Many of the dancers from So You Think You Can Dance‘s NYC auditions have overcome incredible odds to get to dance on this stage, and they certainly proved their worth once they got there.
It was an emotional night on So You Think You Can Dance, as we met several contestants who found dance as a way to escape the negativity in their lives. It’s incredible to see the way people have fought against so much just to dance, and have become stronger for it.
NYC standouts
Korey Cleveland
Korey Cleveland is the perfect example of how dancing can turn your life around. After a crappy upbringing, and a few years spent behind bars, Korey promised himself that if he could make it 30 days sober, he would come audition for So You Think You Can Dance. And on his 31st day, an emotional Korey took the stage for an awesome hip hop performance for the judges. Nigel told him that he’d have to stay sober for 90 days, until Vegas callbacks, and Korey promised to bring his red 90-days-sober chip to show Nigel.
Alain “Hurrikane” LaTure
Locker Alain “Hurrikane” LaTure is originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but moved to the U.S. as a child to escape the conflict in his home country. He watched a lot of music videos when he first got to the U.S., and it inspired his love of dance. Alain’s routine was so fun, entertaining, and exciting, and made that much better by the huge smile on his face. The judges loved his spirit, as well as his dancing, and sent him right through to Vegas.
Kenya Welch & Connor Bermingham
Kenya Welch and Connor Bermingham broke the mold with their audition, as contemporary dancers typically audition as soloists. But their duet to A Great Big World’s “Say Something” was stunning, and certainly did enough to show off the talents of both dancers. Connor, in particular, really impressed the judges with his strength and flexibility. Jason DeRulo said that watching their routine, he felt like a fan, not a judge, which is a huge compliment.
Ryan Raffloer
Ryan Raffloer’s mom pushed him into dance, because she wanted to keep him off the streets. All these years later, Ryan is a very talented Latin ballroom dancer, and his mom is very proud of “her work.” Ryan took the stage solo for his audition, which is tough for a Latin ballroom dude, so he had to overcompensate a little bit, with cheesiness. (His song choice of Tom Jones’ “Sex Bomb” did nothing to minimize the cheesiness.) Nigel compared his audition to that of season 2’s Dmitri Chaplin, which is very high praise indeed, and Jason said his dancing feels expensive, which seems like a really cool compliment.
Eliazer Chapman
Eliazer Chapman is a b-boy representing the original Bronx style of breaking. He’s had a rough start, growing up in a shelter, but performing on the street helped make enough money to get himself and his father out of the shelter. His audition was absolutely incredible. His freezes at the beginning seemed so impossible, he had the crowd on their feet after only about 15 seconds. He was energetic and exciting, and completely captivating to watch. Definitely made the Bronx proud.
Darius Drooh
Darius Drooh was a little nervous for his audition, because he is a huge Paula Abdul fan, having been inspired by her choreography at an early age. He didn’t let his nerves slow him down, however, as his beautiful contemporary routine had him jumping from one stunning move to the next. Nigel’s only complaint was that there was no break to stop and appreciate what Darius had done. But because he’s not completely a “Cold Hearted Snake,” he and the rest of the gang put Darius through to Vegas.
With the first round of auditions completed, tune in next week to see how the advancing contestants handle the Vegas callbacks, and their first shot at choreography. The So You Think You Can Dance Vegas callbacks air next Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox.