Kristin at EOnline says Hok and Dominic's Quest crew tried out for America's Best Dance Crew, but their contract with 19 Entertainment prohibited their participation.
Shimmy Online has interviews with Sara Von Gillern, Musa Cooper, and Dan Karaty. Dan hints that we may see him guest-judging on the Australian show.
Apparently, Dan is a good judge of football talent too. His Super Bowl prediction from last week:
“It’s going to be a GIANT upset. Let’s just hope Randy Moss can handle the loss better than T.O. did. Sniffle, sniffle.Giants 28, Patriots 23.” — DAN KARATY, choreographer (So You Think You Can Dance)
Blogger Mr. Melodicus gives us an alternate take on the premiere episode of So You Think You Can Dance Australia:
And then our host appears. In case you haven’t been flicking through the pages of your local TV Guide recently, the job was given to Rogue Traders lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte. No, wait, Bassinghthwaithe. Or is it Basghsighthwaighthte? Who knows, but there are far too many letters. I prefer Cat Deeley the minute Bassinghthwhaihththththe opens her mouth, complete with her nauseating nose inflexions and grating Australian twang.
We’re given little more time to analyse our hostess as we are instantly transported to Perth, the setting for the first round of auditions. But wait! Here she is again!
“This is an ABSOLUTE MASSIVE TURNOUT in Perth…HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS have turned out here today!!” screams Bashingtwit as she scurries up and down the line of maybe one thousand people and assuring her audience she knows nothing about adverbs. Hundreds of thousands? It’s as if she’s insinuating the entire population of Perth were there.
A bit of advice for all wannabe SYTYCD contestants if you want to get through to the final 100 audition in a smaller city where the talent is not as high. The judges Bonnie Lythgoe, Jason Coleman, and Matt Lee are so glad to see someone not mediocre you get through to the choreography round easily or a ticket straight to Sydney.
If you can combine that with a good sob story you are almost guaranteed a ticket to the final 100.
You knew Adelaide was going to be poor as it was only given 20 mins tv time (including commercials) out of a a 90 minute show, and the standard was noticeably below Melbourne.
Melbourne was expected to rock and it did.
The show started in Melbourne with the judges giving a pre-audition pep talk where they outlined what they did not like.
Matt does not like clicking. Bonnie doesn't like looking at the floor, and Jason does not like miming.
First auditioner for the day was...
CLICK TO CONTINUE READING David 19 an asian hip hop guy. Apparently his parents don't approve of his passion for dance, and would like him to study, study, study and get a good job. He was amazingly acrobatic, and the judges liked his 'powerful trick' and he was given a shot at the afternoon choreography. After that he got his ticket to Sydney.
Next up was 23 year old Courtney a little pocket rocket who at one stage was not going to audition. She threw herself about the stage in a contemporary routine. At first they told her to front up to the choreography, however after being moved by her confessing she had not had much technique training they called her back to give her a ticket straight to Sydney.
Another heartstring story was Geoffry "drumstick" a half deaf, and half blind due to a congenital condition. He just wanted to dance "while he still can". He was a competent B-Boy/breaker and he was put through to learn Matt Lee's choreography, where he acquitted himself well enough to get the longed for ticket.
The best thing about Melbourne was it brought some of the kooky people out to audition.
The best of these was Melissa an "interpretative dancer" who writhed around the floor, surprisingly in time. Jason picked she was trying to be a salmon, no one else did. It must have been his experience doing opening ceremony for big events where all sorts of weird creatures run around stadiums.
Matt Lee described her routine as "crazy, weird" and at times it was like she was stuck on the end of a jack hammer. On a more positive note she did keep time. Her journey ended there.
CJ turned out to be Australia's equivalent to American Idol's Alexis. After being told his pseudo madonna routine was failure he had a spray at the judges in the 'diary' room, plus a few hand gestures.
Rhys an effeminate guy with a mohawk, and green flouro eyeshadow which matched his pants (not a good look) did an aerobics like routine which got him through to the evening round and then onto Sydney. I would be surprised if he got further then that.
