Day One

Host of So you think you can dance: Cat Deeley
Judges:

Nigel Lythgoe

Mary Murphy

Mia Michaels

So you think you can dance Season 4 Episode 1 舞林争霸第四季第一集 1/4

So you think you can dance Season 4 Episode 1 舞林争霸第四季第一集 2/4

After about a year of waiting, once again, “So you think you can dance” is back for its 4^th season! For those of you, who have not watched the previous seasons, here is how it works. The better dancers are sent straight to Las Vegas where they will be taught some choreography and go through tough eliminations. Only the best of the best survives. This is where they find their top 20. If they danced relatively well but the judges aren’t sure of them, they will remain later on for the judges to see how well they pick up the choreography. If they’re bad, they get hoe-that simple.

The auditions were held at the Orpheum theatre in Los Angeles. The judges were Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels.

First on the stage was Devin Oshiro where this rock music starts playing. Devin just stands still then Nigel says “I’d like to see a little more dancing in there I really would” and Mary agrees. It must have been quite embarrassing for her but then Nigel guessed that music was wrong and after sorting that out. Devin then dances to Missy Higgins’ “I don’t know who I am”.

Judges comments:

Nigel: “Absolutely sensational. I mean, I, you feel it with your body, you’ve got incredible technique, uhm, you are gonna be a dancer the choreographers are gonna want to get their hands on because you give them so many opportunities of creating things with the facilities that you provide for them- which is your body. You’re marvelous, congratulations. Well done.”

Mary: “I can’t believe it; I’m just so happy and appreciate you today, thank you so much, I think you’re great. I think you’ve got it all.

Mia: I…I can’t even imagine what…what you’d be like if you did stay on the show till the end because if you’re this good now it’s… it’ll be stupid, you’ll be stupid, really stupid.”

Apparently Mia’s word for this year is not “Amazing” like the previous years, but “Stupid”.

Devin was sent straight to Las Vegas.

Next on the stage was Jonathan Anzalone from Italy.

Judges comments:

Nigel: “Ok Jonathan, get your breath back. Now, you’re a professional dancer?

Jonathan: “Professional dancer”

Nigel: “In Italy?”

Jonathan: “Yes.”

Nigel: “I see. Mia, how successful is Jonathan gonna be here in America?”

Mia: “Not very sexfu… successful as a…” The audience and Mary burst out laughing and Mia hides her face in her hands for a few seconds hysterically laughing. Weird enough, Nigel wasn’t laughing.

Nigel: “Jonathan, just let me explain because I’m sure, you don’t know English that well. That’s called a “Freudian slip”.”

Mary: (Still laughing) “Mia!”

Nigel “Mia”

Mia: “Yes, that was a… that was a slip…and (laughs)… uhm… I just… I just don’t think you’re gonna be very successful in America but it’s my opinion, you know…”

Jonathan: “No but you are a judge so obviously I’m not gonna be successful.”

Mia: The caliber of your dancing ability is not up to par with what most Americans need as a working dancer, here. Do you find that shocking?”

Jonathan: “No, no, no, I’m just listening to you and I’m really happy.”

Mary laughs.

Jonathan: “Thank you.”

Mia: “You’re floor work is great, as a B-boy

Jonathan: (interrupts mia) “I’ve never been here before”

Mia: continues from earlier “as a B-boy”.

Jonathan: “As a B-Boy?”

Mia: “Yeah.”

Mary: (trying to elucidate Mia’s ambiguity) “Windmills.”

Mia: (picking up from Mary) “your windmills”

Jonathan: “That’s not a windmill, that’s a air flare”

Mia and Mary simultaneously accept the mistake and continue telling him they were good.

Jonathan: “And that actually is not gonna be on the floor because I’m not… I don’t touch my feet on the floor so…”

Mary: “but your hands are on the floor”

Mia: “Oh my God… well whatever you did, over, down there was really good… was really good”

Mary: “Just the last couple tricks were…were good. The rest of it was… you know- it was so weak.”

Jonathan: “Yeah?

Mary: “It’s not gonna go any place. It’s not gonna make anybody get up and pick up a telephone for you.”

Jonathan “Ok.”

