An open letter to the producers.
Love that you have done this. Scream Queen Mary was right – who knew Canada had so many great dancers? You did, and thank you for bringing them into my living room. With that said, however, there are some things I think could be done differently and better.
1. Too many dancers, not enough conflict. The defense to this criticism will be, “We wanted to show as many as we could.” With thousands of auditioners there is no way every try-out could be shown, so “show as many as we could” isn’t a reason, it’s an excuse. Next time, pick fewer dancers to go to air and follow them more closely.
2. There are dancers in the first 3 episodes that I was looking forward to seeing as the top 200 were whittled down to the Top 20, and they were left on the cutting room floor for far too long. never to be seen again. Don’t get me emotional invested in someone and then not show them again until they get named to the Top 20 almost a month later.
3. Name banners. Ever watch Canadian Idol? They always show us the name of the performer – even the ones who are horrible and about to be eliminated. Not in the montages, sure, but why miss a chance to help us identify contestants by name? It helps at the water cooler the next morning.
4. Clarify the rounds. In the top 200 episode we couldn’t tell what someone was being sent on to. Several times it seemed we were ready for the finals when a new round was introduced.
Love that you have done this. Scream Queen Mary was right – who knew Canada had so many great dancers? You did, and thank you for bringing them into my living room. With that said, however, there are some things I think could be done differently and better.
1. Too many dancers, not enough conflict. The defense to this criticism will be, “We wanted to show as many as we could.” With thousands of auditioners there is no way every try-out could be shown, so “show as many as we could” isn’t a reason, it’s an excuse. Next time, pick fewer dancers to go to air and follow them more closely.
2. There are dancers in the first 3 episodes that I was looking forward to seeing as the top 200 were whittled down to the Top 20, and they were left on the cutting room floor for far too long. never to be seen again. Don’t get me emotional invested in someone and then not show them again until they get named to the Top 20 almost a month later.
3. Name banners. Ever watch Canadian Idol? They always show us the name of the performer – even the ones who are horrible and about to be eliminated. Not in the montages, sure, but why miss a chance to help us identify contestants by name? It helps at the water cooler the next morning.
4. Clarify the rounds. In the top 200 episode we couldn’t tell what someone was being sent on to. Several times it seemed we were ready for the finals when a new round was introduced.
5. And finally, MORE TIME IN CHOREOGRAPHY in the audition rounds! What are you thinking? This is where the real tension and conflict occurs.
Sincerely,
LB
LB
Here we go. 200 dancers fighting for 20 spots. Judges are Jean Marc, Tré, Luther and Blake. Judges give a bit of trite advice. Jean Marc says, “Go big or go home.” I say, “Get a new cliché or get out.” Luther says, "If normally you dance inside, dance outside." I say, “Huh?”
There will be several rounds; hip-hop, disco, ballroom, group choreography, contemporary, solo. Format is that you need 3 yes votes to go to the next round. Two yeses will get you to a “dance for your life” last chance dance.
We start with a clip of Luther choreographing a hip-hop routine. It looks too intricate for a lot of the contestants, particularly the arm moves. Cut to dancers milling about backstage, telling us how nervous they are as they are about to perform for the judges. They are broken up to groups of 5 or 6 and brought before the judges, where they will perform the routine and be told one of 3 things: go home, dance for your life, or on to the next round.
In his Montreal audition Olympic figure skater Emanuel Sandhu did a weird drag queen bit that turned the judges off, but they sent him through based on a dry-land triple axle. This time the judges rave and send him through to the next round.
Next is Allie Bertram, a cute, confident tiny young thing we met in the Halifax audition. Through to the next round.
Tiger Son, the south Asian immigrant who showed up at the Montreal auditions with a chip on his shoulder against everybody who hasn’t suffered as much as he has, is back. And the judges send him packing because he wasn’t able to do anything but the hip-hop. He gets some camera face time – a voted off the island-style “at least I’m leaving with my integrity intact” moment – that degenerates into an exercise in self-pity. When are reality TV contestants going to learn that really, really, really wanting something is not a competitive advantage when the other guy really, really, really wants it, too. If self pity was a drink, Tiger Son would be on the bottle.
