So You Think You Can Dance (2005) s11e01 Episode Script
Auditions #1 - New Orleans and Chicago
Every summer For the past decade, 20 of the best dancers From all across america Have been invited to hollywood To compete.
But to make the top 20, They need to be strong Incredibly talented Exquisitely graceful.
In short, athletes of dance.
? And it won't come easy.
Because the first step Is surviving our auditions.
And traveling the country, We saw everything.
Ahh! Oh, my goodness.
? Girls, your turn.
Plus, justin bieber Introduces us to some of The best crews in america Who, this year, will be battling For your votes.
And as always, we uncovered some Of the best dancers in the Country.
This girl can dance! You, sir, are an artist.
You have physical gifts that Are just amazing.
You just heated up Everything here! Are you nuts? Whoo-hoo! I've just got one thing to Say.
Get your ticket! Well, I don't know why You're standing there.
Come get your ticket! Whoo-hoo! ? Whoo! Which 20 dancers have made The grade this year? Let's find out As the season 11 auditions Begin.
? ? ?So you think you can ?Dance ?So you think you can ? ?So you think you can ?Na na na na ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Na na na na ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance ? Where better to kick off This season's festivities than In a town that really knows How to party? New orleans.
Welcome to the big easy! Whoo! ? Joining nigel and mary on the Judging panel Actor, singer, dancer, And comedian mr.
Wayne brady.
Here's how the auditions went.
Each contestant will get their Shot in front of the judges.
If things don't go so well, They'll be headed straight home.
It wasn't strong enough For me.
If the judges aren't sure, They'll pass them on to The choreography round At the end of the day.
But if they're truly Extraordinary, They'll get a ticket right there And then to our callbacks In l.
A.
I got the ticket.
So we were ready to go In louisiana.
Yes! Today, you are representing-- New orleans! Hi.
What's your name? My name's shelby rase.
I'm 18, and I'm from covington, Louisiana.
Coving--oh.
Louisiana girl.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
Okay.
Thank you.
And cue music.
? Whoa.
? Way to go, baby girl! Thank you.
Mary? You were applauding there.
What'd you think? Shelby, you had me on The walk down When you first started.
Your command and stage presence Is phenomenal.
Thank you.
You have just beautiful feet And ankles.
The way that you use them and Manipulate them in your routine.
Sometimes I feel like you Could have a little bit more Energy running through your Fingers, but I thought you were Gorgeous to watch.
Thank you.
Stunning.
Stunning, mary says.
What do you think? I will steal mary's-- Stunning.
I'm gonna cry.
This is weird.
Right from the beginning, You came down with such energy, And such a beautiful dancer.
I was just so impressed.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Well, when did you Begin dancing? Um, I began dancing at the Only studio my mom could find That took kids that weren't Potty-trained, 'cause she, Like, couldn't wait, but-- Is she here? Yeah, my whole Family's there.
Wave.
Hey.
That's my mommy.
So does mom dance? My mom used to dance, Actually, but my dad is the best Dancer of the family, probably.
No kidding.
Your dad's a dancer.
Yeah, he's-- What style of dance Does your dad do? He does the bottle dance.
It's a party starter.
It's a-- There's a bottle right there.
Okay, dad, We've got a bottle for you.
Come on down.
Come on down, daddy.
And the crowd goes nuts.
That's hysterical.
Dad, come and talk to us.
What's your name? My name is mike rase.
Mike, welcome.
How long have you been doing The bottle dance? Since college.
Since college.
That's where it all started.
Normally there's about A six-pack involved beforehand And then the bottle dance.
All right.
Okay.
But I take it you haven't had A six-pack this morning.
He hasn't had a warm-up yet.
I will after this.
Do you just want to move to The side to let your dad work This one out? Oh, absolutely.
So typically, The party'd be going on.
Yeah.
And just in the middle of it, You might just drop it down Like this.
Cue music.
? Oh! Whoo! ? Oh! Oh! Oh! ? All right, thank you.
Well done, dad.
I'll be surprised if anyone Complains about me giving you A ticket into the next round.
So the bar was set high In the bayou.
Well done.
Baby.
And as shelby celebrated With her family Going to l.
A.
! Tanisha belnap was warming Up and enjoying some rare Alone time.
I come from a family of 12.
6 brothers and 5 sisters.
Growing up in a family of 12, The studio life is not a luxury That we can afford.
So I started providing for Myself.
I started sewing dance clothes And selling them.
I became a janitor.
I babysat my teacher's little Kids for trade for dance Lessons.
It helped make me realize how Important this is to me.
? This is everything.
Without dance, I wouldn't be who I am today.
I'm gonna dance as if this were My last time.
Hi, darling.
Hi.
What's your name? My name's tanisha belnap.
What style of dance Do you do? I'm gonna do ballroom today.
And how long have you been Doing ballroom? I've been in ballroom for six Years now.
Okay.
Anybody else at home dances? All of my siblings have Danced.
How many siblings have you Got? I have 11 siblings.
Hello.
11? Wow.
What does mom do? Mom is a stay-at-home mom.
I'll bet She's a stay-at-home mom.
Wow.
Goodness me.
And what does dad--I don't Need to ask what dad does.
What does dad-- What-- Please, ladies, stop it.
What does dad do? My dad actually is a Subcontractor.
He lives in afghanistan.
He's just providing services for The military right now.
Okay, good.
Well, he provided services for Your mom for a while, didn't he? Nigel.
That he did.
That he did.
We'd love to see you dance Right now before I get myself Into any more trouble.
Perfect.
Thank you.
You're in trouble right now.
Oh, you're missing her-- The little walk.
Okay.
Okay.
And cue music.
? Well, she's sexy, isn't she? ? ? She's good, isn't she? Yeah, she's good.
? In those shoes.
? Um, I wanted more To be honest.
I thought--I was-- Yeah, no.
You've got great batucadas, I must say.
What? Oh, it's not being rude.
Batucada's a step.
It's a step.
Oh.
The little step She just did then.
That's a batucada.
So What did you think I meant? Steps.
Okay, good.
You guys.
Really tremendous.
Great-- Great legs, great strength.
Love the technique.
I would have preferred, Obviously, to see you dance with A partner.
But I think you're gonna be Very, very good.
Mary? You look tremendous.
Your technique is great.
And you know, Like so many girls from utah, They study contemporary Dancing along with their Ballroom, and I mean--'cause, Trust me, just solid ballroom Dancers cannot do the things That you did just now.
So really fantastic job.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, you're ridiculous.
Was that an aerial that You did Yes.
And landed--and in the shoes And the whole thing? Yeah, nice batucadas.
Thanks.
Oh, forget it.
Nigel, give me that ticket.
Come on down here! I've trained my whole life for This moment right now.
I don't even know.
I just--I'm-- I'm going to california! I got a ticket! Still to come, more talent From new orleans.
Probably one of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
And as the big easy Lets loose, One of last year's contestants Is back.
If I remember correctly, You and your dad Yeah.
They danced together on the Show last time they were here.
But this time, Everything is different.
My dad passed away.
I just want to thank you guys For giving me something To always remember.
And later, the auditions Head to chicago.
Man, this is cold.
Whoo! But things really start to Heat up as guest judge jenna Elfman gets a warm welcome.
Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
Welcome back to new orleans Where two dancers have already Won tickets to the next round.
Hoping that the judges were In the mood for a little Local flavor was new orleans Bounce dancer skip And his little brother shane.
How you doing? Have we seen you before? Yes, sir.
On season six of So you think you can dance.
Wow.
I knew it was you guys.
That's right.
Since the show, So you think you can dance Has set a platform for me.
I've been traveling across the World doing new orleans bounce Dancing, canada, london, just Been living my dream right now.
This is my first time actually Dancing with my little brother.
That's together, period.
So just give it a shot.
We represent five city, Our culture.
Congratulations.
All right.
Let's rock! Are you dancing together? Yes, sir.
Sir.
Love to see it.
slap! What, what, what, what, what? snap! All right.
Yeah.
Okay.
Cue music.
? ? Is it your shoes! ? ? ? Whoa.
Wow.
That's how we do it! Whoo! That's how we do it! Let's rock! Thanks, mom.
Thank you! Wow.
Okay.
Um Skip, you're better than I remember you last time.
I appreciate that.
Crazy legs.
Thank you.
Really, really good.
There's some great, fun Choreography in there.
Yeah.
Shane, you've got a bit of work To do, 'cause skip really is Getting better and better And better.
Loved it.
Thank you.
And you could do a lot with This, you know? And add other styles on top of This.
Use it with swing dancers, In general, I think, would be Just magnificent to watch.
But you guys have a great act Totogether.
Thank you.
Yeah, man, skip, you-- 'cause I remember seeing you On the show, and you're one of Those entertainers that you make Us happy and you bring light, And that's what your gift is.
It's a feel-good dance.
I'm so happy to see two brothers Being so positive and bringing Joy.
Yes, sir.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Choreography? Oh, I'll say yes to skip.
Yeah, it's a yes for skip; No to shane.
Okay, well, there we have it.
Skip, we'll see you For choreography; shane, I'm sorry on this occasion.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good job, you guys.
As shane headed home And skip waited to try his luck In the choreography round, Megan mercado was warming up.
She'd beaten the odds Just to be here.
? My life just started off-- My cards were dealt, and they Weren't really the best.
I have been on my own Since I was 12.
Since you were 12? Why were you on your own at 12? I grew up in a trailer park.
Right.
I had six brothers And sisters.
My mom was on substances And she had A bunch of boyfriends Mm-hmm.
And they were very abusive.
? One day, cops got called.
Mom got arrested.
Family just-- Poof! My brothers and sisters and I, We were all split up.
I know it's a lot.
It's-- It's a lot.
It's a lot.
It's a lot.
It is.
? When there was The altercation, What happened to you, though? I lived at least with 10 or 12 different people: Families, coworkers, teachers.
Oh, my god.
I know.
? It was so hard for me to be Loved.
People would say, oh, you're so Pretty, but I would wonder, Like, well, why don't they love Me? If I'm so good and--ugh.
I used to think it was a very, Very bad thing to be pretty.
Now I'm, like, stepping into my Own skin and accepting who I am And, like, just loving it.
? Despite everything, I've Managed to graduate high school, Go to college, Got a scholarship.
? I have a job.
I get my own money.
I do my own things, And it feels amazing to be an Adult.
