Last night, the auditions for this season of So You Think You Can Dance drew to a close as the last of New York City’s best and brightest took the stage for a last chance to make it into The Academy.

When Andrew Avila and Melany Mercedez took the stage, the crowd was up and cheering before they made a single move. Before they took the stage, these two said that they had flavor, and they proved that with their audition. Performing incredible flips, spins, and conveying an attitude that had all of the judges shimmying excitedly. Melany was even put on the Hot Tamale Train by an enthusiastic Mary, and the rest of the judges followed suit, sending both dancers on to The Academy.

Randorn “Tiger” Luangrapaseuth’s audition had all of the judges moving and grooving, but Nigel and Vanessa were worried that Tiger’s ferocity wouldn’t be enough to take on the other styles necessary to be successful in the competition. After a tense moment of indecision, Tiger did get his lucky break with three yes’s and advice to start brushing up on other styles before it was time to go to The Academy.

Most dancers take the SYTYCD stage to showcase their skills and save storytelling for the actual competition, but that wasn’t Mika Doman’s plan. Dancing to a spoken word poem about bullying, she was trying to tell a story about overcoming adversity. However, the judges weren’t sure about the connection between the solo and the song. That didn’t stop Nigel, Mary, and tWitch from sending her forward in the competition, though. They saw her abilities through her stilted audition, and we’ll be seeing more of her.

The next dancer to make her way on to The Academy was jazz tapper Brianna Penrose. Her ability to develop subtle rhythms with a commanding and confident stage presence had the judges captivated, and there wasn’t any doubt about her fate in the competition.
Youngest hired dancer in Orlando Ballet history, Arcadian Broad loves a challenge, but when he took the stage it didn’t seem like there was any question about whether or not the judges would send him forward in the competition. As he performed, they were shouting “wow’ and “How do you do that?” from the judges’ platform. When it comes to this incredible ballet dancer, there’s no question about what he can do. Of course, we will be seeing more of him in The Academy.

Next up was Bridget Derville-Teer who took the stage to put on a dark performance, but there wasn’t any darkness on the other side of the stage. The judges were impressed by her ability to convey emotion and her incredible technique. We’ll be seeing more of her unique style as the season continues.

The last dancer to audition last night was a familiar face. After successfully auditioning in Season 12, Ryan Green was cut during Vegas Week. This season, he returned with his own style that combines the animation that got him onto the show three years ago with more subtle elements like character. Mary called Ryan a “genius artist,” and the other judges could only confirm that, but before they sent him on to The Academy, they sent him into an incredible dance battle with tWitch.

Next week, all of the dancers that have managed to wow the judges during auditions will make their way to The Academy where they will have to dance their hearts out for one of twenty spots in the live competition.

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.