So You Think You Can Dance

Summer is here and with it comes the greatest dance competition on television to date! So You Think You Can Dance season 8! The long awaited, 2 hour season premier showcased auditions in Atlanta and San Francisco. If you’re new to the show here’s how it works: contestants dance before judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy (who returned after last season’s hiatus while dealing with cancer) and guest judges/choreographers such as Lil’C, Tyce Dioro and Toni Redpath. If the dancer is bad they are cut,. If the judges see potential but are not sure if the contestant has what it takes, they move on to the choreography round where the contestant is challenged with a style of dance outside their comfort zone. If the contestant has unquestionable talent and technique they immediately get a ticket to Las Vegas where hundreds of dancers will be judged and cut again and again until there are only 20.

The night seemed to be off to a good start. In fact, after sending ten contestants in a row straight to Vegas, Nigel Lithgoe, executive producer, said the turnout was "obnoxiously incredible." However, as all good things do, their luck came to an end. After several bad… very, very bad… auditions Tyce Dioro had to resort to “cup humor” to distract him from the lack of talent, with reactions such as, “That was one big hot cup of vomit” and “That was a grande' cup of not so good.” It seems that Tyce, though good looking, only has one unit with which to measure talent. There’s cups, and then there’s… cups.

(I may have a small crush on him) Okay... so it's not so small! But come on! Can you blame me?

Lil’C, hip-hop choreographer, is known for his philosophical prose that often times generate a good laugh but sometimes leave everyone in bewilderment. For example, when Melanie Moore took the stage she brought a whole new meaning to the word “flawless.” She danced like an angel with moves that made me gasp in awe. Or as Lil’C put it, “I think that Zeus himself would invite you to come dance on Olympus.” Melanie certainly deserved such a high level of praise, I will be rooting for her in Las Vegas.

One thing I really like about this show is that it’s not dance style specific. Contestants can enter the competition with a solo piece ranging from ballroom to street dancing. In fact, during the middle of the show it seemed that the judges favored the street dancers who got sent straight to Las Vegas, over some of the seemingly more talented contestants who for some reason had to prove their worth in choreography first. With auditions for hip-hop, contemporary, krunk and street dancing you see moves you didn’t think the body could endure. One contestant slid across the entire length of the stage on his head! OUCH!

One thing is for sure, it was two hours of pure enjoyment for my mother and I. I have been waiting a whole year for this show to begin again and boy was it worth the wait! I can’t imagine what is in store for us this season! Keep watching, and if you don’t… START! Once the show is past the initial auditions and gets down the the choreography for the 20 finalists, they will move in ways that will make you laugh one minute and cry the next. Each dancer dancing with such a passion that brings the story behind the choreography to live. Here are some links to some of my personal favorite dances from previous years.


Dreaming with a Broken Heart - Twitch and Kherington

Mercy - Katee and Twitch

The Garden - Mark and Courtney

Bleeding Love - Chelsie and Mark

Outta Your Mind - Twitch and Alex

Gravity - Kayla and Kupono

Love Lockdown - Jeanine and Phillip