Next a family and some friends turned up to audition in the hip hop style. First up was Demi who break dances. She immigrated from the Phillipines with her mother and her three other siblings, and had a bit of a tough life.
I thought Demi's B Girl routine was one of the most refreshing of the episode, and she managed to get her ticket to sydney after doing Matt Lee' choreography.
Her girlfriend Nikki was not so lucky and after being told she won't be going to Sydney stormed off into a toilet cubicle.
Demi's deaf sister Lorraine also auditioned, she was not the worst audition we have seen but it was nowhere good enough.
Then the brother Carlos came on, and he popped and hip hopped. He was great with moves I had never seen before, and unsurprisingly he got his ticket.
Day 2 in Melbourne and the talent continued. However Bonnie needs to get a new stylist as the bright purple leather jacket, and the matching glasses with the purple tint was eyecatching but in the wrong way.
JD a 26 hip hop choreographer was nervous, but was there to face his fears. His was a laid back controlled, smooth routine. The judges were gushing. Jason gave him a standing ovation and said "you are my favourite dancer so far". No guesses where he was heading.
Next was Mac a samoan guy whose routine was a cross between the german thigh slapping dance that one would see at Octoberfest, and Tap dogs. Also there was a bit of breaking in there as well. I was very surprised when he bypassed the evening session and got straight into the top 100. Note take cute baby to the audition with you.
The last couple for the day were Kelly and Keiran who were Lindy hoppers. How good is this genre, it is such a happy dance. They were sent through to the choreography round as well. At the completion of that they were asked what they would do if only one was sent through, after much contemplation Keiran said it should be Kelly to go through. However the judges had shown they had learnt some reality tv tricks and showed they both would be going to Sydney.
Adelaide was pretty slim pickings, with mainly girls getting through. However there were some highlights.
Laura a beautiful girl, with great turns and leaps, but with a wobbly arabesque got through.
Maddy a 26 year old single mum who wore an outfit like the one in the Toni Basil video Mickey, except with a gothic twist to it,was straight to Sydney.
Another Laura a pretty blond girl who has been dancing since three, had to go through the choreography rounds before getting her ticket, partly due to the cheesy routine she performed.
Two sisters who had been dancing for ten years came to audition. Tamara who had more pep, danced to Unchain My Heart got through to Sydney. Matt Lee had a glint of lust in his eyes when he watched this girl, however it could have just been the music Joe Cocker can have that effect on people as they think of the movie 9 1/2 Her sister Nikki had to dance through the choreography rounds before learning they would be sharing a room in Sydney.
Last was Keyte who had been dancing since she was three, she cracked during the choreography when told if blew the routine she would be eliminated, which is what happened. Natalie Bassingwaite comforted her and gave her a Tyra Banks like pep talk to get her to cheer up.
The judges are still formulating their roles. I think Jason Coleman is the leader of the pack, but he just needs to make sure that he does not come over as patronising.
Bonnie Lythgoe is a softy she tears up every time a contestant does, and Matt Lee remains enigmatic.
Natalie is just playing the mother hen role at the moment and her big test will be when the final shows start. It will be very hard to match Cat Deeley's sassy wit, combined with her warmth.
The opening episode of So You Think You Can Dance Australia not only had the highest ratings of the evening, but was also the highest rated premiere ever for Network Ten with almost 2 million viewers. That's impressive when you consider that Australia's population is roughly one tenth the size of the US. TEN's chief programming officer is optimistic:
"We're confident we have a hit on our hands and Australians will continue to turn on in droves to relish this type of high-spirited, energetic dance fun." "One thing that points to Dance Australia's continuing success is that fact that the ratings increased throughout its one hour 45-minute run - an indication that viewers liked what they saw and kept watching."
David Knox at TVTonight liked the show, though I have to take issue with one comment:
15yo Caleb, who was disallowed entry only on grounds of age, was a generous inclusion. Dancing to "Mad World" it wasn't hard to see why. Hopefully he finds a career before a three year wait for a show that might damage true talent.
Which does he think might damage talent, the three year wait? Or appearing on the show?