Ballroom dancer Francis Lafrenière (Halifax audition) makes it through and leaves us wondering about his partner Claudia. Another ballroomer, Danny Arbour, makes it through as well.
We get a montage of dancers we haven’t met making it through or not, ending with one we do know. Natalli Reznik, from the Toronto audition, does a hammy hip-hop bit that gets a laugh and she's moving on.
Next up is Jade 'Hollywood' Anderson, who knocks me out with an African song behind him and a tribal-ish dance that takes my breath away. Blake isn’t convinced (versatility issues?) and says it was great, but will people pick up the phone for him? Jade looks up at the studio audience and asks, “Would you?” The crowd cheers. Jade, you are my hero. He goes through.
Ferdinand Tocol (the cheerful B-boy we met in Calgary) gets the hook. I thought his moves were good – he just doesn’t look like a dancer. They should have kept you, Ferdinand.
Arassay Reyes, who did a fast Latin routine in her Vancouver audition, does something totally different – a jazzy contemporary piece. She nails it and I realize her choreographer/father may be a stage parent, but he knows dance.
That’s the end of the first day. Leah tells us that 56 hopefuls were eliminated.
Day 2
Tré leads the dancers in a disco routine. First up is a group of 8 that includes one dancer we met at the Halifax audition, Joshua McLean, who wore a shiny gold blazer that drew criticism. Tonight he’s in a pale yellow dress shirt with a black tie. For the bus ride home.
Clip of 6 people reacting to being sent packing. Next to last is a tearful, broken-hearted woman. Last is a guy who feigns uncontolled crying and then laughs out loud. Cool dude.
Jeremy Tran-Hu (Montreal) “had trouble with the choreography, but two votes gets him a last chance.
Cut to an entire group that does the routine with such confidence that the judges get into it (Donna Summer doing Last Dance) and send the entire group through.
Montage of groups doing the routine. Nothing I haven’t seen way too much of for any more this lifetime. Thank you, punk.
Katelyn Fitzgerald, Shane Simpson, Graeme Goodall, Jesse Catiblog, Tatiana Parker, and Romina D’Ugo, make it through to the next round.
Cut to Leah talking with Montrealer Thien-Linh Truong. The day before she fell off a step and sprained her ankle. She does the disco routine with the ankle taped and does it well enough to make it through, but with the warning from Jean Marc, “you have to step it up.” Cut to Leah being taken to hospital. Later a doctor examines her and tells her if she continues she could permanently damage herself.
Mira Schwartzberg makes it through. The judges bid a truly fond farewell to Eileen ‘Dove’ Flomata, who auditioned in three cities before the judges gave her a pity pass. The mercy hand job ends here. "You got to keep going," she says after being cut. "One day, they'll say yes."
Sandhu is up again and again the judges are divided on him. Blake thought he looked like a waiter breaking into a dance after locking the door. They send him to dance for his life.
Jeremiah Hughes, who made it to the finals on the US show, Tre gives him shit for “remixing choreography” and he is told he will have to dance for his life. With quick takes of 7 dancers we have seen before being sent to Dance for Your Life segment, the Disco Dancing segment is over and the Dance for Your Life portion of the round begins.
Dario Milard earns a standing ovation and a pass to the next round. B-boys Miles Faber and Jeremy Tran-Huu make it through, as does Emmanuel Sandhu. Have I mentioned Sandhu has an oddly vampiric cast to his features? And it’s weird watching him circle, like he’s looking for the boards to tell him where to start his next move. You never stop being aware that you are watching a figure skater.
Jeremiah , Kevin Howe, Mike Catay, Jared, and James Jones, make it. Leah says, “It’s been a long chain of yeses, but will it continue?” We immediately pity the next performer, Derek Rice. Bye Derek. Bye Valerie. Bye Dean.
Justin Jackson’s crazy fast feet tap him into the next round. Cut to Thien-Linh being led off in a wheelchair.
Day Two: Foxtrot
Jean Marc and his wife/dancing partner choreograph the fox trot segment. Cut to the judges questioning Thien-Linh. She is told she risks damaging her partner’s chances. She says she won’t let anyone down. dancers being coupled up to perform for the judges. Cut to the partners being divided into partners. We get a longer than necessary introduction to the foxtrot.
