Kuponohi'ipoi Aweau “Pono” is the name of the Hawaiian dancer who I want to win this season of SYTYCD? I still haven't been able to find a clip of him but if you want to watch a large clip of one of the audition episodes, he should show up eventually:

I still can't find any clips of the guy I really like this year. He has a complicated Hawaiian name so it may be until next week before I'm able to track him down... After he wins this year it'll be Nathan Trasoras' time to shine:


Nathan Trasoras

BTW: It totally says that he's 17 right at the beginning of the audition I guess I had an initial case of selective blindness.
( People who are not Nathan Trasoras... )

SYTYCD? continues to entertain me.

Audition episodes aired on Wednesday and Thursday.


Standouts from Wednesday include Priscilla Merraro and a salsa couple whose names escape me. I am quite endeared to Joseph Smith. He's the one who kept saying "Shiwam!" and "Shiwizam!" I hope to see more from him in the future. The was some really raunchy girl with first name of Wislande. Other names I remember positively were Erik "Silky" Moore who danced a damn silky routine to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Paris Torres, (sp?) a guy named Henry whose last name I forget, Alex Wong and Geo Smith who was wearing a spectacular feather headdress. I also liked Talia Rickards, a police officer named Marico, Caitlin Kinney, and Anna Dunn. I didn't like (but was entertained by) the insane red dreadlocked Chris Carozza.

Travis Prokop and Evan Kazprak were the standout performers on Wednesday though. Travis has the tall strong build of someone's whose father coaches football and the spirit of someone whose father supports his dancing regardless. He is someone who strikes me as having an infinite capability for improvement. I was so touched by the interview portions dealing with him and his father and cannot wait to see him make top 20. Evan Kazprak was someone I remember from last season. His dancing is evocative of Gene Kelley which can only be taken as a compliment in my book. (Sidenote: I LOOOOVE GENE KELLEY) I actually remember mentioning him last year. (Check the "SYTYCD?" tag on this entry if you are at all interested in my past ramblings on So You Think You Can Dance? and clips I found notable enough to post) His brother auditioned this year as well and though he was entertaining and talented he paled in comparison to Evan. I want him in the Top 20.

Thursday brought the return of PHILLIP CHBEEB! but I will get on that later. I liked Bianca Revels a good deal. She was called a "consummate tapdancer" by Nigel and deservedly so. There was a freakishly and akwardly insestuous couple. I forget their names but the brother was named Xavier. I loved Asuka Kondoh and Ricky Sun! I want to see more from them for sure. Another person I NEED to see more from is Nathan Trasoras. After a breathtaking audition we find out he is only 17 (eep! deleting inappriopriate thoughts now...) and therefore unable to compete in the series until next year. Nigel actually took a Vegas ticket and wrote it out for him next season. Before his age was revealed I was thinking overtly sexual thoughts about him had him pegged to win this season. I now am calling him out as top ten next year at the least. I love him.

After my mind was blown by Nathan I was impressed with Sammy Ramirez and Amanda Kerby. Next was the fantabulous Phillip ChBeeb! You most likely don't remember but he (along with my alien love Robert Muraine) had me raving last year. What an amazing popper. It looks like this year of training is going to pay off for him. He was given a ticket to Vegas without even auditioning since the only reason he left last year was his taking ill. He assisted a contemporary dancing friend later on and I was blown away by the strides in partnering he's made. I cannot wait to see how far he goes this year. Other names that are bound to move along in the series are Aldo Ageppe, Kelsea Taylor and a phenomenal hawaiian dancer with a very difficult first name and the last name of Awea. I will be rooting for him throught the entire season. As soon as I find out more about him you are bound to be bogged down by entries about him. I can't express what a breath of fresh air he was to this competition. The only negative comment I heard was something about how he would be doing something so very powerful and strong and then would go a little "too feminine". As you might guess those are the bits I liked best.

P.S. On the subject of "feminine" dancing; I never did a full entry on it but I was really taken aback last week by the comments to the same sex ballroom dancing. I was amazed at the general xenophobia coming from the panel. Even Sonja! It wasn't exactly homophobia but a stringent concept of gender roles. This clip might have the bit I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5as4BjrQ4 but I'm not sure because I have dial up and didn't watch through the clip myself.

Warning: I am a huge nerd for SYTYCD? This is the first in what is bound to be a barrage of posts on this subject each week.

First episode of the season was tonight! After the usual set of mediocre attempts there was a guy named Chimeze who was very charismatic. Then I was really rooting for this Japanese guy's audition to go well. They set it up in the introduction like it could possibly go the Willam Hung route. Luckily he was damn entertaining! I won't try to attempt spelling his name but I will find the clip when possible.

Right before a commercial break there was a shot of a guy crying while the voiceover speculated of a dancer's dreams being crushed and I thought to myself, "Oh no, I already like this guy without seeing him dance!" they showed him crying after the judges ask him "What does the umbrella represent to you?" ( Hmm... )

The last performance ended up being SPECTACULAR. Brandon Bryant (if I caught the name correctly) returned from an early elimination last year to a guy who's name slips my mind but I remember being pretty damn good and that he deeply seemed to crush on his partner who had a boyfriend in real life. Anyhow! BRANDON BRYANT was fucking solid. You can tell that year of training was good for him! I will be looking for that video.


On the subject of Adam Lambert... I have calmed down enough to post about it. It's just the results I predicted from first episode that I watched this season (Country Week -Ring Of Fire) I thought that Kris would place first and Adam would place second. I also had fallen head over heel for him in that single silver jacketed performance. As those of you around when that occured might remember, I had only made an effort to watch American Idol when I stumbled upon some glamtastic photos (http://velvetgunpowder.livejournal.com/187879.html) of Adam Lambert. My brother said that he got "a little too Patrick WOlf on 'em" and I said I anjoyed every minute of it! He was like "I bet you did!" I might need to mention that 'Patrick Wolf' is my brother's slang for gay. *Sigh* Such things need articulating when around me enough I guess.

Anyhow! As for Adam placing second, he won't be stuck with that craptastic faux-hymnal about Magic Mountains and Hurricaines... Plus he looked so damn foxy: ( Let the picspammage commence! )