Tonight's auditions gives us an exception to what's been a trend on So You Think You Can Dance. For the first time this season, a city's sent far less than 30 dancers to the next round. Also, we had quite a few old friends show up to tryout again with varying results.

Our first hour of auditions takes place in Charleston, SC where Dmitry, Natalie, Heidi and Travis were all found. Along for the ride is Tyce DiOrio who'll be judging along with the ever-present Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.

Immediate Ticket to Vegas:
Sheila Kaiser/18/GA/Contemporary - She's auditioning without the support of her dad, which is rough but at least her mom is in her corner. All I can say is her dad is a foolish, foolish man. I really like her. She's one of those people who you can't help but smile when she dances. Plus she wasn't over the top with her choreography. Sheila got a "woo!" from Mary and Tyce told her that she just gave other dancers an education. Nigel also adores her so...straight on through.

Jerimiah Hughes/19/Toronto/Contemporary - He's a good dancer - sort of like Neil from last year but more grounded. There was an odd bit here and there where the improv got away from him but Nigel called him one of the most exciting dancers he's seen. Tyce told him that to make sure he stays focused on his leaps. Nigel gives him a ticket under the condition that he buttons up his shirt. Spoilsport.

Courtney Galiano/19/NY/Contemporary - Her grandparents came with her and were giving other contestants food in the morning. So cute. If I were to compare her to anyone, it'd be Allison with a touch of Natalie. She had a lot of control and really commanded the stage. After all the positive comments, she quasi-demands her ticket and gets it..

Standouts:
Anthony & Antwain Hart/20/NC/Hip Hop - Anthony went first and underwhelmed the judges. While he could move very well, he didn't show much in terms of skill. So when Antwain went up and was so good (sharp movements, flips, level changes), it was a big surprise. He explains that Anthony probably underestimated what they were looking for in an audition and that he's a sharper dancer. Nigel wants to see the two of them dance together so Anthony comes back on stage. And it was all kinds of better. There were a lot of good moments and Antwain's insistence gets them both through to choreography. And to Vegas.

BJ Harris/23/NY/Breaker - He works at a performing arts school and they did a fundraiser to get him the money to fly to these auditions. He pulled off some crazy stunts that I, like Mary, haven't seen before. It's mainly the stuff he did while on his knees. He even got a "woo!" out of it. But can he pick up steps? He had some trouble and, unfortunately, he won't be going on this time. Hopefully he'll be back next year.
Claire Calloway/20/AL/Contemporary - You remember Claire, don't you? She hurt her ankle in Season 2 during Vegas week and then got had a baby last year. So she's finally back on track dancing but she's a little rusty. Tyce tells her to break out and go explore new ground. Mary and Nigel think that the bar has been raised so much that maybe it's in comparison that she's not knocking everyone socks off. After an emotional explanation of what's been going on, she earns a pass to the choreography round and, thankfully, a ticket to Vegas.

About 40 dancers all together are making it to the next round which, again, is far more than the editing would suggest.

Next up, another day, another state as the tryouts move to Washington, DC. This time, "Weak Sauce" Dan Karaty joins Mary and Nigel. Though if his numbers show vast improvement like last year's, I may have to retire my nickname for him.

Immediate Ticket to Vegas:
Megan Campbell/18/IN/Contemporary - She also goes into the "Mia should love her" category. She melds staccato and smooth movements together very well. Nigel points out that she was tossing her hair entirely too much and they couldn't see her face. Apparently this was Megan's first time audition for anything and she aced it. Her very supportive aunt was there and Nigel brought her down from the back of the auditorium and gave her a kiss. She's the first DC dancer to get a ticket.

Brandon Bryant/18/FL/Contempory - I remember him. He tried out on the first season but didn't make it through for some bizarre reason. Well, it's because he lied about his age - he was only 15 when the minimum age was 18. His mom didn't appreciate the ruse. So now he's back and he killed it. Nigel dubbed him one of the best he's seen and got a bona fide "Woo!" from Mary. Dan adds that he can't think of any dancers that he knows that could've done that routine. He's the first to get a ticket on the second day.

Standouts:
Markus Shields/23/MI/Hip Hop - He'd dedicating his audition to the memory of his mother. And he's good. Markus' style is similar to Ivan's. Nigel compliments him on his choreography but tells him that no one will know he messed up if he didn't show it. Mary was moved by his performance and Dan gave him a bit of advice that there'll always be something you could do better but to not let it get to him. But they all really like him and send him to choreography. Thank goodness Markus picked it up and got a plane ticket. I really like him.

Markus Smith/25/MD & Deonna Ball/23/DC/DC Swing - Their style of dance is a variation of the Lindy Hop, probably the coolest I've ever seen. It's very modern and incorporates quite a few different styles (like Hip Hop and Latin). Nigel dug it and likes the laid back vibe of the number. Mary really appreciated their partner work. Dan loved it as well so it's off to the choreography round with them both. Unfortunately neither made it to Vegas but I really dug their dancing.