Joey Matt and Lisa Auguste go first. They are flawless. “It’s a double big big yes,” from Jean Marc. Next round.
Justin Jackson and Chloe Schwartz. Justin is surprisingly sent home and Chloe to dance for her life. Kenny Avasa and Mira are through. Vasson Olivier and Caroline Torti are through. Vasson’s girlfriend, Kim Gervais, doesn’t. Her partner, Pierre Bouthier does (and is wracked with guilt for possibly letting down the beautiful Ms Gervais).
Some guy named Sean is sent home, but partner Catelyn stays. Ashley Sweet and Taylor Miller reach their end. Jeremy Tran Huu is gone. Hollywood Anderson is gone (damn I loved his tribal dance) as is his partner, A.C. Linsa.
James Jones and partner Michaela are eliminated, but bionic woman Thien-Linh and partner Ricky Cooperman live to dance another day. Jean Marc tells Ashley Ervin that her partner Danny Arbor, “saved your butt a couple of times,” but sends them both on with no stop at Dance for Your Life. Kevin Melreyea and Denitsa Iconomova are the best Blake has seen so far.
Vallerina Alley and Halifax ballroomer kill it. His girlfriend and partner Claudia Primeau makes it through despite being partner Nicholas Begin, a dancer 4 inches shorter than she. In fact, her whole group makes it through.
Dance for Your Life round begins. We see one performance - Chloe Schultz. She makes it to the next round with a contemporary routine, but barely.
Next up is a surprise Group Choreography challenge that is sprung on the 69 remaining dancers at the end of a long day – with a long day ahead tomorrow. The dancers are broken up into 10 groups and are told to choreograph an original piece to be performed for the judges first thing in the morning. The segment doesn’t last long enough to do anything but hint at a truckload of backstage conflict. In the end the routines, whether a success or a failure, are meaningless. Nobody gets eliminated and only three, all from the first group, dance for their lives.
Day 3: Contemporary
Blake McGrath chreographs. He tells them, "Half of you are cut after this." The dancers are not impressed by his instruction skills, complaining of no counts and inarticulate move explanations.
The first group performs for the judges. Juliette is sent home with an invitation to try again next year. Other groups perform. Claudia goes. Thien (more guts than brains) Linh's injured ankle finally proves too much for even her. Julia Harnett, Tabitha Lupien, Jeremiah Hughes and Christian Oulette are all gone. Jean Marc, a Quebecois ballroom dancing Montrealer like Christian, was particularly upset on that last one. Christian’s partner, Denitsa Iconomova, stays.
Joey Matt gets the first pass to the next round in ages. In quick cuts we watch 20 others get the good word.
It is Dance for Your Life time for the round. Natalli goes first and, in Leah’s words, “Sets the stage on fire,” setting the bar high for those to follow. Quick cuts; Chris stays but not Graham, Michelle, or Oliver. The segment raps on a high note, with Jesse Catibog bringing the audience to its feet with an old school break dance.
Day Four and last: Solos
Emmanuel Sandhu appears before the judges. Did he do a solo? If he did, we didn’t see it. Luther tells him his transitions from the dry-land figure skating “tricks” to his dance moves is bumpy and asks him to work on it come back next year.
Young Arassay Reyes gets a yes from the judges (again we don’t see the contestant dance) and becomes the 1st dancer in the Top 20. We get a great sequence of her screaming and shaking and laugh and wriggling like a puppy about to pee on the floor she’s so happy to see you; on stage, in the hallway, into the Green Room.
Denitsa, perhaps undone by the loss of her longtime partner in the previous round, is deemed not confident enough for the Top 20.
Blake tells Dario Milard, "You are the most creative dancer I have ever seen in my entire life." Tre tells him, “You made a tomboy cry.” Top 20 and #2. And I’m saying Top 5.
Lisa Auguste has been confident, even cocky, since we met her in the very first episode. She has reason to be. She’s the 3rd dancer in the Top 20.
Cody Banal is sent home, as are Mackenzie, Chloe, Yonni, Everett, Dwayne, Austin, Tara Jean, and Hanni.
We get our next addition to the Top 20 when too cute for words, little Allie Bertram makes it through as the 4th member of the Top 20. She tells the others, “Luther thinks I’m dope.” He also thinks she’s, “The cutest little mouse.”
