Tuesday, January 26, 2010

So You Think You Can Dance NY Auditions

From nydailynews.com:

Hundreds of "So You Think You Can Dance" hopefuls poured into Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, hoping to shake, spin and glide their way onto TV.

They may not be able to moonwalk like Michael Jackson or hip shimmy like Beyonce, but they all had superstar aspirations.

"This is my dream! All my family and friends have been calling, saying 'I can feel it, you're gonna do well," and tears just come to my eyes," said Jason Taylor, 21, who was born and raised in the Bronx, but now lives in New Britain, Conn.

Taylor got in line for the auditions at 6 a.m. wearing a black Yankees cap pulled on sideways over his braids and high hopes of earning a "golden ticket" from producers that means moving on to audition again in front of judges Tuesday or Wednesday.

Some contestants have made appearances on the show before, like Jamie Greco, 30, a horror movie writer and director who lives in the Bronx. His all-out "gender chameleon" dance audition was aired during Season 2.
This time around, he came armed with a towering fruit hat, a pink fringe skirt and a bag of vegetables to use as props.

"I looove dancing," he gushed. "I'm a little bit intimidated being around all these people with professional training, but I know the real me will shine through."

A powerful personality is key, agreed the show's hostess, Cat Deeley.

"Personality always wins through at the end of the day," she said. "It's the back stories. It's the sense of humor. It's the fun. All those kind of things that make someone have charisma, make people identify with them, make people get off the sofa and actually pick up the phone and vote. And that's not an easy thing to do."

The show will audition wanna-be stars between the ages of 18 to 30 in six cities this season, including Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami.

"Dancing is a huge part of my life and I've watched this show since Season 1," said Amanda Feliciano, 19, of Plainfield, N.J. "I've stretched and practiced. Now it's my turn."

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