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So You Think You Can Dance: Top 20

TEN reality show So You Think You Can Dance Australia last night settled on its Top 20 dancers for the 2010 season.

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TEN reality show So You Think You Can Dance Australia last night settled on its Top 20 dancers for the 2010 season.

2009 favourites Talia Fowler, Charlie Bartley, Amy Campbell and Ben Veitch all returned to demonstrate routines by choreographers including Kelley Abbey and Jason Gilkinson.

They are, in no particular order:

Renee
CONTEMPORARY JAZZ
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Hobart, TAS
DANCING SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Barista, dance teacher and dancer
WHO FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO DANCE? I think my sister was the first to inspire me because she started first and I wanted to do everything my big sister did.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: I had a solo part at the end of my first concert, everybody had rushed the music and I was left standing on the stage until it was the right part of the music for me to start my solo.

Will
ARGENTINE TANGO
AGE: 31
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 11 years old
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Spinning in the kitchen in my socks.
Now I know Its called a “pirouette”!
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I have my own show called “THREE2TANGO” and I’ve danced with “The Wiggles.”

Carly
JAZZ
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 3 years old
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? My big sister, I wanted to do everything she did.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: At my first concert at three years old. No one told me I would be performing in front of an audience and when I finished, I cried so much that someone had to take me off stage!
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER I’D BE… An actress.

Issi
CONTEMPORARY
AGE: 18
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: Pre-school
OCCUPATION: Student
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: My first concert at preschool. We performed the toddler version of ‘The Nutcracker’ – lots of skipping!
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU… This is my debut!

Heath
JAZZ / LYRICAL / TAP / MUSICAL THEATRE
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Gold Coast, QLD
DANCING SINCE: 7 years old
OCCUPATION: Dancer
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? I can’t recall being inspired by someone. It was just something that I wanted to do.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: My first dance class was tap. I remember being really shy but picking up the steps fairly quickly and my teacher showing a high interest in me.

Jess S.
LYRICAL / HIP HOP / COMMERCIAL JAZZ
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Day dreamer/dancer
WHO FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO DANCE? I have always been a big fan of Gene Kelly and Judy Garland so they are a big part of the reason why I started dancing.

Jessica P
BALLROOM / LATIN AMERICAN
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Newcastle, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 3 years old
OCCUPATION: Medical receptionist / math tutor and dance teacher
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE: My older sister insprired me, because at the time I didn’t think it was fair that she was the only one who got to wear pretty shiny costumes and shake her bum.
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… A mathematician; cryptology is a particular interest.

Jessie
CONTEMPORARY / CLASSICAL BALLET
AGE: 19
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 4 years old
OCCUPATION: Dancer
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE: My mum enrolled me into dance class when I was quite young, so at first it was all just for fun. When I decided to take it more seriously I found myself always looking to be like Sylvie Guillem, a dancer too amazing for words.

Don
BREAKDANCING / HIP HOP
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: Mt Druitt, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 10 years old
OCCUPATION: Thermo Climatic Engineer (i.e. cool way of saying Aircon Technician)
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? Old school Bboys, and they always will!
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Sidestepping and clicking during pre-school and winning a trophy for it.

Ilona
HIP HOP
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Central Coast, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Beach bum
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? Music did. My love of dance has always come from music first.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Listening to Tina Turner and dancing up and down the driveway with my sister.
SIGNATURE MOVE; The ‘maniac’ from “Flashdance.”

Kieran
BALLROOM / BALLET
AGE; 18
HOMETOWN: Melbourne, VIC
DANCING SINCE: 8 years old
OCCUPATION: Dancer
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I would be a pastry chef.
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? At an Essendon match screaming at an umpire.
FAVOURITE DANCE MOMENT FROM FILM, TV OR THEATRE? I loved the movie “Centre Stage”, my favourite scene was the Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux.

Nick
CONTEMPORARY / LYRICAL / HIP HOP
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Melbourne, VIC
DANCING SINCE: 16 years old
OCCUPATION: Dancer
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: I never used to be able to clap to a beat of music, let alone dance in time!
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I’d be a snowboarder.
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? On Facebook! I was also an extra on “Neighbours”!

Robbie
JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY / BALLET / HIP HOP
AGE: 18
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 7 years old
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: In kindergarten performing the teapot dance during assembly.
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I would be a jockey because I love horses.
SIGNATURE MOVE: 20 continuous jump splits.