? The floor is yours.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you.
What a sweetie pie, huh? She is sweet.
And cue music.
? ? Wow.
? She's awesome.
? Yeah.
Bravo.
You know, you just keep your Fingers crossed for some people That they're gonna be good And you can put them through.
And I had my fingers crossed For you.
I'll be totally honest.
Mm-hmm.
I was--I didn't know What I was gonna get.
And what I got was A fabulous dancer.
You were fun.
You were light.
You were breezy.
You were coquettish When you needed to be.
Thank you.
You were beautiful When you needed to be.
Beautiful, beautiful girl.
Thank you so much.
both: THANK YOU.
I felt like I was sitting Watching a broadway show.
I mean, you're a soloist.
You're a star Up there on that floor.
Oh, thank you.
You just flew across it With ease.
You were amazing.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You have everything.
You're a-- You're the complete package.
I don't believe she does Have everything.
She doesn't have everything, Nigel, no.
I stand corrected.
Yeah.
She doesn't have a ticket.
She doesn't have a ticket.
Oh, my god! Yes! Very good.
I didn't know If they were gonna like it.
I didn't know if They were gonna hate it.
But I just tried my best To do me.
To say true, authentic, And positive, and it worked.
And it worked.
Still to come As the day one auditions wind Down, have we saved the best For last? One of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
And later, the auditions move To the windy city Oh, my god! Where mary's having a blast.
Whoo! That's what I'm talking about.
Plus, For the first time ever The nation's best dance crews Compete for your votes Man, I am ready.
Are you ready to get down? I'm ready.
And the chance to perform on Our stage.
Let's go.
Right! Welcome back to so you think you can dance, Where another new orleans dad Has hit the stage to show off His skills.
? And not everyone is happy about It.
Sorry about this, guys.
Another dad came up here And danced.
I thought I'd already won The dad dance-off.
Is that right? I think we need to have a Challenge of sorts.
And blurred lines.
Cue music.
? Michael, he's coming out With his pelvis at him.
Wow.
? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! He's battling him.
? That was three stooges On him.
? He can't do one.
? Oh, he wants that ticket.
He wants a ticket.
Give them a ticket.
You got the ticket.
With the seniors' competition Out of the way Group hug.
It was time to get back To business.
00 p.
M.
, the only Contestant left warming up Was trevor bryce.
And he was ready to round out The solos his own way.
? I'm a unique person in my own Style.
I don't really see a lot of People doing what I'm doing.
I've seen people try, But it doesn't really work out.
I'ma go out on stage, I'm gonna kill it.
I'ma get buck with it.
You see what I'm saying? What is your name? My name is trevor bryce.
When did you start dancing? I started taking it serious When I was eight.
Eight.
Yeah, and I did, like, five Or six years of ballet.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
You got it.
Okay.
I like the way he-- Jolly good.
And cue music.
Look at that.
? I like that little-- ? Hmm.
Nice.
? ? ? ? ? Ha! Wow.
Oh! I was expecting some humor, But I wasn't expecting Probably one of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
Yeah.
It really was.
It built.
It went somewhere.
I thought it was tremendous.
Thank you so much.
You only really get to do A solo on this show when You're in the bottom three And you've got to try and stay Within the program.
You would never go home if you Did routines like that Every week.
That's--that's the fact of it.
Congratulations.
The whole world of trevor.
And I loved every bit of it.
Thank you so much.
You're very special.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The great thing about Watching you is-- Is you can't lay humor on top Of something unless you've got The foundations.
You could tell you would laugh And be funny, but then you Pulled something out that's Like, "No, I trained for this, Bitches.
" Yeah.
That's what you-- It's like, "Don't laugh at me Too much, 'cause this is what I do.
" You're just amazing.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Come and get a ticket.
Yeah.
I've got a ticket.
So the solos ended on a high.
See that right there? Y'all gonna see me.
What's up! And that was it For the day one solos.
It was time for the season's First choreography round.
18 dancers took the stage, And so you think you can dance Alumni marko and kathryn Started to teach them the steps.
Seven, eight, one.
After only a half an hour, Skip decided it was time to Bounce out of the competition.
Learn from it, Get better, man.
Ain't gonna stop my grind.
But other dancers got The steps and some good news.
Come on down here! Whoo! Yay! ? Got my ticket! I'm going! As they earn tickets To our los angeles callbacks.
Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! You're not going to vegas.
Vegas-- Oh.
Gonna just-- Coming up One contestant wants to know Ha! How you doing? But the judges have A question for him.
What inspired you? Sir, we don't have all day, And I know you don't have time Like that.
Well, give us-- Welcome to the big easy! 00 a.
M.
On day two, And hundreds more talented Dancers are lined up Outside our theater.
But courtney barnes Wasn't intimidated.
When I showed up in line this Morning and seen all of my Competition, I said, "Mm.
That ain't no competition.
Ain't no game.
I came to do my thing.
Dj, drop the beat.
" ? Describe your audition to me.
Mm-hmm.
Fabulous.
What-- Interesting.
Uh-huh.
Stylish.
Unique.
Classy but never trashy.
? Giving you what you need.
Did your heart skip a beat? Girl, it's that good.
? You've lost your horse.
Here we go.
And cue music.
? Whoa.
Hey.
? There's that hair.
? Whoa.
Ow.
? Whoa.
He did a little lightning Kick there, didn't he? Oh, my god.
That hyperextend.
? ? Turn it down for what? Wayne? You have--damn.
Okay, first off, you have Physical gifts that are just Amazing.
Your kicks and your flexibility, All that stuff, that's great.
What do we do now? Can you do the choreography? That's just What I'm wrestling with.
But in terms of your presence, You--you own a stage, brother.
You own a stage.
Thank you.
You're diva-licious, aren't you? Yeah.
You're just a diva out there On that floor.
You need more.
But wow.
I agree.
You've got some moments in there That you can tell there's A lot of talent That's untapped.
I think you're Naturally loose.
And the whack kicks Are fabulous, And you look like a little Ragdoll out there, You're so loose.
And like one of those trolls, You know, with the hair that Used to be there.
But what inspired you? Oh! I can give you so many Different inspirations.
But, sir, we don't have all day, And I know you don't have time Like that.
Well, give us-- Give us a-- That is inspirationality.
Give us a few.
How about wendy williams? Let me give you wendy williams Right quick.
Okay.
Oh, my god.
I was born to talk.
I came out of my mother saying, "How you doing?" Fabulous.
Fabulous.
Fabulous, wendy.
Fabulous! Yeah! You go! Wendy-- Wendy williams has got to see That.
How does it go? Ha! How you doing? Do it, nigel! I can't.
Nigel, you got to do it.
Nigel, you got to do it.
Tilt to the side.
He'll teach you.
Tilt your head back, Drop your hands, and say, "How you doing?" Okay, so-- Here he goes.
Here he goes.
Give him a second.
Give him a pause.
Mm-hmm.
How you doing? That was fabulous.
This is scary as hell.
Okay.
Your talent, sir, lies In a sitcom.
Or something else where you can Show that character off.
To be in this program, it just Requires you to be a far better And more versatile dancer Than you are.
But for dance, it's a no for me Today, I'm sorry to say.
Mary, what are you gonna say? I want to give you The opportunity to try The choreography.
Okay.
Thank you so much.
Damn.
Um Let's do it.
Let's go to the choreography.
Let's do it! Thank you.
Mr.
Fabulous! Okay, next contestant, Please.
So courtney is going to have To wait for the choreography Round at the end of the day.
How you doing? Coming up One contestant is back With everything to dance for.
My dad told me, "The show is your dream.
And you're gonna make it Come true one day.
" Then we go big in the bayou.
? Plus, the nation's best Dance crews are looking for Your votes.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to new orleans Where repeat auditioner Novian yarber Is about to take the stage.
Novian, welcome again.
We saw you last when? Memphis auditions.
Last season.
After last season, I wasn't sure I was gonna have a chance to Come back to audition for you Guys.
Just taking the plunge of doing It, like, it took a lot-- Um You know, I look at myself, Like, really hard, you know? And, like, critique, like, Every little thing.
So I was never sure If I was gonna, like, Be good enough for, like-- Novian, dance is supposed to Bring happiness into your life.
What is it with every dancer Bursts out crying When they talk to you? 'cause you love it so much, You want to, you know-- You know, whether you get This today or you don't get it, You know that you're a good Dancer, don't you? Yes.
Brighten yourself up, Young man.
Give us some energy And bring it.
Smack it out of there.
Let's go.
I tell you.
Aww.
And cue music.
? ? Isn't he gorgeous? ? ? ? Hey? Hmm.
Come get your ticket! Whoo-hoo! Yeah, los angeles.
Season 11.
And after novian, dancer After dancer showed up In louisiana full of fight.
I actually started out Boxing.
I performed in the super bowl Last year with beyonce.
And I did a music video With her.
One day, I told them, I was like, "I'm gonna be better Than all of you.
" And they laughed at me.
But I'm the one laughing now.
Then they hit the stage And battled it out for a ticket To the callbacks.
Cue music.
? You are so talented, I just Want to throw this pen at you.
You hit so hard.
You are really, really good.
? Whoo! Oh, wow, that was awesome.
Thank you.
? I don't know why you're still Standing up there with your Hands behind your back.
Do you? Come and get your ticket! I can't help myself anymore! That was something special.
After a great run Yummy.
Caleb brauner Had everything to prove.
And every reason To want to be here.
I auditioned last year In memphis.
My dad was, like, shouting from The crowd, like, "Great job.
" Great job, bud! And then, little did I know, Nigel pulled him up on stage.
I never thought in a million Years that he would, Like, do it.
And then, like, he exceeded My expectations by, like, Dropping into the worm.
Having that moment with my dad, It's one of the best things that Could have ever happened.
Throughout the month of December, my dad kind of got Sick.
And so we took him to the Hospital.
In the morning, my mom barged in My room and said that my dad had Passed out and he wasn't Responding to anything.
Sorry.
Um, the doctor told us that he Had passed.
And, um And that just kind of, uh, Shocked me.
? Me and my mom called him Our superman.
He worked all the time to Provide for me and my mom So that way I could have these Opportunities.
He told me "The show is your dream.
And you're gonna make it Come true one day.
" He's looking down on me And smiling and saying, "I'm proud of you.
