Posts Tagged ‘elimination’
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Mollee and Legacy Talk About Their Experiences on the Show and More
The week before Season 6’s finale shows, Mollee Gray and Legacy Perez received the fewest votes and had to leave the competition. On a press call the morning after their elimination, Mollee and Legacy opened up about their experience on SYTYCD.
Mollee Gray, an 18 year old jazz dancer from Orem, Utah, grew up participating in both dance and gymnastics. When she turned 15, the schedules began to conflict and she chose dance because she thought it would provide more of a career path for her. However, Mollee got her first big break when she was 13 years old as an ensemble member of High School Musical. “I was just a little teenager and I went into this audition and it just was supposed to be a little tiny film that no one was really going to know, but I was like, ‘Well, might as well start my career off early.’ And then I ended up booking a job and it ended up being a huge world phenomenon. So I was very, very lucky and very grateful to have got a jumpstart so early in my life for this career.” Mollee has appeared in all three HSM movies.
Throughout the few months that Mollee has been dancing on SYTYCD, she has grown and matured before our eyes. Mollee described the transformation saying, “I think when we got in the Top 10 and split our partnership, when I was able to do more mature movement with like the lyrical jazz and doing the jive, and having more mature partners such as Russell, I felt like I leaped forward a ton in the competition.”
Of all of the dances Mollee did on the show, her Viennese waltz (that she performed the night before her elimination) struck a chord with her. “My favorite dance that I think I’ve ever done in my entire life was the Viennese Waltz with Jacob because he was the most amazing partner I think I have ever worked with and his personality – he was so uplifting. And then the storyline was amazing. Jason’s choreography just worked out so well. It was just honestly a dream come true and it was the most magical experience I have ever been through.”
So You Think You Can Dance has been a great experience for Mollee, who learned during Vegas auditions that the show is more than just a dance competition. “Technique will get you far, but it won’t get you to that top spot. It also depends on your personality and what America thinks of you…I definitely learned a lot about myself and I’ve grown as a person and I learned a lot through this whole experience.”
What’s next for the young jazz dancer? Mollee hopes to act, sing, and dance. She’s been acting for 7 years, singing for 5 years, and dancing for 13 years. “I feel like I have the title of a triple threat because I’ve been training in dance, singing, and acting, so I hope that my future involves anything in the entertainment industry whether it be Broadway or movies – just anything I can be performing in.”
The Top 20 are a tight-knit group of dancers, and Mollee ended her phone conversation saying, “Everybody in the Top 20 are really my best friends, and everybody deserves to be in the finale. So I’m proud of everyone and make sure America votes because it really does count to all the dancers.”
Legacy Perez, the 28 year old b-boy originally from Miami, Florida, proved that b-boys can be emotional too. While on the show, Legacy found a new style of dance that moved him. “I love contemporary because it comes from the heart and it makes it so that the movement doesn’t have to be perfect, the ‘why you do it’ has to be perfect.” Of the many routines Legacy performed on SYTYCD, his favorite dances he did were both of his contemporary pieces. Legacy explained that the dances were less about technique and more about connecting with the story and the emotion behind the dancing. “It was more of the feeling – and what it made me feel when I danced – that made it more enjoyable than anything else.” He plans on taking his new found love and knowledge of contemporary dance with him. “I want to be able to incorporate contemporary in my breaking and choreograph something amazing that has not been seen by the world yet.”
On the other hand, the most difficult dance Legacy took on was the Viennese waltz. “It was so slow and melodic and beautiful, and it’s everything against what I normally would do. And I think the actual opportunity to take that obstacle and make it get amazing and make the dance feel like it’s supposed to be helped me out in my last solo.”
As a b-boy, has Legacy lost any “street cred” by putting himself out on the line and getting emotional in his dancing? Quite the contrary. Legacy told us that he’s gained respect in the b-boy world. He said that his fans “text me and they write to me on the internet saying to me, ‘Thank you so much, you’ve inspired me to take classes and become a better dancer.’ And to me that’s like the ultimate [praise] because b-boys usually [find it] very difficult to adapt, and the fact that people are actually wanting to do it because they see somebody opening that doorway is very exciting for me.”
Legacy said he was surprised he made it all the way to the Top 8. “Going into the competition I didn’t even think I would make Top 20,” Legacy admitted. “Everybody is technical and they’re able to pick up choreography with ease…What I had to bring to the table [was] dancing with my heart and my passion. And I was surprised that I made it this far and I’m glad that I made it this far because I was able to show people that it can be done and inspire people in their lives to do whatever it is that they want to put their mind to.”
What’s next for Legacy? “I want to pursue acting for sure…I want to choreograph and later on after that get into directing. I think my b-boy creativity has opened up my mind to making pieces that are going to be different and impacting.”
Lastly, Legacy “would love to say thank you everybody – whoever voted and whoever didn’t. But as long as they got a piece of something from all of our dances and as long as they were inspired in some way, I want to just thank them for watching and making it possible for all of us to still be here and have another successful season with the show.”
Congrats to Mollee and Legacy on making it to the week before the big finale! If you’d like to learn more about these two dancers or anyone else in the Top 20, visit the contestant profiles.
