SYTYCD Recap: Wraps Up Auditions with Redemption, Anger, Great Dancing

This week's So You Think You Can Dance marked the end of an era. After an all too short month, DANCE fans bid a fond(?) adieu to Justin Bieber and his choreographer Nick DeMoura, who introduced their final Dance Crew Battle. While I'm sure Uncle Nigel will do whatever he can to get The Biebs on the finale to introduced the most-tweeted crew, assuming all of his visa issues are resolved.

Also coming to an end this week was the Season 11 auditions. From the gorgeous Fabulous FOX Theatre in Atlanta (where I have seen many-a-show) Hip-Hop icon LiL Buck and STEP UP star (and MAGIC MIKE's wife) Jenna Dewan Tatum served as guest judges alongside Mary Murphy and the aforementioned Nigel Lythgoe.

We got a little bit of everything this week; redemption stories, angry tirades, the patented sob-stories, the always annoying kid-dancing segment, and, as expected, some phenomenal dancing. So, onto the auditions:

---

ATLANTA DAY ONE

Mariah Reives
Sanford, NC
Style: Jazz
Three-Word Review: Damn, she's good!
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Erik "Silky" Moore
Orlando, FL
Style: Hip-hop
Three-Word Review: Fantastically Vivid Musicality
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Kelly MacCoy
Cincinnati, OH
Style: Jazz
Three-Word Review: Fun, "Trick"y Number
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Chris "Mr. Strange" Griffin, Founding Member of Dragon House
Atlanta, GA
Style: Animation
Three-Word Review: Crazy Cool Angles
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Conrad Dechabert
Austin, TX
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Pretty Darn Manly
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Taveaus "Dynamic" Woods
Las Vegas, NV
Style: Hip-Hop
Three-Word Review: Talented Little Dude
Result: Choreography (Eventual No)

Brandon "Sideshow" Feimster, Dragon House member
Detroit, MI
Style: "True Pop-Locking"
Three-Word Review: Boring, Anger Issues
Result: No

ATLANTA DAY TWO

Ricky Ubeda
Miami, FL
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Little Dabble Do
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Marissa Milele, Green-Miler in Season 10
Nashville, TN
Style: Contemporary Bada$$ness
Three-Word Review: I'm Kinda Scared
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Elaine Kimble
Kansas City, MO
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Uh, So-So
Result: Choreography (Eventual Yes)

Brandon "Crazy Leggs" Jacobs
Atlanta, GA
Style: ATL Cranking
Three-Word Review: Don't Get It
Result: Choreography (Eventual No)

Angelina Granitz
West Palm Beach, FL
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: She's Really Strange
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Alas, we are at our final SYTYCD Biebs appearance, as he was again joined by his choreographer Nick DeMoura. As one final reminder for each of the four audition weeks, Justin and Nick introduce two dance crews, then, depending on Twitter votes, one from each episode will earn an opportunity to perform on a live show. The crew with the most votes gets a spot on the finale.

The winner of last week's Twitter-Battle was Bollywood and Hip-Hop Fusion Crew, The Wanted Ashiqz. I am really shocked by this one. They looked completely uninteresting to me, especially compared to the other crew Mix'd Elements. Oh well, what do I know?

Jungle Boogie | #SYTYCDboogie
Atlanta, GA
Style: Cranking

Control Freakz | #SYTYCDfreakz
Style: Poppin'

Cristina Moya-Palacios
Miami, FL
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Emotional, Vulnerable, Powerful
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Although I am completely over the kid and parent dancing segments taking time from the dancers that actually make it to callbacks, this 4-year-old who they woke up from a nap to perform was faaaaaaaar better than last week's 9-year-old.

Jerrodd Swain
Atlanta, GA
Style: Animation, ATL Cranking
Three-Word Review: Fun, but Stationary
Result: Choreography (Eventual No)

---

Tonight's Top-3
3) Cristina Moya-Palacios
2) Erik "Silky" Moore
1) Mariah Reives

Alright, now that we are through the auditions, do you have your favorites picked? Are you sorry to see the Biebanator go? Or are you hoping he goes back to whatever Canadian rock he crawled out from under never to be heard from again? Which dance crew are you tweeting for tonight? Let me know in the comments below, and on Twitter @BWWMatt.

To post a comment, you must register and login.