This week’s two eliminated contestants from season 10’s top ten spoke with Hypable about their experiences on the show, and whether or not they felt their eliminations were fair.
It was the hardest elimination yet for season 10’s close-knit group of dancers, as contemporary dancers Makenzie Dustman and Nico Greetham were sent home this week after a night of amazing dancing. It was a controversial elimination, as Makenzie and Nico have both been front-runners throughout the competition, and were in the bottom four alongside Jenna Johnson, a technically strong dancer who doesn’t seem to connect with the audience, and Tucker Knox, who was in the bottom four on a technicality, but went on to have a breakthrough routine choreographed just for him, making it hard for the judges to send him home immediately afterwards.
Fans are mourning Makenzie’s and Nico’s departure, but the dancers are looking back fondly on their time on the show, and looking ahead to what’s next.
The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Family
While each season’s contestants form a close bond, season 10’s group seems to be particularly close. “I think this season, we’re all around the same age, we’re all younger – around 18 and 20 – so I think all of us kind of were at the same stage in our lives when we came together as a group, and we all have definitely created such an amazing bond, our So You Think You Can Dance family.” Makenzie says. “I mean, that’s the hardest thing about leaving the competition, is leaving my family.”
And the choreographers agreed: “Every choreographer that we ever worked with, as far as group dances went, they would always comment on how unique our group was specifically, because of our connection and our bond and what we had all gone through together, and I think that’s such a beautiful thing.” Nico says. “I think that there was no tension ever between our groups. I feel like [the choreographers] mentioned that every season there would always be maybe one or two who thought they were a little above everyone, but I think our group, they were all so kind-hearted towards each toher and we were all so supportive of everyone, and I mean, I think that’s so rare. That’s definitely what we’re all going to miss the most, is not being together all the time, literally 24/7.”
Surprise eliminations
Makenzie and Nico were both in a tough spot this week. Makenzie, a favorite of both the judges and choreographers, found herself in the bottom alongside fellow judges’ favorite Jenna Johnson. Nico was in the bottom four alongside Tucker Knox, who was automatically in the bottom, due to him not being able to dance his partner routine last week as a result of a knee infection keeping him from rehearsing. On top of that, Tucker had a particularly emotional and groundbreaking routine with all-star Robert Roldan. Were Makenzie and Nico surprised that they were in the bottom, and then eliminated?
“The first time landing in the bottom, of course it’s frightening, but once you kind of repeatedly land in the bottom, [it’s] not that you get used to it, but you’re not afraid of it, and you kind of expect it every week, just so you’re ready for it.” Makenzie says. “That’s how I felt I was: I was ready to do my solo, and I think it’s good to be open-minded and ready for that position, to dance your solo.”
“I mean, every single person, including Jenna – she’s absolutely incredible, I don’t think anyone deserves to be in the bottom, but that’s how the show has to go; there’s always gonna be a bottom six or four.” She continues, “Everyone now in the show can win the show, but it’s the nature of it [that two contestants have to leave] every week. Of course I didn’t want to go, but it has to happen and I made top 10, and I’m so happy that I made it this far. So, I mean, you just kind of have to go with the flow of the show.”
“You know, it was ironic, kind of, because I feel like the last few weeks, every time I landed in the bottom, I felt as if those were my best weeks on the entire show.” Nico says. “Being in the bottom six was definitely terrifying the first few times, but, I mean, Tucker’s dance was so heart-warming. It had everyone in tears, everyone backstage and the whole audience and the judges. Tucker’s a phenomenal dancer, and it was between his dance and my hip-hop dance; it was definitely gonna go to him, because it was just so much more relatable.”
He continues, “But that’s okay, like Kenzie said, it’s the nature of the show: two people have to go every week, and I’m just so grateful that I’ve made top 10 and I get to go on tour with my family.”
How do they think they ended up in the bottom so many times? “You really never know how people perceive you or see you.” Makenzie says. “Maybe I landed in the bottom because people just didn’t feel like they connected with me on a personal level. You know, when I watched the show, I would vote for people, not just good dancers, but people personality-wise I would just connect with, so maybe people never felt like they had a connection with me on a personal level?”
She continues, “I don’t know, I really don’t know. I feel like I really did my best every week and I was so lucky to have Paul [Karmiryan, Latin ballroom dancer, fan favorite, and winner of SYTYCD Armenia] as a partner, because he was the reason behind us both doing so well. But having a good dance isn’t enough, there has to be something else that intrigues an audience.”
