SYTYCDC - Top 20 Results!

First eliminations of the season!

We start our very quick results show with a Michael Jackson inspired group number to ‘I Want You Back/ABC’ by The Jackson 5, choreographed by Gil Duldulao. It’s a pretty good number, great costumes. My only gripe about the group numbers this early in the season is that it’s hard to pick out who’s who because there are so many of them. All in all a cool number. I’m sure Carra will like it. Loved it! Loved the costumes, loved the dancing, loved it!




After the judges intro, we get right down to business with our first five couples. Natalie and Danny are safe. Corynne and Anthony are safe. Jayme Rae and Daniel are safe. Tara Jean and Everett are safe. Melanie B. and Taylor are in the bottom three.

Next five couples are up (have I told you how great it is that we just whip through the results shows on the Canadian version!). I can't agree with you enough on this - 30 minutes is perfect for results night! Amy and Vincent are in the bottom three. Jenna Lynn and Nicolas and Melanie M. and Cody are all safe. Kim and Emanuel are safe and Austin and Tatiana are bottom three. I really thought it was going to be Kim and Emanuel... I think he did too...

Girls are up first for solos:

Melanie B is up first dancing to ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ by Wilson Pickett. She’s got tons of energy and is squeezing a lot into 30 seconds. Nice job.

Next up is Amy dancing to ‘Possession’ by Sarah McLachlan. She’s got great extensions and really nice lines. Well done.

Finally we’ve got Tatiana dancing to ‘Starstruck’ by Lady Gaga. Those tights aren’t doing anything for her. She’s not using as much of the stage as the other two girls did. It’s pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Yeah, the tights were not the best decision, didn't work at all for me...

Now we’ve got the guys’ solos:

First up is Taylor dancing to ‘Swans’ by Unkle Bob. He’s very tall. Expansive is the right word I think. I like his solo.

Next we’ve got Vincent and I’m sorry, I have no clue what this song is. If you know let us know in the comments. It’s a nifty kind of number, but not terribly exciting.

Last we’ve got Austin dancing to an instrumental piece that I have no hope of identifying though it does sound familiar. Again, if you know, let us know in the comments. He’s got lots of tricks and really high jumps. Nicely done. (Edited to add: It has been drawn to my attention that perhaps Austin was 'inspired' by Brandon's ovation receiving solo in the last season of SYTYCD US. There are some rather....heavy handed similarities; the shirtlessness, the classical/instrumental music. What do you think? Do we have another Natalli/Heidi controversy here?) As I watched this I totally thought of Brandon - the powerhouse music, the tricks and flips and of course the shirtlessness... I don't think it was as direct of a rip-off as the Natalli/Heidi copycat-gate, but nooooot too far off...

Back from the commercial and we’re straight into the results. Girls are up first. Jean Marc says they’re all amazing and the judges decision isn’t unanimous. Tatiana is going home. The rest of the girls are really blubbering over this. Like sort of excessively so. Tatiana looks pissed. The judges are all weepy too. Oh yeah - she's MAD... understandable to be upset, but grace under pressure is always a nice motto to keep in mind...

Okay. Wow. The reaction from the sideline was like they were slaughtering puppies on stage! The wailing and gnashing of teeth was unbelievable! This season is going to be a complete Train Wreck if the reaction is like that every time someone gets cut - which, for any new viewers? It's every week, so they might want to get used to it and medicate beforehand. I wish I had taped this episode so that I could go back and watch the drama just one more time...! In all the seasons, I've never seen a response quite like this - and it's only week one! Wow.

Moving on, we’ve got the guys. Tre - who is still trying to hold it together - says they’re all amazing but Taylor’s going home. Taylor deals with it much better than pretty much everyone else.

Wow..Tatiana is really pissed. She’s fuming. The camera pans to her after Leah’s end of show spiel and you can almost see smoke coming out of her ears. I get the feeling she's going to go out and get really drunk tonight, and maybe break something...

So there we have it. Week one down. Next week, we’ll be back for the Top 18 Performance show on Tuesday, results on Wednesday and also on Wednesday, the special one hour ‘Best Of So You Think You Can Dance’ US show. Get ready for a busy dance season folks!

Cheers! x2!

SYTYCDC - Top 20 Performance!

Here we are, readers! Ready to get going on another season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada?

After a couple of weeks of auditions and eliminations, we’ve arrived at our Top 20 who are no doubt raring to go with this week’s performance show.

Click Here to Keep Reading!

SYTYCDC - The Top 20 Finalists!

Hello everyone, and welcome to Pop Goes the Word!

We're here tonight to find out who our Top 20 Finalists are, and of course, there are some key people I quickly grew attached to during the auditions, and am feeling hopeful to see them in the show for the season... guess we'll find out soon!

Tonight, everyone must do their solos with no feedback or comments from the judges, who, by the way, are Jean Marc (JM), Tre Armstrong, Luther Brown and Blake McGrath.
First up is Amy Gardner dancing pretty much in lingerie and knee highs, and the judges (by which I mean JM and even Blake!) are quite enjoying the performance! I liked her. I hadn't noticed her before, but she was good here. (Song: 'Glory Box' by Portishead)

Vincent Desjardins takes the stage next and JM is all smiles and wow's as he watches.

Juliet Irons is all nerves back stage, but comes out and does a great job...

A few shirtless guys follow, and Tre is just lovin' her job tonight!

Danielle Gardner and Taylor James do their solos, followed by Kim Gingras who does a very steamy number... I like her and really hope she makes it... I gotta say it; Her eyes weird me out a bit.

I'm noticing that Blake seems a lot more upbeat tonight - I think I've even seen a smile once or twice!

Melanie Mah does her solo next, and then hip hopper Nicolas Begin, who ends his number by giving Tre a rose... nice move! Kiss ass! (Kidding!)

Austin Du Iulio is the last to perform his solo (as usual, they flew through everyone so quickly, I missed a lot of people) and his gymnastics are awesome.

So the finalists have left their hearts and souls on the dance floor, and now for the moment of truth...

First to learn her fate is Tara Jean Popowich. She's concerned about her contemporary session with Blake, she knows she kind of flubbed it... but after a nice fake out from JM, she's in - the first of our finalists!

Jonathon Arsenault, who says dancing is his life, takes the stage next. Luther says he has no criticism for him, but there just wasn't enough connection with the camera for them, but he came so close, please come back next year. He's so disappointed, but holds his head high, saying this is just a blip... Sigh. I wanted him in this year. Me too.

Natalie Heath is going in to learn her fate next, and she is feeling positive, saying she thinks it's her time and she feels good about what she has done there. But no, she doesn't make it.

Corynne Baron is all smiles as she takes the stage. JM tells her she is a wonderful dancer with legs that go on forever. But is that going to be enough to be a finalist? Yes it is. Finalist number 2!

Sebastian Mersch goes in next, and is quickly told no, but Blake asks him to please come back next year.

Tre tells Nicholas Begin that he is one of the best B-Boys she has ever seen, and comments on the rose he gave her during his solo... She says it wasn't enough to get him into the Top 20.

But fortunately his dancing was, and he's in! Nice fake out, Tre, I actually bought it for a second!

Danny Long (not sure if that is his last name) takes the stage next - and I don't remember him at all from the auditions, I don't think we specifically saw him? Anyway, Luther wonders if Danny is ready for the show or not, Danny assures him he is, and good thing, 'cause he's in!

Taylor James says he is so nervous, he feels sick. Blake says he came back this year tougher and stronger and he, too, is in our Top 20.