" I just want to thank you guys And thank the show For giving me something To always remember About the number one person who Supported me and this wonderful Art that we do so I just want to Thank you guys for that.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay.
All right, let's be happy.
Yes.
The dance I'm gonna do, The piece isn't about, Like, sadness.
Right.
I want it to be a celebration And a time of memories.
Absolutely.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
All right, Thank you very much.
Go, caleb! And cue music.
? ? Still gonna make me cry-- ? ? Caleb, you just put a smile On my face.
Thank you.
But certainly within your Work, there is a vast, Vast amount of improvement.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations on working So hard this past year.
Especially through obviously What has been a traumatic time For you as well.
Thank you so much.
Um, if you keep working like That, you keep improving like That, you're gonna be absolutely A fabulous dancer.
Well done, young man.
Thank you so much.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
Mary? Oh, caleb, you got to me.
You did.
I'm sorry.
That's okay.
It was beautiful.
Thank you.
And I too am so pleased that You brought your technique To another level.
Thank you so much.
Is it at the level that a lot Of the kids are on this show? Um, no, but you have something That's so special.
That a lot of kids don't have, And it's just you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So unique.
People will be the most Brilliant technicians in The world, and they can't have A spark.
You--you have that spark.
Thank you.
And I'm just glad to know You.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
And so there you have it.
Choreography? Yeah.
Next round? I think that choreography-- Choreography? Absolutely.
The more experience.
Caleb! We'll see you later For choreography.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Still to come A fitness lesson for wayne.
I don't think you could Handle my class.
Who you talking to? Come and get your ticket! I'm going to vegas! And a nasty surprise For one ballroom dancer.
We have good chemistry On and off the floor, but-- You know, just friends.
Why you got to play me Like that? ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to new orleans.
Where we're finding out that Everything in the big easy Is a little different.
Oh! From the local cuisine I used to eat dog food.
Was there a particular brand You liked? The milk-bones In the red box.
She actually had an answer.
That's awesome.
To the rap talent ? Even the fitness instructors Are unlike any we've met before.
Who knew that a big person Like me could do a jump split? ? What is your name, sir? Jacobi jemerson.
Welcome, jacobi.
How old are you? I'm 18.
So what styles of dance have You--have you had formal Training lessons? Yes.
A little bit.
Not as much as I would like to have.
I'm best at hip-hop, But I mean, I've studied ballet And jazz.
That's it.
Just ballet and jazz.
Wow.
Okay.
But-- Not for me.
It's hard.
Did you have to wear The tights? No.
You do not want to see me In tights.
No.
Well, normally, you do ballet Class in-- Yes, I had my black ballet Slippers with my black sweats And a black t-shirt.
That's a way.
Okay.
All black.
All-- From head to toe.
Big black swan.
A black swan.
He was the big black swan.
I'm actually An aerobics instructor.
You're an aerobics Instructor.
Yes.
Fabulous.
Zumba? Zumba? Hmm.
Mm-hmm! I love zumba.
I don't think you could Handle my class.
He couldn't-- Did you-- Did you just say I could-- Did you-- Who you talking to? Tell him what You need him to do.
Okay, I'm count you five, Six, seven, eight.
Mm-hmm.
We're gonna grapevine to our Right.
Okay.
One, two, and clap.
Five, six, And now what you're gonna do is, You're gonna shake it.
Okay.
One, two Three, four, Five, six, seven-- One, two, three-- Pop it.
Five, six, seven, eight.
You mean, Bah, bah, uh, uh.
Here comes your music.
? ? Whoa! Great, great.
I'm taking his class the next Time I'm back in town.
Wayne Come get your ticket.
I'm going to vegas! Yeah! Thank you so much, brother.
Thank you.
I am so keeping my fingers Crossed that when you dance for Us now, we're gonna be able to Say, "Yes, you're through.
" All right? Kill it.
Good luck to you.
Go and kill it.
Hate to say it; he's already Having a hard time breathing.
I know.
And cue music.
? Holy moly.
? I've never seen anybody's bum Shake quite like that.
It, like, went all the way Through the bum to the tum.
And he wasn't messing around.
Whoa.
Hey.
Oh! ? That's how he hurt himself.
Yeah.
? Oh, no.
? Thank you very much.
Well done.
You seem exhausted.
No, I can go some more.
Okay.
Good.
Mary.
Jacobi, you're so much fun.
You do have this most wonderful Spirit, and I think you need to Keep doing what you're doing.
You so love it.
I bet your students just adore You.
'cause I adore you.
But are you strong enough for This competition? I'm sorry.
For me--for me, you're not.
Thank you so much.
Please be healthy, and you Can dance forever and you're Absolutely wonderful, brother.
Yes, thank you so much.
It isn't right for The competition this year, and I Would certainly love to see you Again, 'cause you're a great, Great personality.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
And that was nearly it In new orleans.
The only contestants yet to Perform were marquette hill And brooklyn fulmer.
? We're gonna be sexy.
I'm gonna be sexier.
Gonna be sexiest.
Let mary murphy decide Who's sexy.
Hot tamale train, hoo-hoo! ? We have good chemistry On and off the floor, but-- You know, just friends.
Why you got to play me Like that? ? Hoo-hoo, season 11.
? Friend zone.
Oh.
? Hi, you two.
Hello.
Hello, hello.
How are you? Good, how are you? Good, thank you.
We've seen you before, Haven't we? Yes, I was with whitney Carson on season 9.
I auditioned with her.
And we said you were too Young then.
Too young.
Yes, I was only 16 years old.
Wow.
Couldn't compete.
What--how old are you now? Now I'm 18.
You look-- You are a grown-ass man.
Thank you.
Grown-ass man.
Okay.
And how long have you been Dancing together? We aren't competitive Partners.
We just have been dancing at The same studio for three years And decided to get together For the audition.
All right, well, we'd love To see you dance right now.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Cue music.
? ? ? Wow.
She's hot, isn't she? ? ? Whoo! Wow.
Really absolutely tremendous.
Thank you.
And, marquette, so strong.
So good.
Thank you.
It looks like you've been Dancing together for years.
I thought the technique Was terrific.
I was blown away by it.
Thank you.
Thank you, nigel.
Thank you so much.
Mary.
I loved you guys together.
Ut I would've loved to see, Marquette, just a little bit More chemistry towards her Throughout, but you guys Are hot together.
And she is a little hot tamale, I'll tell you, out there.
Thank you.
That's right.
You're absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you.
And--and, marquette, You were so solid.
It's so cool to watch you dance.
You know, like I said earlier, You're a grown-ass man.
You--you dance like a man.
You got your shirt open, "Look at my clean chest," And you dance-- That's-- Oh, I didn't ask to see All of it--stop.
I'm just saying-- Saying that it's so wonderful To see you up there doing that.
It inspires me.
I want to go and take a class.
Great, man.
Thank you.
Just great.
And you just need a few more Buttons sewn on that shirt, And-- They're there, but-- Well, mary, have you got one In front of you, 'cause I've got one in front Of me.
I've got a ticket! Come and get it! Come on down.
Come on down! Whoo! So we ended on a high.
Wow.
How about that? Yeah.
But as the sun set over The mississippi, 23 dancers still had everything To prove in the choreography Round, Including wendy williams Impersonator, courtney barnes, And contemporary dancer, Caleb brauner.
Two, jump, three, Four, five, Grab, six.
And six, seven, and eight.
We're gonna get it.
Okay, let's do it.
After just an hour of Learning the steps, It was time to perform.
Here it comes.
Cue music.
? Oh, my god.
We know how tough it is To do the choreography If you're not used to being Choreographed, But at the end of the day, That just wasn't strong enough, Guys.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You need to do a lot more Partner work.
I mean, that was-- Just was not good.
Uh Damn.
My dad's proud of me No matter what I do, so Can't give up.
He wouldn't want me to.
After the break, For the first time In so you think you can dance History, Justin bieber introduces us To two incredible dance crews Waiting to compete for your Twitter votes We're gonna crush The competition.
And the chance to perform On our stage.
Bass.
Then the auditions move on To a new city Chi-beria.
Where we meet two friends He's my wing man.
With the same goal.
America's favorite dancer! Oh.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Hey, what's up, everyone? I'm here with the one and only Incredible choreographer, Nick demoura.
This right here is a living Legend.
No, this is the guy, Right here.
No-- He's my choreographer, And he teaches me a lot Of stuff.
But he can sing, And I can't do that.
It's all good, man.
Not even a little bit.
You've got your gifts, I've got my gifts.
Everyone's got their own-- Some people just got more Gifts than others.
No, bro, I-- Come on.
We're here to introduce An exciting new part Of the show.
This year, for the first time On so you think you can dance, We're bringing you the finest Crews from all around The country, And asking you to vote for your Favorites on twitter.
? The crews that get the most Votes will get an opportunity To showcase their skills On the so you think you can Dance stage, And the top crew will get to Perform on this year's finale.
? The first crew performing For your twitter votes tonight Put together an incredible mix Of popping and robotics.
CHECK OUT L.
A.
's OWN Poreotics.
Hey, guys.
We are Poreotics! We represent popping And robotics, hence the name, Poreotics.
? We like to draw inspiration From mechanics, And a lot of things that just Aren't human.
? Unacceptable.
Increasing bass level.
Bass ? We also have a very unique Personality, And we act--like to add a lot Of humor.
It's not like we're trying To be funny, Because we actually are funny.
I don't think you're funny.
? Poreotics! Poreotics! ? If you want to see poreotics Perform on the so you think you Can dance stage, then you need To get tweeting right now.
? Hash tag is on the screen.
Right now.
It's on the screen.
Hash tag.
It's on the screen.
Justin, who's the second Crew? Second crew is-- Up next, actually, It's an all-girl crew From the east coast-- Chloe arnold's syncopated Ladies.
? What's up, y'all? We are The syncopated ladies.
Representing tap dance, And holding it down for The east coast.
? We've got fierce footwork, And a unique feminine style.
? Women normally aren't The face of tap, But the syncopated ladies-- We're the face and the feet.
? We're gonna crush The competition.
If you want to see more Of the syncopated ladies IN SEASON 11's FINALE, Th Support right now.
Has tag you need is on The screen.
Somewhere.
Welcome to chicago.
Our audition tour has moved On to its second city, And as hundreds of dancers Brave the cold, Chi-town had got a new nickname.
Chi-beria ? Man, this is cold.
