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‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: Season 11, Atlanta auditions – Metro US

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: Season 11, Atlanta auditions

Dancers put on a show before taking the stage at season 11's 'So You Think You Can Dance' auditions. Credit: Creative Commons/FOX Dancers put on a show before taking the stage at season 11’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ auditions. Credit: Creative Commons/FOX

“So You Think You Can Dance” had their fourth audition of the season in their fifth and final city, Atlanta, GA. Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe were joined by guest star, “Lil Buck” Riley, the hip-hop dancer known for his street style moves.

The first dancer to take the stage was Mariah Reives, 18, from Sanforn, NC. The sassy yet elegant jazz dancer got a standing ovation from both the audience and the judges. Nigel called her performance a “mix [of] good technique with great performance,” and Reives got her ticket to the next round.

Erik “Sillky” Moore, 24, from Orlando, FL auditioned for the show twice before as a tap dancer but returned doing a hip-hop performance. Whether tap or hip-hop, one thing is for sure, Moore is definitely a charismatic dancer and finally got a ticket to the callbacks in LA.

Kelly MacCoy, 18, from Cincinnati, OH is the daughter of two reality star parents so it’s no surprise she brought a sense of humor and confidence to the stage, which got her a ticket to the next round.

Christopher “Mr. Strange” Griffin, 25, from Atlanta, GA is one of the original founders of the hip-hop dance crew, “Dragon House.” Dragon House is no stranger to SYTYCD as one of its members, Cyrus, made it all the way to the season 9 finale and another member, Blueprint, made it to the top twenty of season 10. “Mr. Strange” undeniably made his crew proud and, like former Dragon House members, got a straight shot to the next round.

Branden “Sideshow” Feimster, 22, from Detroit, MI was also a member of Dragon House, but did not make the best first impression. After interrupting Nigel and doing what he calls “true” pop-locking, Nigel had to correct Feimster that what he was doing was not original pop-locking. Mary said he had a fun character but in the end SYTYCD will not be having a “Sideshow” this season. The rest of the Dragon House crew later apologized to the judges for Feimster’s attitude.

Conrad Dechabert, 26, from Louisville, KY was back to show that he could dance in a masculine manner after being told he danced like a girl during last season’s auditions. Dechabert gave a strong animalistic performance and moved on to the next round.

Taveaus “Dynamic” Woods, 18, from Las Vegas, NV is the best friend of season 10’s winner, Fik-shun Stegall. The audience certainly loved “Dynamic” but the judges wanted to see if he could do more than just pop his bones and glide across the floor. Unfortunately, his partner choreography did not work out as well as the judges had hoped.

During day two in Atlanta, actress and dancer, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, joined the judging panel.
Ricky Ubeda, 18, from Miami, FL had been dreaming of being on the show since the first season and dedicated his contemporary performance to his mother. After watching the show for ten years, Ubeda was more than prepared for his audition and the judges could tell. “He turned up the heat in hot-lanta,” said Mary Murphy.

Marissa Milele, 18, from Hashville, TN gave a strong “warrior princess” performance. Nigel called it “stunning” and Milele got her ticket to the next round.

When Elaine Kimble, 26, from Kansas City, MO found out she was born with a hole in her heart, she decided to make every day count. Aside from having a great technique, Mary and Jenna agreed that Kimble played it a little too safe and was thus sent on to choreography. After surpassing choreography, Kimble got a ticket to the callbacks.

In a city like Atlanta, it should come as no surprise to learn a lesson or two in street-style dancing. Brandon “Crazy Legz” Jacobs, 23, from Atlanta, GA came ready to teach viewers about “ATL cranking,” a combination of quick stepping and fast movements. Judges said he had high energy and a fun spirit and sent “Crazy Legz” to choreography and then to callbacks.

Angelina Granitz, 18, from West Palm Beach, FL was exceptionally nervous because she wanted to make her older brother, Chris Granitz, proud since his talent inspired her to start dancing. Mary called her performance “breathtaking.” Jenna said she was “mesmerizing” and all the judges agreed she deserved a ticket to the next round.

Cristina Moya-Palacios, 18, from Miami, FL was also inspired by her brother, who underwent over twenty surgeries in the past ten years. Moya-Palacios didn’t even have a chance to get off the stage before the judges yelled for her to get her ticket.

The last dancer of the night was Jerrod Swain, 25, from Atlanta, GA who was there to impress Ms. Mary Murphy. Although Mary found Swain’s performance “certainly entertaining,” the judges needed a bit more technique. Swain went on the choreography but was unable to move on.

Finally, Justin Beiber announced two more dance crews and asks America to vote for their favorite. The crews that get the most votes on Twitter will get invited to showcase their skills on the “So You Think You Can Dance” stage and the most popular crew overall will perform in the finale. First up was “Jungle Boogie” from Atlanta, GA, a dance crew that pride themselves on their big-stepping, hard-hitting Atlantic cranking. Next was “Control Freakz” who represent a unique popping technique. Viewers can tweet #SYTYCDboogie or #SYTYCDfreakz to vote for the favorite crew.