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Nathan and Noelle Talk About Their Season 6 Experience
Host Cat Deeley with Nathan and Noelle
Soon after Noelle Marsh and Nathan Trasoras were eliminated from the So You Think You Can Dance Top 10, we caught up with them on a press call. They opened up about their experience on the show and what their future plans are.
Nathan Trasoras auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance’s fifth season when he was only 17. Even though he was not old enough to be on the show, the judges gave him a ticket to Vegas for Season 6, when he would be 18. He was inspired to begin dancing by his older brothers. “It’s just really nice to have a family member able to do the same thing that you do, especially when I look up to my brother, and he is telling me, ‘Hey, dancing is a real thing you can pursue as a career.’ Of course, I’m going to be like, ‘this is going to be really cool.’” Nathan began enrolling in dance classes and became increasingly immersed in the dance world. He even became friends with Season 4’s runner-up, Twitch Boss. “I eventually went from one class to two classes a week until I was dancing every day, and then I got to meet Twitch on the way in. Twitch is my close friend, too and he is doing well and it’s just really nice to have a humble guy become successful.”
For the first five weeks of the competition, Nathan was partners with Mollee Gray. “She’s just very positive and it’s just really nice to have the energy around when you’re trying to pick up a dance style, because you can’t always be serious. You have to always enjoy life, because sometimes people do get caught up with the idea of dancing and take it too seriously and you always need that one person to remind you that this is something you love doing, so it’s just really nice to have her around.”
In his final week on the show, Nathan performed a Broadway routine that was well received. When asked if he would consider pursuing a career dancing on Broadway, Nathan said, “I love having my doors open, and if there’s a job where I get to do Broadway, I would love to do that because Broadway is just very pleasant to do. It’s always nice not to be so serious, and just to have a good time and it’s always nice to entertain people and that’s part of being a performer, so I would love to. If I got offered a Broadway job, I would take it.”
Nathan’s favorite dance he performed was the Bollywood piece he did early on in the season with Mollee. Nathan said he, “got to learn about the Indian culture, and not just dancing. I got to learn about the history of it. And I believe that was another thing for me to appreciate, because a lot of people get stuck in one genre and it’s just always nice to have that around.”
As one of the youngest dancers in the competition, does Nathan wish he waited until he was older to compete on the show? “I don’t wish that I went later because this show actually sped up my process of learning,” Nathan remarked. He also said he’ll take all of the comments and criticism and use them to better his dancing and apply them to his future auditions. “You’ll always make mistakes and you have to always be open to changes.”
Nathan is appreciates SYTYCD as a learning experience and said that the show opened up a new world of dance to him. “I learned that I have love for ballroom now, when it comes down to it. There’s such a big world out there for ballroom and I didn’t know that. I was always more into the competition for contemporary and jazz, and I didn’t know there was another world like ballroom. So, now that I was opened up to it and I got a chance to do rumba and salsa, now I want to start pursuing that.”
Noelle Marsh, a contemporary dancer from North Carolina, always kept her spirits up, even when she was injured during the first week of the competition. “That was definitely the lowest point in my journey with So You Think You Can Dance, because for that slight moment when I was almost taken out of the competition, it was like everything I had ever worked for was about to be taken away from me,” Noelle recalls. “But I think it definitely brought out a different side of me. It pushed me that much harder to come back in and just lay it all out there and show why I am in Top 20 and it definitely gave me a lot more to work for than I think the other contestants because I was a week behind everyone else.”
For the first five weeks of the competition, Noelle was paired up with krumper Russell Ferguson. “I was actually really excited that I got someone that was complete opposite of me, because I didn’t want anyone who did contemporary. Because I think it helped out as far as like getting hip-hop or stuff like the African Jazz, or even Russell’s done ballroom before. So to have someone that that was experienced in all of those areas was really nice, because it was a good balance. It was a good mixture. We were complete opposite, so together we were almost like the perfect match, because we could help each other out in so many ways.”
Although Noelle was let go during the Top 10 week, she reached a big dream of hers. “I just wanted to be able to make Top 10, because it’s so hard to leave behind all of the friends that you make. To have the comfort that I’m going to be able to spend three months with them, and I’m still going to be able to share my love for dance with America on tour, that’s what’s most important for me. It wasn’t about winning or making the finale, I just wanted to never stop dancing.”
African Jazz was a style of dance introduced this season, and Noelle got to be a part of it. “I was so confused when I pulled it out, because I was like, ‘I don’t think they’d ever had this on the show before,’ and Russell and I had no clue what to expect. So going into that was having to set the standard for African Jazz for the rest of the show, because they never had it. We debuted it. We were kind of stressed out. We didn’t know what to expect, but I think it was probably my favorite piece of the season and I’m so glad that we got to expose that genre to the show and it was so much fun working with Russell. We really clicked in that routine. I think it was a breakthrough moment for us and our partnership.”