But how hot's the talent In the windy city? ? Are you ready to get inside And get warm? As the crowd heads inside, Star of stage and screen And former ballerina, Jenna elfman, Joined mary and nigel On the judging panel.
Good morning, chicago.
Morning.
Have an amazing experience Up here.
Even if you don't go farther, Like, have an experience That you've never had before, And that'll uplift everybody.
Florida boys nick garcia And rudy abreu were hoping They could do just that With a little miami heat.
This right here is my Wing man.
This is my best friend.
This is my partner in crime.
? We have been dancing together For 11 years.
I was a scrawny little white boy And he was a fat little White boy, And then we became, you know, One step closer to becoming America's favorite dancer! Oh! We've been through a lot Together.
We've been through dance class.
We've been through women.
Fights over women.
Dude.
That's a really nice watch.
Can I? Oh, oh.
He's probably not gonna be Able to focus on his dancing With all the girls around.
Nice meeting you.
Nice--nice meeting you.
It's not easy, man.
I mean, you know, You guys take it for granted.
We-- Dude, take that all-- Take that part off.
Take that part off.
Mm-hmm.
I'm the man.
You're not.
Let me get a little more Of my mango.
Him.
? The game plan for today is We're both gonna go out there And we're gonna show them Why we're unique.
We're gonna show them Why they need us on the show.
? If nick was the only one To get a ticket, And I didn't get a ticket, I mean-- I mean, I'd probably have to Break his ankle and then take The ticket from him.
? Besides that, I'd be very, very Happy for him that he got His ticket, Because he deserves it.
Well deserved.
Well deserved.
Thank you.
Atta boy.
Good job.
? First up was nick.
Hi there.
Hi, how are you? Good, thank you.
How are you? I'm doing great.
What's your name? My name is nick garcia.
Nick, welcome.
And I take it by looking at you That you're gonna be doing Ballroom for us.
Yes, sir.
Latin ballroom.
Okay, without a partner? Without a partner.
My sister is my partner, And she is recovering from Ankle surgery.
She's also two years younger Than me, so she--it was hard For her to miss school.
But she's here in spirit, And I'm doing it for her And my entire family.
Okay, good.
Good man.
Well done.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
I'd love to show you.
Go away, nick.
Go and make us happy.
Yeah, nick! Go, nick! Whoo! And cue music.
? ? Very good.
? Um, for me, Very, very, very good.
I'm telling you, nick, This may be the home of The bears, But this chicago stage is home Right now to the hot latin Ballroom dancer.
Whoo! First scream.
First scream today.
Holy smokes, kid.
All by yourself up there, You know, it's really tough To make a latin solo look Fantastic, and you did.
You looked completely at home, Completely rhythmical, Completely sound on your feet.
I can't wait to see you dance With a partner.
Thank you so much.
Double thumbs up on that.
I can tell that you're-- Have exemplary talent in, like, Every area.
It's exciting to see people Like you.
Thank you for bringing your Talent.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
Have you ever met mary Before? Never.
Well, come and say hello To her.
Come get your ticket! Whoo! Oh, my god! After the break, It's rudy's turn.
My style is unique Because I like to base it From my scar.
Plus, he was cut in New orleans.
That just wasn't strong Enough, guys.
Now he's come to chicago For redemption.
Hello.
You're not gonna give up, Are you? You can't call yourself A dancer if you give up.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to chicago, Where miami boy rudy is hoping To join his best friend nick In the next round.
I'm gonna go out there And I'm gonna show the judges That they can't deny me.
They need to give me a ticket.
I'm gonna show them that they Need me on this show.
Hi there.
Hello.
Hi, hi.
Hi.
What--what's your name? I'm rudy abreu.
You've got a hell of story.
What happened to you as a kid? Well, when I was born, I had a hole in my diaphragm And a blood disease, So they had to go-- Here in the back of my head, I have a little scar right here Where they had to go in For the blood disease, And then here was where they Opened me up for my diaphragm.
Well, you managed to get Through everything, And here you are.
Yeah, exactly.
Incredible.
Thank you.
My style is unique because I like to base it from my scar, So I like to do, like, Very manly, warrior-ish style Of dance, because I like to-- I don't know, emphasize my scar.
All right.
Like, if I was in a fight Or something, you know? "Emphasize my scar.
" We'd love to see it then.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Cue music.
? ? ? Good job.
Good.
Good.
Okay, really good.
Love the breadth of your Movement.
Thank you very much.
It's very, very strong.
Thank you so much.
Good jumps.
Those trousers-- A bit difficult to work in, Aren't they? Yeah? Oh, yeah.
Un poquito.
Tell me about, uh, Your work here.
You did a reverse cabriole Down to the floor.
Yes.
Absolutely great.
I've not seen that before.
Thank you so much.
Very strong.
Thank you.
Yeah, rudy.
Wow, did you set the stage There.
Full of power.
Thank you so much.
Full of passion when you Dance.
Thank you.
Uh, I mean, it's just-- Your story, by the way, Is just incredible.
And I love how you just Embrace it, And the fact that you're like, "I'm gonna put my scar Out there.
" Thank you.
"This is--I'm a"-- You know, you're a dance Warrior, is what you are.
Thank you.
She likes that.
Yah! It's very inspiring today To see the spirit transcending The body's limitations And going into the realm of art, And I just find that incredible.
And I love how strong you were.
And it was really sexy And beautiful at the same time.
Thank you so much.
You're a beautiful dancer.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, thank you.
Yeah, it's fun to watch you.
Thank you.
And it's unique.
So, ladies? Yes for me.
Yeah.
Hello? Okay, so do you think he Should be going to choreography? No, I really don't.
No, I think he needs to go To the next round! Yes! Yes! Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Whoo! Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo, whoo! Oh, oh, oh! From the beginning, Our first hip-hop class ever Was together.
To come now and audition And be able to go to the next Round together, It's just amazing.
? Up next The c-h-I is anything But shy.
Ahh! Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to chicago, Where, despite the temperature Outside So cold! On stage, the dancers Continue to sizzle.
? ? ? I think you're awesome.
Terrific.
Just beautiful to watch.
Now that is chemistry.
That was absolutely gorgeous, And you, serena-- You're a little hot tamale.
I love watching you.
Come and get your ticket! Whoo! Come get it.
You're going to the next Round! Next round! ? Whoo! I'm going to l.
A.
! Whoo! Waiting nervously in The wings was caleb brauner, Back after falling apart In the new orleans Choreography round.
You need to do a lot more Partner work.
That was just not good.
Damn.
Hi, caleb.
Hello.
You're not gonna give up, Are you? Can't.
Nope.
And what style are you gonna do For us today? It's--it's very different From what I normally do.
It's still my movement quality, Which is what people call Quirky, I guess Yep.
But it's a lot more serious.
It's the story-- The concept is, the last voice Mail I got from my dad.
Wow.
I wanted to be lighthearted In new orleans, But I realized that if something Happens in your life, It's okay to grieve.
Right.
And it's okay to feel bad, And that's what dance is for.
It's to get out emotions And it's to release things And to show people your story And to tell people your story.
You can't call yourself a dancer If you give up.
Indeed.
So-- Caleb, thank you.
Good luck today.
Thank you.
And cue music.
? Thank you very much.
Uh, jenna? I loved it.
Thank you.
I love you taking your Quirky style and turning it Into something even more Poignant.
I love your leg extensions And your reach.
And you look weightless, And there's an innocence About you, And there's a quirkiness About you, All that I find really Captivating.
Thank you so much.
It's a yes to choreography For me.
Absolute yes for me.
Yes, sir.
Thank you so much.
Good.
Thank you.
Caleb, thank you.
Up next, Caleb once again faces The choreography round.
Guys, you've all worked Really hard.
You were almost there, but-- You never quit.
Welcome back to chicago, Where over the course of The first day, It seems like the judges have Been introduced to every Conceivable dance style.
My dance style is Contemporary chair dance, But has elements of burlesque In it.
You a bit tired? You brought your own chair.
? ? What I've got for today Is fusing afro-cuban flare, A little bit of a modern, Whatever, shimmy shimmy.
? My style-- I've actually made a term up For it-- Beat rocking.
Being able to move, A real advanced form Of musicality to the syllables Of an artist singing Or something like that.
You're bold And you bring what you do.
What did the audience think Of that? Exotic dancers, F.
A.
M.
E.
Crew, Who we met in detroit last Season Last year we did the show, And we got a lot of heat because Everyone seen us as strippers And not dancers.
Were back to show off Their hip rolling and jitting.
? You were doing some Incredible stuff up there.
? The four of you can go through To choreography.
Well done.
Yes! Nigel, I think jenna needs A front-row seat.
Yes! Come on.
Whoa! Come on, jenna.
Hold on.
I need a mint.
Here we go.
Okay.
And cue music.
I feel like they're coming For us, sister.
Oh! Whoo! Ahh! Oh, my god.
? Whoo! Ow! ? Whoo! Ahh! ? ? Whoo! ? Thank you.
Girls Your turn.
Cue music! Oh, no, no, no, no! Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
And then it was time For the choreography round Five, and six.
Which was a little too much For f.
A.
M.
E.
Crew.
That choreo was serious.
Was really serious.
That choreo was crazy.
We didn't want to make no one Look bad, So here we are.
One, two, three, four, Five-- But caleb was determined That this time he'd make it Through.
My head's finally in a better Place.
I feel focused.
I feel ready to go.
Can't wait to do it.
All right, here we go, guys.
Good luck.
Cue music.
? Straight line, please.
Guys, you've all worked Really hard.
Well, come and get your tickets.
Come get your tickets! ? Oh, you got it done.
My dad would definitely say, "I told you you could do it.
" You never quit.
By the end of the first day In chicago, 18 dancers were headed To the callbacks in l.
A.
Remember, earlier tonight We showed you two incredible Dance crews, And asked you to tweet for The one you want to see perform Live on our stage.
So who's it gonna be-- Poreotics, Or chloe arnold's Syncopated ladies? Here's how the voting stands Right now.
Next week The chicago auditions continue.
I'm freezing my off! Come and get your ticket! Ticket! This girl can dance.
And everybody's looking For their big break.
Whoo! Ahh! ? Then we move on To the golden state Welcome to los angeles! Are you ready? I sit here in awe Of your talent.
Ah! Oh, laid it down! That's what dance is about.
No tricks, no faking.
Just feel it.
? Wah, wah.