Lara Smythe, Jesse Catibog, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Vincent Noiseux, Tamina Pollack-Paris, Joey Matt and Caroline Torti are Top 20 members 5 through 11.
Kevin Mylrea gets some face time. Blake tells him that he is technically the king of the competition, but the last week he has not stepped it up. It’s a warning, not a farewell. He’s Top 20 member #12.
Ashley Irvin gets some face and is asked to try again next year.
We get a clip of the guy Leah called “Mr. Bossypants” for his behaviour during the Group Choreography competition, Izaak Smith. The clip shows him strolling through a forest. They don’t waste time doing clips of dancers who are about to leave. He is #13.
Romina D’Ugo is #14, Breanne Wong #15, pop and lock master Miles Faber #16. Jared gets sent home, “for this year.” Ricky, Jennifer, Chris, Melanie, Shane, Cory and Tatiana go home.
Nico Archambault makes the Top 20. Three spots left, 4 dancers. Natalli and Mira go together. They tell Mira she’s a diamond in the rough. Natalli is told she’s one the most passionate dancers, but she has “struggled mightily with the choreography.” Natalli gets the nod, Mira gets next year. Ballroomers, Danny Arbour and Francis Lafrenière, two very similar dancers, complete the Top 20.
See you next week.
There will be several rounds; hip-hop, disco, ballroom, group choreography, contemporary, solo. Format is that you need 3 yes votes to go to the next round. Two yeses will get you to a “dance for your life” last chance dance.
We start with a clip of Luther choreographing a hip-hop routine. It looks too intricate for a lot of the contestants, particularly the arm moves. Cut to dancers milling about backstage, telling us how nervous they are as they are about to perform for the judges. They are broken up to groups of 5 or 6 and brought before the judges, where they will perform the routine and be told one of 3 things: go home, dance for your life, or on to the next round.
In his Montreal audition Olympic figure skater Emanuel Sandhu did a weird drag queen bit that turned the judges off, but they sent him through based on a dry-land triple axle. This time the judges rave and send him through to the next round.
Next is Allie Bertram, a cute, confident tiny young thing we met in the Halifax audition. Through to the next round.
Tiger Son, the south Asian immigrant who showed up at the Montreal auditions with a chip on his shoulder against everybody who hasn’t suffered as much as he has, is back. And the judges send him packing because he wasn’t able to do anything but the hip-hop. He gets some camera face time – a voted off the island-style “at least I’m leaving with my integrity intact” moment – that degenerates into an exercise in self-pity. When are reality TV contestants going to learn that really, really, really wanting something is not a competitive advantage when the other guy really, really, really wants it, too. If self pity was a drink, Tiger Son would be on the bottle.
Ballroom dancer Francis Lafrenière (Halifax audition) makes it through and leaves us wondering about his partner Claudia. Another ballroomer, Danny Arbour, makes it through as well.
We get a montage of dancers we haven’t met making it through or not, ending with one we do know. Natalli Reznik, from the Toronto audition, does a hammy hip-hop bit that gets a laugh and she's moving on.
Next up is Jade 'Hollywood' Anderson, who knocks me out with an African song behind him and a tribal-ish dance that takes my breath away. Blake isn’t convinced (versatility issues?) and says it was great, but will people pick up the phone for him? Jade looks up at the studio audience and asks, “Would you?” The crowd cheers. Jade, you are my hero. He goes through.
Ferdinand Tocol (the cheerful B-boy we met in Calgary) gets the hook. I thought his moves were good – he just doesn’t look like a dancer. They should have kept you, Ferdinand.
Arassay Reyes, who did a fast Latin routine in her Vancouver audition, does something totally different – a jazzy contemporary piece. She nails it and I realize her choreographer/father may be a stage parent, but he knows dance.
That’s the end of the first day. Leah tells us that 56 hopefuls were eliminated.
Day 2
Tré leads the dancers in a disco routine. First up is a group of 8 that includes one dancer we met at the Halifax audition, Joshua McLean, who wore a shiny gold blazer that drew criticism. Tonight he’s in a pale yellow dress shirt with a black tie. For the bus ride home.
