Who Thinks Utah Can Dance?
July 27th, 2009
The producers of Fox's hit show seem to think that Utah may, indeed, be the place to find America's next top dancer
by Rebecca Edwards
My daughter and I were giddy as we saw the line of fit, nubile bodies costumed in every variety of dancewear imaginable stretching for blocks from the front doors of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. On Pioneer Day, we decided to venture downtown to take a peek at all the people--from all over the country--who had gathered in Salt Lake City for the chance to show America that they can dance.
Savannah got me into So You Think You Can Dance a couple seasons ago when Sabra Johnson(from Roy) took home the top prize. Sabra actually trained at a dance academy just down the street from my house in Bountiful, and their marquee gave constant updates of her progress during season three.
Utah has continually made a good showing in the competition, with three of the top 20 dancers in season four hailing from the Beehive State. With such a good track record on Dance--and other high-profile Utah talent such as David Archuleta--producers felt that Utah would be fertile ground to possibly find one of the top dancers for upcoming season six. At least in terms of numbers, the open-call auditions on the 24th did not disappoint.
I spoke to several hopeful dancers from as far away as Boston. Even though season six auditions were held in Bean Town earlier this year, Caitlin didn't meet the age requirements. Her 18th birthday was on July 24th, so in order to celebrate her new eligibility she caught a red-eye out west with two fellow dancers and their moms in tow. They proudly donned "I think I can dance" t-shirts as they waited in line for over four hours in the stifling summer heat.
"I've been dancing since I was four," Caitlin said. "This is the best birthday present ever."
Other hopefuls I talked to hailed from St. Louis and California. Several had auditioned for previous seasons and were hoping that what they learned between those earlier auditions and now would make a difference to the judges, and get them a ticket to Las Vegas for the first round of cuts.
Mingling with the dancers were Randi Evans(from Springville) and Caitlin Kinney. Both were in the top 20 of the current season, and were recently eliminated. They spent their time having pictures taken and giving advice about the ordeal these hopefuls were in for if they made it. Cat Deeley, the glamazon host of the show, was also spotted talking to the crowd and giving encouragement.
Friday's auditions consisted of only 10 seconds of improvised dancing from each candidate. Those that the producers found promising, were invited back to dance a solo for the show's judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, and choreographer Mia Michaels.
The excitement and energy of the hundreds of Dance hopefuls were not dampened by the heat--but I was. After about an hour vicariously participating in the audition process for one of my favorite shows, I had to find some shade. I am excited to find out how Utah (and the dancers I met) will perform in the new season this coming fall--and for those who can't wait to find out if Utah can dance once again, the show will be here on tour with home-grown darling Randi Evans in November.