But to make the top 20, They need to be strong Incredibly talented Exquisitely graceful.
In short, athletes of dance.
? And it won't come easy.
Because the first step Is surviving our auditions.
And traveling the country, We saw everything.
Ahh! Oh, my goodness.
? Girls, your turn.
Plus, justin bieber Introduces us to some of The best crews in america Who, this year, will be battling For your votes.
And as always, we uncovered some Of the best dancers in the Country.
This girl can dance! You, sir, are an artist.
You have physical gifts that Are just amazing.
You just heated up Everything here! Are you nuts? Whoo-hoo! I've just got one thing to Say.
Get your ticket! Well, I don't know why You're standing there.
Come get your ticket! Whoo-hoo! ? Whoo! Which 20 dancers have made The grade this year? Let's find out As the season 11 auditions Begin.
? ? ?So you think you can ?Dance ?So you think you can ? ?So you think you can ?Na na na na ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Na na na na ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance ? Where better to kick off This season's festivities than In a town that really knows How to party? New orleans.
Welcome to the big easy! Whoo! ? Joining nigel and mary on the Judging panel Actor, singer, dancer, And comedian mr.
Wayne brady.
Here's how the auditions went.
Each contestant will get their Shot in front of the judges.
If things don't go so well, They'll be headed straight home.
It wasn't strong enough For me.
If the judges aren't sure, They'll pass them on to The choreography round At the end of the day.
But if they're truly Extraordinary, They'll get a ticket right there And then to our callbacks In l.
A.
I got the ticket.
So we were ready to go In louisiana.
Yes! Today, you are representing-- New orleans! Hi.
What's your name? My name's shelby rase.
I'm 18, and I'm from covington, Louisiana.
Coving--oh.
Louisiana girl.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
Okay.
Thank you.
And cue music.
? Whoa.
? Way to go, baby girl! Thank you.
Mary? You were applauding there.
What'd you think? Shelby, you had me on The walk down When you first started.
Your command and stage presence Is phenomenal.
Thank you.
You have just beautiful feet And ankles.
The way that you use them and Manipulate them in your routine.
Sometimes I feel like you Could have a little bit more Energy running through your Fingers, but I thought you were Gorgeous to watch.
Thank you.
Stunning.
Stunning, mary says.
What do you think? I will steal mary's-- Stunning.
I'm gonna cry.
This is weird.
Right from the beginning, You came down with such energy, And such a beautiful dancer.
I was just so impressed.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Well, when did you Begin dancing? Um, I began dancing at the Only studio my mom could find That took kids that weren't Potty-trained, 'cause she, Like, couldn't wait, but-- Is she here? Yeah, my whole Family's there.
Wave.
Hey.
That's my mommy.
So does mom dance? My mom used to dance, Actually, but my dad is the best Dancer of the family, probably.
No kidding.
Your dad's a dancer.
Yeah, he's-- What style of dance Does your dad do? He does the bottle dance.
It's a party starter.
It's a-- There's a bottle right there.
Okay, dad, We've got a bottle for you.
Come on down.
Come on down, daddy.
And the crowd goes nuts.
That's hysterical.
Dad, come and talk to us.
What's your name? My name is mike rase.
Mike, welcome.
How long have you been doing The bottle dance? Since college.
Since college.
That's where it all started.
Normally there's about A six-pack involved beforehand And then the bottle dance.
All right.
Okay.
But I take it you haven't had A six-pack this morning.
He hasn't had a warm-up yet.
I will after this.
Do you just want to move to The side to let your dad work This one out? Oh, absolutely.
So typically, The party'd be going on.
Yeah.
And just in the middle of it, You might just drop it down Like this.
Cue music.
? Oh! Whoo! ? Oh! Oh! Oh! ? All right, thank you.
Well done, dad.
I'll be surprised if anyone Complains about me giving you A ticket into the next round.
So the bar was set high In the bayou.
Well done.
Baby.
And as shelby celebrated With her family Going to l.
A.
! Tanisha belnap was warming Up and enjoying some rare Alone time.
I come from a family of 12.
6 brothers and 5 sisters.
Growing up in a family of 12, The studio life is not a luxury That we can afford.
So I started providing for Myself.
I started sewing dance clothes And selling them.
I became a janitor.
I babysat my teacher's little Kids for trade for dance Lessons.
It helped make me realize how Important this is to me.
? This is everything.
Without dance, I wouldn't be who I am today.
I'm gonna dance as if this were My last time.
Hi, darling.
Hi.
What's your name? My name's tanisha belnap.
What style of dance Do you do? I'm gonna do ballroom today.
And how long have you been Doing ballroom? I've been in ballroom for six Years now.
Okay.
Anybody else at home dances? All of my siblings have Danced.
How many siblings have you Got? I have 11 siblings.
Hello.
11? Wow.
What does mom do? Mom is a stay-at-home mom.
I'll bet She's a stay-at-home mom.
Wow.
Goodness me.
And what does dad--I don't Need to ask what dad does.
What does dad-- What-- Please, ladies, stop it.
What does dad do? My dad actually is a Subcontractor.
He lives in afghanistan.
He's just providing services for The military right now.
Okay, good.
Well, he provided services for Your mom for a while, didn't he? Nigel.
That he did.
That he did.
We'd love to see you dance Right now before I get myself Into any more trouble.
Perfect.
Thank you.
You're in trouble right now.
Oh, you're missing her-- The little walk.
Okay.
Okay.
And cue music.
? Well, she's sexy, isn't she? ? ? She's good, isn't she? Yeah, she's good.
? In those shoes.
? Um, I wanted more To be honest.
I thought--I was-- Yeah, no.
You've got great batucadas, I must say.
What? Oh, it's not being rude.
Batucada's a step.
It's a step.
Oh.
The little step She just did then.
That's a batucada.
So What did you think I meant? Steps.
Okay, good.
You guys.
Really tremendous.
Great-- Great legs, great strength.
Love the technique.
I would have preferred, Obviously, to see you dance with A partner.
But I think you're gonna be Very, very good.
Mary? You look tremendous.
Your technique is great.
And you know, Like so many girls from utah, They study contemporary Dancing along with their Ballroom, and I mean--'cause, Trust me, just solid ballroom Dancers cannot do the things That you did just now.
So really fantastic job.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, you're ridiculous.
Was that an aerial that You did Yes.
And landed--and in the shoes And the whole thing? Yeah, nice batucadas.
Thanks.
Oh, forget it.
Nigel, give me that ticket.
Come on down here! I've trained my whole life for This moment right now.
I don't even know.
I just--I'm-- I'm going to california! I got a ticket! Still to come, more talent From new orleans.
Probably one of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
And as the big easy Lets loose, One of last year's contestants Is back.
If I remember correctly, You and your dad Yeah.
They danced together on the Show last time they were here.
But this time, Everything is different.
My dad passed away.
I just want to thank you guys For giving me something To always remember.
And later, the auditions Head to chicago.
Man, this is cold.
Whoo! But things really start to Heat up as guest judge jenna Elfman gets a warm welcome.
Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
Welcome back to new orleans Where two dancers have already Won tickets to the next round.
Hoping that the judges were In the mood for a little Local flavor was new orleans Bounce dancer skip And his little brother shane.
How you doing? Have we seen you before? Yes, sir.
On season six of So you think you can dance.
Wow.
I knew it was you guys.
That's right.
Since the show, So you think you can dance Has set a platform for me.
I've been traveling across the World doing new orleans bounce Dancing, canada, london, just Been living my dream right now.
This is my first time actually Dancing with my little brother.
That's together, period.
So just give it a shot.
We represent five city, Our culture.
Congratulations.
All right.
Let's rock! Are you dancing together? Yes, sir.
Sir.
Love to see it.
slap! What, what, what, what, what? snap! All right.
Yeah.
Okay.
Cue music.
? ? Is it your shoes! ? ? ? Whoa.
Wow.
That's how we do it! Whoo! That's how we do it! Let's rock! Thanks, mom.
Thank you! Wow.
Okay.
Um Skip, you're better than I remember you last time.
I appreciate that.
Crazy legs.
Thank you.
Really, really good.
There's some great, fun Choreography in there.
Yeah.
Shane, you've got a bit of work To do, 'cause skip really is Getting better and better And better.
Loved it.
Thank you.
And you could do a lot with This, you know? And add other styles on top of This.
Use it with swing dancers, In general, I think, would be Just magnificent to watch.
But you guys have a great act Totogether.
Thank you.
Yeah, man, skip, you-- 'cause I remember seeing you On the show, and you're one of Those entertainers that you make Us happy and you bring light, And that's what your gift is.
It's a feel-good dance.
I'm so happy to see two brothers Being so positive and bringing Joy.
Yes, sir.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Choreography? Oh, I'll say yes to skip.
Yeah, it's a yes for skip; No to shane.
Okay, well, there we have it.
Skip, we'll see you For choreography; shane, I'm sorry on this occasion.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good job, you guys.
As shane headed home And skip waited to try his luck In the choreography round, Megan mercado was warming up.
She'd beaten the odds Just to be here.
? My life just started off-- My cards were dealt, and they Weren't really the best.
I have been on my own Since I was 12.
Since you were 12? Why were you on your own at 12? I grew up in a trailer park.
Right.
I had six brothers And sisters.
My mom was on substances And she had A bunch of boyfriends Mm-hmm.
And they were very abusive.
? One day, cops got called.
Mom got arrested.
Family just-- Poof! My brothers and sisters and I, We were all split up.
I know it's a lot.
It's-- It's a lot.
It's a lot.
It's a lot.
It is.
? When there was The altercation, What happened to you, though? I lived at least with 10 or 12 different people: Families, coworkers, teachers.
Oh, my god.
I know.
? It was so hard for me to be Loved.
People would say, oh, you're so Pretty, but I would wonder, Like, well, why don't they love Me? If I'm so good and--ugh.
I used to think it was a very, Very bad thing to be pretty.
Now I'm, like, stepping into my Own skin and accepting who I am And, like, just loving it.
? Despite everything, I've Managed to graduate high school, Go to college, Got a scholarship.
? I have a job.
I get my own money.
I do my own things, And it feels amazing to be an Adult.
? The floor is yours.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you.
What a sweetie pie, huh? She is sweet.
And cue music.
? ? Wow.
? She's awesome.
? Yeah.
Bravo.
You know, you just keep your Fingers crossed for some people That they're gonna be good And you can put them through.