Rodrigo someone (didn't catch the last name) is up next and Luther tells him he is a strong, masculine dancer, but his technique wasn't strong enough to make the cut this year.

Moses Linco (sp?) suffers the same fate, as does Kloe Schultz... DAMN. I really wanted her to make it in this year.

Vincent Desjardins takes the stage next, and JM tells him he would be the best partner for any of those girls... it's a really difficult decision, says JM.... and.... he's in!

Ahhh, my favorite, Gessuri Gaitan. They tell him that he is truly one of a kind and that his movement is beautiful. But.. he didn't do as well in the choreography as they would have liked so it's a no for him this year. My heart breaks. I wonder if Mia is sad too. I'm not entirely surprised here. I had a feeling he'd have some trouble with the other styles. I have no doubt he'll be working with Mia in the future though.

Jayme Rae Dalley goes in to learn her fate, and Tre says that it must have been really hard for her to have her sister cut, and she wonders if Jayme may want to leave the competition as well. No, says Jayme, shaking her head... and good thing, 'cause she's in the Top 20!

Danielle Gardner (I love the colour of her hair!) is up next, and the judges say they had a really hard time, she was the hardest decision for them, but they just don't think she pops enough, so it's a no for her.

Gevard (sp?) Blackwood comes forward next, and Luther tells him he's a good hip hopper with a great personality, and please come back next year because he was so close.

Oh, here comes Cody Bonnell - I'm feeling hopeful for him. Tre tells him to pick up his phone and call his mom, 'cause he's made the Top 20! Yay! He won me over when he offered to dance for his life during the finals... I like him, but I don't see him lasting long in the Top 20.

Jenna Lynn Higgins is on the stage and she has to pee, apparently... Blake notes that it's not a good combination... He tells her she is a strong dancer with a vibrant personality, but sometimes she falls under the radar. He wasn't even sure how much she wanted to make the Top 20 until he saw her solo, and then he knew... and she's in!

And so is Melanie Mah! I'm happy with that, I quite like her...

A quick series of those who get cut - Yonni Fernier, Charlene Hart, Nicole Bowser, Owen Selkirk and Breanne someone... Breanne was the one who used the Dan Mangan song in her original audition. I liked her dancing.

Tapper Everett Smith is up next and he says he is shaking in his boots. JM tries for another fake out before telling him he's in... wow! Not often you get a tapper in the Top 20!

Jeff Mortenson takes the stage next and they tell him he has amazing tricks, that he is extremely unique with amazing extensions... but no. Take some more classes and come back next year. I'm disappointed by this decision, I think he's fabulous.

Amelia Randall also gets cut.

Natallie Lyons comes to learn her fate and Luther tells her he's never seen a white girl krump like her... and she joins the Top 20!

Amy Gardner is up next and Blake tells her she is a beautiful dancer with haunting vulnerability (cool choice of words) and that she's not Top 20 material - more like Top 4! She's in...

And so is Anthony Grafton.

Camille Norton, who came to her audition with Danny from last year, is next to learn her fate, and I am very hopeful for her, I think she's been fantastic... What? No? Seriously? I don't understand! She was great... Another disappointment.

Another series of no's - Jason Noel, Nina Strazzulla, Michael Chang and Juliet Irons are all told they have not made the cut...

Tatiana Parker takes the stage and Luther tells her he thinks she's sick... in a good way, of course, because she's made it in. I'm glad for that, I've liked her all along.

Daniel Dorey (sp?) is up next and they say he is a good dancer, but he sucked at choreographing... but regardless, he's made it through. It doesn't sink in at first, so they tell him again, and now he gets it! He's Top 20!

Oooh, Kim Gingras, girlfriend of Vincent from last year, takes the stage... she's a fabulous dancer and Tre doesn't even try to fake her out - she's in! Yay! She says Vincent is going to be so proud of her...

The last two girls take the stage, Melanie Buttarazzi and Yana someone (sorry, another name I didn't catch) and they say the judges have spoken in depth about these two... And after much debate, they ask Yana to practise some other styles and come back next year, because Melanie has made it to the Top 20.

And now for the last two guys. Emanuel Sandhu and Austin Du Iulio. They start by telling Emanuel that when he auditioned last year, he did fabulous tricks, but he needed to work on his actual dancing (and his attitude, as far as I'm concerned). Then they tell Austin that while he may not have had the tricks, he was good in all of the genres.

They tell Austin that he's made it in, and for a second we see Emanuel's freshly grown humble attitude slip away... but just in time, the judges tell him they need one more guy, and it's him. No shit, just in time. That hissy fit was boiling up in there and about to let go.

Huh.

So there we have it...

So congratulations to our Top 20 Finalists...

TARA JEAN POPWICH!! EVERETT SMITH!! JENNA LYNN HIGGENS!! AUSTIN DU IULIO!! JAYME RAE DALLEY!! DANIEL SOMEONE!! KIM GRINGAS!! DANNY SOMEONE!! TATIANA PARKER!! TAYLOR JAMES!! MELANIE BUTTARAZZI!! CODY BONNELL!! NATALIE LYONS!! ANTHONY GRAFTON!! AMY GARDNER!! EMANUEL SANDHU!! MELANIE MAH!! VINCENT DESJARDINS!! CORYNNE BARON!! NICOLAS BEGIN!!

Tune in on Tuesday at 8pm (PST) to watch the first performance show and then join us afterwards for another edition of Pop Goes the Word!

Good night!

Gessuri Gaitan Audition

Finally, it's been posted. Possibly my favourite audition of all time... fantastic!

GOT IT!!

Okay, I know there are many of you out there looking to find out what the hell that song was that Gessuri Gaitan from Calgary used in his audition on Tuesday night.

I am proud to say....I found it! A bit of a Google fluke, but the song is:

'God's Away on Business' by Tom Waits!

So there you go, searchers. Happy listening!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - The Toronto Finals!

Here we are at the finals and we've got about 200 dancers congregating in Toronto for a couple of days of what looks like torture. We get a quick preview of what's to come... and it looks like... lots and lots... of tears. It looks fierce.

But wait! LOOK! It's NICO! Sigh. He does a little pep talk, telling them to remember that they love dancing, to take a deep breath, and have fun!

Our judges tonight are Jean Marc (JM), Tre Armstrong, Luther Brown and Blake McGrath. After some advice from all of them - "leave no regrets!", "dance your asses off!" - we get started with the first challenge.

A 90 minute hip hop session with Luther Brown. And then into small groups for judging.

Pretty much from this point on, I am overwhelmed by names. I'll do my best to keep up, but my apologies early for any missed names and spelling mistakes!

Tara Jean Popowich from Alberta makes it to the next round, but our cheerleading friend Troy Miller does not.

Corryne Baron has to dance for her life (DFL), and she continues on. Emanuel Sandhu makes it through as well. Vanessa Polly, the girl dancing in memory of her mother, does not make it.

Blake says no a lot. But then yes to Melanie Mah from Ontario. And another yes to Tatiana Parker. I like her, I think I said that when she first auditioned...

Kloe Schultz from North Bay moves on, so does Natallie Lyons from Halifax. Vincent Desjardins and Sean Fraser move into the next round as well.

Twins Jayme Rae and Jenny Dalley make it through, and so does Sebastian Mersch from Ontario.

Jeff Mortenson is asked to DFL and he makes it into the next round.

Tiger still has a good attitude, even after being asked to DFL. Alvin Caliente DFL's as well, and it's a go. Same for Victor Tran and Jonathon Mendoza.

Best line from Blake so far? Wowzy woodles! Not sure who he was referring to, but it was worth mentioning.

