The Year of the Tapper - Season 6, Week 1 of SYTYCD

Week 1 of SYTYCD finds the judges (Nigel Lithgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman) in Los Angeles scouting for America's Favorite Dancer for season 6. Here is a breakdown of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Year of the Tapper

Three auditions from this week were absolutely phenomenal, and they were three talented tappers. Two of the tappers are familiar faces - Ryan Kasprzak and Bianca Revels.

Ryan is the brother of Evan Kasprzak, the broadway dancer who finished third in the season 5 competition. Ryan was the last dancer cut from Vegas last year, making him "America's 21st favorite dancer" - in his words. He had helped his brother with his choreography, and the judges credited him with Evan's advancement last season. His audition this season was a tap number without music, only the occasional speech and lots of smiles. As expected, he did fantastic and wowed the judges and grabbed his ticket to Vegas.

Bianca was also in Vegas last year, but was cut after a broadway routine without any real explanation. Devastated at the time, she vowed to never return, that she was done with the show. This season she admits it was an emotional moment, that she's not a quitter, and that she would continue to chase her dream of being one of America's top twenty. Her audition ended up being 'trading' (tap talk for a dance-off battle) with Mr. Ryan (who already earned his ticket to Vegas). One of the best auditions ever on the show, and ended with a big hug between the two friends. The judges loved it, and Bianca got her ticket to Vegas, too.

The third tapper is a former roomate of Ryan's at Fossey where they danced together. Phillip Attmore is an attention-grabbing, happy, light-on-his-feet dancer who has a gorgeous smile and positive attitude. After receiving plenty of praise from the judges, Phillip also grabbed his ticket straight to Vegas.

Keep in mind a tap dancer has never made it into the top 20. Perhaps this is the year for one of them (or all of them?) to make their move.

Contemporary

Two contemporary dancers got their sob-stories aired, making the auditions a little more like a soap-opera.

Mollee Gray, a principle dancer from High School Musical 1, 2 and 3 did a great job on her contemporary piece. We also know that she is the daughter of a single mom who has made extensive sacrifices, including moving from Utah to California to support her daughter's career. Mollee also has 2 brothers, and they are a very close family.

Amber Williams was documented for dancing despite her mother's confinement to a wheelchair after a surgery gone wrong that paralyzed her when Amber was a very young girl. Amber definitely is a force to be reckoned with, a smooth contemporary dancer that makes everything look "effortless" to Mary Murphy.

If we learn anything from past seasons, these two girls will likely make it through Vegas and into the top 20.

Other

In the "other" category was Christina Santana, who got her ticket after dancing a strange hip-hop/samba dance. The judges liked it, but it appeared odd and awkward from the camera's viewpoint.

The Ugly

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the beginning of the SYTYCD season are the ugly routines. There were definitely some in the LA auditions.

Cole Clemons performed the most bizarre, narrated, technically awful piece to no music that has few rivals in terms of "ugly auditions". He pulled and contorted his face while speaking single words, such as "shatter" while forcing his hand into air. There was little dancing, and less talent. His crazy hair that was spiked on one side and buzzed on the other didn't quite cover up his resemblance to Richard Simmons. His oversized tank and sweat shorts didn't help cover it, either.

The second horrid act was by Christopher Aguilar. He tried to turn the audition into a movie production where he was the star (he named the movie "Drum Song"). When he announced it, it was obvious it would be a bad audition. But, it got worse. He was trying to embody the spirits of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but definitely didn't succeed. His first move, a back flip, landed him on his knees. He would have been best to give up them, but he continued to flounder and provide the judges with comic relief for the entire planned routine.

So, there you have it... Week 1 of Season 6. The good, the bad, and definitely the ugly.