Mary: “Of course there might be some people that’ll pick up the telephone; I mean you’re very good looking…”

Jonathan: (interrupts) “You don’t understand…”

Mary: “But there was no dancing.”

Jonathan: “There was no dancing huh?”

Mary: “No.”

Jonathan: “Ok. Thank you.”

Nigel: “Uhm…”

Jonathan, just about to leave…

Mary: “Hold on, you still have another opinion over here.” (Gesturing towards Nigel)

Nigel: “yeah don’t go, I’m sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to hear any guy’s opinion but…”

Jonathan: (interrupts Nigel) “It’s not gonna make no… it’s not gonna make no difference…because, two say “no”, one’s gonna say “yes” where I’m gonna go? I’m gonna go outside still…”

Nigel: (interrupts)” Jonathan that’s, that’s called “arrogance”. Just listen. This whole show is about what we believe you can do in the future. I…I don’t understand your look.”

Jonathan: “What look?”

Nigel: “Smugness. Please explain to me why you just can’t listen?”

Jonathan: “I have to listen?”

Nigel: “Yeah.”

Jonathan: “I know.”

Nigel: “Yeah. Ok, because you’re about to walk off stage, you haven’t listened to the third judge, you don’t know if they’re gonna say “yes” or “no” for you to continue in the competition. They’ve just said they don’t like what you’ve did there. But that doesn’t mean to say we don’t like you or we don’t like what we think you can do. But you decided not to give us the opportunity of saying that. So that’s pretty dumb of you. ”

Jonathan: “Yes.”

Nigel: “And there is an arrogance about you which isn’t a bad thing. I think in order to get on in this business you need an arrogance. I would like to see how you do the choreography later.

Mary: “It’s a “yes” for me.

Jonathan looks at Mia and says “Call me… (Mary laughs) I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Ok?”

Mia: “I’m just gonna say one thing. You’d be impossible to create a piece on. I think I’d probably throw you out of the room in the first 5 minutes. You’re a nightmare (Mia laughs), you are… like this (gesture towards him), you’re just so like… ugh… but yes, I’d like to see you come back for the choreography.”

Sex is back!

One of the people who auditioned, David “Sex” Soller, back for his third consecutive try did his usual “dancing” to Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ la vida loca”.

Judges comments:

Mia: “I have to say that uhm… from last year to this year there’s been no growth. From the first year, to…

Mary: (Interrupts) “What are you talking about?

Mia: “…from the second to the 3^rd season I actually, coz I wasn’t at the audition and I saw it on… I saw it on the television…”

Mary: (interrupts) “he did a pirouette.”

Mia: “…and I was like ‘Oh my God he’s growing, he’s getting really good and uhm…”

Nigel and Mary laugh hysterically.

Mary: (laughing to Nigel) “Can you believe she just said that?! Can you believe she just said that?! Somebody! Somebody we need some help! She’s not feeling well!”Mary then continues to laugh hysterically.

[apparently chemistry that day wasn't only between Jonathan and Mia...]

Mia: “I’m gonna be so honest, like, I remember watching it in my living room and I was just like, you know what, he’s improving. He’s improving. (Mary still laughing like crazy) You know what? Don’t listen to them because you actually did improve to me and I…I don’t know how many glasses of wine I might have drank before that. However, I’m telling you that I would miss you if you weren’t here every season auditioning. I don’t think you have grown from last season to this season so… I’m sorry.”

Mary: “Well, I gotta get real here. Uhm… couple of different moves I’ll give you that, Sex, however, this really is a joke. There is no dancing going on up there. And you know, I can appreciate that Mia sees your growth and felt possibly it was really good (she starts to laugh a little) at some point…”

Mia: (interrupts)” No, no I didn’t, no…”

Mary: “Didn’t she say that Nigel?”

Nigel: “She said that”

Mary: “yeah she said that…”

Nigel: “She said that”

Mia: “really good?” I said really good?”

Mary: “You said “really good”, yeah, wait till you watch the playback, you’re gonna be horrified. Uhm…”

Nigel: “As are all your dancers.”

Mia: “Really good? Ok.”

Mary: “So, it’s not anywhere close, and I… I fail to really see the improvement.”

Mia: “Do you ever take any ballet class?