B-Boy Paul Kus makes it to the next round and so do James Jones, Nick Robinson and Josh Martin.

Jeremiah Hughes, who auditioned last year, and this year for the American version, continues on for now and oh! Gessuri Gaitan! Love. Him. Moves on to next round.

Nina Strazzulla makes it through, and so does Tarzan Boy Alexander Topanova. And that, I think, is the end of Day 1. Wonder how many I missed... sheesh, they are moving fast and not making it easy for bloggers!

Day 2 starts with Challenge 2 - a jazz routine choreographed by Tre. I don't know if I've ever seen her dance before, she's good, and man has she got some pipes on her!

The judging starts and Anthony Grafton and Tara Jean Popowich make it through, as does Emanuel Sandhu... but... interesting... his partner Aeriel Swan is cut. She may not have come off well by saying that she couldn't connect with her partner, it sounded like she was sluffing the blame, but... ummmm.... if he makes it through, I have a feeling we are going to hear a lot more along those lines. I think this guy could be poison, I really do.

Vincent's girlfriend Kim Gringas makes it through to the next round, as does Moses.

It's a no for Shana Nolan and Jeramiah Hughes pretty much gets told not to come back anymore.

Sunshine Melissa Charlot gets cut and so does Sophie Richards.

Corynne Baron, Amy Gardner, Vincent Desjardins and Jonathon Arsenault (yay!) all make it into the next round.

Jenna Lynn Higgens, twins Jayme and Jenny, Sante Fortunato, Paul Kus and Melanie Mah - a yes to all of them for the next round.

I kind of feel like I'm just rattling off names at this point, but if you don't mind, neither do I, so let's just keep whipping through them!

Cody Bonnell makes it and Tiger has to DFL again. Austin Du Iulio makes it, and so does Tatiana Parker, even though she falls down.

Thankfully Gessuri Gaitan is still in.

A series of those who DFL make it through, like Victoria Marshman, Justin David and Vicky Luo, the little sweetheart who did the Mongolian dancing. Brook Jones, Rachel Wainright and Everett Smith are successful as well, but bad news for Alexander Topanova and our friend Tiger is gone as well. Oh, and 3 more, Catherine Turcotte, Camille Norton (yay!) and Sebastian Mersh are on to the next round as well.

Phew!

Everyone following along?

Good!

Let's move on to the next challenge, where things are bound to get even tougher. It's samba time with Jean Marc and his wife (I'm sorry, I never catch her name) - and I have to give it to them... wow! Can they ever dance! When they were doing their demo I was riveted. They are truly fantastic.

However, JM is a tough, crusty cookie and he's getting testy early in the game. Testy turns into a big blow up pretty quickly and the dancers are left looking subdued.

We get into the judging, and after just a few couples (Mitchell Jackson, Victoria Marshman and Alvin Calentes are all sent home and Natallie Lyons is asked to DFL) they halt the procedures and all take turns giving them the gears. A solid few minutes of yelling, and then back to the dancing.

It must have helped because the following folks make it through to the next round: Vincent Desjardins, Melanie Mah, Camille Norton, Nicholas Begin, Amy Gardner, Charlene Hart, Jayme Rae and Cody Bonnell. (Hey, I'm starting to remember the last names without looking back at my notes!)

I think Mongolian dancer Vicky Luo gets sent home, but they don't say specifically. Damn. I liked her.

Rachel Wainwright and Sean Fraser both get the boot, and Sean... well, Sean doesn't take it very well. He and JM get into a yelling match (with Rachel standing to the side looking mortified) and he ends up getting escorted out by security. Sean, not JM, just to be clear. But he doesn't seem to want to go, in fact he seems more intent on wanting to make a complete asshole of himself. He does a very good job. Poor Rachel says she needs a vacation.

We end this part of the challenge with another successful group - Victor Tran, Amanda Someone, Moses Someone, Nina Strazzulla, Sante Fortunto (frankly, I am a bit surprised by this) and Natallie Lyons are moving on to the next round.

And guess what the next round is! Everyones favorite, group choreography. I honestly think this is the first real test, it always seems to show the weakest link. I'm sure we won't be disappointed.

We see a fair amount of conflict within the groups as usual, but nothing that really stands out.

First thing in the morning each group takes to the stage to show the judges what they came up with, and all I can do is try to pick out key people in each group to differentiate them.

The first group has Austin Du Iulio and Blake is hiding in his seat saying it was the scariest thing he has ever seen, and not at all in a good way. I have to say that as much as I liked Austin in the auditions, he is coming off a bit of a whiner, and so the punishment is that he has to DFL.

The second group all make it through, and I don't even get a chance to see who was all there.

They really aren't focusing on any specific groups now, just flying through, but I catch that Melanie Buttanazzi and Natallie Lyons have to DFL as well.

Cody Bonnell's group is up next and they say Corynne Baron was a disaster and both Blake and Luther think Cody messed up. Tre defends him and says no way does he have to DFL. Blake says something about her needing glasses and they go a couple of rounds as to whether Cody should go on or not. Cody steps in and volunteers to DFL if that will help Blake and Luther come to an easier decision. Brave kid, I gotta say. So he does, and he makes it through. He's got me on his side after that, for sure!

Oh, there's going to be a bit of conflict here - Jonathon Arsenault's group is up next and this is the group with Shelaina Anderson - during the rehearsal, apparently all she wanted to do was go to bed, and this didn't sit well with the rest of the group.

After their 'performance', Tre calls it a hot mess and said it looked like they needed more rehearsal time. Someone asks what time they called it quits, and when they say 4:15am, the judges are shaking their heads. Luther picks up on the eye-rolling in the group, and Shelaina gets thrown under the bus in about 1 second flat. Catherine Turcotte and a couple of others are asked to DFL, and then Tre says she doesn't think Shelaina should have to, because she should just be sent home. Guess she'll be able to get lots of sleep now. (Why do I have the feeling if she's reading this that she just gave me the finger...)

A few more DFL and make it through to the next round - Owen Selkirk, Corynne Baron, Nicole Bowser and Jenna Lynn Higgins (she was really good, I have to say) are moving on.

Moving on to what, you ask? Well, something pretty comparable to hell, I'm thinking. Contemporary. With Blake. 90 minutes of choreography with Blake. They look scared to death. Leah asks Blake to be nice to them. Nice try Leah, I'm thinking...

Once they get into the judging, they really, and I mean really!, start to fly through the results... all I have now are pages of names, so I'm just going to list them off...

Those who make it through: Jonathon Arsenault (yay!), Juliet Someone, Anthony Grafton, Jason Ego Noel, Nicole Bowser, Austin Du Iulio, Melanie Buttanazzi...

The Dalley twins are up next, and uh oh. Only one of them is going to make it... They pick Jayme Rae to stay and send Jenny home. They are both devasted, and out in the lobby we see them both crying, but Jenny is still able to spit out a "I'm so proud of you" to her sister.

Kim Gringas (yay!) Nina Strazzulla, Cody Bonnell, Charlene Hart and Melanie Mah are making it through to the last cut.

Sante Fortunato, Paul Kus and Victor Tran are sent home.

Amy Garder, Natalie Heath, Jeff Mortenson (yay!), Kloe Schultz (yay!), Breanne Someone, Sebastian Mersch, Corynne Baron and Vincent Desjardins all live to see another day, but Catherine Turcotte is cut.

Emanuel Sandhu is up next, and Blake gives him a 'no'... interesting! However, he gets a yes from the other 3, so I guess we'll find out his fate tomorrow. I have a feeling, a bad one albeit, that we are not going to see the backside of him for a while yet.

