This week’s two eliminated contestants spoke with Hypable about their experience on the show, and what it was like to just narrowly miss out on competing in next week’s performance finale.
Hayley Erbert and Paul Karmiryan have been front-runners in the competition from the very beginning. The judges praised their dancing week after week, and they each had a big fan following, as evidenced by the big cheers from the audience after their performances.
However, as part of one of the most talented seasons the show has ever seen, each of the top six dancers were incredibly skilled and very popular. Unfortunately, in the end, Hayley and Paul just didn’t get enough votes to make it into the finale. But after handling their eliminations with incredible grace, they spoke with Hypable about their experience as part of season 10.
Eliminations
“It wasn’t a shock to me,” Paul says. “I would love to be in the finale of course, but [Aaron and Fik-shun] also deserve to be there, so I’m not disappointed. The thing is, the show is so unpredictable. I hand’t fallen in the bottom at all, and I had a great run with the hip-hop [last week]. The thing is, what we’ve come to understand is it’s not always about America’s best dancer. It just depends on what America thinks, and it has to do with being a favorite dancer also, and I guess we just weren’t the favorites.”
“Yeah, basically, what Paul said: it really wasn’t that much of a shock to me,” Hayley agrees. “I think it was more of a shock to me that I even made it that far to begin with, so I was not disappointed at all. I mean, I was a little disappointed, because of course everyone wants to make it to the finale and the main goal is to win the show, but it was just so great to be a part of the show. I’m so blessed to have made it this far.”
She suspects her rumba routine last week with all-star Dmitry Chaplin may have led to her elimination. “It is all based off of America’s votes, so you never know what’s going to happen. A lot of times, people don’t connect with a ballroom dance, because America doesn’t know how difficult ballroom truly is, and that could have been a part of it.”
Post-elimination feelings
Both dancers are torn about making it this far in the competition, only to just miss out in the finale: “I mean it’s a really bittersweet moment at this point, because we were so close to the finale…I’m really upset that I didn’t get to show America my last bit, but I’m still so happy that I even made it this far, because I never expected that I would make it this far to begin with, so, I mean, I’m so blessed to have even gotten this opportunity at all.”
Paul adds, “Of course everyone’s goal is to make it to the finale and to make it all the way, but just thinking back to, for me, L.A. auditions and just the journey I’ve made from L.A. to now, it’s amazing even thinking that I’ve come this far.” He continues, “Of course it is bittersweet, like Hayley said, where you would want to go all the way to the end of the experience and actually have the full potential of dancing each possible dance that you could have on the show, but then again, everything happens for a reason.”
Contestant cameraderie
As many dancers have said before, the relationship with their fellow contestants is the best part of being on the show. “It was just so great to be a part of the show, because of the camaraderie that we had: we were just a huge family,” Makenzie said. “We were all just so supportive of each other, we didn’t really consider it a competition very much.”
It’s also an amazing experience for them to watch their fellow dancers grow and develop: “Whenever you’re behind the scenes and you just see the growth of the dancers and you see what they’ve become,” Paul says. “From the choreographer to the dancer, So You Think You Can Dance can create this masterpiece. It’s like every [routine] just grows on you, that’s what creates the season, all the different dances. There were so many that were so impactful. Even if the audience didn’t like it, it was very impactful to us, because you saw the difference of the dance. Like for example: there were so many dancers that did dances that were out of their genre, and it was just very amazing to see them do so great in that genre, and it made that dance great for me.”
As hard as it had to be for them to just miss out on the finale, they have nothing but good things to say about the dancers that made it: Amy Yackima, Jasmine Harper, Aaron Turner, and DuShaunt “Fik-shun” Stegall.
“I’m so proud of Aaron, Fik-shun, Jasmine, and Amy for making it, because they’re just amazing, obviously, at dance, and they’re just incredible human beings too.” Hayley says. Of her direct competitors: the girls, she says, “I’m so so so proud of Jasmine and Amy because they’re amazing and they deserve it so much…so I’m completely content with leaving the finale to them.”
“It was a really hard decision for America, I think; this season has been so strong,” Paul says. “Especially for the guys…well, everyone, they’re just so talented, and I’m just happy for them. They all deserve to be there and…I wish them the best.” As for the boys, he says, “Definitely Fik-shun and Aaron deserved to be in the finale… everyone here deserves to, and anything that would happen, happens for a reason.”
The Armenian experience
This is not Paul’s first So You Think You Can Dance experience: he actually won the Armenian version! “Armenia’s So You Think You Can Dance brought so many great moments for me, and it was a life-changing experience for me,” he says. “It made me grow as a dancer, I think, because I had only been dancing for four-and-a-half years and it really made me mature very quickly. Through that experience I strived to come to So You Think You Can Dance America, because I knew that I would grow even more.”
