Cyrus was audience favorite on So You Think You Can Dance live tour

by Sarah Blaskovich

• Tweet
• Email
• Print
• 0 Comments

Cyrus was born in Dallas.

GRAND PRAIRIE — If audience applause is any indication, Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer was the clear favorite for a DFW crowd on Tuesday night at the So You Think You Can Dance tour at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie.

The Dallas-born dancer had audience members cheering and on their feet as he performed an animated hip-hop solo. Cyrus was an beloved from the beginning of the reality show – and in fact, it was his charming personality and hip-hop skill that helped him make it to the So You Think You Can Dance final round, despite not being as technically skilled as his peers.

The live tour, featuring the top 12 dancers, was a fun way to re-live favorite routines from the reality show in person – even though the in-person experience was considerably less exciting than watching it on TV. Some dancers appeared to be going through the motions, making us aware they had done the same performance over and over in a slew of cities. Dances also ran together into an integrated production instead of one-off pieces, making each performer's costumes, hair, and makeup less dramatic.

There were two dancers who were exceptional: Cyrus was larger than life, with his body jarring and gyrating while we watched in wonder. Also, Cole Horibe, the martial arts dancer, was so full of animation that we found ourselves watching him only during group performances.

The live tour would be a good experience for die-hard fans of So You Think You Can Dance who want to see this year’s winners, Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, dance with the rest of the crew. For audience members who didn’t watch the show, much of the meaning behind the dances was lost. An example is “Gravity,” a contemporary piece where Lindsay Arnold and Cole embody the theme of addiction. The female dancer is gripped with an unknown habit, and the male dancer acts as addiction itself, tossing her around stage with emotionless strength. Originally performed during Season 5, the two Season 9 dancers performed the heart-wrenching number admirably on Tuesday, but we know the piece's history. An audience member who didn't watch the show wouldn't grasp the deep meaning of the piece since most dances were given no introduction.

The evening also included plenty of dances that were wonderful on their own, needing no explanation, like Girard and contemporary dancer George Lawrence II’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” a fiery jazz piece that was one of the best of the season.

Another favorite was the racy, silly “Butt Dance.” The original dance was choreographed by Mia Michaels and earned her an Emmy several years ago. The dance is all about the woman’s shapely caboose, and Will Thomas and Amelia Lowe smirked and shimmied to a chuckling crowd. (It’s arguably not as good as the original “Butt Dance,” however, danced first by Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak a few years back.)

The evening ended with the season’s best hip-hop routine, a dirty street number to “My Homies Still” by Lil Wayne. Hot blonde Witney Carson performed it with Stephen “tWitch” Boss on SYTYCD, but because tWitch is not a current Season 9 contestant, George performed in his place during the live tour – impressively filling tWitch’s shoes. Cyrus joined them onstage near the end of the number, with the rest of the cast eventually finishing the rousing number to audience screams.

On the whole, the “wow” moments of the live tour seemed fewer and farther between than on the show -- though that's just motivation to watch next season.

Tweet