Now I hope you were all paying attention, because there is going to be a test on who made it, and who didn't.

Ha, yeah right! I'm half delerious myself from all the name dropping and am kind of thankful this night is over.

Tune in Sunday night at 9pm (PST) to see the final results and to meet our Top 20 dancers!

See you then - and again, apologies if I butchered your name, or missed you completely...

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Montreal and Edmonton Auditions!

It's night 3 of the auditions and we are heading to Montreal and Edmonton for our final 2 stops to check out the local talent, and then tomorrow night back to Toronto for the finals.

Montreal auditions have proven successful in the past... In fact 50% of last years Top 10 guys were from Quebec, including, of course, Canada's Favourite Dancer Nico Archambault.

On our panel tonight are Jean Marc (JM), Tre Armstrong, Mia Michaels and L'il C. Vincent from last year is here as well to give the pep talk and tells them all they need to kill it.

We start off with returning B-Boy Nicolas Begin from Quebec City... He 'practise so hard and he 'opes to do his best...' and wow! He's fantastic, lots of cool tricks and dancing to a great version of Fever.

The judges love him and just put him straight through. Tre actually is petting his face... kind of funny!

Next up are a couple of Latin dancers from Trois-Riviere, Catherine Turcotte and Vincent Desjardins. Nice strong performance from the both of them.

JM says wow, amazing, great feet and lots of flair. Tre said the performance allowed her to enjoy ballroom and that it was fun to watch. Mia says that Latin dance is the 'most sexiest' genre of dance, they were hot, she's a fan. L'il C seconds everything and off they go to the finals.

Sonia Sutherland of the very fancy nails is up next. She's pretty much a club dancer.

Very quickly into her number L'il C calls for the music to be cut and says they only need to see about 20 seconds of her to know what she's got, and it won't be enough for the show. JM says no, thank-you.

Oh look! It's Vincent's girlfriend Kim Gringas. She auditioned with Vincent last year, but only he made it through.

She's a great dancer, lots of style, very cute!

L'il C says it was a good blend of styles, a hearty, ryhthmical full course meal (?). JM says it was a solid performance, not like a bad buffet... huh? What's with all the food analogies?

Tre says her confidence is sexy and she's super talented. Mia tells her she's got it all and gives her a ticket to Toronto.

Hip hopper Cody (Babyface) Bonnell from Unionville is returning from last year and he's determined to make it this time.

As he's dancing Tre is commenting that he needs to look up more often, and C is singing along with the music...

JM welcomes him back and says that he loves him. Tre says he's a beautiful and adorable dancer and that the number was amazing, but they needed to connect with him a bit more. Mia says that she feels like he's in his own world, and it's kind of cool, makes him mysterious. L'il C says he was fluid, chill and relaxed. Off to Toronto goes Cody.

Contortionist Sante Fortunato from Vancouver is up next and she says she has difficulty choosing between dancing and circus, but right now she's focusing on the dancing.

Hmmmm... I'm not entirely sure of that.

Tre says there was lots of lip licking and sashaying but not so much dancing. For some reason, she likes her anyway, she's obviously very flexible with lots of personality. Mia says she can only imagine what she would do on a pole and that she's not a fan of stripper dancing. It was entertaining to a point, but sexiness shouldn't be force fed.

L'il C says she definitely sold her flexibility and sex appeal and she obviously knows what works for her. JM feels her energy was misguided and that she used her circus training too much, it was over the top, and maybe not the impression she wanted to give. They send her to BBC to see if she can do anything else. She makes it through to Toronto, but not without some debate.

Twins Jayme Rae and Jenny Dalley are up next, contemporary dancers from Montreal. They perform beautifully and their choreography rocks.

Mia asks right off the top who did their choreography and she is duly impressed when they say they did it themselves, it was fabulous. She thinks Jayme Rae might be a bit stronger, but together they are gorgeous. L'il C says it was beautiful.

JM gets all choked up. For quite a long time. I'm not quite sure what is going on, everyone seems to be crying. Oh. His son is a twin (I think that's what he said?) and he will never get the opportunity to experience something like that with his sister. I think. His son was a twin (in utero) but the twin was what is called a vanishing twin - and so was never born. Nonetheless, it's a very emotional moment. Tre thanks them for the performance, and blesses them. And sends them to the finals. Gotta admit - choked me up a bit. Oh, Jean Marc.

Jason Noel and his ego are here to perform for us next, and wow, is this guy full of himself. He says he has a flame inside that's like ecstasy. Huh. Okay, gotta say it. How much you wanna bet this guy's never got laid? It's just like he's trying too hard to prove he's a sex machine. Blech.

His shirt comes off right away, and I'll give him that he's a very intense dancer.

Tre says he has gorgeous choreography and movements. Mia says he dances best with his clothes off... and has nice lines. L'il C says he enjoyed... no he 'understood' the message, and he was sending a female message in a male body, if you follow... He said it was beautiful, but it needed to be a bit more dominant. JM says something about something and then calls him amazing. Yet they put him into BBC to see what else he can do. In the end they send him, and his ego, to Toronto.

Hip hopper Melissa Charlot performs next and I really like her, she's kind of funky.

L'il C says he enjoys watching hip hop when there is a quality bounce to it. JM says she has flair and personality. Tre says she is bright like sunshine. Mia hopes she can do other things, because she is so what this show is about. They put her into BBC and ultimately through to the finals.

This should be good. Camille Norton auditioned last year with Danny, who made it into the Top 20, and now she wants her chance. And her partner is... Danny! Fun!

What a great number - anyone know what this song is? Seriously, I need to know. I trust Kim will come through for me on this one...('Feelin Love' by Paula Cole, you're welcome.) This is such a sultry, hot piece, I love it.

JM says it was amazing, her legs and feet were fantastic, her mobility and use of space fabulous. Tre says she is very easy on the eyes... Mia is wow'd by the chemistry and asks if they have a history, if they are a couple. Camille says they used to be and shoots a look that seems to me like she wouldn't mind having a second shot at that... L'il C says she has a great look, that the cameras would love her, as would all of Canada. I agree, she was fantastic. She gets a ticket to Toronto. I'm hoping for Top 20 for her.

A series of people go through to the finals, but they whip through them so fast I don't catch all their names... except for Justin Jackson, tapper Jean someone and Mindy someone who says she took classes from Mia in North Bay a few years back and it changed her world, so in awe that Mia would come to such a small community to teach dancing. You can tell Mia is touched.

Day 2 in Montreal starts off with ballroom couple Yevgeniya Taftay and Yvan Piwovarov. They do a jive that is really sharp and good fun to watch.

JM says it kills him to see beautiful dancing like this. Tre says they are multi-talented, that it was beautiful, wonderful... Mia says there are awesome, fantastic dancers and she loved the fusion between them. L'il C says they did a great job and he enjoyed the pace of it. They both get sent through to the finals.

Hoop dancer Rebecca Halls from Comox, BC, is up next, and I'm not sure about this one. She's really good with a hula hoop, that I'll give her, but there isn't much in the way of dancing. Yeah, not really much dancing here.

JM says she is very talented at what she does, but he agrees with me, there wasn't much dancing. Tre says it was a psychedelic dance trip, and I'm not quite sure what she means by that. Mia says it doesn't have the weight behind it that it needed. L'il C says that she kept the hoops spinning, but other than that it was one dimensional. They send her to BBC anyway, but in the end she gets sent home.

B-Boy Kurtis Preston from Calgary is next and he is really good. That scarf around his head isn't helping him any. It looks like he's suffering from a head injury.