And I had my fingers crossed For you.
I'll be totally honest.
Mm-hmm.
I was--I didn't know What I was gonna get.
And what I got was A fabulous dancer.
You were fun.
You were light.
You were breezy.
You were coquettish When you needed to be.
Thank you.
You were beautiful When you needed to be.
Beautiful, beautiful girl.
Thank you so much.
both: THANK YOU.
I felt like I was sitting Watching a broadway show.
I mean, you're a soloist.
You're a star Up there on that floor.
Oh, thank you.
You just flew across it With ease.
You were amazing.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You have everything.
You're a-- You're the complete package.
I don't believe she does Have everything.
She doesn't have everything, Nigel, no.
I stand corrected.
Yeah.
She doesn't have a ticket.
She doesn't have a ticket.
Oh, my god! Yes! Very good.
I didn't know If they were gonna like it.
I didn't know if They were gonna hate it.
But I just tried my best To do me.
To say true, authentic, And positive, and it worked.
And it worked.
Still to come As the day one auditions wind Down, have we saved the best For last? One of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
And later, the auditions move To the windy city Oh, my god! Where mary's having a blast.
Whoo! That's what I'm talking about.
Plus, For the first time ever The nation's best dance crews Compete for your votes Man, I am ready.
Are you ready to get down? I'm ready.
And the chance to perform on Our stage.
Let's go.
Right! Welcome back to so you think you can dance, Where another new orleans dad Has hit the stage to show off His skills.
? And not everyone is happy about It.
Sorry about this, guys.
Another dad came up here And danced.
I thought I'd already won The dad dance-off.
Is that right? I think we need to have a Challenge of sorts.
And blurred lines.
Cue music.
? Michael, he's coming out With his pelvis at him.
Wow.
? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! He's battling him.
? That was three stooges On him.
? He can't do one.
? Oh, he wants that ticket.
He wants a ticket.
Give them a ticket.
You got the ticket.
With the seniors' competition Out of the way Group hug.
It was time to get back To business.
00 p.
M.
, the only Contestant left warming up Was trevor bryce.
And he was ready to round out The solos his own way.
? I'm a unique person in my own Style.
I don't really see a lot of People doing what I'm doing.
I've seen people try, But it doesn't really work out.
I'ma go out on stage, I'm gonna kill it.
I'ma get buck with it.
You see what I'm saying? What is your name? My name is trevor bryce.
When did you start dancing? I started taking it serious When I was eight.
Eight.
Yeah, and I did, like, five Or six years of ballet.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
You got it.
Okay.
I like the way he-- Jolly good.
And cue music.
Look at that.
? I like that little-- ? Hmm.
Nice.
? ? ? ? ? Ha! Wow.
Oh! I was expecting some humor, But I wasn't expecting Probably one of the greatest Solo performances I've seen On so you think you can dance.
Yeah.
It really was.
It built.
It went somewhere.
I thought it was tremendous.
Thank you so much.
You only really get to do A solo on this show when You're in the bottom three And you've got to try and stay Within the program.
You would never go home if you Did routines like that Every week.
That's--that's the fact of it.
Congratulations.
The whole world of trevor.
And I loved every bit of it.
Thank you so much.
You're very special.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The great thing about Watching you is-- Is you can't lay humor on top Of something unless you've got The foundations.
You could tell you would laugh And be funny, but then you Pulled something out that's Like, "No, I trained for this, Bitches.
" Yeah.
That's what you-- It's like, "Don't laugh at me Too much, 'cause this is what I do.
" You're just amazing.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Come and get a ticket.
Yeah.
I've got a ticket.
So the solos ended on a high.
See that right there? Y'all gonna see me.
What's up! And that was it For the day one solos.
It was time for the season's First choreography round.
18 dancers took the stage, And so you think you can dance Alumni marko and kathryn Started to teach them the steps.
Seven, eight, one.
After only a half an hour, Skip decided it was time to Bounce out of the competition.
Learn from it, Get better, man.
Ain't gonna stop my grind.
But other dancers got The steps and some good news.
Come on down here! Whoo! Yay! ? Got my ticket! I'm going! As they earn tickets To our los angeles callbacks.
Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! You're not going to vegas.
Vegas-- Oh.
Gonna just-- Coming up One contestant wants to know Ha! How you doing? But the judges have A question for him.
What inspired you? Sir, we don't have all day, And I know you don't have time Like that.
Well, give us-- Welcome to the big easy! 00 a.
M.
On day two, And hundreds more talented Dancers are lined up Outside our theater.
But courtney barnes Wasn't intimidated.
When I showed up in line this Morning and seen all of my Competition, I said, "Mm.
That ain't no competition.
Ain't no game.
I came to do my thing.
Dj, drop the beat.
" ? Describe your audition to me.
Mm-hmm.
Fabulous.
What-- Interesting.
Uh-huh.
Stylish.
Unique.
Classy but never trashy.
? Giving you what you need.
Did your heart skip a beat? Girl, it's that good.
? You've lost your horse.
Here we go.
And cue music.
? Whoa.
Hey.
? There's that hair.
? Whoa.
Ow.
? Whoa.
He did a little lightning Kick there, didn't he? Oh, my god.
That hyperextend.
? ? Turn it down for what? Wayne? You have--damn.
Okay, first off, you have Physical gifts that are just Amazing.
Your kicks and your flexibility, All that stuff, that's great.
What do we do now? Can you do the choreography? That's just What I'm wrestling with.
But in terms of your presence, You--you own a stage, brother.
You own a stage.
Thank you.
You're diva-licious, aren't you? Yeah.
You're just a diva out there On that floor.
You need more.
But wow.
I agree.
You've got some moments in there That you can tell there's A lot of talent That's untapped.
I think you're Naturally loose.
And the whack kicks Are fabulous, And you look like a little Ragdoll out there, You're so loose.
And like one of those trolls, You know, with the hair that Used to be there.
But what inspired you? Oh! I can give you so many Different inspirations.
But, sir, we don't have all day, And I know you don't have time Like that.
Well, give us-- Give us a-- That is inspirationality.
Give us a few.
How about wendy williams? Let me give you wendy williams Right quick.
Okay.
Oh, my god.
I was born to talk.
I came out of my mother saying, "How you doing?" Fabulous.
Fabulous.
Fabulous, wendy.
Fabulous! Yeah! You go! Wendy-- Wendy williams has got to see That.
How does it go? Ha! How you doing? Do it, nigel! I can't.
Nigel, you got to do it.
Nigel, you got to do it.
Tilt to the side.
He'll teach you.
Tilt your head back, Drop your hands, and say, "How you doing?" Okay, so-- Here he goes.
Here he goes.
Give him a second.
Give him a pause.
Mm-hmm.
How you doing? That was fabulous.
This is scary as hell.
Okay.
Your talent, sir, lies In a sitcom.
Or something else where you can Show that character off.
To be in this program, it just Requires you to be a far better And more versatile dancer Than you are.
But for dance, it's a no for me Today, I'm sorry to say.
Mary, what are you gonna say? I want to give you The opportunity to try The choreography.
Okay.
Thank you so much.
Damn.
Um Let's do it.
Let's go to the choreography.
Let's do it! Thank you.
Mr.
Fabulous! Okay, next contestant, Please.
So courtney is going to have To wait for the choreography Round at the end of the day.
How you doing? Coming up One contestant is back With everything to dance for.
My dad told me, "The show is your dream.
And you're gonna make it Come true one day.
" Then we go big in the bayou.
? Plus, the nation's best Dance crews are looking for Your votes.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to new orleans Where repeat auditioner Novian yarber Is about to take the stage.
Novian, welcome again.
We saw you last when? Memphis auditions.
Last season.
After last season, I wasn't sure I was gonna have a chance to Come back to audition for you Guys.
Just taking the plunge of doing It, like, it took a lot-- Um You know, I look at myself, Like, really hard, you know? And, like, critique, like, Every little thing.
So I was never sure If I was gonna, like, Be good enough for, like-- Novian, dance is supposed to Bring happiness into your life.
What is it with every dancer Bursts out crying When they talk to you? 'cause you love it so much, You want to, you know-- You know, whether you get This today or you don't get it, You know that you're a good Dancer, don't you? Yes.
Brighten yourself up, Young man.
Give us some energy And bring it.
Smack it out of there.
Let's go.
I tell you.
Aww.
And cue music.
? ? Isn't he gorgeous? ? ? ? Hey? Hmm.
Come get your ticket! Whoo-hoo! Yeah, los angeles.
Season 11.
And after novian, dancer After dancer showed up In louisiana full of fight.
I actually started out Boxing.
I performed in the super bowl Last year with beyonce.
And I did a music video With her.
One day, I told them, I was like, "I'm gonna be better Than all of you.
" And they laughed at me.
But I'm the one laughing now.
Then they hit the stage And battled it out for a ticket To the callbacks.
Cue music.
? You are so talented, I just Want to throw this pen at you.
You hit so hard.
You are really, really good.
? Whoo! Oh, wow, that was awesome.
Thank you.
? I don't know why you're still Standing up there with your Hands behind your back.
Do you? Come and get your ticket! I can't help myself anymore! That was something special.
After a great run Yummy.
Caleb brauner Had everything to prove.
And every reason To want to be here.
I auditioned last year In memphis.
My dad was, like, shouting from The crowd, like, "Great job.
" Great job, bud! And then, little did I know, Nigel pulled him up on stage.
I never thought in a million Years that he would, Like, do it.
And then, like, he exceeded My expectations by, like, Dropping into the worm.
Having that moment with my dad, It's one of the best things that Could have ever happened.
Throughout the month of December, my dad kind of got Sick.
And so we took him to the Hospital.
In the morning, my mom barged in My room and said that my dad had Passed out and he wasn't Responding to anything.
Sorry.
Um, the doctor told us that he Had passed.
And, um And that just kind of, uh, Shocked me.
? Me and my mom called him Our superman.
He worked all the time to Provide for me and my mom So that way I could have these Opportunities.
He told me "The show is your dream.
And you're gonna make it Come true one day.
" He's looking down on me And smiling and saying, "I'm proud of you.
" I just want to thank you guys And thank the show For giving me something To always remember About the number one person who Supported me and this wonderful Art that we do so I just want to Thank you guys for that.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay.
All right, let's be happy.
Yes.
The dance I'm gonna do, The piece isn't about, Like, sadness.
