The doors to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago will not open for another six hours, but at 2 a.m. dancers are already starting to line up. They wait in the dark for their chance at a piece of fame.
The season seven premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance" [SYTYCD] is more than six weeks away, but auditions are already underway.
Recently, two Ball State University students took a shot at making it on to the show.
Senior dance major Michael Humphrey tried out as a contemporary dancer for "SYTYCD" on March 15 in Nashville, Tenn. After auditioning his freshman year and not making the show, he returned to try again.
"Over the years I've matured as a person and a dancer, so I felt it was time to come back and audition for the show," Humphrey said.
He learned from the first audition years ago that he needed to become a more versatile dancer, he said. When he first arrived at Ball State, he was not trained in ballet. Over the past four years he has trained in a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop.
Humphrey returned to the "SYTYCD" auditions more prepared and made it through two rounds before getting cut, he said. While he could not disclose everything about the auditions, due to the show's privacy rights, he was able to share a few details.
Before actually getting to see the judges, dancers must get past a round in front of the producers where they improvise their dance. Then they go onto a second round of improvised dancing before the actual television judges. Dancers do not get to perform their choreographed solos for the judges until round three, which is the part seen on TV.
"You have to dance your heart out and show them why you're here, because you have to outshine so many people," Humphrey said. "They see dancers come and go and it's like, ‘Well what do you have that 300 people next to you don't have?'"
Seth Robinson, freshman dance major, tried out for "SYTYCD" closer to home. He tried out in Chicago and said it was a spur of the moment decision.
Having danced since the age of 2, Robinson said he continues dancing because it is the only activity he has consistently enjoyed over the years. Like Humphrey, he also tried out as a contemporary dancer.
"That was a mistake," Robinson said. "I should have gone for jazz because 85 to 90 percent of the dancers there were for contemporary slots."
He also made it through two rounds of the audition process. Even though he was cut, he said his favorite part was getting the critiques and feedback from the producers and judges. They told him to work specifically on eye contact with the audience.
"It was very hard for me to make eye contact," Robinson said. "I get intimidated. I feel awkward when I'm looking people right in the eye."
Humphrey went through this same feeling the first time he tried out, he said. He let himself get too intimidated by the other dancers. This time, he decided to focus on himself and what he was capable of instead of instead of what he was not, he said.
"It taught me to dance bigger and to give it your all," Humphrey said.
One of the most surprising aspects of the auditions was the amount of extra footage filmed for TV, both dancers said.
Humphrey said producers asked a lot of the dancers waiting in line to freestyle for the camera. While many agreed, he said no because he wanted to save his energy for the actual audition.
Robinson was second in line and was filmed running into the theater with the rest of the crowd. He and the other auditioners had to do this several times so the camera crews could get enough footage to edit down for the show.
Even though neither made it onto the show, both said it was a great experience. Robinson said he would most likely try out again, while Humphrey is still deciding.
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