C says he was in da house, that it was a really good solo, but the tops weren't as nasty as they could have been. But overall a really solid piece and very unique. JM says he is his own personality and very good. Tre says being a B-Boy is where he belongs but needs to work on his musicality. Mia says he is really unique and special, and is her favourite B-Boy that she has ever seen out of all the shows. They put him through to the finals.

This... person... is really... interesting. Bisma Raza. She's going to win the competition, you know. That's what she tells us. I can't get away from how much she looks like... a man.

When you start off doing the moonwalk and lip synching, you just know it isn't going to go well. Are we just ignoring the no pants thing?

JM says she would make a better actress than a dancer. Tre says no, just... no. Mia says she can't get past the pantyhose on the outside, that she just doesn't get it, sorry. L'il C says she did the moonwalk one too many times. At least. They send her home. She says "$#@! you judges." Bye bye Bisma.

We go through a quick series of those who do not make it through before we get to this wonder.

I'm going to see if I can find this audition on Youtube and post it if I can, because it was freaking fantastic, best so far of all the auditions. I won't be able to say enough about this one...

Gessuri Gaitan from Calgary performs for us, practically leaves his soul on the stage. He's a contemporary dancer with so much style and quirk I can hardly stand it. Love the shot of Mia with her mouth gaping open! And again, what is this song? Kim? Please? If I could get more of the lyrics I could probably find it, but it's a little hard to understand. I'll keep working.

Mia is just entranced as she watches and C is almost out of his seat. I want to watch it again and again.

JM says they could do a whole show just on him. Tre says the whole world just comes through him when he dances. Mia says he was phenomenal, she is totally wow'd, and she could have watched him for a long time. L'il C says he is soooo bucc, he almost tackled him, it was the best solo he has seen so far, one of the elite, pure, sincere, honest.

They're not done yet. Mia says the marriage of their talents would be disgusting and she proposes to him. He apologizes that he doesn't have a ring. She gives him a ticket to Toronto instead. Oh please please let him be Top 20. He really was incredible. I'd like to spend a day following him around (not in a stalker way) just because you have to figure he does everything a little differently.

Phew. I'm done for a minute.

....

....

....

Alright, onto a series of those who make it to Toronto, and the only name I catch is Tiger from last year. Remember how aggressive he was when he didn't make it last time? He seems to have taken some anger management courses since, so it will be interesting to see how far he goes.

And now for Blake's Boot Camp (BBC) - uh oh.... hoop girl shows up 30 minutes late and Blake is pissed, understandably. She went to meditate and fell asleep. Yeah. She gets the boot.

And we are done with Montreal.

Now for Edmonton. This is the first time they've held auditions there and on the panel we have JM, Tre, Luther Brown and Stacey Tookey. And Miles is here! I love Miles, it's so great to see him. His advice is don't hold back, give it everything you have.

First guy up is Jeff Mortenson. He started his dance career with Ukrainian dancing, but today he'll be doing a contemporary number. What a great dancer. He has some fabulous flips, and I'm thinking a ticket is pretty much guaranteed. He was really really good. For those interested, the song is 'All We Are' by Matt Nathanson.

The judges fake taking a break, and walk away... oh yeah, sorry, we forgot to give you your ticket. Funny bunch.

Nathan Young is next and he says his size brings a lot of focus to his personality. He's a pretty good performer, but possibly not cut out for this show.

JM says he was definitely a lot of fun to watch. Tre says for a bigger guy he is really light on his feet. Luther said it was clear he was having fun, but maybe not for this show. Stacey says there wasn't enough for her but she found him very inspirational.

JM says he would like to send him to BBC, but the other 3 over rule him, and Nathan goes home.

Contemporary dancer Shelaina Anderson performs next and she is a lovely dancer with lots of expression. And I like her name.

Luther says wow, that was great! Stacey calls her a breath of fresh air, that watching her made her want to dance, and that she has beautiful technique. JM says the vocabulary she uses with her body is so loud. Tre says she had goose bumps right down to her pinky toes. Into the finals with her.

Anther contemporary dancer, Joel Ronnie from Ponoka, Alberta dances next. He has some really neat moves, like the kick that goes right into a summersault... really cool. ('Always Midnight' by Pat Monahan)

Luther says he did a good job, but would like to see him make it a bit more masculine, that he needs to hold it down for the boys. Stacey says he has nice things happening, but it needed just a bit more finish. JM says he landed like a cat in some of his jumps. They send him to BBC, but I think I would have put him right through. He makes it through to the finals anyway, so that's okay.

Back from last year is B-Boy James Jones and I like him, his performance made me smile all the way through.

Tre says he was fun, humorous and entertaining. Luther says pretty much the same thing, and comments on his character and personality, but also says that he has to make the steps count as much as his personality.

Stacey says it was great and that she loved all the tricks, it was very entertaining. JM says he showed us some new stuff from last year, and that he was happy to see him again, that he was amazing. They give him a ticket to Toronto, like they did last year.

Anthony Grafton from Calgary takes the stage next with a partner and they give a really sharp performance.

Luther commends the partner and says he was hoping for a bit more of a connection between the two of them. Stacey says she found she was watching the partner more than she was Anthony, but it was still good. JM says he is a strong male dancer and a really good partner. Tre asks why the partner isn't auditioning and it's because she is only 17, so next year... He goes through to the finals.

Native hoop dancer Eric Pipstem is up next and wow. He is totally mesmerizing, I couldn't take my eyes off him!Very cool.

Tre says she has never seen anything like that before. Luther asks what all the symbolism was, and we learn that the symbols of the hoops represent a person's life. Stacey says he was impressive and JM thanks him, says it was beautiful and they send him to BBC. Sadly, he doesn't make it to Toronto, but he says he will be back next year.

Corynne Baron is our last audition of the night. She's also a ringette goalie - talk about diverse interests!

She does a contemporary number that really is fantastic, beautiful lines and expressions.

The judges each hold up a piece of paper - COME GET YOUR TICKET

Ahhh, she's a little cutie, all embarrassed that she (and her dad) are crying. I like her.

Another series of those who get their tickets, and as usual I don't get any names, but the African Krumper guy looked cool!

A quick look at Blake's Boot Camp and we're done for the night, but not without seeing a preview of the finals tomorrow night with JM freaking out on them on the stage - should be good!

See you all in Toronto...!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Schedule Info

Morning all -

Just wanted to post a quick update on scheduling for So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

Auditions continue tonight at 8pm with the Edmonton and Montreal Auditions.

Toronto Finals are tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 8pm.

Finally, our Top 20 is revealed in a special one hour episode on Sunday, August 23rd at 9pm.

The first performance show is one week from today, Tuesday, August 25th at 8pm with results on Wednesday.

Side note, if anyone out there is attending the taping (which I believe happens Sunday) and would like to send spoilers along, please do! (popgoestheword at gmail dot com) Or send us a link to where you'll be posting them and we'll link to you!

Carra's going to be looking after recapping the rest of the auditions, Toronto Finals and the Top 20 reveal, while I'll be back for the Top 20 performance show next Tuesday.

Also, for any new readers to Pop Goes the Word, you may want to check out our 'About Us' post for a little background info on what we're all about. It's been almost a year since we started this here blog and we're glad to have you all along with us for the ride.

Cheers!~

SYTYCD Choreographer Arrested on Rape Charges

TMZ is reporting that former So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Alex DaSilva has officially been arrested on charges of rape and assault.

Specifically, the eight charges are broken down into four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and two counts of penetration with a foreign object.

Ew.