Even though the Top 20 dancers are in competition with one another, Noelle said everyone helps each other out. “I learned a lot from everyone. I can’t really pinpoint one person, because even the people that I didn’t work with, we all share such a bond and such a relationship, where I feel like everyone has helped each other to grow. Because we’re constantly working with each other behind the scenes, and helping each other out and each person has helped me to grow, in so many ways, and they have brought out a piece of me that I never knew I had.”
Noelle leaves the competition with her head held high and as bubbly as ever. “I just think the experience was definitely the most rewarding experience I have ever had in my life. Just to think that I could have inspired or impacted maybe just one person’s life is all I could have ever asked for. All I want to do is just share my love for this art and just give back all that I can, so it was just completely amazing. I couldn’t ask for more.”
To learn more about Nathan, Noelle, and the rest of the contestants, click here.
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Top 6 Finalists Revealed: More Than 8 Million Votes Cast!
Mollee Gray and Legacy Perez (shown above with Host Cat Deeley) were eliminated from the competition.
Ashleigh Di Lello, Ryan Di Lello, Russell Ferguson, Jakob Karr, Kathryn McCormick and Ellenore Scott were named SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’s Top 6 finalists after host Cat Deeley revealed that Mollee Gray, 18, a Jazz dancer from Upland, CA, and Legacy Perez, 28, a Hip Hop/B-Boy dancer from Los Angeles, CA, were eliminated from the competition. This week’s results show also featured performances by AMERICAN IDOL’s Kris Allen and pop group Wonder Girls.
It was also announced tonight that auditions for Season Seven of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE will begin in January 2010 in Miami. Please return to fox.com/dance for details.
The final performance show, airing Tuesday, Dec. 15 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, will feature the ultimate showdown between the Top 6 finalists as they compete to impress judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman and capture America’s vote. Immediately following the performance show, the phone lines will open and viewers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite remaining finalists.
Then, tune in the following night, Wednesday, Dec. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), for one of the most-anticipated television events of the fall. The two-hour live finale will showcase performances by this season’s Top 20 dancers and feature some of the year’s hottest artists, including Adam Lambert, Leona Lewis with a special debut performance of “I See You” (Theme from “Avatar”) and The Groovaloos. At the end of the celebration, host Cat Deeley will reveal America’s vote, and America’s Favorite Dancer will be crowned live before millions of television viewers. The winner will dance off with a cash prize of $250,000 and will be featured on the cover of the March 2010 issue of Dance Spirit magazine.
The Top 6 finalists had this to say about what it means to make it to the finale of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE:
Ashleigh Di Lello
Dance Specialty: Latin Ballroom
Hometown: Orem, UT
Currently Resides: Orem, UT
Age: 26“It is absolutely incredible! Words cannot describe what it means to make it to the finale. I feel like the luckiest and most blessed person in the world.”
Ryan Di Lello
Dance Specialty: Ballroom
Hometown: Springville, UT
Currently Resides: Orem, UT
Age: 28“I have worked my guts off, and I am so grateful to have made it this far.”
Kathryn McCormick
Dance Specialty: Contemporary
Hometown: Augusta, GA
Currently Resides: Burbank, CA
Age: 19“Making it to the finale is incredible. This whole experience has been a blessing and will stay with me forever.”
Russell Ferguson
Dance Specialty: Hip Hop/Krump
Hometown: Boston, MA
Currently Resides: Boston, MA
Age: 20“Making it this far in the competition is a dream come true.”
Jakob Karr
Dance Specialty: Contemporary
Hometown: Windermere, FL
Currently Resides: New York, NY
Age: 19“This competition has helped me learn and grow as a dancer, and it has been the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Ellenore Scott
Dance Specialty: Contemporary/Jazz
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Currently Resides: Brooklyn, NY
Age: 19“Making it this far in the competition is proof that dreams come true! Being in the finale is a truly amazing experience.”
AMERICAN IDOL’s Adam Lambert, pop sensation and three-time Grammy nominee Leona Lewis And Dance Team The Groovaloos will perform during live Season Finale Wednesday, December 16.
What did you think of the results?
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Karen and Victor Talk About Their Top 20 Experience
Cat Deeley with Victor and Karen
Karen Hauer and Victor Smalley were eliminated just before Season 6’s Top 10 dancers were selected, but they both have positive outlooks on their So You Think You Can Dance experience. On a recent press call, both dancers talked about their elimination, working with new partners, and the future.
Victor Smalley, the 21 year old contemporary dancer from Miami, Florida, was eliminated during the Top 12 results show despite performing a solo that judge Nigel Lythgoe said truly represents “dancing for your life.” Even though Victor was eliminated after hearing such a comment, he held his head high. “I just was happy with myself,” Victor recalled. “I was content, even though I was getting cut, because I felt like I had danced my life out and I had no regrets…Plus, with what Nigel told me made me really happy. So I felt like if it was my time to go; I left on a good note.”
Victor started off the season partnering Bianca Revels. After her week two elimination, Victor was matched up with Channing Cooke. Channing was eliminated after he worked with her for two weeks, and he was paired with Karen Hauer. Meanwhile, most of the other couples stayed in tact. “It’s hard getting a bunch of different partners because everyone in the Top 10 right now has had their partners since the beginning,” Victor mentioned. “You understand how your partner works. It’s very easy to get married to your partner. When I had Bianca, and I only had her for three weeks, I was married to her. So when she got cut I was devastated…It’s tough, but that’s what you have to do. A good dancer is expected to be able to dance with anyone.”
