‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty get real Posted on June 16th
On Thursday night, âSo You Think You Can Danceâ lost its first pair of dancers: Jamie Bayard and Rayven Armijo. I caught up with the judges backstage after the show, to find out more about their unanimous decision.
Is it possible that performing first was the kiss of death for Jamie and Rayven?
Dan Karaty: I think being first can work for you and against you⦠If your performance is great, everyoneâs gonna remember it⦠I donât think it was placement. I think they screwed it up.
Nigel Lythgoe: Placement is really important. As soon as youâre No. 1, youâve got to be outstanding so people remember you and hold that thought. As I said tonight, the only memorable thing is when [Rayven] pulled [Jamie’s] pants down, and what worries me a little about that is that we all remember what happened to Janet Jackson, and how that affected everything that happened on television ⦠it was only a bit of fun, however, I recognize that that feeling is there in the country at the moment. You need to be very, very careful.
Which couples from Wednesdayâs show were the most memorable?
Nigel Lythgoe: Certainly I thought that Joshua and Katee were. Joshua and Katee were that beautiful routine to “No Air.” It was absolutely beautiful. Itâs one of the first times Iâve ever had an emotional experience with a hip-hop routine.
Dan Karaty: Chelsea and Thayne doing their cha-cha. Wow. I just didnât expect the two of them to come out and blow away the audience like they did. The other one Iâd say was Joshua and Kateeâ¦. They just had it, and wow. I knew Josh was that good. I didnât know Katee could do that. She was phenomenal.
Mary Murphy: For me I think Twitch and Will ⦠and Joshua. Joshua is killinâ it.