DaSilva was picked up back in April on similar allegations, however, the District Attorney declined to press charges citing further investigation was necessary.

I'm all for innocent until proven guilty, however, considering the no charges in April, I would guess that the 'further investigation' found some pretty considerable evidence to result in an arrest and these specific charges.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Vancouver and St. John Auditions!

Well, we're into night two of auditions and have moved west to Vancouver. I always look forward to seeing what kind of dancers we're going to get here, and the nerd that I am, I'm always watching to see if I recognize anyone... Of course, I never do... :)

After lots of familiar landscape, Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, the downtown core, we head straight into the Centre of Performing Arts.

The same judges are on the panel here, Jean Marc (JM), Tre Armstrong, Luther Brown and Mary Murphy, and joining them is Isaac from last year, telling the dancers they just need to hit it hard and leave it on the dance floor.

We start with B-boy Kenny "Muggy Mug" Mugisha from Surrey. He tried out last year, but didn't make it through, so he's here to try again. He's been training hard for the past year and is determined to impress JM.

His performance has lots of tricks and seems to be pretty good.

Luther starts off by saying that while there were lots of sloppy, unfinished moves, it was a great performance, very entertaining, he just needs to tighten it up. Mary loved the floor work and the tricks and thought that millions of people would love his face.

Tre called the flip he did from his head awesome and JM puts him right into the finals.

Next up is contemporary dancer Amelia Randal from Red Deer, Alberta, and I thought this was quite good, a very precise performance.

JM makes a comment on the fact that she's always had the same dance teacher, and that might not be a good thing because you don't get exposed to new challenges. Tre agrees with him, but thought she was good, but lacking in an urban feel.

Luther says he didn't feel the magic right at the beginning but was enjoying it by the end. Mary said she was fabulous, with beautiful lines and that the camera would adore her. They put her through to Blake's Boot Camp (BBC). By the end of the night, she makes it into the finals.

Ahh, I remember this one from last year - Stephanie Sy from Richmond, the girl who broke her foot in two places during the auditions. She's all healed up and back to try again. When they showed the replay of her ankle twist/foot breaking I physically cringed. So bad!

A contemporary piece that is really, really good, and I'm thinking they will put her straight through.

Mary calls her remarkable and JM says she is a great example to follow. Tre says she kept it short and sweet and that it was an amazing performance. Luther says she was great, and indeed they put her into the finals.

Oh lord. Spandy Andy Rimer. Really? He puts the "ment" into entertainment. Or something. Oh, and he has a hole in his tights. Right in his crotch. So this should be good.

All you can hear is Luther crying "no, no, no, make it stop". I hear ya, brother. Oh sweet Jesus, now the shoes have come off and he's got them on his hands. But the hole in the crotch really is stealing the show.

Mary says he was showing us his kibbles and bits (hee), and that he was entertaining, but probably not for the right reasons. JM says they need to be a bit more selective and they send him on his way.

Danielle Gardner is up next, a contemporary dancer from Surrey. She does a lovely dance and has really cool hair. Kim will like it.

JM says she looks like the girl next door, and I kind of wonder what that has to do with dance critique, but whatever. Tre says she's special, a real star and Luther calls her a breath of fresh air. Mary loved her and puts her straight through.

We take a commercial break and after a quick plug for the 2010 Olympics we move on to Victor Tan from Surrey. He's a B-boy that tried out last year... wow, lots of them coming back this year, aren't there!

Luther says he was fun to watch with good energy and character. Mary found him absolutely charming, yes she did, and loved his humour and confidence. JM says he was fantastic, very smooth, and Tre calls him a smart dancer, one of a kind. And onto the finals he goes. But not before making some weird analogy about 5 grilled cheese sandwiches.

Charlene Hart from Abbotsford is up next, and she's been training in New York and taking some ballroom classes as well to increase her odds. Little did she know all she had to was...

Oh dear - her top just came down. Ack!

The judges show mercy, cut the music and just put her into BBC. Good call. She's mortified.

Tyler Jacobs from Vancouver auditioned last year, and at that time we learned he was a champion native dancer, but he auditioned hip-hop. They told him he should have stuck with his skill set, so that's what he is doing this year, full on. He's returned in full native garb, a very impressive costume that he made himself.

Mary loves the costume and says that he is a joy to watch. He responds by telling her how hard he's worked in the past year, learning new things, and getting into shape. In fact, he's lost 25 lbs. Wow, good job! JM says that he sending the right message and that this show is supposed to be inspirational, pushing people to work harder. He says the dance was very powerful.

Tyler goes on to say that he can't afford to take lots of other dance classes, so he puts his energy into the native dancing, and JM is moved by this, enough to put him into BBC. Unfortunately, he doesn't make it into the finals, and almost walks out on Blake, but stays in the end and says he enjoyed the experience.

Natalie Heath from Surrey was here last year as well, and she made it into the finals, but not the Top 20, and wow, is she ever a great performer!

Luther says she entered the stage as if she owned it and Mary is wow'd, telling her she has unbelievable feet. JM remembers her from last year and felt that this year she tried to add more sex appeal, which didn't necessarily work because it didn't feel genuine. Tre says she has a purity like Allie did and they put her into the finals.

Up next is hip hop dancer Josh Martin from Winnipeg, Manitoba and he says he's a natural dancer at heart. His performance was good, I liked it.

Luther says he has lots of good energy and Josh starts talking but I don't really catch it, mainly cuz he was kind of talking over Luther. That's never a good thing. We've watched contestants talk themselves right out of contention on this show. Mary comments that he likes to talk a lot, and coming from her, that really is something... She says he was enjoyable to watch, but... it wasn't quite enough. JM says he really showed us what he can do. Tre feels it would be a shame to lose him at this point, so they put him into BBC. But that's not good enough for Josh, he's really unimpressed with that decision, figures he should have been put straight through, and maybe right into the Top 20, if he had his way about it. However, in the end he does make it into the finals. I don't know how I feel about this, I'm a bit put off by his attitude.

Another one from last year, contemporary dancer Taylor James from Vancouver and he does a really good job, wow, he was good.

JM says he has everything they need, and that his is the perfect example of smooth and passionate. Tre says he looked great and danced wonderfully. Luther says he has lots of potential and Mary says it was great, very unique and it kept her attention. Straight through to the finals.

Bonnie Rose Buchart is up next from Victoria and whoa! Did we just see... I think she just flashed us her hoo hoo... Oh yeah, for sure she did, cuz JM just wet himself... Wow. Way to leave an impression.

The judges are having a really hard time keeping it together and she looks a little bewildered as to why that is. I guess she'll catch it on the reruns when she gets home, because that's where she's going.

We go through a quick series of dancers who make it through without us really seeing their auditions. I didn't catch any of the names.

B-Boy James Suh from Surrey does his number next, and he's really quirky and fun, but his hat keeps trying to jump off his head.

Tre references her love for Miles from last year because he really brought the B-Boys to the front. She thinks he's funky. So does Luther. Mary says it was a lot of fun and very entertaining and JM says he is just what we need. They put him straight into the finals, but I kind of think he should have gone to BBC.

Rachel Wainwright from Vancouver is back again this year, and this year she's brought a friend, a girl named Ariel (I'm sorry, I didn't catch her last name). They are both really sexy dancers and JM is thrilled. After a lot of ooooh'ing and ahhh'ing they just put them into BBC. And they both make into the finals as well.

Oh for God's sakes - Spandy Andy is back, and he's teaching Blake about double beating it. I.... I'm just going to leave that one alone. I have to. Not with a ten foot pole would I touch that. Although it was nice to finally see a friggin' smile on Blake's face!