Right.
I want it to be a celebration And a time of memories.
Absolutely.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
All right, Thank you very much.
Go, caleb! And cue music.
? ? Still gonna make me cry-- ? ? Caleb, you just put a smile On my face.
Thank you.
But certainly within your Work, there is a vast, Vast amount of improvement.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations on working So hard this past year.
Especially through obviously What has been a traumatic time For you as well.
Thank you so much.
Um, if you keep working like That, you keep improving like That, you're gonna be absolutely A fabulous dancer.
Well done, young man.
Thank you so much.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
Mary? Oh, caleb, you got to me.
You did.
I'm sorry.
That's okay.
It was beautiful.
Thank you.
And I too am so pleased that You brought your technique To another level.
Thank you so much.
Is it at the level that a lot Of the kids are on this show? Um, no, but you have something That's so special.
That a lot of kids don't have, And it's just you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So unique.
People will be the most Brilliant technicians in The world, and they can't have A spark.
You--you have that spark.
Thank you.
And I'm just glad to know You.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
And so there you have it.
Choreography? Yeah.
Next round? I think that choreography-- Choreography? Absolutely.
The more experience.
Caleb! We'll see you later For choreography.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Still to come A fitness lesson for wayne.
I don't think you could Handle my class.
Who you talking to? Come and get your ticket! I'm going to vegas! And a nasty surprise For one ballroom dancer.
We have good chemistry On and off the floor, but-- You know, just friends.
Why you got to play me Like that? ?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to new orleans.
Where we're finding out that Everything in the big easy Is a little different.
Oh! From the local cuisine I used to eat dog food.
Was there a particular brand You liked? The milk-bones In the red box.
She actually had an answer.
That's awesome.
To the rap talent ? Even the fitness instructors Are unlike any we've met before.
Who knew that a big person Like me could do a jump split? ? What is your name, sir? Jacobi jemerson.
Welcome, jacobi.
How old are you? I'm 18.
So what styles of dance have You--have you had formal Training lessons? Yes.
A little bit.
Not as much as I would like to have.
I'm best at hip-hop, But I mean, I've studied ballet And jazz.
That's it.
Just ballet and jazz.
Wow.
Okay.
But-- Not for me.
It's hard.
Did you have to wear The tights? No.
You do not want to see me In tights.
No.
Well, normally, you do ballet Class in-- Yes, I had my black ballet Slippers with my black sweats And a black t-shirt.
That's a way.
Okay.
All black.
All-- From head to toe.
Big black swan.
A black swan.
He was the big black swan.
I'm actually An aerobics instructor.
You're an aerobics Instructor.
Yes.
Fabulous.
Zumba? Zumba? Hmm.
Mm-hmm! I love zumba.
I don't think you could Handle my class.
He couldn't-- Did you-- Did you just say I could-- Did you-- Who you talking to? Tell him what You need him to do.
Okay, I'm count you five, Six, seven, eight.
Mm-hmm.
We're gonna grapevine to our Right.
Okay.
One, two, and clap.
Five, six, And now what you're gonna do is, You're gonna shake it.
Okay.
One, two Three, four, Five, six, seven-- One, two, three-- Pop it.
Five, six, seven, eight.
You mean, Bah, bah, uh, uh.
Here comes your music.
? ? Whoa! Great, great.
I'm taking his class the next Time I'm back in town.
Wayne Come get your ticket.
I'm going to vegas! Yeah! Thank you so much, brother.
Thank you.
I am so keeping my fingers Crossed that when you dance for Us now, we're gonna be able to Say, "Yes, you're through.
" All right? Kill it.
Good luck to you.
Go and kill it.
Hate to say it; he's already Having a hard time breathing.
I know.
And cue music.
? Holy moly.
? I've never seen anybody's bum Shake quite like that.
It, like, went all the way Through the bum to the tum.
And he wasn't messing around.
Whoa.
Hey.
Oh! ? That's how he hurt himself.
Yeah.
? Oh, no.
? Thank you very much.
Well done.
You seem exhausted.
No, I can go some more.
Okay.
Good.
Mary.
Jacobi, you're so much fun.
You do have this most wonderful Spirit, and I think you need to Keep doing what you're doing.
You so love it.
I bet your students just adore You.
'cause I adore you.
But are you strong enough for This competition? I'm sorry.
For me--for me, you're not.
Thank you so much.
Please be healthy, and you Can dance forever and you're Absolutely wonderful, brother.
Yes, thank you so much.
It isn't right for The competition this year, and I Would certainly love to see you Again, 'cause you're a great, Great personality.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
And that was nearly it In new orleans.
The only contestants yet to Perform were marquette hill And brooklyn fulmer.
? We're gonna be sexy.
I'm gonna be sexier.
Gonna be sexiest.
Let mary murphy decide Who's sexy.
Hot tamale train, hoo-hoo! ? We have good chemistry On and off the floor, but-- You know, just friends.
Why you got to play me Like that? ? Hoo-hoo, season 11.
? Friend zone.
Oh.
? Hi, you two.
Hello.
Hello, hello.
How are you? Good, how are you? Good, thank you.
We've seen you before, Haven't we? Yes, I was with whitney Carson on season 9.
I auditioned with her.
And we said you were too Young then.
Too young.
Yes, I was only 16 years old.
Wow.
Couldn't compete.
What--how old are you now? Now I'm 18.
You look-- You are a grown-ass man.
Thank you.
Grown-ass man.
Okay.
And how long have you been Dancing together? We aren't competitive Partners.
We just have been dancing at The same studio for three years And decided to get together For the audition.
All right, well, we'd love To see you dance right now.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Cue music.
? ? ? Wow.
She's hot, isn't she? ? ? Whoo! Wow.
Really absolutely tremendous.
Thank you.
And, marquette, so strong.
So good.
Thank you.
It looks like you've been Dancing together for years.
I thought the technique Was terrific.
I was blown away by it.
Thank you.
Thank you, nigel.
Thank you so much.
Mary.
I loved you guys together.
Ut I would've loved to see, Marquette, just a little bit More chemistry towards her Throughout, but you guys Are hot together.
And she is a little hot tamale, I'll tell you, out there.
Thank you.
That's right.
You're absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you.
And--and, marquette, You were so solid.
It's so cool to watch you dance.
You know, like I said earlier, You're a grown-ass man.
You--you dance like a man.
You got your shirt open, "Look at my clean chest," And you dance-- That's-- Oh, I didn't ask to see All of it--stop.
I'm just saying-- Saying that it's so wonderful To see you up there doing that.
It inspires me.
I want to go and take a class.
Great, man.
Thank you.
Just great.
And you just need a few more Buttons sewn on that shirt, And-- They're there, but-- Well, mary, have you got one In front of you, 'cause I've got one in front Of me.
I've got a ticket! Come and get it! Come on down.
Come on down! Whoo! So we ended on a high.
Wow.
How about that? Yeah.
But as the sun set over The mississippi, 23 dancers still had everything To prove in the choreography Round, Including wendy williams Impersonator, courtney barnes, And contemporary dancer, Caleb brauner.
Two, jump, three, Four, five, Grab, six.
And six, seven, and eight.
We're gonna get it.
Okay, let's do it.
After just an hour of Learning the steps, It was time to perform.
Here it comes.
Cue music.
? Oh, my god.
We know how tough it is To do the choreography If you're not used to being Choreographed, But at the end of the day, That just wasn't strong enough, Guys.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You need to do a lot more Partner work.
I mean, that was-- Just was not good.
Uh Damn.
My dad's proud of me No matter what I do, so Can't give up.
He wouldn't want me to.
After the break, For the first time In so you think you can dance History, Justin bieber introduces us To two incredible dance crews Waiting to compete for your Twitter votes We're gonna crush The competition.
And the chance to perform On our stage.
Bass.
Then the auditions move on To a new city Chi-beria.
Where we meet two friends He's my wing man.
With the same goal.
America's favorite dancer! Oh.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Hey, what's up, everyone? I'm here with the one and only Incredible choreographer, Nick demoura.
This right here is a living Legend.
No, this is the guy, Right here.
No-- He's my choreographer, And he teaches me a lot Of stuff.
But he can sing, And I can't do that.
It's all good, man.
Not even a little bit.
You've got your gifts, I've got my gifts.
Everyone's got their own-- Some people just got more Gifts than others.
No, bro, I-- Come on.
We're here to introduce An exciting new part Of the show.
This year, for the first time On so you think you can dance, We're bringing you the finest Crews from all around The country, And asking you to vote for your Favorites on twitter.
? The crews that get the most Votes will get an opportunity To showcase their skills On the so you think you can Dance stage, And the top crew will get to Perform on this year's finale.
? The first crew performing For your twitter votes tonight Put together an incredible mix Of popping and robotics.
CHECK OUT L.
A.
's OWN Poreotics.
Hey, guys.
We are Poreotics! We represent popping And robotics, hence the name, Poreotics.
? We like to draw inspiration From mechanics, And a lot of things that just Aren't human.
? Unacceptable.
Increasing bass level.
Bass ? We also have a very unique Personality, And we act--like to add a lot Of humor.
It's not like we're trying To be funny, Because we actually are funny.
I don't think you're funny.
? Poreotics! Poreotics! ? If you want to see poreotics Perform on the so you think you Can dance stage, then you need To get tweeting right now.
? Hash tag is on the screen.
Right now.
It's on the screen.
Hash tag.
It's on the screen.
Justin, who's the second Crew? Second crew is-- Up next, actually, It's an all-girl crew From the east coast-- Chloe arnold's syncopated Ladies.
? What's up, y'all? We are The syncopated ladies.
Representing tap dance, And holding it down for The east coast.
? We've got fierce footwork, And a unique feminine style.
? Women normally aren't The face of tap, But the syncopated ladies-- We're the face and the feet.
? We're gonna crush The competition.
If you want to see more Of the syncopated ladies IN SEASON 11's FINALE, Th Support right now.
Has tag you need is on The screen.
Somewhere.
Welcome to chicago.
Our audition tour has moved On to its second city, And as hundreds of dancers Brave the cold, Chi-town had got a new nickname.
Chi-beria ? Man, this is cold.
But how hot's the talent In the windy city? ? Are you ready to get inside And get warm? As the crowd heads inside, Star of stage and screen And former ballerina, Jenna elfman, Joined mary and nigel On the judging panel.