Clip of 6 people reacting to being sent packing. Next to last is a tearful, broken-hearted woman. Last is a guy who feigns uncontolled crying and then laughs out loud. Cool dude.
Jeremy Tran-Hu (Montreal) “had trouble with the choreography, but two votes gets him a last chance.
Cut to an entire group that does the routine with such confidence that the judges get into it (Donna Summer doing Last Dance) and send the entire group through.
Montage of groups doing the routine. Nothing I haven’t seen way too much of for any more this lifetime. Thank you, punk.
Katelyn Fitzgerald, Shane Simpson, Graeme Goodall, Jesse Catiblog, Tatiana Parker, and Romina D’Ugo, make it through to the next round.
Cut to Leah talking with Montrealer Thien-Linh Truong. The day before she fell off a step and sprained her ankle. She does the disco routine with the ankle taped and does it well enough to make it through, but with the warning from Jean Marc, “you have to step it up.” Cut to Leah being taken to hospital. Later a doctor examines her and tells her if she continues she could permanently damage herself.
Mira Schwartzberg makes it through. The judges bid a truly fond farewell to Eileen ‘Dove’ Flomata, who auditioned in three cities before the judges gave her a pity pass. The mercy hand job ends here. "You got to keep going," she says after being cut. "One day, they'll say yes."
Sandhu is up again and again the judges are divided on him. Blake thought he looked like a waiter breaking into a dance after locking the door. They send him to dance for his life.
Jeremiah Hughes, who made it to the finals on the US show, Tre gives him shit for “remixing choreography” and he is told he will have to dance for his life. With quick takes of 7 dancers we have seen before being sent to Dance for Your Life segment, the Disco Dancing segment is over and the Dance for Your Life portion of the round begins.
Dario Milard earns a standing ovation and a pass to the next round. B-boys Miles Faber and Jeremy Tran-Huu make it through, as does Emmanuel Sandhu. Have I mentioned Sandhu has an oddly vampiric cast to his features? And it’s weird watching him circle, like he’s looking for the boards to tell him where to start his next move. You never stop being aware that you are watching a figure skater.
Jeremiah , Kevin Howe, Mike Catay, Jared, and James Jones, make it. Leah says, “It’s been a long chain of yeses, but will it continue?” We immediately pity the next performer, Derek Rice. Bye Derek. Bye Valerie. Bye Dean.
Justin Jackson’s crazy fast feet tap him into the next round. Cut to Thien-Linh being led off in a wheelchair.
Day Two: Foxtrot
Jean Marc and his wife/dancing partner choreograph the fox trot segment. Cut to the judges questioning Thien-Linh. She is told she risks damaging her partner’s chances. She says she won’t let anyone down. dancers being coupled up to perform for the judges. Cut to the partners being divided into partners. We get a longer than necessary introduction to the foxtrot.
Joey Matt and Lisa Auguste go first. They are flawless. “It’s a double big big yes,” from Jean Marc. Next round.
Justin Jackson and Chloe Schwartz. Justin is surprisingly sent home and Chloe to dance for her life. Kenny Avasa and Mira are through. Vasson Olivier and Caroline Torti are through. Vasson’s girlfriend, Kim Gervais, doesn’t. Her partner, Pierre Bouthier does (and is wracked with guilt for possibly letting down the beautiful Ms Gervais).
Some guy named Sean is sent home, but partner Catelyn stays. Ashley Sweet and Taylor Miller reach their end. Jeremy Tran Huu is gone. Hollywood Anderson is gone (damn I loved his tribal dance) as is his partner, A.C. Linsa.
James Jones and partner Michaela are eliminated, but bionic woman Thien-Linh and partner Ricky Cooperman live to dance another day. Jean Marc tells Ashley Ervin that her partner Danny Arbor, “saved your butt a couple of times,” but sends them both on with no stop at Dance for Your Life. Kevin Melreyea and Denitsa Iconomova are the best Blake has seen so far.
Vallerina Alley and Halifax ballroomer kill it. His girlfriend and partner Claudia Primeau makes it through despite being partner Nicholas Begin, a dancer 4 inches shorter than she. In fact, her whole group makes it through.
