This week’s So You Think You Can Dance was a family show in more ways than one, as some very talented parents and children took the stage. Some auditions were less pleasant, as one contestant demonstrates the art of “flexing.”
Los Angeles
Nicholas “Slick” Stewart
Kicking off the night, Slick’s audition was most definitely not for the faint of heart. His specialty is flexing, which is a combination of hat tricks, slides, animation, and bone-breaking. Yes, bone-breaking. You’ll see why, as Slick does things with his arms that can’t possibly be healthy or comfortable, eliciting constant screams from guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Slick impressed with his solo, but couldn’t carry his talent over in the choreography rounds, and was not sent on to Vegas.
Alex Kessinger
18-year-old Alex Kessinger from Riverside, CA overcame her troubled childhood by training with her aunt turned adoptive mother. Her mother looked on proudly as Alex wowed the judges with a very charismatic performance, sending her straight through to the Vegas rounds. There wasn’t even any deliberation, just Mary screaming “Vegaaaaaas!”
Misha Smagin and Mariia Lebedeva
Misha and Mariia are Latin ballroom dancers from New York, and Mariia plays more of a mother and instructor role, keeping Misha in line. After their sexy performance to Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud,” Nigel said Misha was great, while Mariia’s work elicited an enthusiastic “wow!” The judges couldn’t keep their eyes off of Mariia, but sent both dancers straight throught to Vegas.
Emilio “Millie” Dosal
Millie is a 22-year-old Houston, TX native who idolized season 5 contestant Phillip Chbeeb, before eventually joining his crew, and becoming his best friend and roommate. Millie put on an entertaining performance, and the judges put him through to choreography to prove that he could perform outside of his style. He impressed enough there to make it through to the Vegas rounds.
Austin
Donovan Gibbs
Donovan auditioned in order to help out his parents and their dance studio, after financial difficulties forced them to sell their house and car and live out of the studio. His dance was very powerful, and very intense, and expressed the emotion of all his family has been through. Nigel then pulled his father up onstage to battle his son. After some deliberation from the judges, they sent Donovan through to Vegas.
Shane Garcia
Shane has used dance to work through his stutter, and began dancing so that he could speak freely. His routine was so expressive, and so wonderful that it brought judge Mary Murphy to tears. The judges’ praise made even Shane emotional. They were hesitant to send him through to Vegas, unsure of whether he was capable of anything beyond breaking. At this, Shane said, “Because of this [stutter], I am a master at what I do, I can do anything.” His words proved true, as he made it through choreography to the Vegas rounds.
Dannon O’Brien
20-year-old Dannon was one of Austin’s more off-beat contestants. He works for his parents’ haunted house, doing effects make-up and performing, and he brought this sense of drama to his audition, as he writhed onstage at the end of the emotional performance. Guest judge Minnie Driver was so impressed she said, “Clearly you were meant to do that forever.” The judges sent him straight through to Vegas.
Hampton “Exorcist” Williams and Darlesha Goggans
Hampton had one of season 9’s most memorable auditions, and this season he returned with his girlfriend, Darlesha, and 4-year-old daughter, Kira. While most other contestants bring their family members on as a fun joke, the entire Exorcist family was part of the routine, and it was absolutely mind-blowing. Little Kira was the center of the dance, pushing and pulling her parents’ movements. The entire auditorium was on their feet before the performance was even over. Kira is of course too young for the competition, but the judges still sent her to Vegas along with her parents.
Tune in next Tuesday at 8/7c on Fox as So You Think You Can Dance checks out the talent in Boston, MA with the help of guest judge Adam Shankman.