SYTYCD Recap: Was This the Best Audition Show Ever?

I have to admit, the So You Think You Can Dance auditions are not my favorite part of the show. While I still love seeing all of the talented performers, I far prefer the long-form, fully-realized numbers that we get on the live shows compared to the 30 seconds of solos we get during auditions. That being said, when Nigel Lythgoe took to Twitter this week and said that this week's audition episode might be the best in the show's history, I was intrigued.

Generally the clips we see display an auditioners talent, but not much artistry or emotion, let alone a story-arc. So, I always enjoy seeing the talent, but I wouldn't mind it if SYTYCD adopted THE VOICE's approach and skipped the initial auditions and went straight to the callback round.

Before finishing up their stay in Chicago, judge Mary Murphy apparently joined Jimmy Fallon in the city's Polar Plunge before welcoming first time judge Fabrice Calmels; a 6'4" principle dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.

Then Cat, Nigel, and Mary headed west and met up with returning guest judge Christina Applegate for the first day of Los Angeles auditions.

Paul "The Puppet" Brushaber
Illinois
Style: Puppeting
Three-Word Review: Fascinating, Bizarre, Dorky
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Emily James
North Kingstown, RI
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Strong, Not Moving
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Franchesca Bass
Crown Point, IN
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Engaging, Uncomfortable, Alienistic
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Franchesca took full advantage of her Alopecia Universalis and used her lack of hair to enhance her "quirky" "alien" style.

Jenna Scaccia
Chicago, IL
Style: Ballet
Three-Word Review: Don't Get Ballet
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

James Thomas
Chicago, IL
Style: Hip Contortionism and "Bopping"
Three-Word Review: Gross, Not Enjoyable
Result: Choreography (Eventually dropped out in choreography)

Jessica Richens
Yorba Linda, CA
Style: Jazz
Three-Word Review: Not TV Appropriate
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Valerie Rockey
Indianapolis, IN
Style: Tap
Three-Word Review: Cute and Talented
Result: Choreography (Eventual Yes)

Jaja Vankov
Chatsworth, CA
Style: Animation/Crump
Three-Word Review: Hard and Dirty
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Last year's champion Fik-shun, along with some other notable alumni, were on hand in the show's hometown.

Kyle Taylor
Wichita, KS
Style: Popping
Three-Word Review: Dope White Boy
Result: Choreography (Eventually dropped out during choreography)

Nigel invites Fik-shun, Cyrus, and Legacy up on stage to battle Kyle, and while the alums clearly dominated the battle, that was one of the most enjoyable segments in the auditions so far. While I've said that the solos don't excite me as much as the full performances, the one exception is the poppers and animators. I could watch those that do that well for hours on end.

Justine Lutz
Minneapolis, MN
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Weird, but fascinating
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Maurizio Vera and Denise Mendonca
Style: Ballet
Three-Word Review: Ballet lovers, Whatevs?
Result: Tickets to Callbacks

Justin Bieber and his choreographer Nick DeMoura were back to introduce this week's Dance Crews. As a reminder, during the first four audition episodes we will meet two dance crews, then, depending on Twitter votes, one crew from each episode will earn an opportunity to perform on a live show. The crew with the most votes gets a spot on the finale.

In a very underwhelming reveal, we found out that the Syncopated Ladies won last week's battle and will appear on a live show this season.

Academy of Villains
Northern California
Style: Creepy Clown Hip-Hop

BreakSk8
"Midwest"
Style: Breakdancing on roller skates

Hailee Payne
Somewhere in Utah
Style: Jazz-Funk
Three-Word Review: Edgy, Feisty, Quirky
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Sebastian Serra
Orlando, FL
Style: Ballet
Three-Word Review: Athletic Ballet Boy
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Dani Platz
Moorpark, CA
Style: Contemporary
Three-Word Review: Elegant, Beautiful, Touching
Result: Choreography (Eventual Yes)

Marie Poppins
North Hollywood, CA
Style: Popping "with a little French smile in it"
Three-Word Review: Pretty Darn Fun
Result: Ticket to Callbacks

Did you think tonight's episode lived up to Nigel's hype? Are still ok with the presence of the Biebs? Which dance crew are you tweeting for? Let me know in the comments below, and on Twitter @BWWMatt.