Mary: “he did the pirouette.”

David: “Yes, I have many years of extensive formal training, many, many years of formal workshops, competitions, training and experience. Many, many years. “

Mia: “Who are you training with?” Honestly, because if you had a good teacher, you’d…you… you would be growing.

David: I’ve trained with many master choreographers and teachers in the country.”

Nigel: “You must just enjoy watching yourself look stupid on television, because that’s what you continue to do. And not just on this program, I’ve seen you audition for other programs too. You just like, watching yourself on television. That’s all it is. And I’m not gonna bother calling you “Sex” anymore either. Your name is “David” and that’s what you should be called, coz there’s nothing sexy about you. “

David: “My fans believe in me, my fans believe I’m sexy, my fans think my moves are sexy…”

Nigel: “You’ve been doing this for 3 years David. Do you really want to continue like this for the rest of your life?”

David: “I believe in myself, I have confidence in myself, I’m here doing what I love to do…”

Nigel: (interrupts) “Terrific!”

David: “…I am a dancer; I’m dancing right now…”

Nigel: (interrupts) “No son, you’re not. You’re moving…”

David: “…here, on this planet, right now I’m dancing, planet, California.”

As David walks away…

Nigel: “Thank you. I don’t know why you bother coming. I really don’t.

The next showed on stage was Laura Garcia a sufferer of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Judges comments:

Nigel: “Laura, very difficult to uhm… critique you to be frank, uhm, because uh, without question you are inspirational to a lot of people. I don’t know how difficult it would be to… for you to follow choreography. Uh, what I would say though in order to critique your dancing is the technique is not strong enough to continue in the competition uh and I want to make sure you understand that I’m not gonna put you through because your technique is not good enough not because you have any sight impairment.

Mary: Yeah I feel the same way. I don’t think the technique is strong enough for this competition. How would you follow choreography?

Laura: “I just ask a lot of questions and I stand next to the choreographer if I can, so I can see them as well as I can.”

Mia: (crying) “you’re a true inspiration… (Laura starts to cry)I have a, I have a… I, someone that I… uhm, I have someone very close to me that lost her eyesight uhm, that was a dancer. So, I’m, my heart is with you, and I really think you have more passion then probably 90% of dancers that I see… and uhm, I thank you for that. I feel like for this competition it’s so difficult, it’s so difficult. I think you have a great potential to be brilliant. A brilliant artist. I think your technique is a little lacking, but I love you, so…thank you.”

Nigel: “I think to move you on in the competition would only be patronizing you. I think it would be using the situation which I don’t want to do. I do hope you continue dancing uhm…but to come to competitions I think you’ll find it extremely difficult.”

Next up was Stephen “Twitch” Boss. He auditioned last year, made it to Las Vegas but the judges chose one of last year’s top 10 finalists Hawk over him.

Judges comments:

Mary: “Twitch! You’re sick! You’re frozen!”

Mia: “Stupid!”

Nigel: “you’re stupid!”

Mary: “Stupid!”

Mia: “Stupid!”

Mary: “You’re stupid! (All judges laugh). Aw, I’m so happy you’re back… I mean, it’s just a treat to watch you. We could watch you all day and night. Unbelievable.

Mia: “Yeah, you get “stank face” from me.

Nigel: “what’s that mean?”

Mia: “When you’re watching someone so good you’re like (showing her stank face). It’s “stank” because it’s so good it stinks.

Mary: “It’s so good it stank!”

Mia: “So it’s stupid and it stinks”

Stephen: “It’s funky, it’s funky (makes the face).”

Nigel:” I think, I think you’re magic.”

Mary: (speaking simultaneously with Nigel) “there’s only one thing you can do”

Nigel: “yeah and I think you deserve… to see some magic!”

Hamilton Moreno’s performance made Mia rather rude and a little judgemental!

Judges comments:

Mia: “I have a question for you coz it…it says here that you don’t wanna lose too much weight because it… it… it might not let you stand out as a human being. Is that correct?”

Hamilton: “Yeah, coz like if I auditioned normally, like I would just be another normal guy dancer that’s skinny and I wouldn’t even, I don’t think I would even make it this far… If I was skinny.”

