Wait, So You Think You Can Dance is on Wednesday this week?! Fox, please make a decision! Between the release of the Les Miserables trailer and recovering from Memorial Day weekend my brain is slightly scattered, but thankfully, my DVR reminded me, and so here it is, the first Wednesday episode of SYTYCD, from the city of angels and Kings.
In the judges chairs are our two standbys Mary and Nigel along with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, because, hey why not?!
First up, Alexa. If you don't remember her, they give you a recap. She lost out on a Top 20 spot last year to lookalike and kinda whiny crybaby Ryan. But she's back now, and improved, of course, and so to a remix of The Naked and The Famous' Young Blood (I think it's THIS remix) she performs an adequate contemporary routine. She gets a straight pass through Vegas.
According to himself, Johnny Waacks was born in the wrong era. He demonstrates this by wearing a disco shirt of what appears to be either palm fronds or broccoli florets. After Nigel accidentally inserts an additional consonant to turn waacking in to wanking, and after a slightly peeved moment in which Johnny seems to feel like he isn't being taken seriously, we're on to his waacking. He's through to choreography
As an aside, waacking is a style that I can only describe as full body vogueing or you can watch an example I just randomly pulled from Youtube. Apparently I've been waacking all my life and didn't know it. This is what I do in the car when people can only see the upper half of my body.
Eliana is one of these contestants that kind of annoys me a bit. It's not just because part of her background package involves showing her in a bikini on a pole, which is clearly necessary, A) because she's in good enough shape to carry it off, so the producers think, "hey why not?" and B) because your skin presumably has to stick to the pole for some reason other than transfer of bodily fluids. It's because she's already had almost all of the luck a dancer can get. She's had a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet, studied at Alvin Ailey and gotten a gig with Cirque De Soleil. She's not enough of an underdog for me, from first impressions. She's as talented as a person with her resume should be, which means flawless extensions and she gets a standing ovation and through to Vegas. If we can refrain from ever having to see her on a pole and stick with the dancing, I will probably be a fan though, she's really quite good.
After a pairs montage that involves several instances of censoring over a too-short dress and sisters in tutus, we get Nick & James "the NiNJa twins" who are some sort of combination of Miss J from America's Next Top Model, and a hybrid of Brittany & Santana from Glee. They're hilarious and they do have personality to spare. I just WANT them to go to Vegas, I don't even care if they're good. "It's as if it's rehearsed it's so good" says Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and he's right. Oh no, they're 32! But they're talented and well-rehearsed, and a near flawless song choice. Throw in some double-sided cartwheels, and it brings the house down. I'm so bummed they can't go. Ryan Murphy get these guys on one of your shows STAT!
Serious Backstory Alert! Sam's mother kicked her out 6 months ago and she's been living with her best friend and family ever since. Her flexibility and strength are impressive and everyone who watches her hold that ridiculously high arabesque is also impressed. Nigel needs more passion, Mary does too and then as if on cue, Mary asks if she is getting fully supported by her family and there isn't a dry eye in the house now. She's through to choreography
Caley Carr is STACHETASTIC. His musicality is RIDICULOUS. He's surprisingly serious about tap. He also loves surfing, skating, long walks on the beach and teaching dance. He's pretty awesome. His personality reminds me of Kent. He just loves life man, and even when it's gnarly, he's just gonna take it on the chin and then presumably twirl his mustache in life's face. I'm at least 58% in love with him. Through to choreography.
They're being so stingy with the tickets this time!!
9.3 Playlist:
Alexa's audition: The Naked and the Famous-Young Blood remix
Johnny Waacks audition: Isaac Hayes- Shaft (instrumental)
Eliana's Audition: Yann Tiersen-Mouvement Introductif
Random montage of people we'll probably see in Vegas: Florence + The Machine-Shake It Off
(including a tap dancer!)
Pairs Montage: The Raspberries- I Wanna Be With You
Foreigner-Double Vision
Ninja Twins Audition-Michael Jackson-Man In The Mirror
Sam's audition-Jewel- Angel Standing By
California montage-Best Coast-The Only Place
The Dirty Heads-Shine
Caley's Audition-Gotye-Somebody that I used To Know
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