AUDITIONS IN DALLAS GET UGLY ON SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

By: Mary Cavaliere

I don’t know if any of you remember Robert Muraine from the season opener last week.  He was an unbelievable hip-hopper / popper (I don’t even know what they’re called) and as a result of his audition Ellen DeGeneres had him on her show this past Monday.  He is a very talented young man, that is for sure.

The second episode featured auditions in Salt Lake City, Utah with guest judge Mandy Moore.  Although Mandy has never judged before, she has choreographed for the show in past seasons. 

It was really inspiring to watch Brett Branford, Age 25 from Salt Lake City who had Down Syndrome but still felt he could accomplish anything he wanted.  He wasn’t there to win and it looked like he wasn’t even there to necessarily be put through to Vegas.  He was there to show others that he has no handicap and neither do they.  Rock on Brett!  He was not only inspirational, he was adorable!

Kelli Baker had a lot of pressure on her because she comes from dance royalty.  Her mother is Bonnie Story the award-winning choreographer of High School Musical.  Fortunately, she made her mother proud and made it through straight through to Vegas.

The auditions moved to Dallas, Texas where the guest judge was Adam Shankman, the well-known choreographer from the film version of Hairspray.  He choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance last season and did a brilliant job so I’m looking forward to his participation in the show again this year.

The most memorable individual who auditioned was Steven Arner, the African-American chair dancer who resembled Mickey Mouse.  C’mon Steven, that look is cute on little girls but you’re how old???  It was like watching American Idol again where you have someone with no talent standing there and arguing with the experts about how talented they are.  It’s one thing to believe in yourself.  It’s another to be delusional, which this young man definitely was.  When he had no problem calling Mary “girl” with attitude and then called her a name that they bleeped out, she had no problem retorting back “Boy – you want to get in my face?”  It was really awkward and uncomfortable until Mary finally told him to leave the auditorium.  Whew!  I thought we were going to see our first fist fight on SYTYCD!

The dumbest remark of the night came from one of the Dallas contestants.  His defense for not making it through was “I know I can’t move like those other dudes – all that fluidity and all that grace.  I’m like a bull in a china shop.  I’m knocking everything over.  But I got groove man.  Period!”   Yup.  He’s got groove alright…..

You can read more of Mary’s television blogs at www.myspace.com/italiangirl57

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