“There are many differences between Armenia and America [So You Think You Can Dance]. They are the same show, but both of them were completely different in my life as a whole. There’s no doubt that comparing Armenia and America, the level is different, because Armenia’s population is less than Los Angeles’ population,” he explains. “There’s different choreographers there, and there’s different contestants and competition there. Here it’s on a different level also: we have choreographers that are known worldwide. Both of these experiences I would never take back and never regret any moment of.”
As for the highlight of this season, for him personally, he has a hard time choosing. “I feel like every week was its own highlight, was its own moment,” Paul says. “Really thinking about how each genre literally brought a different aspect to the table, I was attached…well, not attached, but I enjoyed every single genre differently. There wasn’t one routine where I was like, ‘Oh my God I hate this routine, I don’t want to do it.’ and I feel like that was very rare, because sometimes there are moments where people are not content with their genres. In my case, I really enjoyed all of my genres. I was thinking about it today, if I could think about one genre that I liked the most, and I really can’t.”
He continues, “In a sense that you want me to give an answer, I would probably say the “Edge of Glory” dance by [choreographer] Mandy Moore, the contemporary [piece] that [Makenzie and I] did. It was our last dance together, and the moment that we shared together onstage was very genuine, it just meant a lot to us.”
The whole season was really a highlight for him. “But then again, the week after, I worked with Witney [Carson, season 9 all-star] and we did a cha cha, and then I worked with Comfort [Fedoke, season 4 all-star] and we did a hip-hop, then Kathryn this week, and Hayley. Just every week was its own great moment, and the thing is, I have no regrets with any of them, so the whole experience was great, just as a whole.”
Former future college girl
Just a few months ago, Hayley was a high school senior planning to go off to college in the fall, and now she’s heading off on a national tour with SYTYCD. Could she have ever imagined she’d end up here? “It is honestly so strange,” she says. “I mean, I auditioned in Austin in January, so I knew that I was going to Vegas for quite a few months until Vega actually happened. But I never imagined that I was even going to make it through to Vegas, and then when I made it through to Vegas, I didn’t think I’d make it to top 20, and then when I made top 20 I never thought I’d make it this far, so it’s just been crazy.”
“I was planning on going to Chapman University this fall, and as I just kept going further and further in the show, I was like, ‘Okay, I guess I’m not going anymore.’ But it’s just kind of crazy to even think about that, because right before I left for the show, I was graduating high school, and I was planning on going to college. Now I’m here, and I get to go on tour, and it’s just completely mind-blowing for me. My life has changed in so many ways, and I think it was for the best.”
Hayley and fellow Kansas native Fik-shun have represented their home state pretty well as part of season 10, but Kansas is not exactly known for excellence in dance. “Honestly, I don’t think people think of Kansas as being very…resourceful or anything. So it really proves to people that just because you’re from a small state or a small town, that doesn’t mean anything, as long as you put the work and effort into it.” She continues, “All of the studios in Kansas are amazing, and I don’t think people really realize that, so it really does prove to people that you can get training anywhere, as long as you have good training, and you have the work ethic that you need to be successful, you’ll be fine.”
Read on to find out what Hayley and Paul have to say about showmances and their future plans.
Showmance?
There has been a lot of romantic rumors about the season 10 contestants, many of which were started or encouraged by host Cat Deeley and judge Mary Murphy. This week, Mary felt Paul and Hayley had such chemistry onstage, that they should investigate that chemistry together offstage.
“That’s so funny,” Paul says. “Well, throughout the season there have been so many accusations and relationships that people would want to see. A lot of people would constantly tell me and Makenzie to get married, and I mean, I love Makenzie, and I love Hayley, but I don’t know if I love them in that way, you know what I mean?” He adds, “Really, behind the scenes, everyone has their own personality, everyone has their own things towards who they like and whatever it is. It can go any way, I just don’t know. Relationships just don’t happen because they look right, it has to be that other things are going on personally.”
Hayley’s answer was a little cagier. “I have a boyfriend right now, so it wouldn’t happen anytime soon if it were to happen. But we’ve all been trying to get to know each other over these last few weeks and I mean, it could be a complete possibility. Anyone in the top 20 could end up in a relationship. We’ve just been getting to know each other, and so we don’t know everyone’s full personalities or anything, like going through a serious relationship or any of that.”
She did go on to say, “Paul is a gorgeous person, so that would be great… [They both laugh] But I’m not. So I guess you never know, but as of right now I don’t really see anything, ‘cause I have a boyfriend.”