Although Victor and Karen only had a week to dance together, the partnership was a good one. Victor said that Karen “has so much passion when she dances, and confidence.” He enjoyed working with her and said they had great chemistry. “When we danced our tango, it looked like we were dancing since the beginning of the show together. It’s not easy getting a new partner and just connecting like that…I felt that we had a lot of natural chemistry.”
That tango with Karen ended up being Victor’s favorite performance on the show, and he said it was one of his Top 5 favorite performances ever. Victor told us why he wanted to get a ballroom dance so badly: “I was dying to get ballroom because the whole show I’ve been barefoot. I’ve had contemporary twice. I had Broadway, which was barefoot and was jazzy. I had a jazz routine, so this was my first week having shoes on. And I was really excited because I think it’s easier to impress the judges when you’re a contemporary dancer and you do something that’s not in your style compared to you being a contemporary dancer and doing contemporary – it’s expected that it’s going to be good. So I was very excited to show them that I could do other styles.”
Always optimistic, Victor is grateful for the experience. “I’m just very blessed to have come this far and to be on the Top 20…And even though I’m cut, I’m thanking God every day that I was able to show the world what I can do and I was able to experience all the great benefits that come with being on the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance. This isn’t the end for me; this is just the beginning for me. This was my first big job that I’ve done as a dancer, so it’s a great way to start.”
Victor also left us with the following bit of advice. “It’s never too late to follow your dreams and to start dancing. I’ve only been dancing five years and I was on the Top 20, so I motivate all the dancers out there to go out and dance, and dance their heart out.”
Karen Hauer, the Venezuelan 27 year old American Rhythm/Latin Ballroom dancer from Fort Lee, New Jersey, was known to dance some really steamy and sexy numbers on So You Think You Can Dance. At one point in the competition, when Karen fell in the bottom group of dancers despite a great performance, Nigel mentioned that perhaps younger girls were intimidated by Karen’s sexy vibe. Karen said, “I was just being myself. I embrace who I am. It’s all about really putting yourself out there…you should always embrace who you are no matter what.”
When she was 8 years old, Karen came to America with her family. One year after settling here, her father abandoned the family. “That time was when I found dance and I was picked out of a school-wide audition for this program called Arts Connection. It helped me get through the bad times and the good times and because of it, here I am today.” Karen used dance as a way to escape the troubling times she was going through. “It gave me a way to release all of the emotions that I had and to bring new light into my life as well.”
While on Season 6, Karen was partners with Kevin Hunte until the last week she was on the show when she had Victor Smalley as a partner. Karen enjoyed dancing with both guys. “With Kevin, we had met in New York previously, so we’re both New Yorkers and we had danced together in Vegas.” When they went back to the east coast as they were waiting to hear whether or not they made the Top 20, their paths crossed again. “It was such a coincidence that when we were in New York taking dance classes together, we were making believe that we were dance partners already. So the connection was instantaneous with Kevin.” Karen enjoyed her one short week working with Victor too, and said, “The technicality that Victor has is at another level. I really enjoyed it and he really surprised me and he inspired me as well. So they were both amazing to work with.”
Being the last girl cut before the coveted Top 10 dancers were chosen was tough for Karen. “It was like tease. It was like you’re making it and now you’re not.” However, Karen remains optimistic. “It’s like a dream for everybody, but just the fact that I made it this far out of thousands of dancers, it’s amazing. Yes, Top 10 would have been amazing, but I am extremely happy with how far I got in the competition.”
Often times, ballroom dancers have difficulty performing solos on the show because they are used to working with a partner. “It’s not an excuse that I can’t dance by myself,” Karen said. “I thought I did very well in my solos and I wish I had more time to prepare. But it’s one of those things that I just went out there and I danced my heart out no matter what, whether it was with a partner or whether it was just by myself.”
Karen’s future looks bright and she’s making plans. “My next step would be just keep on dancing, whatever doors, maybe Broadway, maybe going on the tour or something. I’m very excited to see what’s coming up, but definitely dancing and teaching and continuing to spread the word of dance.” Also, Karen can’t wait to get home and see her family. “I’m extremely homesick. I’ve never been this homesick in my life and I can’t wait to go back and just have my family.” All in all, Karen is grateful for this opportunity. “I am here as an artist to amaze, thrill, and inspire, and to show people that you can do it and you will do it if you put 100% into it.”
Remember to watch So You Think You Can Dance this Tuesday, December 8, to see the Top 8 dancers perform. Who’s your favorite favorite dancer? You can let your friends know by creating your own custom e-card.
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Channing Cooke and Kevin Hunte Discuss Time on Show
Host Cat Deeley with Kevin and Channing
The morning after they were eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance, Channing Cooke and Kevin Hunte opened up on a press call about their time on the show and their lives going forward.
