Episode 2 took us north to Brisbane, west to Perth, and to every single point on the emotional compass. After hitting the depths of despair and the giddy heights of exhilaration, another 20 incredible dancers had their tickets to Sydney’s Top 100 - and we were left counting the minutes until Melbourne’s auditions on Wed.
Highlights of Ep 2 included the return of some familiar faces: Lamb (who’s not at all sheepish), Gianne the Brazilian with the jiggly booty and Gabe the wall-punching tantie thrower. It also featured the return bout of Max and Jason. Yes, the spunky little Hip Hopper jumped the border to confront Jason – her nemesis from the Sydney auditions. Our hearts went out to Michael the stuttering tap dancer and Mikaila who danced to the memory of her murdered Dad. Dance 09 just gets better and better.
Gianne’s out to beat her Season 1 performance
After a welcome from Brissy boy and last year’s champion, Jack Chambers, Gianne the Brazilian dancer from Season 1 set our pulses racing with a routine inspired by the pumping beat of African drums. Matt said he couldn’t stop laughing because her routine was so “joyous” but Jason was concerned that last year she fell down on the chorey. So they invited her back to work with Kelley. No problem. She’s through to our Top 100 – and determined to go one better in Dance 2009.
Ben graduates from Biggest Loser to Dance
Jazz dancer Ben from the Gold Coast looked lean and fit. But apparently there was a time when he was more likely to audition for The Biggest Loser than So You Think You Can Dance. Bonnie thought he had talent but Jason felt his whole routine was “stuck to the floor”. “Take this”, said Ben, producing a spectacular leap and an acrobatic running somersault. Chorey was a given and Kelley was not going to stop him. Ben is off to Sydney.
A Classical Shootout
At just 18, Talia is the youngest member of the Qld Ballet Company. Simone is classically trained too. But Bonnie felt Talia was “neat and tidy without being really exciting” and that Simone had “brilliant moments” without delivering a brilliant performance. There wasn’t room for two of them in this dance town, so Jason suggested a shoot-out. They had to perform a ballet ponche – bending over while balancing on one leg. Talia was elegant and rock steady while Simone had the merest of wobbles. That was all it took. The Top 100 ticket was Talia’s.
The Wall Puncher back for round 2
Remember Gabe, the guy from last year who punched the wall when he got cut? He was back and Matt felt that his technique had improved out of sight. But Jason said the brick abuse had “troubled him”. Gabe admitted he hadn’t been emotionally mature enough last year, and Jason gave him the prized ticket through to the Top 100. Gabe promised to “kiss that wall better”.
Tapping the heart strings
The dancer in Episode 2 who totally captured our hearts was Michael. He’d almost not come because of his stutter. But he overcome his fears and was so glad he did. “It just takes you away, it really takes you away to a place where you don’t get bullied. And you feel on top of the world.” The judges loved him – and his routine – and he was through to chorey.
But he wasn’t the only hoofer there – and the judges felt there was only room for one dancer with noisy feet. The one dancer they were convinced could “totally nail” the Top 100 … was Michael.
He was over the moon and wanted to share what he’d seen on the other side. Talking directly to the nation, this previously shy guy said, “If you’ve got really low self esteem like I did, forget about it. Come up here, and do your thing. You will love it, you will enjoy it and, oh, please don’t cry … “. He wasn’t talking to the blubbering viewing public – but Bonnie and tough guy Jason whose faces were wet with tears. It was the sort of moment that keeps us coming back for more.
Luke the “Undeserving” Labourer Labourer
Luke was one of several dancers trying to gain in Brisbane what he’d been denied in Sydney. But he’d been told to work on his personality, and second time round he was even worse. Matt remembered him “being more entertaining last time”. Why was he so nervous? “I had everything out there and I just forgot it”, he said, his bottom lip wobbling.
Should we put you through, asked Jason. No, said Luke. If Luke didn’t think he was deserving, Matt couldn’t support him. “I’m going to say no”. But Bonnie and Jason came to his rescue. “I just want to see you get it right”. Get it right he did. Luke, too, is in our Top 100.
Max vs Jason – Round 2
The biggest bust-up of Episode 1 had been the confrontation between Hip Hop artist Max and judge Jason. After that, there was no way she was going to get a ticket to Sydney. So Max brought a ticket to Brisbane – and tried again. “You want to talk?”, asked Jason when Max walked in. “About what?”, asked Max totally innocently. How’s that for some chops?
