The auditions kicked off in Atlanta and San Francisco in So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Episode 1, as we got to see Melanie Moore, Kimalee Piedad, Ashley Nicole Rich, and returning hopeful Ryan Ramirez. Tonight we head to Salt Lake City and New York City, breaking away for now from the evening’s tornado coverage.
Robin Antin joins Nigel and Mary in Utah, home of High School Musical.
Devon McCullough and Micah Clark are steppers. Mary thought they were fun and had personality, though she doesn’t know if they can do anything else. They’re heading to choreography.
Chyna Smith is obsessed with the show, but not in a creepy way. She reminds Nigel of Molly. Robin would put her at the top of her list if she were casting the Pussycat Dolls.
Annie Gratton impresses the judges, then her dad steps on stage and joins the act.
Tadd Gadduang adds some humor to his bboy routine, and he’s going to Vegas.
Samantha Hiller danced to the point of knocking herself into amnesia three weeks ago. At least she remembers how to dance. She’s headed to choreography.
Micah and Samantha have been cut, but Devon is going to Vegas (I was more impressed with Samantha).
Chase Thomas is in love with himself, and he’s got the body to get the audience’s attention, though they’re disappointed to find out about his second engagement and subsequent marriage to another college student. Turns out he didn’t even need the lack of clothing to make his way to Vegas.
Brittany Starr has a short story that she’d like to make long. She says Ringo Starr is alive and her father. The real Ringo Starr, not the fake one we see on TV. If she were related to Elvis (a living Elvis not currently on another planet), that would impress me. Needless to say, the audition is a joke, and Mary accurately describes her as delusional. She hopes we remember her. When she dies.
Jason Gilkison joins Mary and Nigel in New York.
Princess Lockerooo calls her dance style whacking. Well, this should be a way to fill five minutes. The judges are sending her to Vegas. Huh?
Contemporary dancer Brandon Jones dances in memory of his father, receiving glowing compliments from the judges.
Brian “Hollow Dreams” Henry wants to take krumping back to Brooklyn. He says he’s dancing this violent/angry style in order to praise God. In spite of Mary whining about him dissing Lil C, he’s heading to choreography.
Mary Kate Sheehan is a champion Irish step dancer, a style she tells us was the Irish as a way of dancing without moving the tops of their bodies so their British overlords didn’t know they were dancing. She’s going to choreography.
Virgil “Lil O” Gadson has Nigel believing that, as a performer, he’ll do well on this show. Jason can already imagine him in the top 20.
Mary Kate is going to Vegas, and so is Brian.
Jess LeProtto is an actor/dancer/singer, in some order. He’s a musical theater dancer. Nigel enjoyed that, but he’d like to see Jess look like he enjoyed it, too. Mary agrees. Jason, however, loved it. He gets a yes for choreography. Picky judges.
Kristen Dobson could probably form an outfit out of what she’s wearing, but it would take some effort. Jason enjoyed her personality but felt her closed off from her partner. Mary is impressed with her progress in 3 years of dancing. She’ll be in choreography as well.
Robert Taylor Jr. has a fun act that would be wiser to be put into a group effort on America’s Got Talent. Mary calls him the most entertaining person of the day.
I didn’t get why either Jess or Kristen went to choreography, and they’re going to Vegas.
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Episode 3, which airs Thursday at 8/7c on Fox.