SYTYCD 13 Auditions #1 – Live Blog and Performance VIDEOS

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Contestants at the Los Angeles auditions for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE premiering Monday, May 30 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2016 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX

Join me here for So You Think You Can Dance, now with pre-teens!

I’m back for another go around for So You Think You Can Dance, and the format is a bit different. We’re looking for “The Next Generation”, so little kids. Because that worked so well when Beatrice Miller was on X-Factor. Prepare for a lot of crying.

Our judges are Nigel, Paula, and Jason. Instead of Vegas, the dancers go to Dance Academy, and the All-Stars will pick their dance partner. That’s an interesting choice.

Merrick- 10- From Cardiff By The Sea, CA
Loves to dance, loves to surf, loves to draw robots. He loves to make robots too. He does animation, like Cyrus. In this format, the parents are sitting on a couch on the stage. He also has a little brother. He’s only been dancing for a year. He’s actually pretty good for a 10 year old. As long as we find talented kids, I’m OK with this format, and Merrick definitely has talent for a kid that has only been dancing for a year. Standing O from the judges. Nigel loved how hard he hit, Jason thought he shocked everyone. Three Yes’s. He’s going forward. Obviously. They were never gonna cut the first audition. – Click to Watch Merrick’s Performance VIDEO

Avery- 11- Location not given, probably a nomadic gypsy
She’s a ballet dancer. She started dancing when she was 3. She had an alter ego as a kid. Something called Lady Vadiga? Wearing a lot of jewelry? I dunno. Her mom cries during the pre-interview. She just has a mom today, dad is working. Dance is expensive. Her body is so flexible at this age. Her movement is really fluid because of that. Really exceptional, not just for her age, but really any age. She’s even emotionally invested in her piece. I bet this girl goes far. Another standing ovation. Nigel says she’s mature in her movement. Nigel says she has a big career in front of her. Paula says she’s way beyond her years. Jason says it will be amazing to see her with an all-star. Three yes’s. “So much yes.”- Nigel – Click to Watch Avery’s Performance VIDEO

I wonder if we’ll actually see a bad audition.

Kida- 13- California
His dad passed away from the flu. He’s auditioning on his dad’s birthday. Lots of crying. “Keep planning, keep praying, keep pushing” was his dad’s motto. He’s a hip hop dancer, with a lot of animation influence. He’s more of a showman than Merrick was, but not quite as flashy of a dancer. He makes up for it in personality. He’s going to need to shine at dance academy. Jason praises his musicality. Paula says he’s magical. Three Yes’s. – Click to Watch Kida’s Performance VIDEO

We see some kids get cut in a montage. Two hip hop boys, one contemporary girl.

Lev- 10- Born in France
He’s a ballroom dancer. His dance partner is too young to audition. That’s a thing? His classmates make fun of him, and he feels sad when they make fun of him. Awww. For a 10 year old boy in ballroom, he’s really good. Honestly, his partner is really good too for being so young. This kid is gonna be insane when he gets older. It’s weird watching a 10 year old boy try to be sexy, but I’m trying to overlook that. He’s got a lot of personality. Another standing ovation. Nigel liked his face. Lev says he’s been dancing for five years. Jason says he’s never seen a little person dance like that. Paula says he’s one of a kind. Three yes’s. – Click to Watch Lev’s Performance VIDEO

In a double montage:
Ivan- 11-
Has no partner. Likes having a pretty partner to catch the judges attention. Ivan danced with his mom instead. Paula thinks he’s phenomenal.

Camila- 12- Miami, FL
Confident that she can do ballroom by herself. Paula thinks she’s a beautiful dancer. Both Ivan and Camila are through. – Click to Watch Ivan & Camila’s Performance VIDEO

Ava- 13-
She’s 5’10”. That should make partnering easier. She’s actually taller than Cat. She’s got legs for days though, which can be a good thing. She’s a contemporary dancer. Her legs and arms go on for days. It makes for a very expressive performance. I like it. This girl could have auditioned for the normal season and made Vegas if she lied about her age. She’s a star. Definitely a top 10 contender. My favorite audition so far. Surprisingly, the first audition without a standing ovation. Paula says she was always told she was too small. Ava was kicked off a team for being too tall before. She’s been made fun of on social media for being too tall, and too thin, and that her mom doesn’t feed her. Wow. Kids can be so mean these days. She’s the second kid to mention being bullied already tonight, and we’re 40 minutes deep. Jason takes this moment to take a stand against cyber bullying. He says he was inspired by her, and calls her limitless. Nigel says she’s a brilliant dancer. Three yes’s. – Click to Watch Ava’s Performance VIDEO

We’re treated to a montage of some dancers. Jordan, 13, Sophia, 13, and Sage, 13. Paula calls Sage a mini Travis Wall. Sophia has 1.3 million followers on Instagram. Really? Wow. Sophia was ballet, the other two are contemporary. All three are through. Click to Watch the Montage VIDEO

A montage of parents embarrassing their kids by dancing poorly. Ha.

Ava Brooks- 13
Another Ava. She’s a tapper. Her dad is not a good dancer. Nigel says she has great ankles. Nigel loves his tappers, so this girl is definitely going through. She’s got good musicality. We’ve seen better tappers in other seasons. Some of the kids have been good no matter what, I feel that Ava is just good for her age. Nigel loved it. Paula says she’s agile. Jason calls her next level. Three yes’s. – Click to Watch Ava’s Performance VIDEO

Stella and Gerarny- 12
A ballroom couple. Neither of them stood out to me. Nigel says it wasn’t strong enough. Stella starts to cry. Gerany lost 25 pounds to audition. Stella begs for one more piece to audition with. We cut to commercial. Really? Stella hypes the new routine. Nigel thanks her for being brave to ask for another chance. The second routine is actually a lot better. I think Stella is still further along than Gerarny. Paula says he’s commendable, but Jason wouldn’t pick Gerarny. Nigel says Stella is through. Nigel thinks the dance academy would be good for Gerarny. They both go through. – Click to Watch Stella and Gerarny’s Performance VIDEO

Next week, more auditions! I thought this was a 2 hour premiere, but I guess we get what we get. Join me next week for more kids auditioning for the revamped So You Think You Can Dance! I’m glad to be back. Are you? 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.