Channing Cooke, the ice cream scooper and athlete from Haverhill, Massachusetts, performed a jazz routine the week she got eliminated. The judges thought it was the first week that she looked like she was truly enjoying herself. Channing commented on the dance to Bobby McFerrin’s version of “Blackbird” saying, “I thought it was a cool dance, and I thought that the choreography went well with the music. Everyone has their opinions, and I thought the song was cool and different.”
When asked to dance as a bird this week, Channing tackled the challenge head on. “It is definitely fun to get into character because then it takes your dancing to a different level, as opposed to just doing a straight out style. You get to live in the character and it makes it fun and more exciting for people to watch so they can kind of get into the character with you.”
Originally, Channing was partnered with Phillip Attmore and when he was sent home she was paired with Victor Smalley. Nigel commented that people didn’t connect emotionally to her and Victor, but Channing said, “Victor and I had a great partnership and I wish it showed through a little more.”
When Phillip and Channing danced together, they struggled with the lifts. “It was tough, but I felt like at times I probably could have lifted him better than he lifted me,” Channing said with a laugh. “But, we worked it out and we figured out how to use my strengths to work with his strengths. I fell on my head a few times, but it ended up working kind of well in the end.”
Nigel Lythgoe mentioned that Channing’s technique was there, but her personality wasn’t. “I have been working on my technique for about 15 years, so the technique part will always be there. It’s just the personality didn’t come through on the show as much as I had hoped it would have. But they’re both very strong points that I have; just one came through more to them than the other.”
After several weeks on the show, Channing feels inspired. “I feel that now I can push myself through boundaries that I had set before, that I can keep on going and going and going to places that I never thought were possible. I’m never going to set limits on myself ever again because I know that I can break them.”
Hip hop dancer Kevin Hunte wowed the judges in Vegas with his mastery over choreography in each style and his improvement since auditioning for the show a few seasons ago. “I made it to the green mile and I got cut in the Top 32. Mia Michaels actually told me that she wanted me to grow more and she wanted me to come back next season. So I took two seasons off and trained and trained and trained, and I came back and actually made the Top 20.”
Kevin is a hip hop dancer who didn’t start dancing until his mom put him in classes when he was already a teenager. He’s mainly untrained, but has taken some classes. “I’m a hip-hopper, but I have taken some ballet classes and modern classes…I actually had the privilege of joining a contemporary company called Creative Outlet Dance Theatre in Brooklyn and through that company I have just been taking classes and performing with them. That is basically all the training that I have.”
Kevin loved the opportunity to showcase his abilities and to dance in his own style with Russell Ferguson and Legacy Perez during the Meet the Top 20 show. “That was the most amazing experience ever…Russell [and I] became like brothers on the show. Just to do that together was mind-blowing.”
Not every dance came easy to Kevin on the show. He reflected on the toughest, Broadway, revealing, “It just took me out of my element. It took me by surprise – a lot of the character, the style of dance, the movement, just the whole feel of it was kind of different. It was just so fast.”
If Kevin had the chance to stick around a bit longer in the contest, he would have wanted to dance a contemporary piece. “I just really wanted to let go and show that a hip hop dancer can emote and can give off the whole contemporary feeling, because a lot of times the hip hop dancers can’t really do the contemporary style. I was actually kind of excited [about] working with some contemporary choreographers such as Tyce Diorio, Stacey Tookey, or Mandy Moore because being around them and seeing them choreograph for other couples, you get inspired and excited and you want to work with them…I really, really wanted to do contemporary.”
What’s next for K’bez? “Auditioning, auditioning, auditioning! Movies, some more modeling things, try to get in some campaigns, some billboards, and some print work, just basically getting myself out there. I am the kind of person who is never going to stop. I am just going to keep on moving. I just thank God for this opportunity for So You Think You Can Dance because it was a stepping stone to help get my career started.”
It sounds like the future will be bright for Channing and Kevin! Learn more about them and all of the Top 20 here.
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Finalists Karen Hauer and Victor Smalley were eliminated
Cat Deeley with Victor and Karen
Finalists Karen Hauer and Victor Smalley were eliminated tonight. Hauer, 27, is a Latin Ballroom dancer from Queens, NY; and Smalley, 21, is a Contemporary dancer from Miami, FL. This week’s results show also featured special performances by Shakira and American Ballet Theatre member Paloma Herrera.
The three couples who received the fewest votes after Tuesday’s performance show were: Karen Hauer and Victor Smalley; Mollee Gray and Nathan Trasoras; and Ellenore Scott and Ryan Di Lello. After each of these six dancers performed solo routines, the judges eliminated Hauer and Smalley.
The fate of the dancers now rests solely in the hands of America as the competition continues on television’s most original dance show Tuesday, Dec. 1 (8:30-11:00 PM ET; 7:30-10:00 PM CT; 7:00-9:00 PM MT; 8:00-10:00 PM PT) following live coverage of President Obama’s Address to the Nation on FOX. The Top 10 finalists (Ashleigh Di Lello, Ryan Di Lello, Russell Ferguson, Mollee Gray, Jakob Karr, Noelle Marsh, Kathryn McCormick, Legacy Perez, Ellenore Scott and Nathan Trasoras) will be paired with new partners as they compete to be named America’s Favorite Dancer.
