Destination ‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Nigel Lythgoe gets real

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After Thursday’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ elimination show, I went backstage to get Nigel Lythgoe’s take on the evening. As usual, he held nothing back.

On Thursday’s bottom six:

“For my money, none of the six tonight, I don’t think, will be there at the end of the day.”

On the most oddly matched couple in the competition:

‘Chris [Jarosz] and Comfort [Fedoke], no question.’

On the importance of the final, 30-second dances:

“They are important, although I think we go in there with thoughts. I thought Marquis [Cunningham] probably did the best routine tonight out of everybody for impact. In talking to Mia and Mary, I think we decided that it was a lot of tricks and it shouldn’t just be about tricks. And Mia pointed out that if she is choreographing someone, she wants passion more than somebody that can flip over and land on two legs.”

On sending Marquis Cunningham home, despite the popularity of his trick-heavy routine:

‘Mia said tonight, ‘We’re educating them.’’

On hip-hopper/popper Comfort Fedoke’s fading star:

‘I think Comfort has been very dull in the last couple of weeks. It could be her injury. I don’t know what it is, but very dull. And tonight was just a few ripples. Didn’t really dance. I thought she was really good in the Shane Sparks routine, which I pointed out, and we’re taking that into account, as we’ve taken into account her past work.’

On Chelsea Traille and Thayne Jasperson landing in the bottom six:

‘Two things. The first place in any competition is always difficult ‘cause you’re the first one on. And I think what they were wearing was bad, as I pointed out. And I don’t think the style they were doing was strong enough for them. They had to add more style to it or they had to dance more, and the choreography was set so they had to add the style to it.’

-- Stephanie Lysaght