Last night's season premier of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance had a decidedly Colorado flavor. Auditions centered on Brooklyn and Denver (check out our slideshow of the local casting call here), with judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Sonja Tayeh giving nineteen Mile High hopefuls a ticket to Las Vegas and the next round of the competition. But by far the most memorable contestants from these parts by far were also-rans Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel, an all-male pair who wipe out mid-routine, as seen in the video above. During the critique section, a persnickety Lythgoe compares them to Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory.
Who triumphed in the end, as I recall! So get off your high horse!
TV Guide offered the most thorough synopsis of the episode's action, and writer Kara Howland was kinder to the doomed duo than were the judges. Here's her Denver recap:
Denver -- Day 1Judges: Nigel, Mary, and Sonja
Kayla Radomski is a contemporary dancer whose father is out of the picture. She and her mom live with Kayla's grandparents, who must be the cutest, most supportive grandparents we've met yet. I loved them. I especially loved it when her grandpa cried. Awwwwwwww. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Nigel tells her she brought it. Mary thinks she's great. Sonja calls her smokin' hot, beautiful and interesting. Yeah, Vegas.
Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel (both male for those of you who didn't watch; one is gay and one is straight) are same-sex ballroom dancers. Although they had a nasty spill, I thought they had an interesting routine. Nigel, Mary, and Sonja talk about how confused they were when watching them dance. They're used to seeing a man and woman and they just couldn't get past it. I will admit I thought it was a bit strange but also kind of fascinating. After being paired with women for choreography they're both sent home.
Dancers through to Vegas: 11
Denver -- Day Two
Elias Holloway and his 16-year-old brother audition with a pop n' lock routine. They are the youngest of fourteen children. Wow. I thought Elias was adorable and with all that buildup I just knew he'd turn out to be a dud. I was so happy to be wrong. Nigel found them extremely entertaining. Mary thinks Elias is the cutest thing she's ever seen and says the camera will love him. Sonja thinks he's very marketable. But he's sent home after choreography with the encouragement to return next year, which he says we will do.
Natalie Reid is back. She just missed making the Top 20 last year and now she's even better. Her lines are lovely. Sonja gets so emotional during the performance that Nigel allows her to critique Natalie first. Sonja tells Natalie everything was so right, so real, so sincere. She's something to see. Mary is so proud of her. She feels the realness of it, the connection. Nigel thought she was superb and said it was a great honor to see her progress. You know she's going straight through to Vegas.
Brandon Bryant is also a familiar face who just missed making the Top 20 last year. And I really felt like he was robbed. I loved me some Gev, but if Brandon's technique was close to perfection last year, it's only improved since. I also loved his bold song choice. Mary is so weepy she has some trouble talking. She won't know what to do with herself it he doesn't make it into the Top 20 this year, she says. Sonja calls him wonderful, and Nigel says the piece is beautifully danced. He tells Brandon to bring a personality to Vegas.
Dancers through to Vegas on Day 2: 8