The following night, there will be special performances by Snoop Dogg with Quest Crew and LXD (Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) before America’s vote is revealed and two more dancers are sent home on the live results show Wednesday, Dec. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).
Additionally, Cat Deeley will host the first fundraiser benefiting The Dizzy Feet Foundation at the renowned Kodak Theatre in Hollywood this Sunday, Nov. 29. The special event will celebrate the world of dance and will feature fan-favorite routines from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and other hit television series, as well as dancers from the upcoming feature film “Step Up 3-D” and performances by Mary Murphy and Dmitry Chaplin. The event will also showcase the first-ever Dizzy Feet scholarship recipients from The Juilliard School, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Ballet Theatre, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and Mary Murphy’s Champion Ballroom Academy among many others. For more information, visit www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org.
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Finalists Channing Cooke and Kevin Hunte were Eliminated
Host Cat Deeley with Channing and Kevin
Finalists Channing Cooke and Kevin Hunte were eliminated tonight on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Cooke, 18, is a Contemporary dancer from Haverhill, MA; and Hunte, 23, is a Hip Hop dancer from Brooklyn, NY. This week’s results show also featured special performances by Australian guitarist Orianthi and dancers from NDM Bollywood Dance Productions.
The three couples who received the fewest votes after Tuesday’s performance show were: Karen Hauer and Kevin Hunte; Channing Cooke and Victor Smalley; and Mollee Gray and Nathan Trasoras. After each of these six dancers performed solo routines, the judges eliminated Cooke and Hunte.
The competition continues on television’s most original dance show Tuesday, Nov. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX when the remaining 12 finalists (Ashleigh Di Lello, Ryan Di Lello, Russell Ferguson, Mollee Gray, Karen Hauer, Jakob Karr, Noelle Marsh, Kathryn McCormick, Legacy Perez, Ellenore Scott, Victor Smalley and Nathan Trasoras) compete as couples once again.
The following night, Grammy Award winner Shakira will perform her latest hit, “Give It Up To Me,” before the judges send two more dancers home on the live results show Wednesday, Nov. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).
One of the few truly global superstars of our time, Shakira is extending her reach with her eighth studio album, “She Wolf.” The daring, innovative project is the long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s groundbreaking one-two punch comprised of “Fijación Oral Vol. 1” and “Oral Fixation Vol. 2,” a pair of albums that combined to sell over 12 million copies worldwide and secured the young Colombian-born singer’s place among pop-music royalty. On the heels of its widely successful international debut, Epic Records recording artist Shakira is set to release a special U.S.-only edition of her third English-language studio album, “She Wolf,” on November 23. The special U.S. edition of “She Wolf” will include bonus tracks such as “Give It Up to Me” (produced by Timbaland ft. Lil Wayne) and “Did It Again” (ft. Kid Cudi), as well as exclusive live performances, that are available for the first time anywhere all on one disc. The international release of “She Wolf” has already become an instant success occupying the No. 1 spot in 18 countries and selling 1.5 million albums to-date. Over the course of her career, Grammy winner Shakira has sold close to 50 million albums. Her collaborations with such stars as Beyoncé and Alejandro Sanz have helped keep her audience expanding continually. She is the only artist from South America to have a No. 1 song in the U.S., and her performance was a highlight of the concert celebrating President Obama’s inauguration. She has four of the 20 top-selling hits of the decade – more than any other artist – and that includes 2006’s unforgettable “Hips Don’t Lie,” the biggest-selling single of the 21st century, which reached the No. 1 spot in an astonishing 55 countries.
Dance fans can still flex their judging skills and critique the dancers’ performances now through Tuesday, Dec. 15 on the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Judge-Along Live at http://dancefans.fox.com.
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Finalists Pauline Mata and Peter Sabasino were eliminated tonight.
Finalists Pauline Mata and Peter Sabasino were eliminated tonight on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Mata, 19, is a Jazz dancer from West Covina, CA, and Sabasino, 22, is a Tap dancer from Philadelphia, PA. This week’s results show also featured special performances by members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The three couples who received the fewest votes after Tuesday’s performance show were: Ellenore Scott and Ryan Di Lello; Pauline Mata and Peter Sabasino; and Karen Hauer and Kevin Hunte. After each of these six dancers performed solo routines, the judges eliminated Mata and Sabasino.
The competition continues on Tuesday, Nov. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX when the remaining 14 finalists (Channing Cooke, Ashleigh Di Lello, Ryan Di Lello, Russell Ferguson, Mollee Gray, Karen Hauer, Kevin Hunte, Jakob Karr, Noelle Marsh, Kathryn McCormick, Legacy Perez, Ellenore Scott, Victor Smalley and Nathan Trasoras) compete as couples once again.
The following night, Australian guitarist Orianthi will perform her hit, “According To You,” and dancers from NDM Bollywood Dance Productions will take the stage before the judges send two more dancers home on the live results show Wednesday, Nov. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed)
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Inteviews with Tap Dancers Bianca and Phillip
Bianca Revels and Phillip Attmore made So You Think You Can Dance history as the first tap dancers to make the Top 20, along with Peter Sabasino. The morning after their elimination, Bianca and Phillip discussed what it was like to be a tapper in the competition, their future plans, and more.
