and Mariah

Boys: Bailey, Benjamin, Ezra, Gino and Eddie.

And I can already tell you that Benjamin and Gino have captured, completely, my heart, but that the winner of the show should/will be either Madison or Bailey - probably Madison.

Let’s see how I did by coming back next week to see some real dancing!

What did you think of this episode? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

So You Think You Can Dance S16E06: The Academy Pt. 1

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Beauty and brilliance rise as the dancers bring their A-Game
by Stephen Mosher

We’ve seen five episodes of SYTYCD 2019 and this week the sixth brought the dancers and us to The Academy. In this first episode focusing on the toughest week of the competitors’ lives we see them begin the process of being broken. That’s what The Academy (previously Las Vegas) has always been about: weeding out the weakest of the pack. In three days and with four rounds, elite choreographers come in and work these kids within an inch of their lives and the panel judges them mercilessly (except when they don’t because one of their favorites did poorly and could be cut - in these cases they selfishly look the other way, cutting other dancers who actually brought their A Game) in a Lord of the Flies manner to achieve the survival of the fittest. 79 dancers have made it to The Academy. 20 will move on to the live shows. 10 will enter the competition. It’s crunch time. As the evening of sweat, sorrow and satisfaction begins, the viewers see Laurieann say, 'Make the choice to believe in yourself!

The hardest choice ever.

First up is the Hip Hop round and their choreographer will be Luther Brown, who declares he needs precision, energy and star quality. Brown is an old school choreographer who demands you keep up and keep quiet, so he jumps right in with complicated and 'hard hitting' moves, and the dancers either follow along or get lost, with Brown stopping only long enough to reprimand those dancers who are talking, like a school teacher or gunnery sergeant. It was actually beautiful to watch and I applauded the scolding. After only 90 minutes of learning the choreography (which my husband laughed at and said, 'NINETY MINUTES!  That’s a DAY!  Come to Broadway where a dance call moves a lot faster!' which made me laugh), the dancers are sent onstage in groups, where they take their destinies into their own hands.

The first dancers to hit the stage were the three female hip hop dancers, Dezi Saenz, Sumi Oshima and Anna Linstruth, who did such a bad job that Nigel commanded that they dance again. Anna was particularly lost in the choreography and Laurieann told them to 'dance like big girls!' which must have worked because the second time around they were better and all three were put into the next round.

Following the women are three hip hop dancers: one popper and two B-Boys. Michael Sales and Samuel Sweetser fared the worst, with Samuel simply stepping out of the routine when he forgot it.  Mary was yelling at him to 'stay in it!', Dominic urged him 'keep going' and he tried but the simple truth is he just gave up and during the critique Nigel told him, 'Never, never, never give up,' before the panel cut him and Sales, leaving only Brandon Ron in the competition.

When the judges cut Victoria Neukom and Lauren Luteran, they showed resilience and a determination to get better and come back next year, while Shamus Moriarty whined and pouted and said that the judges made a mistake which, clearly, they did not.

Sophie Pittman, Jay Jackson and Benjamin Castro are lucky with the judges, garnering compliments and advancement in the game, while other dancers earn nothing but vitriol from Nigel, who is so mean to them that Laurieann says to him, 'Slice and dice, why don’t you!'

The next segment features Howard Johnson (who needs to add a middle initial to his name and get away from comparisons to the hotel chain) and the adorable Edwards twins, Colton and Trent. Trent had a TERRIBLE showing at this stage of the game, unable to keep up with the other two boys, and constantly looking back at Colton to follow his moves. At the end of the round the judges advanced Howard and Colton but asked Trent to dance for his life, but he was not able to bring the magic that he exhibited during his initial audition. One of the judges blurted out 'What was THAT?' after a particularly sloppy move and, finally, Mary had had it and simply cut the music and the audition, at which point he was cut, and Laurieann murmered, 'Welcome to the real world.' It was sad to see the two best friends separated and Trent put up a stiff upper lip but it was clear he was crestfallen.

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On Day Two, as the choreography round changes focus to Ballroom, there are 69 remaining dancers who are excited to see married dancing sensations Emma Slater and Sasha Farber walk onstage to teach them (the uber demanding) Cha Cha. Watching Emma and Sasha teach is a true joy - they lead through positive feedback, which a lot of choreographers eschew in favor of bootcamp training. The ninety minute intensive they put the dancers through is exciting to watch and the Dancing With the Stars alums wish everyone well as the competition resumes with three couples, ready to Cha Cha Cha their way onto the live shows.

