Another two dreams were shattered last night, as urban dancers Sally Hare and Joel Rasmussen were sent home after the second elimination of So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
The bottom six this week proved that amazing dancers could still find themselves lacking a connection to the Australian voting public. Chris Tsattalios, Blond, Yukino McHugh and Renelle Jones joined Sally and Joel in the dreaded position.
We caught up with Sally and Joel this morning to find out how they are taking the elimination and what’s next for them …
What were the greatest moments across the SYTYCD journey for you ?
Sally: “There’s so many as you can imagine – it’s really a dancer’s dream! I really just wanted to approach the show with the goal to just do a very good job of everything I was given and for dancers like Joel and I that already have a career, it’s really about impressing choreographers and doing the choregraphy justice and showing Australia what a professional dancer does. Also back in Top 100 week, being picked out to be a dance captain was something that I knew I would take away as a really cool thing to be seen in that kind of light!”
Joel: “I’ve always been a massive fan of Robbie (Williams) so for me that was a highlight getting to perform with the Top 20 and with him – it was really awesome! For me also being chosen as a dance captain in Top 100 week was a really awesome experience as well. Sally and I choreograph a fair bit so for the judges to trust us with that job was really nice.”
Which choreographers did you enjoy working most with?
Sally: “Jason Winters choreography the week that Jordan and I danced his contemporary was actually really beautiful – I’ve rarely felt that kind the amount of trust that Jason had for me from a choreographer. Paris Goebel, Jason Gilkison – it blows my mind!
Joel: “I would have to say DITTO!”
You were thrown out of your comfort zone a few times – what did you focus on to help you through those moments?
Joel: “That was tough (ballroom week) just because I’ve never done anything that full-on. I have had to partner in my career, but nothing to that extent. With Renelle as my partner, she had never done partner work at all so she had to put a lot of trust in me to throw her around and lead her! So there was a lot of pressure on me to try and get that right because when it comes to partnering, the guy has to lead and if it’s not working then it normally looks bad on the male! (Sally interjects .. ‘especially with Jason Gilkison is watching!!). The ADRENALINE of being out there definitely helps when it comes time to do that move (the death drop with Renelle) – you have like super human strength!! But looking back at that experience and watching the performance back I feel like I couldn’t have danced that any better given that we have to learn a new style in one week and also knowing that I had to dance for my life that night I really felt like I could walk away with my head held high!”
Sally: “In this competition I entered as a Hip Hop dancer but I truly believe that as a Hip Hop Dancer you’re only in your genre if you are doing your own choreography. So in the first week doing Tiarna’s chorey was not easy for me but that’s what it’s about. I didn’t enter this competition thinking I wouln’t have a challenge and the best thing is that you overcome obstacles, you learn a lot about yourself and you accomplish so much in such a short period of time.”
What’s next for you both?
Sally: “Hopefully lots of really cool things! Joel and I were both really inspired to keep doing what we’ve been doing – we both teach workshops all over Australia and I teach everywhere in Sydney as well so I can’t wait to get back into it – I’m super inspired and I can’t wait to get back into it! Teaching is something I really love to do!”
Joel: “For me, I’ve been performing for a while now and as much as I want to continue doing that I kind of what to slowly transition to the choreography side of things. I’ve done productions with my brother Jesse so I’ll be pushing that as I have been and it will be good to get some of my own work out there!”
Who do you predict will make the Top 4??
Sally: “If I go by who’s been impressing me and doing a consistent job from Day One, for females, I think Eden will be up there, I think Zoey could make it to the end too. I’ve been really impressed by Ashleigh Tavares as well! I’ve never seen most of these dancers do anything other than what they do in their careers which is what’s generally comfortable for them and that’s how the outside world has seen them, but now seeing them having to smash contemporary and ballroom and all these different things, I am continuously really impressed by people that I haven’t had the chance to be before!”
Joel: “Lauren could be there too out of the girls .. Boys, Sam’sational’ has been going pretty well! He actually is as he comes across on the camera – he is actually that innocent! He’s a really good kid! I’d like to see Chris Tats and BBoy Blond up there too!”
As Sally and Joel say their goodbyes, we welcome the new pairing of contemporary dancer Jordan Turner and jazz dancer Renelle Jones. Catch them next Sunday as the Top 16 perform on the So You Think You Can Dance Australia stage.
So You Think You Can Dance Australia, 7.30pm, Sundays on TEN.
