S01E01 - Auditions

9 Feb regan's blog | Email this page | 992 reads

The stakes are going to be so high and the pressure is going to be so much. Are you ready for the competition?

If you want Australia to love you, then you have to give them everything.

This is going to be Australia's biggest ever dance competition and one that every dancer has been waiting for.

The auditions begin tonight in Perth where hundreds of dancers have lined up for their chance to dance in front of our judges, Bonnie Lythgoe (From the US version of So You Think You Can Dance), Matt Lee and Jason Coleman who have a wealth of exerience between them.

The expections are high for the 18-35 year olds who are eligible to audition. One of three things will happen after their 90second audition. They will either be rewarded with a ticket directly to the Top 100, be asked to stick around to take on some of Matt Lee's challenging choreography or they'll be given a straight no and it will all be over.

The first 25 were ok but the judges were really looking for something special.

A ballroom couple with a 16 year age difference is 35 year old Brendan and 19 year old Jemma who dance to Damien Rice's Damien Rice - 9 Crimes - Single - 9 Crimes 9 Crimes. It's a journey that draws the judges in an earns them both a direct pass to the top 100.

Nicole 'Lamb' takes to the stage next with her confident routine set to Timbaland's Timbaland - Shock Value Hello. Her technique impresses the judges and puts her through to the top 100.

Angel is a model and wants to prove that models can dance. She dances to TV Rock - Sunshine City - Flaunt It Flaunt It. She can't.

21 year old Stephanie Tullock wants to go to Paris to work with the Moulin Rouge but Bonnie thinks she's more than that. They like her and put her through to the top 100.

Sermsah is an Aborigine who puts some ethnic moves into his audition. The judges really like his diversity and out him through to Sydney and the growing group of those making it into the Top 100.

Kelly uses a man prop and dances to Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral - Closer Closer from Nine Inch Nails and doesn't pull it off. Jason thought it was a ridiculous song choice but Matt and Bonnie put her through to the choreography round with a second chance at a shot at the top 100.

Edward 'Edit' is the last audition in Perth and throws some breakdancing into the mix set to N.E.R.D. - In Search Of... - Lapdance Lapdance. He gets a second shot in the choreography round with Matt Lee.

Set to Rihanna's Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad - Don't Stop the Music Don't Stop the Music. It's fast and intense. Kelly doesn't make it but Edward 'Edit' does.

15 made it through to the Top 100 round in Sydney from Perth and the next venue on the audition tour was Brisbane.

Two thirds of those auditioning in Brisbane were girls.

Camilla performs a very energetic audition for the judges set to Jamelia's Jamelia - Walk With Me - Beware of the Dog Beware of the Dog. They love her despite a shortness of breath and stamina cause she's been teaching and not dancing herself. She's off to Sydney for the next round.

The 365 Crew audition a funky choreographed performance set to Usher - Confessions - Caught Up Caught Up. Only one of them can go through as it's an individual competition so the other two are left to take on Matt's challenge later in the day in the hopes that they can join Clint in Sydney.

NRL player Ben Ikin's brother Anthony is an aerobics champ who auditions to Snow Patrol's Southshore - Chasing Cars - How to Save a Life How to Save a Life. They love his technique and how he looks so he's through to the top 100.

Dressed up in frills and mini skirts are Ben and Liam who prance around to Earth, Wind & Fire - The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland Boogie Wonderland. It starts off looking a bit naff but it pays off althought it's a direct ticket for one of them.

Emma was accepted into the Australian Ballet School when she was 14 and is here today hoping now is the right time to launch her dance career. She dances to Nelly Furtado - Loose (Deluxe Version) - Say It Right Say it Right. She's a little fragile for the competition despite being a good dancer and doesn't make it into the top 100.

Jack Chambers is hoping to make it to Broadway in New York and with his audition to Hairspray's Amanda Bynes, Elijah Kelley, John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Queen Latifah & Zac Efron - Hairspray (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - You Can't Stop the Beat You Can't Stop The Beat. He's halfway there with his ticket to the top 100.

Gianne is from Brazil and has Jason thinking she looks fierce. She has a beautiful smile and is invited back to try out Matt's choreography.

Vanessa and Gary are in love. Emma and Mario are also benefiting from intimacy. Melina, however, is doing the salsa without a partner and has her dress riding right up there as she salsas to Jamiroquai - High Times - Singles 1992-2006 - Cosmic Girl Cosmic Girl.

The second chance group gets to warm up as Timbaland's Timbaland - Shock Value - The Way I Are (feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.) The Way before having to perform in front of the judges. All the boys from the 365 crew have made it but there are plenty of tears from those who didn't make it. Gianne is given a ticket to Sydney after her performance which she is ecstatic about.

On the second day of auditions, Carl dances some Rudolph Nureyev and earns a callback in the choreography.

All the way from El Salvador is Bessy who escaped the civil war 12 years ago to put a lot of energy into her routine set to another Timbaland track, Timbaland - Shock Value Throw It On Me.

15 year Caleb was too young to enter but because he'd made the journey from Innesvale he was allowed to perform to
Gary Jules with Michael Andrews - Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets - Mad World
in front of the judges. He expected a lot more from himself and gets a call back only when he wanted a direct ticket.

Last to audition in Brisbane tonight is Gabriel who uses "Monkey" to describe himself. He dances his animal like movements to Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable - Extravaganza (Main Version) Extravaganza but doesn't convince the judges enough other than to give him a second shot at the choreography call back.

After the choreography round, Carl makes it through but monkey man Gabriel doesn't. Bessy makes it through to Sydney though to finish up the Brisbane auditions.

Tomorrow night, Melbourne and Adelaide get their chance to show us if they can dance.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <ul> <ol> <li> <b> <object> <embed> <param> <img> <blockquote> <strike>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.
  • Filtered words will be replaced with the filtered version of the word.

More information about formatting options

Captcha
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.