Tony Bellissimo, Host Cat Deeley & Paris Torres (left to right).
Tony Bellissimo, Host Cat Deeley & Paris Torres (left to right).

The day after Paris and Tony were sent home from Season 5, they opened up about their experience on So You Think You Can Dance during a press call.

Paris Torres auditioned last year, and said that the difference between last year’s Vegas week and this year’s Vegas week was big. She said the talent was amazing and everyone at Vegas week could have been finalists on past seasons.

On Wednesday’s show, Paris performed a hard-hitting hip hop routine with her partner, Tony. The routine was jam-packed with all types of hip hop. She said the dance was “hectic and hard and stressful for the first week,” but at rehearsal they were nailing the routine, and choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon were pleased with their progress. Paris said that she and Tony left rehearsals confident, but continued to practice often, so she believes that they ended up over-practicing and the dance may have become just a series of steps. In addition, Paris and Tony performed in tight, elaborate costumes while wearing headphones that constricted their movement. They learned to work with what they got and they tried their best.

After watching Paris and Tony dance to “Let The Beat Rock (Remix),” the judges said the dance was good but not great, so Paris and Tony worked hard on their solos just in case they fell in the bottom 3. Paris choreographed three dances to five of the songs on her list, but the song that got cleared was one she hadn’t prepared for, so she did her best at the spur of the moment.

Paris says she completely understands the decision the judges made. There are many girl contemporary dancers this season, and she understands the show works best with a variety of styles. Nigel’s comment about this actually made her more at ease with the judges’ decision.

Most of all, Paris said she “wanted to grow as a dancer” in the competition, and would have wanted to work with all of the choreographers, including Mandy Moore, who was one of her idols growing up.

The most memorable moment for Paris was when she found out she made the Top 20. Her second most memorable moment was taking the stage for her first performance and hearing the audience yell for her, “it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Paris said.

Lastly, Paris would like to thank all of her fans who voted for her. “It means the world to me.”

Tony Bellissimo does not feel failed by the routine he performed during this week’s performance show. He loves Tabitha and Napoleon and said they created a great routine, and it was up to Tony and Paris to execute it properly.

During Vegas week, we saw Tony’s solo audition, which included several pictures of Nigel’s face. He likes to dance comedic routines and said the one in Vegas was “to let Nigel know that I know he’s watching me.” Like Paris, Tony auditioned last season too. He said that Vegas week was more emotional for him this season, but it was worth it because he had a very spiritual dance experience.

The judges put Tony in the Top 20 and said they wanted to see him grow as a dancer, but Tony thinks, given a dance in his own style the first week, he wasn’t able to show growth.

Tony is, and always has been, hyperactive and a daydreamer. As a result, his parents enrolled him in a variety of activities including sports, dance, and theater. He said that his sports teammates didn’t make fun of him for dancing because Tony would reason, “Why tackle guys all day when you could pick up girls?” He even invited his best friend to tag along to hip hop class, and his friend instantly understood why Tony gets so much joy out of dance.

The most memorable moment of Season 5 for Tony has been hearing Cat call his name during the performance night intros. Tony is leaving the show in good spirits and says he’s thankful for the opportunity he had on the show, and he hopes to reenter the dancing world as a better trained dancer. “I will always be a Top 20 Season 5 contestant, and no one can take that away from me. No one.”