So You Think You Can Dance – S16 Ep. 5

By: Sammi Turano

This is the final round of auditions for “So You Think You Can Dance” on Fox. Next week we move to the boot camp round, where the dancers will continue to try and impress Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe, Laurieann Gibson and Dominic Sandoval. As always, Cat Deeley is hosting.

First up are Andrew and Melany from the Bronx. They auditioned last year, but did not make the cut. They are a ballroom couple and quite impressive. They move on to the Academy.

Next up is Michael, who is a b-boy dancer. He used to be bullied as a child. His routine is fun to watch and there is something about him that makes me smile. The judges love him and send him to the Academy.

Mariah is up next. She has had a tough childhood and her father has been in prison since she was six years old. Her dance is a great mix of athleticism and contemporary. The judges love her and Laurieann even says she sees herself in her. She is also Academy bound.

After a montage of Academy bound dancers we get to Phoebe, who has Down Syndrome. She is a good dancer and seems to love what she does. The judges think she is wonderful and love her sass and personality. However, she is not going to compete, but instead she will be a guest at the Academy.

James is back after having done three seasons of auditions in the past. He has bipolar disorder and uses dance as a mood stabilizer. He is incredible, but I agree with the judges that he needs to put more work into it or more discipline, if you will. If he does that, he will be unstoppable. He is Academy bound.

Maia is another contemporary dancer who has such athleticism when she performs. Some of those moves make me hurt just watching—but she is just that good. She is off to the Academy.

Eddie is the last dancer of the night. He is back after getting cut right before the live shows last season. This season he is back and better than ever with a heart stopping tap routine. WOW! That was incredible. He is off for another chance to get to the live shows, but first he needs to go to the Academy.