It Is Tougher Than It Looks

** Day 2 **

Had my morning swim in the pool. Not much, just 200m of freestyle and then 200m break stroke. Was gonna do 300 each, but gotta have some in my reserve tank. This is so far the best way to get my day to start with energy.

Next up. Broadway number with Tyce Diorio. We are broken up to groups of 10 again, only this time each couple is called to the judges. Ha, they use our names. It feels nicer not to be just a number, but it also makes it all so personal. They are rejecting real people, not just some numbers.

It is lunch time, but who can eat? Only less than 1/2 people are left, which means more than 1/2 are gone. We haven’t been here for even 24 hrs, but for the sake of the show, it is Day 2.

Before you know it, it is time for foxtrot with Jean-Marc Genereux, who is greater in person than on TV. Fantastic teacher and great character.

3 couples each time are dancing on stage now, it is even more intimidating. You dont have to imagine people are in their underwears, you feel like you are in your undies. So, the number of judges looking on the stage is the same as the number of dancers. Nowhere to hide, no time to think, no place for mistakes, no chance to be missed. In the end, it was no effort wasted. Phew.

By this time, you can see the group sorting itself out in to sub cultures. The contemparies, the ballroomers, the hip hop and breakers and ppl like me, the rest. That include an odd ball from Hawaii, Mark. Maybe it is because we both grew up in the vicinity to the beach and surfing is big in the neighbourhood, we clicked quite well. Also, we both were not afraid of standing out in a weird way.

As if the day has not been hard enough. Now what? While we are still in our ballroom outfit, Cat came up with a box. We need to come up with our own chorey? Interesting concept, but how will my group turn out?

Our group is ok. Got a good mix of styles and therefore characters. In my head, the question is: ‘Do I jump right out and attempt to be the leader figure? or do I lay low and play it safe?’ However, the cameras around us are annoying reminders that it is in the end, a reality show: all our moves are captured and later on edited to become home entertainment for many.

** Day 3 **

One word to describe all this: gruelling. In the line up we are ask to take one step back if any judge thinks we are not good enough. Then another judge may also ask you to take another step back.

Poor Jase, first group up and he now need to dance for his life. It is already bad enough you get judged like. Your reaction gets aired on national television without any filtering (well, in some case, over filtering).

Even though after this round they only cut 4 more dancers, but so many have left, some really good dancers in their own areas, and great characters and just generally good people. Now, there is about like what, 60, 70 max left here.

Now we come to the pinnacle of Vegas Week, the Mia Michael’s experience. It is safe to say that they save the best for last, without any disrespect to other choreographers. What is with the noise she makes? It is great, I get to remember the moves. One thing I can say is that I am glad I had my vitamins. Swimming was ok, stretched my muscles and cleared my head.

To deal with the icon of the show, who is at the same time the dragon lady on the show is never a comfortable thing, neither does she want to make it comfortable for anybody (including herself sometimes so it seems). To me, this dance is the final beast to conquer, whether to make it to the show or not is not on my mind so much as to just nail this piece. Mia asks so much of you that your head is just filled with the story and your heart with the dance. Holistic!

After we performed in groups of 5, another 1/3 went home. We can see only about 40, 50 now. After the survival, I realised it is closer and closer to make to the show, and yet the thing is only going to get harder and harder.

And So the Show Begins

1 Audition

Day 1 of the audition, Thursday, 21 Feb. Atlas Performing Arts Centre (Center, to be more correct, but my spell check is like me, an Aussie) in Washington, D.C. I knew I was in for a long queue for the audition. Still remember few years ago when I was standing in line when Planet Hollywood was to open in Sydney, the applicants went around the block like crazy and after hours of waiting, you only get like 3 min to see some recruiting agent who knows nothing about what goes on in the kitchen (15 at that time, looking for apprentice job, who was I kidding) . They never called back; their loss not mine.

However, back to SYTYCD. They issued me a number: 12508.

For the audition, I was thinking how can I stand out without putting people off with the music selection. Joe Satriani is close to heart and not too out there and somehow I get the feeling that Rock/Metal theme will work for me.

The judges wasn’t too sure about me. Dan thought that I am a bit too rough around the edges. Mary and Nygel both think the character is there, but uncertain about my techniques. However, they asked me to stay for the choreography. Fair enough.

Choreography was not too bad, even though I was not excellent, hopefully that will get me to Vegas, but it is just not something to be too confident about. After few seconds of suspense that feels like few centuries, I got my ticket, together with the guy in the line up. ppphew.

Now, my experience in Capoeira should help me through the hip hop moves; and the training from NIDA should be enough for contemporary stuff. SDCo has also equipped me well. Working with FroceMajeure was fantastic too. Boardroom? guess I will just have to learn and improvise.

Gotta get training before Vegas. First, gotta build up upper body, Second, gotta get to know the techniques of ballroom and other unfamiliar styles. Asked this guy who also is going to Vegas, he suggested a few places. To train around here can save me time on travelling and all that, so the plan is to find a job around town and just do my training nearby and fly to Vegas from here.