Gino Cosculluela is paired with Ashley Sanchez and they are simply glorious to watch. Dezi Saenz dances with Darrell Allen and they hit some bumps in the road, especially Dezi. Sofia Ghavami teams up with Benjamin Castro and it is just magical. The judges confer and it is obvious Dezi is worried but Mary declares they are all amazing and going through to the next round.

Up on stage next are Maia Bliudniks and Frank 'Ghost' Crisp Jr, Lukas Bartunek with Mariah Russell, and Eddie Hoyt alongside Anna Linstruth. All in all, they aren’t very good, except for Mariah and Lukas who are just gorgeous and sexy and everything else. Ghost coasts through on massive amounts of personality and Eddie gets by with likability. When it comes time for the cuts, they release Maia, telling her she just isn’t ready, pass everyone else through, except for Eddie, whom they make fight for it. And he does. Eddie sticks up for himself and pretty much demands that they advance him. So they do!

In quick glimpses we see the judges cut Jalen Sands but she says she is holding it together and it’s pretty obvious she will be back next year, and they release Colton Edwards, who takes it on the chin and declares he will work harder and be back next year. This is the kind of spirit that belongs on SYTYCD, the kind that, frequently, rises to the top.  A tearful Bridget Derville-Teer departs under a cloud of defeatist self-pity. That never rises to the top.

The final round of Ballroom dancing featured Gianna Newborg and John John Tarrayo, Gabe Flowers and Sarah 'Smac' McCreanor, and Stefen Yeritsyan and Madison Jordan, whose boyfriend, Jarrod Tyler Paulson, was seen being advanced in a montage earlier in the show. John John wows the judges, while Gianna looks lost, Smac poses more than she dances but Gabe offers her attentive support, and Stefen and Madison are the clear standouts. A beaming Jarrod watches from the wings. When it is finished, Mary cuts Gianna who, smiling through tears, says it was the best experience she’s ever had. Fifty bucks says she comes back. John John, Stefen, Gabe and Madison all get put through to the Contemporary round but the judges are really unsure about Smac, so they ask her to dance for her life. After a slightly heated discussion it is decided that her talent does not come up to the level of her personality and she is sent home. She takes it well, which might be an indication that she knows she needs more training. One hopes she gets that training and gets herself onto the show next season.

54 dancers remain and the incomparable Talia Favia is kicking their asses for the Contemporary round. I LOVE the way she communicates with these dancers! She is an incredible teacher and choreographer who gets down on the floor and does the dance with them. She is freaking amazing.

First group! Samuel Nelson, Benjamin Castro and Jay Jackson. Samuel and Nelson are clearly extremely well trained dancers, while Jay is remembered for appearing last season in drag. But this season he showed that he has worked like mad during the last year. It was a wonderful run for Jay. Castro fared especially well with this piece, leading Dominic to tell him that he saw 'an authenticity in emotion and connection to this music.' When asked what he was feeling he said, 'It was a mixed feeling of being inspired, to surrender to the music,' and the judges sent him on to the next round. Samuel will join him, but Jay will not. The judges paid him much compliment and ask him to come back, but Jay informs that he is 30 and cannot return. 'This has been a dream come true ... It may not be what you’re looking for and that’s okay, because it’s what I was looking for the whole time, and that’s belief in myself.' In his departure interview Jackson said he loved his experience and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Bailey Munoz and John John are roommates and Filipino brothers and deliver what could well be the most astonishing performance of the evening, drawing out cheers, applause, physical and emotional reactions, and a standing ovation from the judges. Bailey in tears, he talks about being not just a B-Boy ... I’m a dancer.' The two besties are overcome with emotion when Dominic tells them, 'Every B-Boy that’s been on this show would be proud.'  Duh, natch they are both moving forward.

It was the perfect ending to the first day of The Academy. As Mary put it, 'I can’t wait to see what they do …' and neither can I. I’ve been with this show since the first season and I always have certain ideas about who will be chosen for the live shows. Last season I picked Slavik out of the back of a group before the show started paying real attention to him. I have some private notions on who will win one of the coveted 20 spots that will be narrowed down to 10 …

But for now I’ll keep those a secret. But if anyone wants to let me know who they are thinking will move forward, I am longing to know.

What did you think of this episode? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.