So You Think You Can Dance: Recap: 4:01, Hour Two

Rijiy (“Russian for ‘redhead’”) strips down to his tighty-whities, red faux-hawk, and black dance shoes. Was that a good idea? He has to pick his undies out of his butt at one point. Nigel shields Mary’s face with a paper to prevent her from seeing the atrocity. Nigel says, “There are other costumes you could have worn.” Mary asks, “why were you running around in your underpants?” He says it was to signify “a clean slate,” something the judges could mold. Mia says she gets it, but it’s not working. She and Mary are cracking each other up like two bitchy seventh grade girls. Rijiy is going home. He interviews, “I’ll try something clothed next year.”

Choreography time! Travis Wall, Season 2 finalist, is teaching the steps. Jonathan doesn’t look at his partner. Nigel says, “Take away some of that arrogance and put talent there.” Goodbye, Jonathan. He interviews, “I think I’m too beautiful for this competition.”

Phillip and William are going to Vegas.

Day Two auditions after the jump!

Erika Gee, twenty-two, says she’s “a starving professional dancer.” She goes to tons of auditions, but this is the one that terrifies her and makes her all wobbly. Great legs! She’s doing a sort of modern/hip-hop hybrid for her audition. There’s something a bit stripper-esque about the way she’s moving. Mia says she has some wonderful, standout qualities. She says Erika was “all over the place” last year, and Erika says she learned from that. Mary says, “I absolutely loved your performance today.” Erika bursts into tears. Her forehead is shiny and her lipstick is 1992, but she’s a doll. Nigel pulls a ticket to Vegas out of his pocket.

Leonidus and Aliona are a couple. They live together and they’re ballroom partners. Aliona says they’re the same person, in one male body and one female body. They’re also straight out of–the Ukraine, maybe? Leonidus sits silently, smiling and nodding. I’m finding their performance a touch cheesy. Nigel likes the implied-blowjob motion Aliona does toward the end of the piece. He compliments their technique, says “Great legs from you my darling,” and laughs creepily. Mary shrieks that she’s so happy to see the two of them. Mia says, “Just hot, hot, hot. Smokin’.” They get tickets to Vegas.

Victor Kim does some absolutely insane breaking! Good Christ! He’s making the judges writhe in amazement! He’s walking down the steps on his hands, sitting in the seat next to the judges, cheering himself, and then running back on stage to take a bow. “I’m not sure what else we could ask for,” Nigel says. Me neither! I love it. So does Mary. Mia says, “You’re a goofball, right?” She sounds genuinely confused. Victor says he’s studying business and econ for his parents, but he doesn’t want to crunch numbers. He says, “I’m very hungry. I’m humbling myself before you guys and America.” He’s going on to the choreography.

Gold Inferno is back! I love this guy. I think he’s an ironist. He admits he had “very little dance experience” last year. He says he’s a practitioner of “jump style.” In the interim between SYTYCD seasons, he’s taken ballroom classes and hip-hop. And he’s been dancing at parties! Nigel stops Inferno’s audition a few seconds in and asks him to stop staring at the floor. I think the mask is the problem, not his head position. Mia asks what it is about “jump style” that turns him on. Inferno says it’s cool, and the music is super. Mary says she hasn’t seen change or improvement. Inferno will not advance. As he removes his arm warmers in the lobby, he says, “I don’t know what’s wrong with them.” He says he danced to “the best song this show has ever seen or heard.” He’s kidding around, I’m convinced of it.

Asuka Kondoh and Ricky Sun, ballroom partners, are worried they’ll be hampered by Asuka’s cold. They’re dancing to “Let’s Get Loud,” unfortunately. Like Erika Gee, Asuka is wearing all black, although she’s added some black legwarmers. Nigel’s take: “It looked great to watch, technique was there, and you had everything going for you.” They’ve been dancing with each other for only three months, but Mary says she believed their connection. Mia loves Asuka’s movement quality but wanted more movement from Ricky. Nigel compliments them for looking in each other’s eyes: “you made a connection with each other before you made a connection with us.” They’re staying for the choreography, but will be broken up to dance with other partners. A little suspense around Asuka’s illness: will she make it? She does look awfully peaked.

Kherington Payne, eighteen, is a blond soccer player and a babe, in a spunky, very American way. We see shots of her dribbling and dashing around the soccer field. Lots of smiling during her audition. She’s trying to keep herself from singing along to her song. Her pop-modern style is not my thing, but this girl is as cute as a button. Nigel says she has “a real commercial face” and says she made the whole audience smile. He says Dominic is in love with her…um….anywho. Mary says Kheringon has “star quality.” Mia agrees. When she finds out she’s going to Vegas, Kherington leaps around like a puppy.

Robert Muraine, popper and street performer, has no formal training, but he’s dancing to Swizz Beats, so I love him. He’s disturbingly flexible, and his isolations must be seen to be believed. “Oh…my…God…” is Mia’s first comment. “You are officially my favorite dancer of 2008,” is Nigel’s. He’s not sure how Robert will handle the choreography, and he’s not sure if this is the right competition for him, but he says, “You are right for dancing,” and says he hopes this show will give Robert the exposure he deserves. Mary says, “I’ve never seen the likes of you. I don’t think America has seen the likes of you.” Mia says she was waiting for him to unzip his skin and reveal the alien beneath. Very evocative image from Mia. Nigel asks him to show a move again, and Robert unwinds himself, bending backwards until his head is between his ankles. Nigel hands over the Vegas ticket. They do a slow motion handover of the ticket that turns into a slow motion hug, and then a slow motion handshake.

Victor isn’t going to Vegas! Nooooooooo! Asuka and Ricky are advancing.