Not hard to get a kitchen hand job for just a few months, however accommodation here for backpackers is a rare find. The landlord showed me the joint, it is like the room where Don Coleone was quarantined. Shared kitchen, not the time to be picky or to complain, at least it is not communal shower.

2 Vegas Week

So, here we are 3667 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV. a.k.a. Planet Hollywood [resort & casino] – (the restaurant is another place), 12 years on, some memory of rejection starting to emerge ,cant be a good thing. (Planet Hollywood in Sydney now is called by another name)

As, we are gathered outside the Theatre for the Performing Arts, Cat through a megaphone says; “Are you ready?”

Doing it all for the camera, we shout: “YEAH!!!!” Gotta psyche myself up, and at the same time not to lose my cool. The psyching up approach is good for adrenaline, but I have to remember the need to calm down every now and then, gotta reflect, refresh and recharge as I progress. Yes, I am calculative.

Over 200 of the best dancers from all over the US meet in Las Vegas for the biggest, most competitive competition ever! So they told us. Nevertheless, overwhelming indeed.

** Day 1 **

hip-hop routine with Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, nice ppl.

You all heard Tabitha, it is SYTYCD, it is not going to be easy. 1 hr to learn the routine? Not only that, all other things happen in the speed of light on this overcrowded stage. The important thing is to download the routine into my head so I got something to work with on my own.

Routine isn’t long but neither is the time we got. basically, later you are on, more time you got to practice. Unfair? no one ever said it is going to be fair either.

Before the selection started, we got called to sit down and an announcement was made. Rob what?? That is just insane. This guy Mark was on my right looking on feeling kind of uncomfortable. Well, guess that is part of Rob’s artistry. This B-boy Gev was just cheering his head off from behind.

I seriously think this is for the TV. But hey, everything here is for the TV show. If they just want to do auditions for dancers, they didnt need the camera crew. Rob was fffffantastic. He either has more joints or he has some plastic elastic bones. I am sure this is not the last time we see him tho. Again, I am just being calculative.

We are placed in group of 10 to take the stage. We did our thing and the judge did theirs. Some of us are happy with what the judges said as only some of the judges are happy with what we did.

I am just glad I am still here. The intensity will only increase, gotta find my chill spot and clear my head. It really sux when you are sent home without even being settled in the hotel, you come with your bags and you left without opening them.

Here we are, allocated into Planet Hollywood Resort. Sharing the room with me is Pete from L.A. We didn’t talk much, I pretty much just dumped my bags and grab a few things: wallet, iPod and camera then took off. The cameras are just everywhere.

I am in a good mood to take a walk and get some outdoor breathe. Vegas is an interesting place. You have the Strip, and the outskirts. It is just like the movies, only bigger when you step onto the pavement and suck it all in for all its worth. That was a great wind down, taking photos, watching others sucking in Vegas and at the same time contributing to its qi. I can just hit the bed and collapse. Hope I can get to swim before breakfast.

Big break in the USA?

Preface

Why am I doing this? This is the way of coping addictive enslavement, and a way of alleviating pathological fantasizing after watching SYTYCD last season. It (this sickness) started in November, and is still not cured. I have since watched seasons 2 and 3 and Australian season 2.

I am not a particular good writer. I am missing (one of) the most important ingredient → dialogues to make a great story (or to make a story great),. This piece is just a collection of observations and self reflections, mainly a composition of monologue. There are two reasons for this. First is my reservation to put words into the characters, to do that will be almost blaspheme. Second is my personal lack of imagination and creativity. My imagination, stops only so far (or so short). In my head, there are activities and interactions between me and the characters, but somehow there just ain’t no words to be produced. Maybe I can not think outside of the TV box. Therefore I have not inspired into the work more what you can see in the show and/or research online. Or maybe there is the 3rd reason: the lack of time. Life does not allow me to spend much time on this [the inspiration of words].

In the end, I am writing to cope, to vent and to alleviate, not to create a master piece. Just remember, this is for me, not for you.

0 Prologue

Being on working holiday is a great thing, especially the agreement between the 2 countries just happened few months earlier. This is my 4th week in the Colorado Keystone ski resort. Being a chef at night, shredding the white stuff during the day. It is a life that I have no complaint for. Think it was a Tuesday night when I was just minding my own business at the bar during my break, then came some screaming kids about some audition with a brochure in their hands. What caught my attention was the bright blue writing of So You Think You Can Dance. So You Think You Can Dance??? I am all ears now. However, there was just too much giggling and laughing, so I got no useful information from earsdropping. The shift ended in the usual chaos, and I went back to my dorm and quickly googled out the audition dates.

• Dallas     Jan 17-19
• Charleston Jan 31- Feb 2,
• Salt Lake City Feb 4-7
• Washington D.C.  Feb 21-23
• Los Angeles March 6-8

I should finish things up in the kitchen here by mid Feb, hopefully can go to Washington D.C. Which can give me a 2nd chance in L.A. However, if I get my ticket to Vegas at Washington D.C., then I got few months to shape up and take some intensives. The calculative self hard at work in thinking.

Have I mentioned that things are big in the USA? cars are big, so the roads are big. the servings in the fast food restaurants are big, so the people are big [guess that explains whey they need big cars also]. and I am looking for my big American break into the show biz.