Good morning, chicago.
Morning.
Have an amazing experience Up here.
Even if you don't go farther, Like, have an experience That you've never had before, And that'll uplift everybody.
Florida boys nick garcia And rudy abreu were hoping They could do just that With a little miami heat.
This right here is my Wing man.
This is my best friend.
This is my partner in crime.
? We have been dancing together For 11 years.
I was a scrawny little white boy And he was a fat little White boy, And then we became, you know, One step closer to becoming America's favorite dancer! Oh! We've been through a lot Together.
We've been through dance class.
We've been through women.
Fights over women.
Dude.
That's a really nice watch.
Can I? Oh, oh.
He's probably not gonna be Able to focus on his dancing With all the girls around.
Nice meeting you.
Nice--nice meeting you.
It's not easy, man.
I mean, you know, You guys take it for granted.
We-- Dude, take that all-- Take that part off.
Take that part off.
Mm-hmm.
I'm the man.
You're not.
Let me get a little more Of my mango.
Him.
? The game plan for today is We're both gonna go out there And we're gonna show them Why we're unique.
We're gonna show them Why they need us on the show.
? If nick was the only one To get a ticket, And I didn't get a ticket, I mean-- I mean, I'd probably have to Break his ankle and then take The ticket from him.
? Besides that, I'd be very, very Happy for him that he got His ticket, Because he deserves it.
Well deserved.
Well deserved.
Thank you.
Atta boy.
Good job.
? First up was nick.
Hi there.
Hi, how are you? Good, thank you.
How are you? I'm doing great.
What's your name? My name is nick garcia.
Nick, welcome.
And I take it by looking at you That you're gonna be doing Ballroom for us.
Yes, sir.
Latin ballroom.
Okay, without a partner? Without a partner.
My sister is my partner, And she is recovering from Ankle surgery.
She's also two years younger Than me, so she--it was hard For her to miss school.
But she's here in spirit, And I'm doing it for her And my entire family.
Okay, good.
Good man.
Well done.
We'd love to see you dance Right now.
I'd love to show you.
Go away, nick.
Go and make us happy.
Yeah, nick! Go, nick! Whoo! And cue music.
? ? Very good.
? Um, for me, Very, very, very good.
I'm telling you, nick, This may be the home of The bears, But this chicago stage is home Right now to the hot latin Ballroom dancer.
Whoo! First scream.
First scream today.
Holy smokes, kid.
All by yourself up there, You know, it's really tough To make a latin solo look Fantastic, and you did.
You looked completely at home, Completely rhythmical, Completely sound on your feet.
I can't wait to see you dance With a partner.
Thank you so much.
Double thumbs up on that.
I can tell that you're-- Have exemplary talent in, like, Every area.
It's exciting to see people Like you.
Thank you for bringing your Talent.
Well done.
Thank you so much.
Have you ever met mary Before? Never.
Well, come and say hello To her.
Come get your ticket! Whoo! Oh, my god! After the break, It's rudy's turn.
My style is unique Because I like to base it From my scar.
Plus, he was cut in New orleans.
That just wasn't strong Enough, guys.
Now he's come to chicago For redemption.
Hello.
You're not gonna give up, Are you? You can't call yourself A dancer if you give up.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to chicago, Where miami boy rudy is hoping To join his best friend nick In the next round.
I'm gonna go out there And I'm gonna show the judges That they can't deny me.
They need to give me a ticket.
I'm gonna show them that they Need me on this show.
Hi there.
Hello.
Hi, hi.
Hi.
What--what's your name? I'm rudy abreu.
You've got a hell of story.
What happened to you as a kid? Well, when I was born, I had a hole in my diaphragm And a blood disease, So they had to go-- Here in the back of my head, I have a little scar right here Where they had to go in For the blood disease, And then here was where they Opened me up for my diaphragm.
Well, you managed to get Through everything, And here you are.
Yeah, exactly.
Incredible.
Thank you.
My style is unique because I like to base it from my scar, So I like to do, like, Very manly, warrior-ish style Of dance, because I like to-- I don't know, emphasize my scar.
All right.
Like, if I was in a fight Or something, you know? "Emphasize my scar.
" We'd love to see it then.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Cue music.
? ? ? Good job.
Good.
Good.
Okay, really good.
Love the breadth of your Movement.
Thank you very much.
It's very, very strong.
Thank you so much.
Good jumps.
Those trousers-- A bit difficult to work in, Aren't they? Yeah? Oh, yeah.
Un poquito.
Tell me about, uh, Your work here.
You did a reverse cabriole Down to the floor.
Yes.
Absolutely great.
I've not seen that before.
Thank you so much.
Very strong.
Thank you.
Yeah, rudy.
Wow, did you set the stage There.
Full of power.
Thank you so much.
Full of passion when you Dance.
Thank you.
Uh, I mean, it's just-- Your story, by the way, Is just incredible.
And I love how you just Embrace it, And the fact that you're like, "I'm gonna put my scar Out there.
" Thank you.
"This is--I'm a"-- You know, you're a dance Warrior, is what you are.
Thank you.
She likes that.
Yah! It's very inspiring today To see the spirit transcending The body's limitations And going into the realm of art, And I just find that incredible.
And I love how strong you were.
And it was really sexy And beautiful at the same time.
Thank you so much.
You're a beautiful dancer.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, thank you.
Yeah, it's fun to watch you.
Thank you.
And it's unique.
So, ladies? Yes for me.
Yeah.
Hello? Okay, so do you think he Should be going to choreography? No, I really don't.
No, I think he needs to go To the next round! Yes! Yes! Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Whoo! Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo, whoo! Oh, oh, oh! From the beginning, Our first hip-hop class ever Was together.
To come now and audition And be able to go to the next Round together, It's just amazing.
? Up next The c-h-I is anything But shy.
Ahh! Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
?Na na na na ?So you think you can ?Dance Welcome back to chicago, Where, despite the temperature Outside So cold! On stage, the dancers Continue to sizzle.
? ? ? I think you're awesome.
Terrific.
Just beautiful to watch.
Now that is chemistry.
That was absolutely gorgeous, And you, serena-- You're a little hot tamale.
I love watching you.
Come and get your ticket! Whoo! Come get it.
You're going to the next Round! Next round! ? Whoo! I'm going to l.
A.
! Whoo! Waiting nervously in The wings was caleb brauner, Back after falling apart In the new orleans Choreography round.
You need to do a lot more Partner work.
That was just not good.
Damn.
Hi, caleb.
Hello.
You're not gonna give up, Are you? Can't.
Nope.
And what style are you gonna do For us today? It's--it's very different From what I normally do.
It's still my movement quality, Which is what people call Quirky, I guess Yep.
But it's a lot more serious.
It's the story-- The concept is, the last voice Mail I got from my dad.
Wow.
I wanted to be lighthearted In new orleans, But I realized that if something Happens in your life, It's okay to grieve.
Right.
And it's okay to feel bad, And that's what dance is for.
It's to get out emotions And it's to release things And to show people your story And to tell people your story.
You can't call yourself a dancer If you give up.
Indeed.
So-- Caleb, thank you.
Good luck today.
Thank you.
And cue music.
? Thank you very much.
Uh, jenna? I loved it.
Thank you.
I love you taking your Quirky style and turning it Into something even more Poignant.
I love your leg extensions And your reach.
And you look weightless, And there's an innocence About you, And there's a quirkiness About you, All that I find really Captivating.
Thank you so much.
It's a yes to choreography For me.
Absolute yes for me.
Yes, sir.
Thank you so much.
Good.
Thank you.
Caleb, thank you.
Up next, Caleb once again faces The choreography round.
Guys, you've all worked Really hard.
You were almost there, but-- You never quit.
Welcome back to chicago, Where over the course of The first day, It seems like the judges have Been introduced to every Conceivable dance style.
My dance style is Contemporary chair dance, But has elements of burlesque In it.
You a bit tired? You brought your own chair.
? ? What I've got for today Is fusing afro-cuban flare, A little bit of a modern, Whatever, shimmy shimmy.
? My style-- I've actually made a term up For it-- Beat rocking.
Being able to move, A real advanced form Of musicality to the syllables Of an artist singing Or something like that.
You're bold And you bring what you do.
What did the audience think Of that? Exotic dancers, F.
A.
M.
E.
Crew, Who we met in detroit last Season Last year we did the show, And we got a lot of heat because Everyone seen us as strippers And not dancers.
Were back to show off Their hip rolling and jitting.
? You were doing some Incredible stuff up there.
? The four of you can go through To choreography.
Well done.
Yes! Nigel, I think jenna needs A front-row seat.
Yes! Come on.
Whoa! Come on, jenna.
Hold on.
I need a mint.
Here we go.
Okay.
And cue music.
I feel like they're coming For us, sister.
Oh! Whoo! Ahh! Oh, my god.
? Whoo! Ow! ? Whoo! Ahh! ? ? Whoo! ? Thank you.
Girls Your turn.
Cue music! Oh, no, no, no, no! Oh, my god.
My husband is never letting Me on this show again.
And then it was time For the choreography round Five, and six.
Which was a little too much For f.
A.
M.
E.
Crew.
That choreo was serious.
Was really serious.
That choreo was crazy.
We didn't want to make no one Look bad, So here we are.
One, two, three, four, Five-- But caleb was determined That this time he'd make it Through.
My head's finally in a better Place.
I feel focused.
I feel ready to go.
Can't wait to do it.
All right, here we go, guys.
Good luck.
Cue music.
? Straight line, please.
Guys, you've all worked Really hard.
Well, come and get your tickets.
Come get your tickets! ? Oh, you got it done.
My dad would definitely say, "I told you you could do it.
" You never quit.
By the end of the first day In chicago, 18 dancers were headed To the callbacks in l.
A.
Remember, earlier tonight We showed you two incredible Dance crews, And asked you to tweet for The one you want to see perform Live on our stage.
So who's it gonna be-- Poreotics, Or chloe arnold's Syncopated ladies? Here's how the voting stands Right now.
Next week The chicago auditions continue.
I'm freezing my off! Come and get your ticket! Ticket! This girl can dance.
And everybody's looking For their big break.
Whoo! Ahh! ? Then we move on To the golden state Welcome to los angeles! Are you ready? I sit here in awe Of your talent.
Ah! Oh, laid it down! That's what dance is about.
No tricks, no faking.
Just feel it.
? Wah, wah.