By Sandrine Milet
With Thursday night's (May 27) big premiere of the new season of "So You Think You Can Dance," the show made its first stops in the audition rounds on the east coast in both the Big Apple and Miami. Following a heavy, overly dramatic introduction, host Cat Deeley kept reminding us that season seven is going to be the toughest and most competitive season yet (most likely due to the all of the rule changes). But at least the auditions reminded us that some things just always stay the same: People still screech, "I'm going to Las Vegas!" and there continue to be very bizarre (and questionable) auditions.
Of course we only get to see a select few of these auditions, but from what I could tell, New York definitely produced some interesting characters, which always makes for great entertainment (if not necessarily for top-shelf dancing). The most memorable was the hazardous waste fluid cleaner (or something of that sort) who basically cleans up blood for a living. His job alone made him worth mentioning. And then there was the low-budget horror film director who cross-dressed wearing fruits and vegetables (and eventually threw a broccoli that was taped to his chest to the judges). Apparently he had just gone vegetarian.
But with the delusions aside, there were some pretty fantastic and emotional auditions. One that really stood out was from the 18-year-old Teddy Tedholm, who auditioned last season but unfortunately didn't make it during the Vegas week. I'm crossing my fingers that this year he'll live up to what the judges expect of him. His performance was truly filled with raw emotion and impressive choreography, which brought Mia Michaels to tears (but that was expected of her).
Miami, however, didn't bring as much heat. Save for an outstanding audition from the 24-year-old Tyrell Rolle (who has only been dancing for seven years), the most exciting part was that Sonya Tayeh was judging. Towards the end it went from bad to horrible, with a painfully awkward audition where a girl danced an uncomfortable routine with her father.
One trend that was noticeable was the invasion of contemporary dancers. There were a few b-boys and the occasional Latin ballroom dancer, but it was apparent that the majority was auditioning in the contemporary style. There weren't even any tap dancers! While the balance may be off a bit, it looks like the changes (both in rules and in styles) will make for another great season of the show.
What did you think of the first round of auditions? Is contemporary becoming the dance norm for the show? Let us know in the comments!