So You Think You Can Dance - Arizona Auditions!

A new season and a new city - we've moved on to Arizona for the first time in SYTYCD history!

Our judges tonight will be Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels - I so enjoy when she's part of the auditions!

After Cat does a quick recap of the rules and regulations we get started with an... interesting pair... Brandon 'Shorty' Smallwood and Dimetrio 'Biggy' someone (sorry, didn't catch the last name). They're kind of popper-hip hoppers... I think...

The whole way through, Mary can't stop laughing, and by the end of it all the judges are enjoying a serious chuckle...

Nigels says that anyone who watched them would find them enjoyable, but thought that Dimetrio wobbled more than he popped. He felt that Brandon was the more technical of the two, but together they put on a great act. Mia says she loved them, but... I didn't quite catch what Mary said, but no matter, because Nigel over rules them and sends the pair to choreography. Not sure what I think about that.

Contemporary dancer Sasha Mallory is next. She auditioned back in Season 4, and she's returned this time with her family in tow. She gets very emotional when she speaks of her family, and they are obviously very close.

I think she is a lovely dancer, with very intricate movements. I enjoy her performance.

Nigel says she was very clever and then turns it over to Mia, who says she had the perfect combination of showing her technique and her ability to use the stage. Mary tells her she is beautiful, and the girl just falls to pieces. And she pretty much cries until they give her a ticket to Vegas. And then she cries a bit more. This got OLD really fast...it's an emotional process I understand, but pull it together.

A couple of snap shots of Katie Muth and Ellie Soto, and I believe both of them make it through to Vegas as well.

Up next is contemporary dancer Allison Becker. Spinal meningitis has left her hearing impaired, and she says that she dances more by feeling the music rather than hearing it.

After a solid performance, Nigel asks her if she reads lips, which she does. He tells her that her movement is beautiful, her face is beautiful and she has a lovely expression in her eyes when she dances. Her technique isn't quite where he'd like it to be but overall she's fantastic.

Mary agrees with everything Nigel says and then gets very emotional when she speaks of a cousin with a similar condition. Mia asks her what inspires her to dance, because for her, it is the music that moves her... Allison tells her that she can hear the music too, she just hears it differently.

Nigel starts to ask her how she'll do in choreography if she... and she cuts him off with a simple "I'll be great!" Good for Her! - and she's in. And she's right, she does do great, and gets a ticket to Vegas.

Taking the stage next is a same sex couple, a pair of Latin dancers - Jacob Jason and William de Vies.

Once they are finished dancing, Jacob tells them that it is amazing for a gay couple to be able audition for a show like this...

Mary says they were emotional and passionate with great lines and technique. Mia is quite emotional as she says she celebrates their courage. Nigel thanks them for showing him same sex ballroom dancing, and puts them both through to choreography. They did really well there too, and off they both go to Vegas.

Jonathan Noronha is up next, and he's... wow... kind of all over the place. He has lots of props, baton kind of things, as well as... letters! Gimme a D... gimme an I... a S.... a C.... and O my, it's a picture of Mary!

Nigel says it was a fun performance, but probably not right for the show. Both Mary and Mia say it was entertaining, but all over the map. It's a no go.

All in all, 30 dancers make it into choreography, where half way through Demetrio jams and admits he really can't do any other genre other than his own. You know, by Season 6, it may be good for people to realize that they may have to dance outside their comfort zone. I'm just sayin'.

His buddy Brandon doesn't make it through either.

But 12 others do. No idea who.

On to Day 2.

First up is Jarvis Johnson. And he's excited. Very excited. In fact, I can't really make out a work he's saying, he'sgoingamillionmilesasecond. Fast forwarded through almost this entire segment ...Can't. Handle. The. Screaming.

His performance is actually quite good... until it gets kind of lame at the end, but... Yeah no...didn't find this good at all.

Nigel calls him a dancing fool. Mary calls his dancing frantic, but tells him he has a great personality. Mia says she loved when he danced himself out of his shoes and when he was smacking his own ass (those apple bottom jeans will get you every time...) - and while he's not a great dancer, he is a great entertainer.

Mia says no to choreography, but both Mary and Nigel send him through, and after a whole lot, and I mean a WHOLE LOT, of screaming, I think Nigel is regretting his decision. The guy was cute at first, but by the time he exits the stage I'm thinking OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST RELAX ALREADY!

Odd couple Brandon Gordon and Nicole Peterson are next in a kind of football player/cheerleader kind of thing, and Mia admits to being confused. And it just goes down hill from there, and we get a "strange dancers" montage.

Nigel asks how close they are to Roswell... it's just... that... strange.

So in context, when Kelsey White takes the stage, she seems amazing!

Nigel asks her if she had the hiccups (a previous dancer was possessed with hiccups) - she says no. He asks her if she's ever been abducted by aliens (because a previous dancer was) and she makes the mistake of trying to be funny and says yes, but just once. Nigel's had enough by this point and actually walks away. Exit stage left. Loved it!

Mary and Mia are left there to discuss Kelsey's fate, and over the microphone, like the great and powerful Oz, we hear 'SEND HER TO CHOREOGRAPHY'. I'm waiting for him to add "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...!" For me, it's the best part of the show.

In the end, Kelsey goes through to choreography, but does not make it to Vegas.

After a commercial break, Nigel summons the strength to return to the panel in time to see B-Boy Jonathan 'Legacy' Perez, who is really quite impressive. My eyes popped out of my head I'm sure - when he spider walked across the stage on his HANDS. Holy Crap!

Nigel says that what he does hugely exciting, and Mary says that he is tremendous and very confident. Mia calls him a powerhouse, and stupid. Real stupid. And then sends him to Vegas.

22 make it through to choreography with Pasha and Anya, and part way through, screamer Jarvis Jacob collapses! Drama! They've got the oxygen mask on him and he thinks he's having a heart attack. Thankfully he's not, but it does spell the end for him. I feel a little bit bad for him.

And there's Arizona for you. Wonder if they'll make it part of the regular regime? LOL maybe - if they bring tin foil hats to block the weirdness next time.

Not sure what the schedule is for next week, but we can be guaranteed of another jam packed week...

Until then...!