We're into our first session of BBC, and Blake looks pretty much as cranky as he did last night. And wow, talk about conflicting messages - first he's screaming that they are rushing it, and in the next breath telling them they look lazy. Sheesh.

From west to east we go, over to St. John's, New Brunswick, and we're mixing up the judges here. Of course, we still have Tre and JM, but joining them are Melissa Williams and Sean Cheesman. As well, we get a guest appearance from Allie, telling the dancers how this show has changed her life. Nice to see her again, she was one of my favorites.

We start with hip hop dancer Kyle Gartshore from Fredericton and his music is really cool, a rappy version of Oh Canada. I'm liking it.

JM says he has the concept of what this competition is about and that he kept every one's attention. Tre said he was very cool and Melissa says he was intriguing. Sean says he appreciates that Kyle came prepared, and for that he feels respected. He goes right into the finals.

Another hip hopper, Desiree Sampson from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Her performance is alright, but isn't quite enough for me. This just looked like club dancing to me. Nothing particularly special about it.

Tre says she has great isolations but it kind of lost it's fervor by the end. Melissa said it fizzled out, but her look is great. Sean thought she was great and very unique (really?) and JM offers to teach her French. Why, I'm not sure... They put her over to BBC, where she ultimately gives up and doesn't make it to the finals.

Another familiar face from last year, cheerleader Troy Miller from St. John. He still has his moves from last year down as he dances to Womanizer by Britney Spears.

Tre says that she can tell he's tightened up some of his moves, but he still comes across as a cheerleader. Melissa doesn't think he's right for this show and I have to say I agree.

Sean wants to go party with Troy and doesn't know why he shouldn't be on the show, why they were so intent on cookie cutters... JM kind of cuts him some slack by blaming the song. And then they put him through to BBC. Really. And can you believe it - or, as Troy says, "Shut the Front Door", when they put him into the finals. Wow. Interesting.

Next up is Tara-Jean Popowich from Lethbridge, Alberta. She's a contemporary dancer who gives us lots of expression and emotion in her piece, and she's really good.

Tre says she danced gloriously and Melissa was sad when it was over. She had great control and took risks and it was fabulous. Sean calls her an artist and says he was blown away. Maybe because she's from Alberta - he does seem to have soft spot for those Albertans... JM gives some analogy about dancers and artists and then gives her a ticket to Toronto.

Contemporary dancer Gabriel Doucet takes the stage next and he's not bad at all.

Sean says he has nice technique and loves that he was trying so hard that he lost his balance, Kind of a lemons to lemonade theory in my opinion, but nonetheless, they put him into BBC. I didn't catch if he made it into the finals. Anyone?

Vanessa Polly is up next and in her montage we learn that her mother recently passed away from cancer. I've been watching long enough to know that when we get a montage, we usually get a finalist....

She gives a good performance, but I didn't think it was fantastic.

JM says the same and that he thought she was being a bit too careful. Tre says she has great potential and a great body, she just needs to develop more. Melissa says that she found it a bit boring in parts and that she needs to use her loss to develop more passion. Sean loved it, but also thought she could expand. They put her into BBC, where she comes out with a ticket to Toronto. I anticipate a Top 20 finalist here. She strikes me as having the potential to really grow from week to week. I'm crossing my fingers for her.

Breanne Wasylenko from Calgary (uh oh, watch out Sean) Alberta is up next and she is quite good. She gets beaucoup bonus points from me for using Dan Mangan's 'Journal of a Narcoleptic' for her music. I've sung Dan's praises on this blog before and I will take any opportunity to continue to do so. If you don't know him, look him up. Uber talented guy. I also really enjoyed Breanne's dancing.

Enough to get everyone weepy, in fact. Melissa says she was blown away. Once Sean makes the Calgary connection he gets all like he does and at that point I stop listening, because seriously? I'm from Calgary too. And the sheer fact of it does not make me, or millions of others, outstanding dancers.

JM says he felt like a photographer when he watched her, taking snapshots with his mind and Tre said it was breath taking and that it gave her goosebumps. No surprise she's going to to Toronto.

A quick look at what goes on in Blake's Boot Camp and we're at the end of the show.

Next Tuesday we will be going to Montreal (I always look forward to these ones) and to Edmonton - hey, did they audition in Edmonton last year, I don't remember... Perhaps it was Calgary last year?

See you then!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Season Two! Toronto Auditions...

I don't know, maybe it's the patriotic side in me coming out, but for whatever reason, I just love So You Think You Can Dance Canada, and am thrilled that the second season has started.

We see a quick recap of last season, and happily, there is lots and lots of Nico. As I watch all of last year's dancers in quick glimpses I am struck with how much more connected I felt with all of them in comparison to the US season just gone by. Agreed.

This year, they are giving away $100,000, plus TWO cars, one going to the season's runner up... that's a new twist, I think I like it!

Our auditions are starting in Toronto, and on the panel we have Jean Marc (JM), Tre Armstrong, Luther Brown and Mary Murphy, and we get a quick cameo of Natalie from last year, there to give the dancers a pep talk.

After a quick review of the rules and regulations and learning that Blake will be conducting the choreography sessions - Blake's Boot Camp (BBC) - we move on to the first audition.

Interesting. Emanuel Sandhu from Vancouver. Figure skating champion. I remember him well from last year. How fantastic he was, and how much he thought so too. It was his prima donna attitude that got him cut last year, so I'm interested to see what, if anything, has changed.

He is such an intense, beautiful dancer, really he is... Really? All I got from him was....Bruno. He just comes off as a total poser with the hair and the eyeliner and the put on humble attitude.

JM calls him a beast, that he came back with flair and serves as the best example for years to come. Tre says his tricks were 'off the roof'. Emanuel interjects that he took all their comments to heart last year and came back determined to meet and surpass all of their expectations. I think he came off somewhat humble, as least as much as you could hope for...

Luther calls him a true artist, with true confidence and tells him he did a great job. Mary says she saw him last year and had been praying he'd take note of what was said and come back fighting. She says she's talked about him to reporters many times since and she can see the growth from last year, and then gives her trademark scream.

JM goes on to give some fine wine analogy and then puts him straight through to the finals. It will be interesting to see if that humble attitude lasts once he's put in groups with other dancers in the finals.

Natallie Lyons from Halifax is up next, she's a Krumper... and she's alright. I wasn't completely blown away but the judges seem to really like her and put her into BBC where she ultimately goes on to the finals.

Yana Gorjanova, a Latin dancer who brings a partner, is performing next. Tre asks the partner why he isn't auditioning and he says he has missed the cut-off age. Tre is disappointed because she thought he was brilliant. However, Yana was brilliant too and had star factor. Luther said she was very strong and passionate.

Mary tells her she is very dynamic and has a natural stage presence, all fire and spice. I'm waiting for the hot tamale train, but we are spared. JM tells her he's in love and puts her through to the finals.

Up next is Melanie Mah from Richmond Hill and I quite liked her performance, very quirky.

JM says she was a real surprise, like a bomb that's about to explode. Yeah, I guess that would be a surprise to find, wouldn't it... Tre loved her, called her quirky and freaky. Luther says she did a great job and Mary calls her a powerhouse. They put her through to BBC and then into the finals.

B-boy Paul Kus takes the stage next and I thought he was really good.

Mary says it was a very exciting performance and JM comments how he demanded attention and space. Tre says he rocked it and Luther really felt the music with him. Straight through he goes.

Oh, I remember this girl - Tatiana Parker. She's back again after spending the past year in classes.

