We can’t believe we’ve already made it to the semi-finals of So You Think You Can Dance. Over the past nine weeks, we’ve seen the competition whittle down from hundreds of hopefuls to the top 35 to our final four. that’s right, Madison Rouge Alvarado, Dakayla Wilson, Easton Maggiarditi, and Anthony Curley are officially our semifinalists. And next week, one of them will be crowned America’s Favorite Dancer.
But first, the dancers were asked to take on one more challenge. working with a big brand. To help out, they were joined by the “SYTYCD” alum (and former: Dance Spirit: cover star) Whitney Carsonwho also happens to be Gatorade’s newest brand ambassador. “All the top dancers have worked with different global brands to share their vision and their products with the world,” Carson said. And with that, it was time for our finalists to try something brand: new.
A choreographer turned creative director joined the team Hi-Hat. Carson and Hi-Hat told the dancers that they would be working to introduce Gatorade’s new product, Gatorade Water. And while we’re still not entirely clear on what makes Gatorade water different from… regular water (did we hear anything about electrolytes?), the intrepid foursome were excited to take on the all-new challenge.
The dancers headed straight to rehearsal with Hi-Hat, who told them the performance would be a mix of house and hip-hop. And while a few of the dancers looked a little worried, it was Easton who really struggled with the style of the dance. “This is new to me,” he told Hi-Hat.
But the next day, Easton came in more confident. “Yesterday I went home and worked on the choreo, let it soak into my body and slept on it, and today I came in and felt so much better.” We love a dancer who is patient with his own performance. It gives… maturity.
Across the studio, Madison was still dealing with the hip pain from last week, plus additional new knee pain from this week’s rehearsals. “I just try really hard not to show it,” she said. “At this point in the competition, I really don’t want to go home.” Again, we love the commitment, but please, dancers, beware!
Finally, the day of filming arrived, and with it the judges, who wanted to watch the entire filming process as part of their deliberations. They noticed Easton’s newfound choreography, but also Madison’s pain, which was a major concern for judge Alison Holker. “You want to push yourself, but you also want to make sure you’re taking care of your body,” Holker said. Say it louder for the people behind!
The judges joined the final four to watch all the dancers’ videos, and at this point in the competition, everyone was slaying. So much so that not only two or three dancers were asked to dance for their lives – all four semi-finalists were asked to perform solos to fight for their chance to stay in the competition.
Each of the final four brought something special to the stage, but it was Madison who earned the judges a standing ovation and sent judge JoJo Siwa falling to the floor afterwards in awe. So it was no surprise when she won a spot in the season finale. The judges finally announced that she would be joined by Anthony and Dakayla, leaving Easton eliminated.
“This experience has been one of the most amazing journeys I’ve ever had,” said Easton, “This process has its ups and downs, but I’m up to the challenges because it’s been a dream of mine since I started dancing. “
It’s official. We know which three dancers will be on next week’s So You Think You Can Dance finale. Stay tuned to find out who will be America’s Favorite Dancer next week!