Dance for Your Life round begins. We see one performance - Chloe Schultz. She makes it to the next round with a contemporary routine, but barely.
Next up is a surprise Group Choreography challenge that is sprung on the 69 remaining dancers at the end of a long day – with a long day ahead tomorrow. The dancers are broken up into 10 groups and are told to choreograph an original piece to be performed for the judges first thing in the morning. The segment doesn’t last long enough to do anything but hint at a truckload of backstage conflict. In the end the routines, whether a success or a failure, are meaningless. Nobody gets eliminated and only three, all from the first group, dance for their lives.
Day 3: Contemporary
Blake McGrath chreographs. He tells them, "Half of you are cut after this." The dancers are not impressed by his instruction skills, complaining of no counts and inarticulate move explanations.
The first group performs for the judges. Juliette is sent home with an invitation to try again next year. Other groups perform. Claudia goes. Thien (more guts than brains) Linh's injured ankle finally proves too much for even her. Julia Harnett, Tabitha Lupien, Jeremiah Hughes and Christian Oulette are all gone. Jean Marc, a Quebecois ballroom dancing Montrealer like Christian, was particularly upset on that last one. Christian’s partner, Denitsa Iconomova, stays.
Joey Matt gets the first pass to the next round in ages. In quick cuts we watch 20 others get the good word.
It is Dance for Your Life time for the round. Natalli goes first and, in Leah’s words, “Sets the stage on fire,” setting the bar high for those to follow. Quick cuts; Chris stays but not Graham, Michelle, or Oliver. The segment raps on a high note, with Jesse Catibog bringing the audience to its feet with an old school break dance.
Day Four and last: Solos
Emmanuel Sandhu appears before the judges. Did he do a solo? If he did, we didn’t see it. Luther tells him his transitions from the dry-land figure skating “tricks” to his dance moves is bumpy and asks him to work on it come back next year.
Young Arassay Reyes gets a yes from the judges (again we don’t see the contestant dance) and becomes the 1st dancer in the Top 20. We get a great sequence of her screaming and shaking and laugh and wriggling like a puppy about to pee on the floor she’s so happy to see you; on stage, in the hallway, into the Green Room.
Denitsa, perhaps undone by the loss of her longtime partner in the previous round, is deemed not confident enough for the Top 20.
Blake tells Dario Milard, "You are the most creative dancer I have ever seen in my entire life." Tre tells him, “You made a tomboy cry.” Top 20 and #2. And I’m saying Top 5.
Lisa Auguste has been confident, even cocky, since we met her in the very first episode. She has reason to be. She’s the 3rd dancer in the Top 20.
Cody Banal is sent home, as are Mackenzie, Chloe, Yonni, Everett, Dwayne, Austin, Tara Jean, and Hanni.
We get our next addition to the Top 20 when too cute for words, little Allie Bertram makes it through as the 4th member of the Top 20. She tells the others, “Luther thinks I’m dope.” He also thinks she’s, “The cutest little mouse.”
Lara Smythe, Jesse Catibog, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Vincent Noiseux, Tamina Pollack-Paris, Joey Matt and Caroline Torti are Top 20 members 5 through 11.
Kevin Mylrea gets some face time. Blake tells him that he is technically the king of the competition, but the last week he has not stepped it up. It’s a warning, not a farewell. He’s Top 20 member #12.
Ashley Irvin gets some face and is asked to try again next year.
We get a clip of the guy Leah called “Mr. Bossypants” for his behaviour during the Group Choreography competition, Izaak Smith. The clip shows him strolling through a forest. They don’t waste time doing clips of dancers who are about to leave. He is #13.
Romina D’Ugo is #14, Breanne Wong #15, pop and lock master Miles Faber #16. Jared gets sent home, “for this year.” Ricky, Jennifer, Chris, Melanie, Shane, Cory and Tatiana go home.
Nico Archambault makes the Top 20. Three spots left, 4 dancers. Natalli and Mira go together. They tell Mira she’s a diamond in the rough. Natalli is told she’s one the most passionate dancers, but she has “struggled mightily with the choreography.” Natalli gets the nod, Mira gets next year. Ballroomers, Danny Arbour and Francis Lafrenière, two very similar dancers, complete the Top 20.
See you next week.
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