Mary said she came off very confident and put out a really good vibe. JM says she is full of personality and precision. Tre remembers that last year she kind of fell apart when she didn't make it through and asks if she feels she is up for the potential criticism this year. Luther tells her she has flavour and calls her Miss Sassy. They put her over to BBC, where she makes it to the finals.

Contemporary dancer Sebastian Mersch is next and he is really, really good. The judges love him and put him straight through.

We go through a segment of lots of 'no thank you's' and Leah calls it a bump in the road.

Another girl from last year, Melanie Buttanazzi, is back again, this time with a partner, Jesse Valvasori. To me this one was kind of lacking in energy, but the judges all liked them and put them both into the finals. Meh.

Next up is Vicky Luo with some Mongolian dancing and wow! Wow! She is just freaking fantastic, and what a little sweetheart! Definitely my favorite performance of the night so far.

The judges are equally as blown away, calling her beautiful, unique, present, extraordinary, dedicated and disciplined. And off she goes to the finals. Probably should've sent her to choreography first, but regardless, she was awesome!

Lyrical hip-hopper Brook Jones from Brantford is next on the stage and he's pretty good.

JM says he has great musicality and calls him a smooth oper-ator (I love where he places his em-pha-sis), Tre liked it but felt he could have given more. Luther calls him dope but that he needs to pick it up a bit and Mary enjoyed it but agreed that it needed to be a bit stronger. They put him over to BBC, where he makes the cut and into the finals.

Kate Barett from Newmarket takes the stage next and after what seemed to be a bit of hesitancy in the beginning, she gives a really good performance.

Mary says it was very enjoyable, a very strong piece, Tre says it was beautiful and Luther calls her (or the dance) sick. They put her straight through.

Noel "something" Wosu from Ajax is up with hip hop and I thought this one was good. Luther says there was a bit of sloppiness but overall it was great. Mary says there was lots of power and energy and calls him 'super-bad'. JM calls him a pro in his style and Tre puts him right into the finals.

Victoria (didn't catch last name) is up next and we find out that she took a year off school to train for this competition - but then they don't show us her audition! Nonetheless, she does make it into the finals, but... I wanted to see!

Then we zoom through a whole bunch of them that have made it through without seeing them dance. I don't like that!

Now for BBC and wow! Does Blake ever look cranky! Maybe because it's midnight, and it's been a really long day for everyone, but still! The fact that only one guy walked out seems like pretty good numbers to me.

We move onto Day 2.

Sigh. And why are we starting Day 2 with this guy? I think they are calling him Captain Canada or something, and seriously? I hate when people like this represent our country, mainly cuz they are trying out for a dance competition and he. can't. dance. Leah kind of gives him a hard time and has a look on her face like "Go Home".

After a painful minute or two on stage, the judges really humour him and then send him on his way.

Jenna Lynn Higgens from Ajax performs next and I'm thinking they are going to put her straight through.

Tre calls her 'the truth', and that she is fearless and beautiful. Luther is wowed. Mary says she has the whole package going on and calls her a cutie. JM says that she has fantastic attitude, and that she is petite, but so loud. And then puts her into the finals.

Another guy from last year is back - Manual Dos Santos doing the salsa. Last year they told him he should have brought a partner, but it doesn't seem he took their advice. Oh but wait! 3/4's through he pulls one from stage left and finishes the performance with this random girl. That we learn he just met her two hours ago.

Mary says it was entertaining, but not enough substance. JM says it was a 'wow' audition, but lacking a bit. Tre gives it a 10 for fun. Luther says it was a lot of fluff with quick foot and arm movements, but was nonetheless entertained.

The random girl gives him quite the testimonial, swaying the judges to put him through to BBC. He does not make the cut, but says he will be back again next year.

Contemporary dancer Johnathon Arsenault from Kitchener takes the stage next and he is really good, I quite liked this one. Loved him. Loved him. For those interested, the music is a cover of Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes' by Jeffrey Gaines. Great track.

JM tells him he looks like the real deal, very creative with explosion in his leaps. Tre says his elevation leads her to congratulate him. Sometimes she's a bit L'il C, isn't she.

We learn that Johnathon has a malformed something (blood vessel) in his frontal lobe that causes him to have migraines and sometimes seizures, but to have surgery to correct this could cause him to lose his motor skills and at this point he is not willing to take that chance. He gets put through to the finals.

Christian Ancheta is next and wow! He quickly strips down to a unitard, definitely taking the judges off guard.

Luther says he achieved the shock factor and his performance was amazing. Mary says it was lots of fun with good energy. JM said it had all the ingredients to make him remember this performance. Tre says the dancing wasn't hot, it came off a little sloppy, but she found it entertaining. They put him over to BBC but in the end he doesn't make the cut.

Katie Purcell from Kitchener takes the stage and I was a bit mixed on this one. Lots of really good spins but kind of a low in energy.

Mary says it was enjoyable, but she needed a bit more. JM says she has great extensions. Luther needed to see the fire. They put her into BBC and she makes it through to the finals.

Last year he saw Everett Smith audition in jazz hip-hop, and he's back again, but this time doing tap. I find his music choice odd - dancing tap to Drift Away? However, music aside, he is really good and very cool tap running shoes!

Tre says he was amazing to watch and that she wants his shoes. Tee hee! Luther says he was confident and alive with a great energy. Mary liked everything about him, his attitude, his confidence, and calls him a star. Off to the finals he goes.

Flamenco dancer Anjelica Scannura is next and whoa! She pretty much strips down to a bathing suit, and I'm thinking JM is sure to enjoy this one. The dancing, however, is all over the place and Luther calls for the music to stop. He seems all at odds with what to say, and that he just didn't know what to expect. Mary says the beginning was really strong, but then she moved it into hip hop and it just didn't work. JM says she tried to incorporate too many styles. Tre tells her she started off hot but then it just died. For an audition you need to stick with what you know, she tells her. This was really a hot mess.

They put her into BBC because she does seem to have potential, and in the end she does make it into the finals.

I remember this next girl from last year, and I really liked her - Kloe Schultz from North Bay is back to try again, and I'm pretty sure she'll make it straight through.

JM says she controlled her space very well. Tre says she is glad to see her again and comments on the sparkle in her eye. Luther tells her she is the best they've seen all day and Mary is wow'd, calling her really beautiful, with great lines and lots of passion. And into the finals she goes.

A triple - quadruple jointed Nina Strazzulla dances next and it's just crazy what this girl can do with her body. Into the finals with hardly a comment.

Sigh again. Sadly I remember Marcel Martinuk from last year as well. The guy in the cowboy hat who can't dance.

Tre says "It was fun. Thank you." Luther said that while he did the same move over and over about 80 times, he sure did it with passion.

And then they send him home.

The last audition we get to see is from Austin Du Iulio, who is back this year with shorter hair and in better shape. And wow! Is he ever good! What a fantastic centre he has when he spins!

The judges are more than impressed, commenting on his transformation and how much more seriously he seems to be taking it this year. Into the finals he goes!

Then we get another series of those who made it in, but we don't get to see why... damn, I hate that! I know that we only have two hours, but... well, at least I can say we didn't get too many of the really ridiculous auditions, which seem to be mostly filler.

Another peak into Blake's Boot Camp, where one guy sprains his ankle, and another guy calls Blake a devil, a freak, and says he feels lucky just be alive after that session...

A whole bunch don't make it through, and I've commented above on the ones we learn did.

And there's night one of auditions! Tune in tomorrow for Vancouver (where the really good dancer are!) and St. John!

Good night!