Bianca first discovered tap when she was just three years old. “My mom used to play old-school music when she’d clean the house and I would dance around and had no rhythm at all,” Bianca reminisced. “So she was like, ‘Oh no! We have to put you in dance class.’ So she put me in a dance class and out of all of the genres that I’ve studied, tap was my main love and my first love.”
Third time was a charm for Bianca, who auditioned for Seasons 4, 5, and 6. After auditioning last season, Bianca vowed that she would not try-out again. So what made Bianca give it another go? “Over the years of trying, every year I noticed that I grew not only as a dancer, but as a person and, like I always say, they never had a tapper on the show and I was really the first one to bring a wide exposure to it. So I figure why would I just open the door and not walk through it? So I wanted to make sure that I at least made it to the Top 20 and inspired someone to get up and dance, or to show them what tap is really all about.” Bianca said learning different dances wasn’t hard for her, but finding the stamina to tackle dance after dance was difficult. The SYTYCD experience allowed Bianca to develop endurance and stamina.
Due to Major League Baseball’s World Series, America wasn’t able to vote for their favorite dancer during the first two weeks of the competition. Although Bianca would have liked to see what America thought of the tap dancers on the show, she said, “I feel like God had me on this show for the amount of time that he wanted me there and maybe I’m meant to do other things and this is just a beautiful foundation.”
After an amazing contemporary performance week one, Bianca and her partner, Victor Smalley, pulled Broadway out of the hat and danced a southern-style church praise dance. Bianca mentioned that a praise dance can look sloppy if not executed well. However, she thinks they lived up to the challenge. “We gave 110% and that’s all I was concerned about. I don’t like walking off stage with regrets, and I didn’t.” Bianca uses the comments and critiques for her own benefit. “Every critique that I’ve been given over the years, I take it to heart…that’s one thing I will say about the So You Think You Can Dance judges, is that they really do care about our well being…our development as people and as dancers. So every critique that I was given about my speed, about going the extra distance, I will take to heart and apply it and move forward.”
A Detroit native, Bianca has recently moved to Los Angeles (which was shown on the Top 20 show). “I want to get into movies. I also act and I model, so I definitely want to get into movies and a lot of print work and…just keep on pushing and keep on moving.” She said she hopes to be like her entertainment idol, Halle Berry.
Like Bianca, Phillip Attmore discovered a love for dance at three years old. “I don’t remember the first time that I saw Singin’ in the Rain, but I used to watch that over and over and over again,” Phillip said. “Gene Kelly is one of my heroes, and Fred Astaire, and Gregory Hines, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Those four, in particular, had a huge impact on my life. I remember stepping into a tap class and saw that that’s exactly what people were doing from what I saw on the screen and from there I fell in love. I took other styles of dance as well. I took singing lessons and I just decided then and there that I wanted to be a performer – at the age of three!”
People have been wondering if it’s hard for a tap dancer to prove themselves in a 30 second solo. Phillip shared his point of view: “It’s not actually that hard to convey what you’re trying to do. I mean my style in particular is very much a fusion between like theatrical jazz dancing and like rhythm tap. I take a little bit of Gene, a little bit of Gregory, and splice different things together, the best of different things so that I can create an art in 30 seconds that’s really a mini piece. I like to create an art, not just do tricks and stuff like that, but create a mini piece.”
When it came time for the judges to reveal their decision, Nigel Lythgoe voiced that he was not happy about cutting Phillip. After the show, Nigel approached Phillip. “Nigel came up to me. He said he was sorry for my loss. I don’t know that he and the judges knew that I had lost my father. And yes, he said it was really hard to let us go, so he expressed that as well, which was really a nice exchange before I left, you know, to be able to thank him,” Phillip said.
For both weeks of the competition, Phillip and his partner, Channing Cooke, had to dance in the ballroom genre. “I’m not a ballroom dancer, and in three days I had to learn 30 years worth of partnering. I actually am stronger and I have studied extensively in contemporary and hip-hop and other styles other than ballroom, so I would have loved to have had contemporary, or hip-hop or something else other than a ballroom style two times in a row.” After having to learn a classical competitive samba, Phillip said that if he is required to learn that technical of a dance, other dancers could pull-off learning a tap routine.”
During the Top 20 week, Phillip revealed that he writes and performs spoken-word poetry. Phillip is playing with the idea of taking a break from dance to pursue some other dreams. “I’m a writer as well and something that I’ve always wanted to do is publish a book, and I do have something prepared. My next step is just getting it out to literary agents and publishing companies.” Having danced in squatter camps in South Africa, Phillip stated, “I’m quite passionate about traveling the world and seeing my poetry reach people around the world, in addition to dancing…Then I can always go to New York and audition for the next Broadway show. You know, that’s sort of my background, but publishing is what I’d really like to pursue.” A while back, Phillip performed in a cabaret show in Paris and is interested in performing tap with poetry in the future. “I think that a lot of my writing in the last few years, and especially now with an even deeper arc with my father’s passing, I think there’s going to be a lot that’s going to fuel me to produce a show with not only dancing and poetry for entertainment, but with heart value as well.”