And how does she deal with Cat’s and Mary’s repeated comments about her hooking up with Paul, or going out on a date with former partner Curtis (which they claimed was to develop their chemistry for a particular routine)? “I mean, I know what’s going down, and I know that they’re just pretty much kidding about me and Paul dating, and the Curtis thing was sort of taken out of proportion, but it doesn’t really bother me as much as it bothers my boyfriend. But I’ve told him it’s just for the show, and he knows I’m just friends with all of these guys. It really hasn’t caused any problems or anything, so I think its fine.”
Partners
Hayley has had the privilege of working with several of season 10’s male contestants throughout the course of the show: Curtis, Nico, and then Paul, not to mention several all-stars. “Dancing with different partners definitely was amazing, because everybody has their own strengths, so it was great to experience, because there was never once that I was feeling the same way with a partner.” She adds, “In dance, you have to connect with a partner very fast, so I think that was kind of to my advantage, because I was just given the opportunity to connect with so many partners so quickly. I feel like that’s really going to help me out in the future.
She continues, “Every partner that I’ve worked with was amazing, and I had such a great time with all of them, so I think it really just added to my experience throughout the entire thing.”
While Paul danced a routine with Hayley this week, and shared the stage with a few all-stars, he spent much of the season dancing alongside Mackenzie Dustman, who was eliminated two weeks ago. They made a beautiful couple, and were technically beautiful dancers to watch.
“I was so shocked that Makenzie got cut so early in the competition. Not early, but that she didn’t go all the way. I seriously think that she definitely deserved to be in the finale at least,” Paul says. “She’s such an amazing person, and working with her was so different, because we connected on a different level and we became so close and we became such good friends.”
He continues, “She’s been really supportive of me in this journey, even after she got cut. She is such a great person and such a great dancer, I respect her so much for that. I know that it’s not the end, we’re going to be dancing together in the finale and on tour, and I just love working with her. I know she’s got such a bright future ahead of her, and I know she will be successful in what she does.”
The suspected reason for Makenzie’s elimination is that America just didn’t connect with her personality, and felt she was too pretty. “I just wish America saw what a great personality she had, because backstage she was so goofy, and she was so much fun to be around. Not only beautiful in terms of her looks, but beautiful on the inside too.”
“I just wish her the best and I thank her for being such a good partner. In the time that I spent with her, we never got my genre, Latin ballroom. We always got contemporary or jazz, mainly her genres, and she just helped me so much throughout those genres, and made it such a great work process. It was great working with her, her work ethic is amazing, and I wish her the best.”
‘We’re still human, after all.’
Has the show changed their perspective on life or dance at all? “Every single day changed my perspective about dance and changed me as a person, because every single day it was literally this obstacle that we had to overcome and pass, and just going through practices that were literally draining of not only your physical self, but also your mental self. Being able to overcome those challenges and being able to just do the best that you can every single day, even though you know that you have no energy in your body. Especially in this last performance that we had: everyone was really drained, even if we wanted to continue and we had to fight to continue to do our best. Our bodies were literally not complying with us. I mean, there were moments where it was like we would fight to finish the routine to the end, but your muscles just give up. I mean, we’re still human, after all.”
He continues, “The fact that we had to overcome these challenges, it really made us grow and mature as people, and it’s a great experience. So You Think You Can Dance is an amazing experience, and I truly wish everyone could experience it, because it makes you grow so much as a person, and of course it makes you grow as a dancer. I will be dancing for many years continuing after the show, but I know that what I will take with me even more is how much I grew as a person, and the experiences I gained, and the knowledge and maturity I gained throughout the show.”
Future plans
Both dancers are looking to stay in L.A. for the indefinite future. “I’m planning on moving out to L.A. to start my dance career and whatnot, and I’m gonna try to sign with an agency and just kind of figure out my dancing career in that way.” But she also has other aspirations: “I’ve also always wanted to kind of get into the acting field and kind of be in movies or even commercials. So I would love to go into acting, but I would also love to be a backup dancer for Justin Bieber or someone, just really anything right now. This show has opened a ton of doors, so I’m just kind of excited to see what my future’s going to be like now after this.”
Paul shares similar Hollywood dreams: “I would definitely want to continue dancing. It is something that I love to do, and I would love to be on like Dancing With The Stars or any of the ballroom shows that are going on right now.” He adds, “Like Hayley said, I’ve always wanted to act and I would love to get into acting and just be out in the entertainment industry and just take any opportunities that come from this. It’s such a great opportunity to start off your career, and It’s really not the end, it’s the beginning.”