Phucdat Ngyuen aka "The Atomic Goofball"/25/MD/Breaker - He used to be shy and picked on but started dancing and it allowed him to come out of his shell. What's so impressive about Phucdat (besides copping to the unintentional comedy derived from the spelling of his first name) is that he's hilarious while being talented. It started out a little suspect but really came alive towards the end. Two stand-out moves: a chin-crawl and a hand spin while smacking his bottom. Nigel thanked him for bringing such a great personality to the stage. All three want to see if he can pick up steps but he can't, not well enough anyway, so there's no ticket for him.

Anthony Bryant/23/NY/Contemporary - Remember the male ribbon dancer from the first season? He's decided to come back but has left the ribbon at home. Anthony is very skilled - Nigel and Mary say they can't find a fault in his technique but question the choice of camouflage outfit (which he wore to up the masculinity quotient but neglected to pick complimentary music) and wonder why he lacked a spark and looked lost about halfway through. He explains that he practiced his solo in a bigger space so he had to improvise a bit. Dan adds that Anthony needs to differentiate himself from all the other contestants. Because of the flat audition, they keep him around for choreography but sadly he didn't develop enough wattage and doesn't get moved on. After being told he didn't make it, Anthony cries and Cat tries to console him. Quickly, he turns his focus to finding his missing shoes and has a mini-meltdown over it. Completely understandable since people often fixate on smaller problems to distract from what they're really upset about.

Assorted Other Bits:

• Strangely, only 9 others made it through in DC bringing it to 12 total. That's an awfully low number.
• One guy in DC was Krumping on pointe. Mad impressive.
• After not being very present in yesterday's episode, there's been a lot more Cat this time around. She really is a great host - she's up there with Tom Bergeron. Only far less...hosty. If that makes sense.
• Travis was there to do the choreography rounds again. I wish they'd show the whole "Shut Up & Drive" number just once.

Who were your favorite dancers tonight? Were you disappointed that someone didn't make it? Feel like defending Dan? Do the comparisons to past dancers help? Any other thoughts from tonight?

Comments

Phucdat is the best name ever

Jink | May 29, 2008 10:51:00 PM | #

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Huge outpouring on the Fox Blog in support of Anthony Bryant. He got screwed.

Duggers | May 29, 2008 11:01:12 PM | #

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I'm with Duggers, Anthony Bryant got bent hard. He was a much better dancer than most who they showed getting tickets. They've never stopped anyone from going to Vegas for a shortage of personality, only for a lack of talent. Anthony doesn't lack talent.

I'm surprised that they took the kid from Toronto only b/c they are doing a Canadian version of SYTYCD this year (auditions are going on right now) - will air in the fall.

Rishi | May 30, 2008 12:18:16 AM | #

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I agree about Anthony Bryant. He was very, very skilled, and Mary told him he had grown immensely since his first audition -- and isn't that what they tell people they want to see? If they had been cutting people for lack of personality, I doubt that Danny would have made it on last year. But, he was such a good dancer that they put him on, and even then it took him a very long time to figure out how to connect to the audience -- but he was so good, he got to the finals anyway.

I say they should admit they made a mistake, give the guy a ticket to Vegas, and then see what he can do. He may figure it out and make it to the show, and if he doesn't, then at least he got the real shot he deserved.

LiasMom | May 30, 2008 4:53:24 AM | #

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Missed the last half of the show, so glad to catch up.

Nonnie Muss | May 30, 2008 5:26:14 AM | #

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I'm wondering if hre was something about Anthony Bryant that wasn't shown do to editing. The danc community is very small. I'm wondering if the was some reason,outside of the show's tryouts and within the community, that lost him the ticket. Curious.

| May 30, 2008 6:01:19 AM | #

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i also think anthony bryant got screwed. the camaflage was not his best idea but even with that on u could see the guy can DANCE.
Brandon bryant was delicious to watch. that is the kind of ballet u don't get tired of!!!

dancing_queen | May 30, 2008 6:22:20 AM | #

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I liked the guy from Toronto...maybe taking him ties in to the show in Canada by showing they have many dancers. A resume I saw online showed several credentials?

MeADancer? | May 30, 2008 6:38:47 AM | #

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Absolutely unfair that Anthony Bryant did not get the ticket. It was unfair that they showed his meltdown, too. I am pretty sure that a lot of other contesters that do not make it have a similar sociological response. I feel a bad vibe against this dancer. There are other issues, the guy dances exceptionally well. He is a little girly, yes, ok, but nothing wrong with that, his dancing is delicious. At least a lot better than others that get the ticket.
I did not like yesterday’s show.

Sorry my English, it is not my native language.

