This week on So You Think You Can Dance (Season 9, Episode 4), the judges concluded their audition tour in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read Kidzworld’s recap of “Audition 5,” which aired on June 13, 2012, to discover what you missed.
The Dating Game
Like every other city the judges ventured to this season, the talent in Salt Lake City was over the top. However, this episode did give a little more attention to the personalities rather than the dancers. Ballroom dancer Johnny Ahn spent less time dancing and more time using his skills learned from a dating program to pick up girls. He wasn’t a bad dancer, but he and his partner had no chemistry. Both were invited to the choreography round, but were ultimately given the boot.
Defying Expectations
The other personality that stole the show - for a good reason this time - was 29-year-old Leroy Martinez. With his larger build, he was all about defying expectations. He overcame his rough background and now works at a doggie daycare and volunteers with a children’s program called Peacemakers. And he proved he can dance. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep up in the choreography round. The judges commended his spirit and he received a standing ovation from the audience on his way out.
Ticket to Vegas
While these two dancers didn’t make the cut, many did, including spicy Latin dancers Witney Carson, Lindsay Arnold and Rachel Applehans. There was also returning contestant Adrian Lee, who was cut in the final round of eliminations on season 7; 19-year-old Dareian Kujawa, who gave the strongest male performance of the night if you don’t count his sloppy feet, according to Nigel; krumper Mariah Spears; and the most memorable dancer, Gene Lonardo. Dressed as a praying mantis, Gene performed the life cycle of the insect concluding with the female eating his head. While this risky routine could have gone horribly wrong, his technique was flawless and the judges couldn’t wait to hand him over to choreographer Sonja.
Have Your Say
Who was your favorite contestant of the night? Tell us in our comment section below!
