What are the judges thinking when it comes to
So You Think You Can Dance SA? We caught up with all five of them to get their take on the potential winner,
Nigel Lythgoe and their highlight moments so far:
Adele BlankWhat quality do you believe the winner should have?The winner should have charisma, an emotionally driven performance and star quality which incorporates an entertainment ability. And excellence.
What's the craziest dance move you've seen?A guy who's been knocked out,
Alistor did it. I won’t say the craziest dance move, but rather the most fascinating. He has a fabulous, unique quality.
What's surprised you (and which choreographer’s moves have impressed you)?Darren doing the pantsula….
What advice did Nigel Lythgoe give you and what did you learn from him?He put the whole show in its right perspective telling us that the show is about entertainment and not necessarily about the best dancer. He has a very easy way of saying and doing things. He was just great and he is Mr Entertainment Personified.
David MatamelaWhat quality do you believe the winner should have?The winner should be able to communicate with the viewers, be passionate about dance. He or she must be focused and disciplined - really passionate. They must be able to communicate with their body and spirit.
What's the craziest dance move you've seen?K-ROC’s Krump with Thabiso and Louisa.
What's surprised you (and which choreographer’s moves have impressed you)?Lefty’s Pantsula surprises me every week. He has listened to what I have said, that the Pantsula needs to grow and it has. He has been able to teach a person that has never done it before to do it, which is great. E.g. Darren.
What advice did Nigel Lythgoe give you and what did you learn from him?He just said I that I must be myself and if I am crazy I must be crazy; if I am not smiling today then I mustn’t smile. The nerves will kick in but I must just enjoy myself.
Harold van BuurenWhat quality do you believe the winner should have?The winner must be the one who takes dancing to the next level by a performance filled with passion, energy, incredible surprises and I just want to be blown away by a performance nothing short of BREATH-TAKING!
What's the craziest dance move you have seen?I must say I do not have a dance move that has stood out as the craziest dance move yet. There are acrobatics of which I've seen a lot of, but I have not been wowed by anything amazing yet!
What's surprised you (and which choreographer’s moves have impressed you)?I have been so pleasantly surprised by Darren's 'Pantsula' this Saturday, I expected Megan to do well, but did not expect that great perfomance from him!
Vincent has been the choreographer to move me the most thus far.
What advice did Nigel Lythgoe give you and what did you learn from him?Nigel gave me a lot of advice and what stood out, is to be totally honest in what I say. There is not a simple way of describing what I've learnt from Nigel, to me, he basically puts himself in front of you, tells you how he thinks, always using examples of his experiences and he then allows you to absorb as much information as you want, which is wonderful, because I just learnt so much from him.
Didi MosesWhat quality do you believe the winner should have?The winner should've shown major growth and progress during the competition, as well as the ability to adapt to different genre's,the qualities of a dancer who takes advice and applies it to their dancing.In general, a full package is required.
What's the craziest dance move you have seen?I've seen no crazy dance moves in this competition. The choreographers have played it very safe.
What's surprised you (and which choreographer's moves have impressed you)?Celeste Botha has really impressed me choreographically, as well as Vincent Mantsoe and Rafiek. What has surprised me is how polite the dancers have been to some of our,(the judges), critiscism.They always take everything with a smile on their faces. None of them have ever been obviously rattled.
What advice did Nigel Lythgoe give you and what did you learn from him?Nigel has encouraged honesty, which I appreciate.
Debbie RakusinWhat quality do you believe the winner should have?The quality the winner should have is the X Factor. The magnetism that draws the audience to the performer. Something special besides technique. It’s a quality that a performer has from within. A great technician would be fantastic as well.
What's the craziest dance move you have seen?Nothing has made an impact as far as crazy for me so far. I love seeing unusual stuff. It’s never crazy.
What's surprised you (and which choreographer's moves have impressed you)?I have been surprised by how some great dancers have managed to be in the bottom 3 couples each week. I have loved Vincent Mantsoe's choreography. His moves are unique.
What advice did Nigel Lythgoe give you and what did you learn from him?The advice Nigel gave me was to be honest and to be my happy self. He is a great motivator and a driver. At this level one has to lead.
SYTYCD SA's on SABC1 on Saturdays at 18h30. The Results Show's on Tuesdays at 19h00.