SYTYCD Season 12 Las Vegas Week 1 – Live Blog & Performance Videos

Join me, Sir Mac, here tonight for VEGAS WEEK! I’m so excited!

UPDATE: A few people have mentioned in comments that their Fox feeds are glitchy, weird sound issues, and stuff. Mine is that way too, so tonight’s blog… I’m trying guys. I might miss a few things here and there, but this feed is not happening for me (and for others apparently).

After five audition cities, the dancers finally keep their team captains and choreographers in Las Vegas.

We start off with Cat on stage with all the dancers, both Stage and Street. Then they’re joined by the judges (Nigel, Paula, and Jason). Then Twitch and Travis enter. They get to advise the judges on building the teams. That’s good. Then each dancer gets to do a solo. This will be Travis and Twitch’s first time seeing their teams. Travis starts with Team Stage.

Marissa Milele- 20- Nashville TN- Team Stage
She auditioned in Memphis in the power failure. Her solo is pretty good, but we have to wait through a montage of dancers to find out if Marissa is going through. CALEB! I miss Caleb. Travis gives some advice to all the dancers on stage. Marissa is going through to the next round. So is Caleb!

Click to Watch the Video

A few brief solos:
Darion Flores- 19- Hartford, CT
He’s doing a ballet solo, and he’s pretty amazing.

Gaby Diaz- 19- Miami, FL
She’s a fantastic tapper. She looks great again. I remember her first solo, and she’s good again.

Derek Piquette- 18
Don’t remember him, but a good and brief solo. Maybe I’ll remember him this time.

They’re all through. A montage of more great stage dancers going through. As usual, super fast, and it’s hard for me to remember everyone.

Kelly Maccoy Noll- 19 Cincinatti, OH
The girl who made it through with her fiance. They actually got married, and SYTYCD has the footage! They got married in Vegas, lol. With an Elvis and everything. She’s pretty good. I think she might have improved, actually. She’s safe.

47 Stage Dancers got cut in Vegas at solos, including the kid who loved Paula Abdul so much.

Coming Up, Team Street, and the new husband takes the stage.

Team Stage Solos!

Tyrell Noll- 21- Cincinatti, OH
He’s back to telling stories with his solos. The problem is he has some fantastic soloists in his category that can do some sick tricks, and he really didn’t do any sick tricks. We have to sit through a montage of the dancers Tyrell is up against. Jessica, the girl who danced with Comfort is featured. Tyrell is cut. I saw that coming.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Also cut, Courtney Barnes.

Yorelis Apolinario– 19- Tampa FL
She made it to Vegas last year, and got cut in Hip Hop, so she spent all year training in Hip Hop and actually auditioned in Team Street because of that. Smart girl, except there are stronger female hip hoppers this year who have been doing it much longer than her. She’s through to the next round.

Roydell got cut. :(

A montage of more street dancers doing sick moves. Jaja was featured.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Standing O is up next. She’s feeling the pressure of the competition already, and had a panic attack last night. She plays right to the camera. Awesome. She’s a good dancer, but will our Top 10 have a big girl in it? Can she pick up choreography?

Standing O (Kenya) is through to choreo.

That’s the end of the solo round. 61 Street Dancers. So far, none of them have had to do choreography yet. Now they have to. Jamal Sims is the first choreographer for Team Street.

Click to Watch The Performance Video 

Most of Team Street’s freestylers can’t pick up the choreo (duh). Including Asaf, Samantha Reyes, Montrell Britton, and others. Twitch is watching them work.

Team Stage starts their first round, after learning choreography. A tapper I don’t remember and a ballroom dancer I don’t remember are in the first group. Tapper isn’t doing great. Latin Ballroom girl doing a bit better, but still not great. I expect the tapper to be cut for sure. Kelsey (the tapper) is cut. Antonina (the ballroom girl) was told she held her own, and she’s safe.

More dancers are montaged shown doing contemporary. Mary (her dad danced on stage), Gaby Diaz, and Antonina’s partner all made it through. MArisa is safe again. Kelley is safe again. A few early standouts were told that Round 1 wasn’t good enough, but their solo got them a second chance. 16 stage dancers were cut at Round 1.

Last stage group includes Jaycee Jordan, the girl who almost lost her leg in a car accident. Will her inspiring story end at Round 1? Her confidence was shaky after seeing her competition. She’s nervous now. Travis says don’t blend in before her group starts. She looks fantastic in what we see. She’s gotta be a keeper. Jaycee is cut. That sucks. She says she still feels accomplished.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Now Team Street has to dance Round 1 choreography. This should be interesting.

Elizar Chapman is in the first group. He was the kid who lived in a homeless shelter for 10 years. Virgil Gadson and B-Dash are also in Group 1. Birgil looks like he’s got it the most, Elizar is trying, but it’s not all there. B-Dash isn’t bad. Of course, Virgil had to do choreo on Broadway. Jason lectures them. Virgil, James, and B-Dash are through to the next round. Elizar is cut. Elizar has a great attitude about being cut, and says he’ll be back.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Montrell and Lil B are up next. Who? I don’t remember either of these dancers. Jason says to think about the next move before it comes. Montrell isn’t even trying. Lil B isn’t even trying. These two are gonna get cut. They’re both basically doing their own solos. Honestly, everyone looks terrible on stage. It’s hard to see if anyone deserves to stay. Baby and Dizzy are safe, Montrell, Lil B, and another dancer are cut. Lil B asks to do it again. They let him. He said it was distracting. Nigel asks Twitch if it was anything it should be, and Twitch says No. He still gets cut. Lil B is crying. “You don’t know how much something means to you until you lose it.”

