So You Think You Can Dance: Vegas Week

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen auditions in four different cities to find who will be the best dancer in this season's So You Think You Can Dance. Now those that have been selected have now made their way to Las Vegas where they will spend a week at Aladdin Hotel as the choreographers put them through their paces. Each day, they will work with a different choreographer as they are judges by the remaining choreographers. At the end of each day the group of remaining judges will select who makes it through the next day.

This first day of call backs the dancers will work on hip-hop routine with Shane Sparks. One hundred and twenty one were selected, but only one hundred and fifteen return for the Vegas round. They will be judged by Brian Friedman, Mia Michaels, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe. With this new round of auditions, we are now seeing some new faces that we didn't see in the auditions. The first we are introduced to is Claire Calloway who tells the host, Cat Deeley, about how suffered an injury while performing, but there is no sign of any injury now. Another we see is Lynn. She definitely woke up the judges back in Los Angeles.

At the end of the morning, thirty-four dancers are brought back on stage and they are told out of a possible fifteen points, they all scored less than six. Some as low as one. Instead of eliminating them at that point, they are given the chance to save themselves with ballroom as they learn a samba routine. At this point, we see a familiar face from season one, Artem, as he assists Mary with the teaching of the routine. After the dancers perform, thirty-five are sent home.

Lynn is asked to stick around to dance for the judges to save her space. Another asked to stay is Ryan, who impressed the judges in Los Angeles. This makes the two very emotional. Ryan is the first to get back on stage, and he falls during his performance. After a long moment, he is able to pick himself back up, but Nigel quickly informs that he won't be continuing. This leaves him upset. Lynn-Rae Hires is also sent home after her performance.

The second day has the remaining eighty-one dancers working with Mia Michaels and her contemporary choreography. Today the dancers will be judged by Nigel, Mary, Brian and Ron Montez. After they learn their routine they then perform for the judges. The first to be eliminated day two is Chris, one of Six Step Crew, that Ryan brought in. His friend, Hawk, is asked to stay, and the third Musa is asked to return that afternoon. During this, Claire Calloway is taken away by ambulance. Musa is able to once again impress the judges that afternoon, and he is asked to stay. Benji, the swing dancer, also comes out and impresses the judges with his West Coast Swing performance.

We also see Claire Calloway go home after she returns to the hotel. However, Nigel says she will be able to skip the auditions next season. She'll be able to come in right at the point she is how next year. The next day, the dancers left get to work with Brian Friedman. His choreography is probably the most difficult they have had to learn this week. That is clear as soon as the dancers begin to perform. However, some do come through. Hawk is praised by all of the judges as he makes it through Brian's class.

After the dancing is done, Nigel gives them a serious pep talk before sending them on their way. Next up is solos. Each of the dancers left will have a chance to impress the judges one more time with a minute solo performance. From this, the judges will pick the top ten women and men that will be announced on tomorrow's special two hour episode.