Despite being experts in their field, Bonnie and Jason became a bit boring with their comments after each dancer … and did we really need to see Jason stopping the music with his flamboyant hand flourishes EVERY time?
There definitely wasn’t enough drama between the judges themselves. They appear to all love each other to pieces (except that brief moment where Matt disagreed with Bonnie and I thought she was going to fall off her chair) so instead they were reduced to creating drama from the contestants' life stories, which was moving but mostly irrelevant.
Bonnie Lythgoe visited a radio podcast after the show, though you have to slog through some cricket coverage to get to it.
BSYTYCD is pleased to present the first report from our Australian correspondent, Reality Raver.UPDATED!
It was the first episode of the much anticipated Australian edition of So You Think You Can Dance. It was time to forget the fantastic, and entertaining US series and watch this with an open mind.
Some issues that were raised in this first episode were: 1. Does the host Natalie Bassingwaite own a bra?; 2. The judges Bonnie Lythgoe, Jason Coleman, and Matt Lee improved as the show progressed, was it first audition nerves for them?; 3. Why do all hip hop dancers have nick names? 4. How many hats does Matt Lee own and why does he wear them? ;and 5. Is a pole really an appropriate accessory to audition with ?
The first city to be hit by the SYTYCD road train was Perth. Auditionees had to be between 18-35, and only 20 will be chosen to be in the finals.
Bonnie Lythgoe was looking for "different, amazing, and talented." Johnathan Coleman was looking for "star quality", and Matt Lee wanted "versatility".
The dancers now had 90 seconds to strut their stuff in front of the judges...
CLICK TO CONTINUE READING with the possibility to getting a ticket straight to Sydney (the equivalent of a ticket to Las Vegas), a second chance in the choreography round, or just a straight out NO.
First up were Brendon Humphries 35, aand Jemma Armstrong 19 who together did a ballroom/contemporary dance with lots of writhing, the judges loved it " engaging, sexy, fabulous" and they were on the way to Sydney.
Nicole 'Lamb' a long time dancer of 15 to 20 years auditioned in a hip hop style and then half way through switched to contemporary. So she definately ticked Matt Lee's versatility box and got her ticket to Sydney. Nicole was cute with personality so I will be surprised if we don't see more of her.
Angel a model auditioned because she wanted to show them that models can dance, well actually I think just to self promote. But she did provide some unintended comic relief. She sauntered in wearing 10 inch gold stilettos and as the music started sashaying like she was on a catwalk. She then kicked the shoes off and did some uncoordinated back flips. Unsurprisingly she got the big thumbs down. But this won't be the last we see of her as I am sure we will see her at the Perth auditions for Australia's Next Top Model.
Stephanie Telick a 20 year old from Perth whose ambition is to dance at the Moulin Rouge was put straight through to Sydney. Bonnie Lythgoe obviously does not think much of the famous Parisian dance hall as she turned up her nose and said "you are better then Moulin Rouge".
Next up was a first for any SYTYCD series, Sermsah an indigenous Australia did some traditional aboriginal dancing. Bonnie was particularly impressed as she had never seen this type of dancing before. He was a great mover, and was put through straight to Sydney, however it will be interesting to see how he handles more structured choreagraphy. Sermsah was covered in white makeup, and when he hugged Natalie Bassingwaite I thought a costume change coming up, however she walked away unblemished.
Kelly did a slightly burlesque (that is being polite) routine, by using a man prop and dancing to the throbbing Nine Inch Nails song 'I want to **** you like an animal'. It was over the top raunch, lots of leg spreading and floor writhing, but she could kind of dance.
Jason Coleman gave her the scolding "that song should not be put in a public forum" before saying no to her. But she was given a life line by the two other judges and sent to choreography. However after the evening session she still had no ticket to Sydney.
Edward "Edit" was a b-boy who did an ok hip hop routine, however he was still having to prove himself in the evening session, after dancing to Matt Lee's choreography he did manage to snaffle a ticket.
Next up was Brisbane where two thirds of the auditioners were girls. I noticed a big improvement in the judges once they hit Brisbane, they were a bit snappier with their pontifications, clearly first day nerves were over.
