It’s starting tonight!
Awesome! I didn’t know that. Is it the same set- up as last year?
I dunno, I came across it about 10 minutes after it started – not sure how much of an intro they did at the top of the show. Right now, they’re doing auditions.
Our DVR is still set form last season, so we’re good to go…
The breakdancer… the knee… the guest judge…
This is the first episode I’ve ever seen.
I’ve been meaning to ask this every year that they’ve started out at the Orpheam theater.
On the back wall, on both sides, about 15 feet up, there’s, what appears to be radiators. Is that what those are? Radiators? And if so, why? Why so many, why up so high? the only thing I can think of is that they need have them up so high so they’re not in the way of anything (set pieces, actors, dancers) and off to the side so people don’t see them (though they’re pretty visible) and I assume, again, if that’s what they are, that they need so many because that’s a lot of space to heat. The back stage area probably goes 50 feet up and the heat has to fill all that space before it starts coming down.
Is that what those are? Anyone else ever notice them?
Also, I’m surprised SYTYCD Armenia is eligible to play again. And he looked so surprised when he went though to Vegas, like he’s not guaranteed* to make it at least the first couple of rounds.
*By that I mean, that he should be good enough to glide through the first few rounds, not that the producers just won’t eliminate him.
I just noticed that I can see water/steam pipes going up to the radiators, so that is what they are.
The knee. That was really disturbing. I’ve never seen someone’s knee just pop back on its own like that. My wife and I were cringing.
I guess they start off the series with an episode of “[practically] everyone and their brother made it through to Vegas!”, and next week they’ll start showing the train wrecks.
Same here. I know the competition is open to pros, but I figured there’d be some kind of international “once you win any season of SYTYCD you can’t audition for another one” rule.
I’m hoping the train wrecks will start tonight. 
nm
Watching the first audition show now with half an eye, and judging by the sound my roommate just made, I am very glad I was not looking at the screen when the knee thing happened.
GAH! I just looked up and saw it pop back in. I’m going to sit in the corner of my couch and cry for a little while.
I think the Armenian show is a knockoff. Nigel, creator and executive producer, seemed unaware of its existence and the dancer said the title of the show was different. (FWIW,I wasn’t really impressed with the guy.)
I liked the first two dancers. The girl went from cute, goofy* girl to sexy, serious woman as soon as the music started. It was neat.
*: The way she rattled off line about being deaf in one ear with no hint it wasn’t true endeared her to my wife and me.
She got lucky that Nigel said “Are you really?”… I wonder what her plan was with that. Maybe she’s just a jokester and can think quick on her feet regardless of his reply.
SYTYCD Armenia appears to be real. It’s listed on the SYTYCD Wiki page, along with 23 other countries. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nigel can’t remember each one of them. Don’t forget, he also owns all the American Idols as well and there’s probably another 30 or 40 of those.
No train wrecks last night. 
I don’t really mind, though: I enjoy the good dancers in these auditions more than I enjoy the good singers on Idol. And in my completely inexpert opinion, there have been some very good dancers already!
I assumed that was a language thing, not a knockoff thing: “so you think you can…” is idiomatic, and might not work in other languages.
So … nothing to say after last night? I think I’ve finally watched enough seasons that I can’t tell one dancer from another anymore.
I really liked the opening. The one-long shot, and the hosts and choreographers joining in was really fun.
Everything else was… well… typical. I’ll start paying attention when the dancers start becoming individuals.
So far my only impression is, Where are the blondes? It seems some years nearly half the girls are golden blondes with long hair, and it takes me forever to tell them apart. This year the brunettes are in charge.
That was a great opening sequence. We watched it twice.
I think the female tapper and the bilingual blonde guy are going home- there was no swag in their swag.
Just finished watching it last night. I loved the opening sequence. Lots of fun seeing dancers, judges and choreographers all participating. I don’t have any favorite yet. It’s too early.
I liked the last dance the best. Others that stood out were the African jazz and the Broadway dance. The Viennese Waltz routine, while very pretty and romantic, didn’t feel waltzy enough for me.
Like everyone else, I loved the opening number: long, one-camera shots like that can be very effective/impressive. And I got all happy when I spotted Travis Wall, because I love his choreography.
Aaron is, indeed, one sexy cat!! That said, while he did a solid job, honestly I wasn’t terribly impressed with his dancing. I thought he did ok. I’d hate to have to judge him, though, because I find him attractive enough to be distracting. Makes me feel like a dirty old woman (or are we just called “cougars” now?).
I was very impressed with Fik-shun. Moreso than any of the other “street dancer with no training” guys who have been on the show.
Did anyone else notice that they blurred out Nigel’s crotch during the Prancercise video? If you’ve seen the video elsewhere, it looks like Nigel has a small village tucked down there. I was amused by the blurring.
I agree. I noticed what seemed like a lack of actual waltzing during the routine, and then when Nigel praised the rise and fall of their movement I thought, “What rise and fall??”