Canela | May 30, 2008 8:00:56 AM | #

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I still get goosebumps when i think back on Brandon Bryant's audition. He was absolutely my favorite person last night. The music, the moves, the jumps, the spins, the poses, all was WONDERFUL! He is a "force to be reckoned with"

Vonyea | May 30, 2008 8:30:41 AM | #

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Agreed--- anthony got shafted. and showing the "where the @$%! are my shoes melt down was excessively exploitive-even for fox. I (on say 1 or 2 occasions) had the type of day where losing my keys/purse/cell phone has sent me into a tail spin that I am very glad was never on tv.

ann | May 30, 2008 10:43:31 AM | #

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I thought the obvious love and support for each other between Anthony and Antwain was one of the most charming scenes ever on a reality show.

Beth | May 30, 2008 11:38:24 AM | #

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The twins are really sweet, charming and lovely. The scene was really emotive. I am glad they made it to Las Vegas.

Canela | May 30, 2008 11:54:53 AM | #

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How dare they not let Anthony Bryant in! I think the judges slapped Julliard in the face for treating him they way they did, though they did comment on how great his technique was. Maybe its his personality that made the judges bias (maybe they know something the public doesn't). If that is the case they shouldn't try to make excuses why they didn't let him through, just tell the guy the truth.

Jan | May 30, 2008 12:59:38 PM | #

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Re: Anthony--I thought they sort of made up reasons not to let him through--obviously his technique was great-- but maybe as someone else said, there is something we don't know. Perhaps the mini-meltdown is just a hint of some maladjustment, and they don't want unstable dancers who won't be able to withstand the pressure of competition.
The kid who just got old enough is amazing.

lillianjane | May 30, 2008 1:37:40 PM | #

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Anthony Bryant, regardless of his personality (which I think had imporved A LOT compared to season 1), should have been sent straight to Vegas IMHO. Especially since he took Nigel's comment from season 1 to heart. He didn't want to seem 'effeminate', so he wore the army costume, and when Nigel didn't like it, he changed into another outfit.

Remember Danny? Maybe they didn't like his personality at first too, but at least they gave him a chance to change, and Danny really ended up expressing his emotions. Like Danny showed, it is possible for someone to "gain passion" if given the chance, unfortunately that wasn't the case for Anthony.

It's ridiculous how they let the woman who had a baby go to choreography when her audition absolutely sucked, and also sent Anthony there when he was so much better. I've been seeing a lot of 'cutie patooties' with not much talent going straight to Vegas this season, which is very disappointing because this is suppose to be a dancing contest.

Some people also said that his attitude was bad, but I didn't think so, especially compared to other extremely rude people. In season 1, I agree that he was arrogant and a little rude. But this season, he didn't try to argue with the judges at all. It was AFTER he got out that he had a little meltdown (but he was still smiling and waving at the very end). I'd probably do the same if I've worked so hard, but got cut down again with a lame ass reason. Good for Cat for comforting him, I thought that was really nice of her.

Hopefully the judges will start having their own opinions instead of giving the same speech three times in a row, and give potential dancers more of a chance soon.

Susan | May 30, 2008 5:03:34 PM | #

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Personally, I loved Sheila Kaiser and am surprised not to see some comments about her. A cute girl that somehow transforms into an intoxicating woman on stage. Her presence astounded me. That girl understands the connection to her audience. I was so moved by her grace and choreography. Amazing. When she turns and saunters from the camera in the beginning of the routine with that flirty smile of hers, I was absolutely hooked. I loved it. She then explodes with controlled exuberance using her whole body as one completely integrated delectable instrument. I watched her routine at least ten times, and each time I was totally enthralled. Well done! BTW... does anyone recognize the artist and song? I think it was Annie Lennox, but I am not certain as I do not have the track. Please help!!

David | May 30, 2008 5:42:43 PM | #

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Not sending Anthony Bryant through to Vegas upset me. I thought the judges were mean-spirited to the point I don't know if I can watch the show anymore. Were they trying to slap down Julliard? Also showing Anthony's meltdown was just plain cruel! So mean!

Zooey | May 31, 2008 8:54:29 PM | #

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Brandon Bryant is the most amazing dancer i have ever seen. He is so amazing... i got goosebumps, he moved exactly to the song!!!! i had to rewatch it three times, i cannot get enough of him. AND HIS BODY! sculpted from the dancing gods. WOW thats all i can say WOW.

rals | Jun 1, 2008 11:33:05 AM | #

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thanks for the awesome write up!!! i knew entering this competition people would make fun of my name, phucdat, but its ok. I gotta keep it real! Im glad you all enjoyed my performance!

atomicgoofball | Jun 1, 2008 6:24:36 PM | #

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Absolutely love the show! The talent this year is far better in general than we've seen in the past. Looking forward to more. Check out my website at www.mtokie.com

The Smart Consumer | Jun 5, 2008 8:27:59 AM | #

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