by Gina Scarpa

 

Last night, on So You Think You Can Dance, America had their chance to weigh in and placed Victor, Channing, Kevin, Karen, Nathan, and Mollee in the bottom.  Though Channing has been trying to break out of her shell and show more of who she is to the audience, it may have been too little, too late.  The judges were unanimous in their decision to eliminate her after each dancer performed their solo.  Today, Channing spoke to reporters in a press conference call about her experiences on the show.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What are your thoughts on Nigel’s comment that you landed in the bottom because America couldn’t connect emotionally to you and Victor?
A. Channing: I mean, everyone has their opinions.  It’s just what the show puts across and what they air and what they show.  What they showed of me isn’t all of me.  They may not have connected with that as much as other people.  Victor and I had a great partnership and I wish people got to see that more.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How you feel you grew as a person and a dancer throughout the competition?
A. Channing: I feel that now, I can push myself through boundaries that I had set before.  I keep on going and going to places I never thought possible.  I’m never going to set limits on myself again.

 

Q. Tell us a little bit about being a lawn tractor champion growing up.
A. Channing: I think I was about 7 or 8 years old.  There was a contest that came to my hometown, sponsored by Kmart.  My dad brought my brother and I and we had to race around an obstacle course.  Whoever had the fastest time would advance to Boston.  From there, we went to Florida.  I didn’t win but just getting to the final round makes me a winner.

 

Q. Do you think that the song (Bobby McFerrin’s “Blackbird”) affected the results?
A. Channing: Tyce was trying to do something different and went with a different choice of music and see how the public like it.  I thought it was a cool dance and thought the choreography went well with the music.  Everyone has their opinion and I think the show needed something like that.

 

Q. Do you feel that you were a good match with Phillip?
A. Channing: It was tough but I felt like, at times, I could’ve lifted him better than he lifted me.  We worked it out and we figured out how to use my strengths to work with his strengths.  I fell on my head a few times but it ended up working out well in the end.

 

Q. Your blackbird piece was reminiscent of the hummingbird/flower piece that Jaimie and Hok did a few seasons ago.  What was it like to do a routine with characters like you were given?
A. Channing: It takes your dancing to a different level if you get to live in the character.  It makes it fun and more exciting for people to watch.

 

Q. The judges criticized your personality while praising your technique.  Which is worse to have criticized?
A. Channing: I’ve been working on my technique for about 15 years.  The technique part will always be there.  It’s just that the personality didn’t come through as much as I hoped.  They’re both there – it’s just that one came through more than the other.

 

Q. Do you have any predictions for the winner?
A. Channing: I have my predictions but it’s something that you can’t really predict.  Things happen that you don’t expect to happen.

 

Q. Is there anything you would’ve done differently?
A. Channing: I guess I would’ve gotten my face in the camera a little bit more and shown more of myself.  They only give you so little time to do that.

Be sure to tune in to So You Think You Can Dance, when the Top 12 take the stage, Tuesday night at 8pm ET on FOX.
 
(Image courtesy of FOX)

 

Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa
 
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