So You Think You Can Dance finished up the solo audition rounds in the birthplace of rock and roll: Memphis, TN. Guest host Wayne Brady joined the panel for two days of incredible talent and some more dancing dads.
Some early standouts
Dorian “BluPrint” Hector
You may remember the Dragon House, finalist Cyrus’s house full of animators, from last year. Well, the Dragon House has expanded and has sent another representative to SYTYCD: Dorian “BluPrint” Hector. BluPrint has created his own style of animation, which he likens to a malfunctioning robot. While he came across as rather shy while talking to the judges, he lit up as soon as he started dancing, and proved to be an incredible dancer. So much so, that Mary accidentally dropped an f-bomb when proclaiming he was on the hot tamale train.
Tucker Knox
22-year-old Tucker Knox was on the fast track to Juilliard when he was in a terrible car accident. His spine was broken and his sternum cracked, and doctors weren’t sure if he’d ever be able to walk again. But Tucker persevered, determined to dance again. Today, he has no lingering problems from his accident, and he danced a beautiful and graceful audition. Mary said he took her breath away, Wayne called him a perfect dancer, and Nigel, after making sure he’s not afraid to fly, told him to come get his ticket to Vegas.
Courtney Thurston
18-year-old Courtney Thurston brought her biggest supporter along with her: her dad. A single dad, he raised her and played the role of “dance dad,” bringing her to all of her dance classes. He even ended up marrying Courtney’s dance teacher. Sweet story aside, Courtney is a beautiful dancer, and as Mary said, “a force to be reckoned with.” Turns out she didn’t need her “lucky pig” after all.
Shanshan Qiao-Rothlisberger
Shanshan performed a traditional Mongolian bowl dance, which was a first for SYTYCD. Traditionally, the dance is done with rice wine or horse milk (there was lots of pronunciation confusion with that one) in the bowls, but Shanshan opted against that for her audition. Wearing a beautiful traditional dress, Shanshan captivated the judges and the crowd with her elegant routine, her movements even earning comparisons to season 5 standout, Phillip Chbeeb. They put her through to choreography, and she ended up making it through to Vegas.
Elyse Frelinger
Elyse Frelinger likes hanging upside-down, so it works out well that she is a trapeze instructor on the Santa Monica pier. The trapeze has given her the confidence to pursue dance as a career. Her dancing was beautiful: very liquid and effortless. Nigel said she had everything going for her, and they put her right through to Vegas.
Novien Yarber
Novien Yarber knows that Nigel’s always been a fan of masculine dancers, and his goal with his audition was to prove that contemporary dancers can be masculine too. He certainly proved that with his audition, which elicited gasps from the crowd. Wayne said he looked like a man, like he could kick somebody’s ass while he’s dancing. The judges wasted no time in sending him through to Vegas.
Caleb Brauner
Caleb Brauner was made fun of in school for dancing, so he kept it a secret until his senior year when he broke out a hip hop routine at his high school showcase. He’s studied a number of different styles, but chose to do a contemporary routine for his audition. Playing the role of a nerd in love, he was incredibly entertaining with the technique to back it up. With a little help from his dad in a hip-hop battle, the judges sent him through to Vegas.
Jasmine Harper
Jasmine Harper has some history with SYTYCD, as she used to date last season’s Cyrus, and they broke up because of the show. However, she saw Cyrus grow and improve over the course of the show, so it convinced her to try out. She’s a contemporary dancer, and her routine to Destiny’s Child’s version of “Amazing Grace” was very emotional and beautiful. Wayne said watching her dance was like watching Beyonce and Destiny’s Child perform, and Mary said she spoke very loudly through her body.
Tune in next week for what’s being touted as the “longest, hardest, and most tense” Vegas week in the history of the show. In addition to all the blood, sweat, and tears, there will be appearances by past contestants Twitch and Chelsie Hightower, as well as Hannah Simone, (New Girl‘s Cece.)