First up was Camilla Jamavich (sic) who auditioned in Doc Martin like sneakers, her contemporary style was liked by the judges however they were a bit concerned about her stamina. However they still gave her a ticket to the top 100.
Then hip hop dance trio 365 crew auditioned, and they were entertaining. The judges then got into a discussion about who was better. One lucky member got straight through, with the other two having to battle it out in the choreography session. Lucky for them they will all get to hang in Sydney.
Next up Anthony Ikin auditioned, his brother Ben Ikin was a successful footballer and now Channel 9 rugby league commentator. I was a bit worried about what he was going to be like after we were told he was a five time aerobics champion, was it going to be like a Jane Fonda workout, but Anthony turned out to be one of the highlights of the first episode. His dancing was sublime, and I will be surprised if he does not make it to the top 20.
If he does make it to the final shows will Channel 9 let brother Ben attend the show which is shown on a rival network. Considering 9 they did not let Bert Newton go and see his wife Patti dance on Dancing With the Stars it would appear unlikely.
Ben & Liam looked like joke dancers in bright coloured lycra. However they were ok, with Liam getting a second chance in the evening, however the judges ended his journey there.
Emma a former Australian Ballet School student auditioned, and she was good, however cracked under a grilling from the judges when asked about her priorities, and where dance was on that list. Bonnie Lythgoe questioned her motivation when asking "which was more important, boyfriends, beaches or ballet" after an unsure answer, she started sobbing and the judges thought she was just too fragile to be put through to handle the weekly criticism.
Next was 19 year old Jack Chambers whose ambition is to dance on Broadway. He wowed the judges with his routine. He reminded me of the season 2 winner of SYTYCD the delightful Benji Schwimmer, however dare I say it Jack also has sex appeal! Again I will be surprised if he doesn't top 20.
Sexy brazilain Gianne came on and salsa'd around the stage it was good enough to get her through to the choreography round where she won her ticket to Sydney.
Last for Day 1 in Brisbane was Malena, a salsa dancer without a partner, they are apparently to hard to find. After a woeful solo audition where the judges were more concerned about her skirt riding up she was sent packing. As Bonnie said " This is what I don't want to see on this show". In a post audition interview she whined but Britany Spears wears skirts and she has nothing on underneath. Yes Malena, but Britany is famous and moderately talented and you are not.
Day 2 in Brisbane started of with Carl an 18 year old who had been dancing fulltime for a year. He tackled a classic Nureyev piece. The judges criticised that it is hard to emulate the great Rudolph however he was given a chance to prove himself later on where he was then given the much wanted top 100 ticket.
The heart string story of the day was 29 year old Bessie from El Salvador who escaped during the civil war, however some of her family was left behind. The judges were very moved by her story, Bonnie even shed a tear. She was not trained but her hip hop routine was good enough to get through to the choreography in the evening.
Caleb a 15 year old had come down from Innisvale, North Queensland to audition clearly he did not read the rules clearly as he needed to be 18 to get on the show. This isn't Idol honey. However the judges did let him dance for them, and he was fantastic. He just has to hope the show goes for 3 seasons so he can get his crack at it as he would be a certainty to make it through to the finals.
Last was Gabriel Cumberford a 19 year old uni student who had fallen off the rails in the prior years with drugs and street life. His weird kind of animalistic routine was baffling, probably not helped by describing himself as a monkey.
Jason Coleman gave him a no, but the other 2 gave him a go in the evening round. He did not handle the rejection well and was punching the walls outside and crying as he wanted to get straight through to Sydney. Unfortunately for him the evening session still did not give him the much wanted ticket.
The first episode was over and yes it was enjoyable, and shows potential. Natalie Bassingwaite was gorgeous and bubbly, though her limited air time was spent hugging contestants. The judges are still forming their persona's and finding their TV feet. Bonnie seems lovely, but I hope Jason Coleman gets a bit edgier. But the good news is it does appear Australia does have some dancing talented that should keep us riveted for the the next 3 months and once the judges get to know each other better it should be a cracking show.
