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!
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!
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