Nico seemed at a loss to understand how he ended up here. “As far as being in the bottom the last three weeks, I don’t know, I don’t know why. Like I said, everyone on the show is just so amazing, and every single dancer had the potential to win. So I feel that everyone was so amazing and everyone had a connection with everyone. I guess America wasn’t feeling me these last few weeks?” he says, his voice breaking. “It is what it is, it’s the nature of the show, everyone’s got to go at some point, so, I don’t know.”
Bittersweet moments
Each time Makenzie landed in the bottom over the past weeks, and was saved by the judges, it meant another female dancer was eliminated in her place. Did this make her feel guilty? “I guess I never thought of it that way, that I was replacing someone else. I mean, it has to happen. We’ve been saved, it’s the nature of the show: someone has to leave. I was so thankful that the judges, ‘cause I have landed in the bottom so many times, that they did save me and see something in me and wanted to see me in upcoming weeks.”
She adds, “Of course it is an awful feeling, it’s bittersweet, because you want to stay there and I’ve gotten to stay there, and Malece [Miller, last week’s eliminated contestant] is one of my best friends – my roommate – and seeing her go…you have to see someone go every week and it’s heart wrenching no matter what. Of course you are so happy for yourself that you are staying, but there’s a part of you that just goes out to the person that’s leaving, because you want them to be a part of it too. So, I mean, I wouldn’t say guilt, but it’s bittersweet and it’s so hard seeing someone go.”
Solos
For a change this week, judge Nigel Lythgoe announced that they would not be asking the bottom four to dance for their lives, because they had already seen all four dance their solos during their previous weeks in the bottom. However, the dancers had mixed feelings about this announcement.
“I feel kind of the same way.” Makenzie agreed. “I mean, at that point, I would have loved to do my solo, just like [Nico] said, to show everyone what I do. I mean, the only chance you get to show your style is when you do your solo, because every week you’re given something different. So I wouldn’t say I was frustrated, just because in that moment you just have to be professional about it, and just because I could just focus on my duet with Jacob and put all my energy to that. But just like Nico said, I would have loved to be able to share my solo.”
On page 2: Nico VS Tucker, and All-star Support
So ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
Though America didn’t always get behind Makenzie, repeatedly leaving her in the bottom after the votes were counted, the judges have had nothing but raves about her grace and technique. After her first audition, the judges raved that she was “SO So You Think You Can Dance“. And just this week, Nigel Lythgoe called her “one of the best dancers ever on So You Think You Can Dance”. And as he announced that she would be leaving the competition, Nigel made a point to say that the vote was split 9-6, and that he had voted to save Makenzie, yet was outvoted. What did his words of support mean to Makenzie?
What does Makenzie think set her apart from the rest of the pack, making her a favorite of Nigel’s and the choreographers? “Well, I don’t want to sound like I’m tooting my own horn or anything, but it was amazing that Nigel did see something in me. When I first auditioned, I was so surprised that all of them saw something in me, and I didn’t know what they did see in me. I think all of us had an amazing work ethic, [but] you know, I’m young, I feel like I was really mature, and I was super-professional in the rehearsal room. I wasn’t afraid to try anything and I think choreographers want to work with someone like that, [someone] that’s open-minded. All of us were like that, and that’s what was so amazing, that everyone had that quality, but it was great that Nigel saw that in me.”
All-star support
Making it to the top 10 not only means getting to go on tour, but it also means Makenzie and Nico got the chance to work with some of So You Think You Can Dance’s all-stars this past week. What was that experience like for them?
“Oh my gosh, it was literally the most incredible experience working with all-stars.” Makenzie gushes. “I mean, they’ve all gone through what we’ve gone through, they’ve been in the position that we’ve been in on the show, and since then they’ve done even more, and all of their careers have taken off because of the show. They come back with us and they have so much to teach us and I think I’ve learned so much in a week’s worth, because of the all-stars. They’re so encouraging and so loving. It was literally the most incredible experience working with all of them.”
“I think the professionalism that they brought this past week…definitely made us want to work harder, and it pushed us to our limits and further.” Nico says. “I think working with them definitely inspired us and it made us realize that once you’re where we are, we have more places to go. They’ve done so much, they’re all so successful, such great people, as well as dancers. I knew Comfort before the show and she’s just such a fun person, and such an amazing performer and great dancer.” He adds, “My dance was so much fun, and I’m honored to dance with Comfort.”
Nico vs. Tucker
Without the opportunity to do his solo, Nico, a contemporary dancer, was left with his reptile-themed Napoleon and Tabitha hip-hop routine with all-star Comfort Fedoke, to prove to the judges he was worth keeping in the competition. Did he think drawing hip-hop put him at a disadvantage, or was it a good experience, because he was able to get so into character, and was praised by the judges for it?