Nigel: “Probably true.”

Hamilton: “It’s my niche.”

Mia: “That’s a terrible niche, because it’s an unhealthy niche. Right now you’re, you’re a character. But it’s not about the weight. And I…I really hope that when you walk away from this today, that you really take a hard look at that. Because you really …”

Hamilton: (Interrupts) “Thank you, it means a lot, means a lot.”

Mia: (continues) “need to look and… and see that you are, that you have that you’re perfect inside, and you need to let that come out and stop this nonsense, coz this is nonsense, believe it that. Somebody gave you some wrong information.”

Mary: “By all means please …”

Hamilton: (nods) “no problem, no problem”

Mary: (continues) “…get yourself healthy and you can obviously see you don’t have enough stamina. You know, so you’ve got to work on your health.

Nigel: “Hamilton, you know, everyone gets out of breath when they dance, everyone. And then, you know your health then depends on how quickly your heart rate goes back down and you start breathing normally. You’re still panting away there.”

Mia: “I’m sorry. No, not for me.”

Nigel: “Thank you Hamilton, look after yourself.”

A 46 year old Russian lady tried out as well, Irina Korenkov-Eller.

Judges comments:

Nigel: “So how long have you been dancing?”

Irina: “All my life, but its never was professional… never was professional. It’s just come out of my heart actually. I dance from my heart.”

Nigel: “Yes. Where are you from?”

Irina: “Originally from Russia.”

Nigel: “And, are you married?”

Irina: “Uh, I’m separated.”

Nigel: “Well I’m sure if your husband gets to see this he is gonna get straight on the phone to you and say please come back to me.”

Irina: “I don’t think so. I will never come back to that man.”

(Judges laugh)

Irina: “I left him, half million dollar home just to be free and looking for happiness.”

(Audience cheers)

Nigel: “Wow, that’s fantastic! I’m pleased that you’ve enjoyed yourself, you look like you were having fun…”

Irina: “Yes.”

Nigel: “…but this competition, uh, it isn’t right in my opinion.”

Irina: “I understand.”

Mary: “Yeah, I’m gonna have to follow suit there, it’s not strong enough for the competition. I’m glad you’re having fun and keep dancing for yourself.”

Irina: (nods) “Ok.”

Mia: “Thank you so much for coming.”

Irina: “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I love you guys. I will watch your show forever. And I will vote for these guys. “

Nigel: “Much love and good luck with your life. (Judges clap) Bye, bye, thank you.”

Another participant from last year was Phillip Chbeeb. He tried out last year but didn’t manage to go to Vegas, screwing up in the first choreography.

“Gypsy”, William Wingfield danced to Lupe Fiasco’s weird Isesha Poem (Intro).

Judges comments:

Nigel: “That was clever, it was cool, was it a good audition for this program? Not sure it was. You’re coming to audition, to have us believe that you are capable of doing all the different dance styles that we’re gonna put you through later on in the competition and in order to do that we also need to see some dancing as well as some clever stuff. And there was too much clever stuff there, for this audition. However, I think it was really, really good.”

William: “Thank you.”

Mary: “It was just way too short for me. I wanted it to go on and on. When you ended I was like “uh!” Hey listen, what I saw I just loved. We can see that you really got it.”

Mia: “That was a beautiful performance. But like Nigel said, I felt it was lacking the versatility, the dynamics, but I honor and respect the statement that you danced today. And that was awesome.”

William: “Thank you as well.” (blows a kiss to Mia)

Judges agree to let him “stick around for the choreography”.

So you think you can dance Season 4 Episode 1 舞林争霸第四季第一集 3/4

“Rigi” Mr. Russian-for-Red-Head, decides to show the judges a little striptease and justifies his act as “…a clean slate. I know you guys like to mold and create…” And whatever he meant, Mia understood it. I sure as hell didn’t.

Definition of “Clean slate”: fresh start: an opportunity to start over without prejudice
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Let’s all just walk around naked or in our underwear, maybe people will be less prejudice against us all that way.

After the choreography round, Jonathan doesn’t make it. Phillip and William both make it through to Vegas.

So you think you can dance Season 4 Episode 1 舞林争霸第四季第一集 4/4