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Megz, Lily, and Jessica are in the next group. I remember Megz and Jessica. Megz is landing the choreo. Jessica not so much. But it’s OK. Lily is also OK. Megz looks sick though. Jessica actually finishes strong. They’re all safe. The whole group. Awesome! Nadia, Marie Poppins, and Standing O all made it through also in a montage that celebrates female hip hop dancers.

Dragon House’s Andre Rucker got cut. Recovering addict Corey Cleveland got cut too. He showed the red keytag to Nigel. Hope he keeps staying sober. What we saw of his choreo attempt was really weak though. Andre is disappointed because he quit his job for this. Well, dude, if Dragon House didn’t teach you to learn how to do choreo before Vegas round… then I dunno. You had two full seasons to prepare for this. Take a freaking dance class bro.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Hip Hop Round 1 has been really bad for guys. Samantha Reyes is up. She’s had a hard time doing choreo. Twitch gave her a pep talk. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself, and Twitch says go for it and see what happens. Jaja is also in her group. Samantha is not doing great. Jaja is killing it. So is Yorelis. So many strong female hip hoppers. I can’t believe Samantha will stay. Frankie, Jaja, and Yorelis are safe. Samantha is cut. Twitch tells Samantha he’s proud of her anyway.

That’s the end of Day 1. They’re giving a pep talk to the remaining street dancers. Twitch says it isn’t going to get easier.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Coming up, injuries in Team Stage!

Cody Carlson shows up to enjoy Vegas round as a non-competitor. Jason made good.

Coming up, Broadway with Josh Bergasse. Caleb! Sorry, every time I see him I get excited. Josh says he wants to see personality. Travis says he wants to see who the stars are. Alan, the dancer who had testicular cancer has flared up an old foot injury. He’s taken to the hospital for further examinations. Ryan Rafferty, Kelley, and others are in the first round. Kelley isn’t doing great. Neither is Ryan. Will they make it through? Kelley is cut. Everyone else is safe.

More strong dancers made it through. Including Peyton, Gaby, and a bunch of others.

Edson is feeling the pressure. He’s up now. Dennis, Antonina’s partner is also in the group. He’s strong. Edson is not. Dennis is kind of incredible. Edson gets injured mid dance and falls to the ground. Uh oh. Commercial break.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Dennis and two others made it through. Edson comes out, and says he got a leg cramp. Nigel says Edson was stronger in rehearsal, so he’s through to the next round, but Nigel says he has to be honest about injuries going further.

Up next Moises and Guillermo. Guillermo was the valet. Brandon Armstrong and Kate are also in the group. Moises is fantastic. Guillermo is trying, but he’s behind. It’s brutal. Kate doesn’t have it. Brandon is good enough. Moises is a stand out. Kate and Brandon are safe. Guillermo is cut. Moises has to dance for his life. Really? You kept Kate and made Moises dance for his life? Uhhh…. what? Paula tells him to dance strong. Moises is confused. He thought he did well. So did I. What the hell, guys? This is why Caleb never stands a shot at the Top 10. Y’all are crazy. How about for Season 13, you let me choose your Top 20? K?

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Moises’s solo is next. And his solo is incredible too. I like this kid. He has to be Top 10, right? I mean… come on. Travis obviously loves him. Jason said the beginning was strong, but it got weaker. WHAT? Paula says he needs more fierceness in his face. Jason says Yes. Paula is a Yes. He’s safe. Nigel says Moises is in his imaginary top 10.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Alan has to drop out because of his injury. Nigel says he’ll be a contender next year (will there be one?).

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Day 2 for Team Street doing choreography. SQUAD! Dave Scott is doing round 2. After 1 hour, they have to perform.

B-Dash, Jessica, and Hurricane are in group 1. I’d say yes to B-Dash for sure, a soft yes to Jessica, and a maybe to Hurricane. They’re all safe. A montage of more dancers picking up choreo. Standing O is shown killing it again. Boris killed it. Yorelis killed it.

One of the Italian B-Boy Brothers is up now. They said they took classes prior to coming to Vegas to prepare. That’s smart. He’s looking good. He didn’t quite nail all the choreo, but it looked great when he did. He has to dance for his life. Paula needs more face, and I could agree. He didn’t have a face in that. Coming up, an early favorite is going home. I wonder who.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Eliaz, the other Italian brother is about to do his choreo. Animator Steven (the Bill Gates guy) is also in the group. His family has never seen him dance before. Wow. Eliaz is doing good. He’s also got a lot of face. Steven, face not so much, moves OK. He might be going home. Is he the early favorite headed home? Nigel asks Steven to dance for his life. Eliaz is cut. Damn. I don’t know what they’re showing us, but I saw a different performance.

His brother, B1, is dancing for his life now. B1 has some SICK windmills in his solo. His breaking is incredible. He gets three Yes’s, and he’s safe. Only Steven is next. After the break. It all comes down to Nigel’s vote (thanks for the spoiler Fox).

Click to watch the Performance Video

Twitch is in Magic Mike XXL. I had no idea. He’s promo-ing the movie.

Steven is dancing for his life, and proving himself to his family. Nigel says he doesn’t pop that well, and Twitch echoes it. Jason says No, Paula says Yes, Nigel says No. Steven is cut. Wow. What a depressing way to end the episode. A kid who just wanted his parents to accept him as a dancer is cut. #uplifting. lol. So You Think You Can Dance won’t be winning any editing Emmy’s this year.

Click to Watch the Performance Video

Next week, Round 3 and the Top 20 is revealed!

Join me!

Are your favorites still in the competition? Sound off in the comments below!

About SirMac 241 Articles
Contributor to mjsbigblog.com. EIC of macthemovieguy.com, Contributor at houseofgeekery.com. Holds a BA in Film from the University of Central Florida.