“As far as hip-hop goes, I had hip-hop the first week and it was a pretty rough week for my partner Alexis and I.” Nico confesses. “I was excited to do hip-hop this week to, you know, redeem myself, and to show the judges that I can actually do some form of hip-hop. I was lucky enough to have Comfort, who really inspired me, and she really wrenched that character out of me.”
“I did a whole bunch of research on lizards and I literally would YouTube videos of lizards and I would stand in the mirror and make lizard faces. I was lucky enough to have a routine that got to totally show America that I’m capable of doing hip-hop, but, I mean, it would have been cool…” he laughs, “to have a beautiful contemporary piece, choreographed by Travis [Wall, who choreographed Tucker Knox’s emotional routine], and if that’s what I was competing with that night, I mean, it was gonna go to Tucker. Tucker did such a phenomenal job, and it was beautiful, but I just thought to myself, ‘If this is gonna be my last dance…’ I wanted to make it the best that I could. So I went on that stage and I gave it my all, and I’m proud of myself, and I’m glad that that’s what I left with.”
Did Nico feel shafted competing against Tucker, who was automatically placed in the bottom four after not dancing last week, and then went on to have a breakthrough moment, with an emotional routine that kind of put the judges in a position of not very well being able to send Tucker home after all that?
“Okay, every week, two people have to go home, and if it was down to Tucker’s beautiful dance: That was so heart wrenching, but also heart-warming, to see that they could portray that story through dance, it was just really relatable to so many people out there watching, and it had everyone in tears, and the technique that Tucker and Robert showed, it was just perfect. Like Nigel said, all the stars aligned, and that dance was meant to be, and not that it isn’t fair, but I think it was perfect for Tucker. Especially with his backstory, with the whole car crash and how he survived and now he’s back and better than ever. It all worked out for Tucker and God’s watching out for Tucker, and I know God’s watching out for me as well. But it was definitely Tucker’s time to shine, and he definitely did.”
Reuniting for the tour
They’ve been eliminated from the competition, but this doesn’t mean the end for their So You Think You Can Dance journey: they’ll be joining the rest of the top ten for the SYTYCD tour beginning in October. “I think that is everyone’s goal, kind of, when you make top 20.” Makenzie confesses. “Once you make the top 20, you’re like ‘I want to make top 10, I want to make it to that point.’”
“Being a part of the top 10, and now being able to go on tour, it’s an amazing feeling because even though we are eliminated, we know we’re not done with our journey on So You Think You Can Dance, and it’s gonna start right back up in a couple weeks from now. We’re gonna be back at the finale, and then we’re on the road with everyone for two months. So it’s an amazing feeling…bittersweet…but we’re gonna be right back onstage with them really soon, so that’s amazing.”
Future plans
Both dancers have Hollywood aspirations in their focus. Says Makenzie, “I am planning on moving to L.A. and of course wanting to become a working dancer. But as well as that, I really am interested in becoming an actress and going toward the acting field and doing on-camera movie things. Being part of the show and doing on-camera stuff, I kind of have fallen in love with it, so I think I want to go in the acting direction.”
Nico feels similarly. “I live in Virginia, and definitely it’s always been my dream…I feel like California’s my home, so I’ve always wanted to move to L.A. right after school. I actually applied to colleges in California, so we’ll see how that all plays out. I’ve always wanted to act since I was little, so I think dancing and acting are my main priority goal for now. Being on the show was like killing two birds with one stone, I mean, I got to dance while being on TV on a camera, so it was just two dreams come true in one. So I think acting and dancing and maybe modeling on the side?”
Auditions
Taking a step back in time, how did they get here in the first place? What, or who, made them audition for the show?
“I actually wasn’t planning on trying out for SYTYCD. It was a completely different direction than I wanted to go in with my dance career, actually. But my mom and I have always watched the show, and she really really wanted me to try out. I turned 18 a week before the L.A. auditions, so it just kind of worked out, and I didn’t want to regret it if I didn’t try out. So I really did it for my mom, because she’s a huge fan of the show. I just thought, ‘Okay, why not?’, and just went for it.”
Nico, however, has always been working toward this point: “When I was eight years old, this show came on, and I hadn’t even been a dancer then, but I told my mom, I said, ‘Mom, I’m going to be on this show – it’s gonna happen.’ Not ‘I wish’, not ‘I hope’…I mean, I told everybody. I told all my friends, I told all my family, that I was going to be on that show, and that has been my dream since I was eight years old. So ever since I was eight, I worked my butt off, having that goal in the back of my head. I worked everything towards that, and I was just so fortunate to turn 18 two weeks before my audition. I feel like it was meant to be, and it all worked out, and it’s been a dream come true since my audition.”
You can see Makenzie and Nico on the So You Think You Can Dance Tour, coming to a city near you this fall.