Ivy
CONTEMPORARY / JAZZ / TAP
AGE: 23
HOMETOWN: Melbourne, VIC
DANCING SINCE: 6 years old
OCCUPATION: When not dancing, I’m a waitress
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? Shirley Temple, who could forget the “good ship lollypop!”
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Dancing in a white tutu and jiffies as a “cloud” on a blue tarp in the car park of McDonalds for McHappy Day.

Grace
JAZZ / JAZZ FUNK / CONTEMPORARY / MUSICAL THEATRE / HIP HOP
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Brisbane, QLD
DANCING SINCE: 13 years old
OCCUPATION: Commercial Dancer
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: My earliest memory of dance is putting shows on for my parents in the lounge room. I remember my dad took me shopping at our local shoe store and the only ones I wanted were a black shiny pair because I thought they were tap shoes! Obviously they weren’t, but that didn’t stop me from putting on tap shows in the lounge room… on carpet!

Gaz
BREAKDANCER
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Gold Coast, QLD
DANCING FOR: 9 years
OCCUPATION: Dancer
WHO FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO DANCE? Michael Jackson.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Doing Michael Jackson in primary school at the school social.

Phillipe
HIP HOP
AGE; 30
HOMETOWN: Brisbane, QLD
DANCING SINCE: 24 years old
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? The Wiggles.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: At my first primary school disco, I dressed up as Michael Jackson… gloves and all!
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I’d be a So You Think You Can Dance judge.

Doug
JAZZ FUNK / BROADWAY
AGE: 23
HOMETOWN: Perth, WA
DANCE SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Dance Teacher
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? My mother got me to dance when I was young and Michael Jackson kept me going as I got older.
EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Dancing with a broken arm to “Thriller”.

Mikhaela
JAZZ
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Melbourne, VIC
DANCING SINCE: 2 1/2 years old
OCCUPATION: Work at Love Machine Freestyling
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I modelled as a child for “Best & Less” and “Target”.
CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE: I was painted entirely silver and told to act like a graceful tree.
HOBBIES: I love taekwondo and go-karting.

Matt
LATIN / HIP HOP / JAZZ / TAP
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Sydney, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 11 years old
OCCUPATION: Mechanic
IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I would be a chef, DJ or landscaper.
WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? Nikki Webster’s single cover.
CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE: Working on cruise ships.

Dancer Alvin who didn’t make it through to the Top 20 was invited by Jason Coleman to submit as a choreographer for the show.

Next Wednesday all 20 will appear in their first showcase followed by a live results show on Thursday.

Updated.

13 Responses

  2. This is a great mix of people. Dance is really good this year. I like how they followed the top 20 right from the first episode and now we already know the backstory for most of them. I can see they have deliberatly made this a more emotionally attached and charged season – and I’m a total sucker for it!
    I agree with AJ – more on talent and less on Nat have made a huge difference!
    Heath is my fave at the moment…

  3. I’ve got a strange feeling that this year it might be the best series ever. IMHO, the best talent so far. I’m looking forward to the next 10 weeks. 🙂

  5. Yes indeed Adelaide is lacking in talent and I found that there wasn’t enough emotion showed in the performances. Genna clearly missunderstood the brief by what she was wearing. I found the body builder rather offensive (presumably from Adelaide “Bryar, an industry expert said”)

  11. I’ll join the chorus complimenting SYTYCD. My only two issues – one, the first few nights were “So You Think You Can Cry About Your Dead Relative” – but that said, I did get completely sucked in a few times and found myself crying along with them! Second – when announcing the top 20, they did the “it’s a shame that you…are in the Top 20!” “You need to get more experience… which is why you’re in the top 20!” – tricking was way overused.
    Spoiler – Just in case
    But really thought the twist where they “evicted” 25 dancers, only to have them do a secret choreography task. And loved them using the top 4 from last year – was good to see them do what they do best, and you could see it really inspired the dancers too. And Jason Gilkinson is a freaking genius choreographer, loved loved loved both his routines!

  12. I’m enjoying dance a lot more this year. Still wayyy too many tears with terrible backing tracks, but the talent is much better and the focus is on that talent more than anything else. Less of Nat and more of dancing, and a bit more humour this year too. Good work Ten.

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