‘So You Think You Can Dance’ 18 episode 2 recap: Who were the standout performers during ‘Auditions: Day Two’? [LIVE BLOG]

Daniel Montgomery
·7 min read
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“So You Think You Can Dance” returned for its long-awaited 18th season last Monday night and introduced us to this season’s first set of hopefuls, a few of whom stood out for their technical mastery, their emotional connection to the music, or both. So what happened during “Auditions: Day Two”? Scroll down for our live blog with all the minute-by-minute developments and commentary throughout the episode.

SEE‘So You Think You Can Dance’ season 18 premiere recap: What went down during ‘Auditions: Day One’? [Live Blog]

The premiere episode introduced various dancers to judges Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Allison Holker and Comfort Fedoke. We also learned some of their backstories — well, if the dancers got yeses from the judges and advanced to the next round we got to learn their backstories. You could mostly predict who would succeed based on the amount of screen time they got, which is not uncommon during taped episodes of reality TV competitions.

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Some of the standout performers included Easton Magliarditi, a contemporary dancer who was looking for redemption following his disappointment 10 years ago competing on “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation” when he was only nine — he’s now a wizened 19-year-old. He was one of many contemporary dancers we saw, so the bar was set pretty high for performances in that style to stand out. The same went for hip-hop.

So it was a breath of fresh air when we saw the unique performance by Jin Lee in the styles of Chinese folk, bone breaking and waving. She also provided the night with its most emotional moment when she acknowledged the 2022 death of Holker’s husband Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss and praised Holker for keeping his legacy alive. So did “Day Two” turn out to be just as eventful as “Day One”? Follow along below starting at 9:00pm (times listed are Eastern).

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9:02pm — “It’s gonna be a good day. I can feel it in my bone marrow,” says Comfort. Braylon Browner is first, dancing contemporary — so much contemporary! But he gets a standing ovation from the judges. Allison wants to hire him right now. Maksim praises him for his focus. It’s unanimous from the judges that he’s moving on to the next round.

9:06pm — Madison Rogue Alvarado is second, doing a jazz funk solo that she choreographed herself. Applause from the judges, but more muted. Comfort felt like she was pulling from tough personal experiences. She admits she was bulimic for years. Maks is in her corner. Comfort says yes. And it’s an “absolute yes” from Allison. Off to a good start tonight.

9:12pm — Arianna Santos has lived in the same apartment since she was little. Her mother was a dancer when she was younger, and got her into Latin ballroom dance. But her sister has struggled with ovarian cancer. “She makes me appreciate life a lot more,” says Arianna. She’s doing hip-hop/Flamenco fusion. Maks thought it was “amazing,” he actually wanted more of the Flamenco, though. Allison thought the movements lacked finishing moments, though. Comfort loved her high-level energy, but she was hoping for more from the fusion. It’s a no from the judges. This is the first contestant to get the full clip package only to be rejected.

9:16pm — Breaker Gideon has trouble and is rejected. But plot twist! Allison regrets rejecting Arianna, so she and the judges agree to reverse their decision and put her through to the choreography round. I should have seen it coming when she got the full clip package treatment. Classic misdirect.

9:23pm — “You have to bring the fire. You have to bring the heat,” Allison tells Arianna after giving her the good news that she’s going through to the choreography round.

9:24pm — Kaylee will be competing in jazz. Her connective tissues are deteriorating, she explains about her disability, Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, which has her competing in a wheelchair. She explains to Cat Deeley that she has to budget her energy like you’d budget money because it can be challenging. Maks thinks it was “amazing,” but worried about her standing during the routine. She explains that she has maybe five years left of her current mobility, but that there’s no style she can’t adapt. The judges believe her and agree to send her to the next round.

9:32pm — Olivia Zeiml is part of a dance collective out of Tucson, Arizona. Three of them are there at the show auditioning. “SYTYCD” has ben a childhood dream of hers. She’s doing a jazz solo. Allison thought the song was big and animalistic, and the movement didn’t match it. They’re going to send her out and bring in her classmates.

9:36pm — Avery Gay is performing a pointe routine with jazz and contemporary elements. I think her routine outdid Olivia’s. Allison really liked the fusion. Maks was excited for the first half of the routine, but then it plateaued, so he wants her to push herself beyond her comfort zone.

9:38pm — Madison Kotch will be performing contemporary solo. It’s unusual, slow and rhythmic. Allison thought it was like liquid, which made her want moments that popped. Comfort liked the transitions. Maks thought her eyes were disconnected. I’d personally bring back Avery and Madison. Olivia I’m on the fence about.

9:44pm — Okay, time for the judges to render their verdicts. Allison wants Madison to learn how to draw you in. Comfort wanted Olivia to match the intensity of the song. Maks wants Avery to take bigger risks. It’s a no at this time for Olivia and Madison. But it’s a yes for Avery! I absolutely agree that she was the best of the bunch.

9:46pm — Cole Neville dances in heels, something new and exciting. Allison gives a yes, Maks gives a yes. Elina and Sebastian perform a country dance ballroom routine. They’re not yet ready for prime time, but the judges encourage them to keep going.

9:48pm — Jainil Mehta is from Mumbai. There’s always storytelling in Indian dance, which he combines with hip-hop and contemporary dance. Comfort loves that he brought something different, and she admired what he did with his hands. They all agree that he’s moving forward to the next round.

9:53pm — The next dancer is Kenidee Allen from West Haven, Utah. When she was nine, they thought she had the flu, but it turned out her lung was filled with fluid. Doctors kept telling her she was fine and would just overcome what they thought was just a virus. Her mom fought to have her admitted to the hospital, which saved her life. She’s doing a fun, “sassy” jazz solo, but Maks has worked with her before, so he’s going to abstain from voting. But he admits that it wasn’t his favorite performance from her. Allison and Comfort thought it was enough to advance her to the next round though, so we’re going to see more from her.

9:59pm — Next week the first auditions round concludes, so the judges will fill the rest of the slots moving into the choreography round.

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