Max felt it was all just “a big misunderstanding” and Jason was “sorry that the moment happened as well”. But that still didn’t get Max a ticket. Bonnie felt that Max’s new routine was better but that “there was something lacking”. After surviving round 2 with Jason, Max was off for a second session of Kelley Abbey chorey. Out of the frying pan into the fire.
Jason then lined up three dancers who had all come to Brisbane after failing in Sydney: Susannah, Chloe and the never-say-die Max. He only had one ticket, he said, and that ticket was going to … Susannah. But he had another ticket up that sleeve. “Why do you do that to us?”, asked Max. Alas, for Max, that ticket was going to Chloe.
Jason wanted Max to know that there was nothing personal in this. It had nothing to do with their altercation in Sydney. It was all about the dancing, and in regard to the dancing, “Come up here and get your ticket”.
Max’s dramatic collapse to the floor had more emotion than her Brisbane and Sydney auditions combined. But who can blame her? Who could not want her to head back to Sydney to join her brother Sisqo in trying to make the final 20?
Jason 2 joins the Judges
The SYTYCD bandwagon then headed to Perth, home of our world-class choreographer, Jason Gilkison. He joined our resident judges to see whether Perth had another Jemma or Sermsah – dancers capable to making it as far as the So You Think You Can Dance Finals.
Dancing before the God of ballroom
Eye-catching Kallyanne and friend Joseph have been dancing ballroom for a long time, but not together. That’s not the ideal preparation when you’re dancing before the God of ballroom, Jason Gilkison (or Jason 2). He said they were both forming away from each other when they need to “involve each other a little bit more”. They made it to Kelley Abbey’s chorey but Kallyanne said she was “struggling”. Not from what we saw. She looked the business.
Jason 2 said that he was delighted that a ballroom couple from WA had come this far, and would “have loved to send a couple through to Sydney”. They couldn’t do that. They did however have one ticket, and the name on that ticket … was Kallyanne’s.
Murder on the dance floor
Sophie Ellis Bextor sang metaphorically about “Murder on the dance floor” but one of our Perth dancers had tragically been touched by the real thing. Mikaila is from South Africa and her father was killed in the driveway of their home. He had been a huge part of her dancing, and her mother says she can feel his presence still whenever Mikaila dances.
Unfortunately, the emotion Mikaila had experienced didn’t translate into her performance. Jason 1 – the Coleman variety – said there was “No feeling in that piece for me at all.” But Bonnie did what only Bonnie can do and probed a little more. When Mikaila danced, where was her head? With her dead father. With that, all the bottled emotion poured out onto the audition floor.
She made it to chorey, but no further. Kelley Abbey begged her to keep dancing because that would be the best way to heal her pain.
Hold the cheese – and keep the beat
Matt found one of the routines “very cheesy” while Jason told blonde Nina in the red singlet that she had the whole package. “You’re a beautiful, beautiful girl but you were right off the centre of the beat”. Yeah, she admitted. I was little bit off. No, said Jason. You were a lot off. Never mind, both dancers survived Kelley’s chorey and we’ll see them in Sydney.
Can we have two from the one crew?
Spades and Edit made it to chorey, but Matt wanted to know whether there was room in Australia’s Top 100 dancers for two boys from the same crew. “Definitely”, said Edit. Spades wasn’t so confident. Matt was with Edit. They’re both in.
Lamb avoids the slaughter
Nicole – or Lamb as she prefers to be called - had already passed this test. She made it to Sydney last year but that was no guarantee she’d be flying east again. Lamb needed to raise the bar – or get the chop!
Fortunately, Matt thought she looked better, her routine was better, and that she was better. Bonnie found her “amazing” while Jason G felt she had been “one of the best” they’d seen. However Jason C wanted to know why she’d only shown one style. Because that was the real me, said Lamb. Lucky for her, Jason likes lamb. She’s heading to Sydney for the second year running.
Next up on Wednesday night – Melbourne and Wade Robson
It was another cracking episode that left us wishing we could wind the clock forward to Wednesday night - when Victoria’s best dancers get their chance to try out for the prized Top 100. They’ll have a special guest – inspirational choreographer Wade Robson. It just gets better and better.
click here to see where to watch or .
Ready to Watch So You Think You Can Dance Australia, Season 2, Episode 2?