After a roller-coaster few weeks on SYTYCD, Phillip said, “I’ve left this show with 19 other incredibly gifted friends that I will always support and always vote for as long as the show is running. I’m just looking up. I’m looking forward with hope and with an expectation that God’s going to do great things in my life.”
We wish our history-making tap dancers all the best on their next endeavors. Learn more about Phillip and Bianca and the rest of the finalists in the Top 20 contestants section.
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Ariana and Brandon Talk about the Top 20
The morning after Brandon Dumlao and Ariana Debose were eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance, they opened up about their experiences and hopes for the future on a press call.
There’s only one word Brandon Dumlao can use to some up his So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 experience: whirlwind. Last Friday at 11AM, Brandon got the call that he was selected to replace an ill Billy Bell. Two hours later he was on a plane, and one hour after that he went to the studio and found out his good friend Pauline Mata was his partner. He headed straight to the studio to meet with choreographer Jason Gilkison and tried to make up for lost time. “It was such a whirlwind. It was really crazy, but it was such an amazing experience,” Brandon said.
When Brandon found out he would be dancing the smooth waltz this week, he was nervous. As a hip hop dancer, Brandon had never danced a smooth waltz before, but he “was really comfortable to do it with Pauline because we were partners in Cha Cha for Vegas this season.” That wasn’t the start of Brandon and Pauline’s friendship. They both made it to the green mile episode during Season 5 and they’re both Filipino, so they’ve always had a bond. “She’s a really sick dancer. She’s not just a jazz dancer, but she really knows how to do hip hop. I really feel like she’s Top 10 material…I really love her. She’s such a good dancer. I was really excited to be her partner.”
The smooth waltz may have made Brandon nervous, but he is grateful for getting that style. “I’m really happy I got to learn a new style and show America that I can do another style, so I’m really happy with my adventure so far. Hopefully, it continues with this show next season.”
Brandon is optimistic about how everything played out. “This cast was amazing. Billy was such big shoes to fill that I felt it was unfair to even take another guy’s spot. So, I was happy the way it turned out because I didn’t think it was fair for me to come in and take another guy’s spot because everyone earned it. I want to earn it myself, so I really hope that, for Season 7, they let me come back so I can prove it myself.”
In case Fox and Nigel work out the rules so that Brandon is eligible for Season 8, he’s getting prepared. “Right after I got cut, I went and got into a ballroom class and took some more hip hop. I’m ready.”
Although Brandon’s time in the Top 20 was short, it was well worth it. “I just want to let everyone know that I’m really happy for the Top 20 right now and how everything’s going. I support everyone. I hope for the best for everyone.” As for his thoughts on America, Brandon says he hopes they “show support for me if I get to come back, but if not, I want everyone to just remember me how I was on the show. I’m just very grateful for everything. I tried my best out there.”
Ariana Debose, a contemporary dancer from North Carolina, got serious about dancing after realizing the “freedom that I felt when I was dancing,” Ariana said. “I felt like I was flying. I was just so happy.”
This season, SYTYCD tried something new when they introduced the Top 20 in a special “Meet the Top 20” show. “I loved the Top 20 special simply because some contestants got more airtime than others. I was one of those contestants that you didn’t get to know during Vegas Week. I was so excited that I really got to show what I could do and show America why I was in the Top 20,” Ariana stated.
What you may have seen of Ariana during Las Vegas auditions was a clip of her powerful solo during which Mia threw a pen at her. Ariana’s inspiration for that solo came from her friend and Season 2 SYTYCD finalist Martha Nichols. The piece was inspired by a tough time Martha went through. “It’s hard when you watch a friend go through something that’s challenging for them. It was a great piece that we came up with. I was so proud being able to share it with them – with everyone at Vegas Week.”
Ariana said she wasn’t too surprised that she was eliminated just based on the fact that everyone there is so talented and no one is safe. However, she says she always has confidence in her dancing and trusts her self as a dancer. “I did the best that I could do. This Top 20 is fantastic, so every week it’s going to be hard to eliminate someone just because of how wonderful everyone is. Everyone is so different. It’s almost hard to compare us to each other…I was very proud of what I did last night. The outcome is what it is. Now it’s just time to move on.”
Top 20 finalist Noelle Marsh’s fate is unclear after she suffered a knee injury before last week’s show. In regards to the potential opening in the Top 20, Ariana said, “Noelle and I come from the same studio, so honestly I would probably feel a little funny about taking her place. I mean, who doesn’t want a second chance? But honestly, I wouldn’t want to be eliminated again. I wish her the best of luck. I hope she goes very far in the competition.”
What’s next for Ariana? She’s been acting and singing all of her life, so she plans to move to New York City and pursue dancing on Broadway and acting in commercials and movies.
Best of luck to both Ariana and Brandon! Read more about them and the rest of the finalists in the Top 20 contestants section.
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