“SYTYCD” Week 2 Auditions: The Dancer Who Was Told She Would Never Dance Again

It’s the second day of auditions in Los Angeles, and the search for America’s Favorite Dancer is on. So in case you missed last night’s episode, here are all the standout dancers who made it through day two. 

Braylon Browner

Before he even started dancing, it seemed that 18-year-old Braylon had already won the judges over with his upbeat, positive energy. But once he started moving, the judges were even more impressed. All three judges gave Braylon a standing ovation—and three yeses.

Madison Rouge Alvarado

The judges had the chance to see Madison “Just Dance”—and more. After her jazz performance, Comfort asked Madison if she was pulling from personal experience during her performance, and it turned out she was: her two-year struggle with an eating disorder. 

Madison started to tear up while talking about her trauma, and Maksim stepped up to tell her that he is “in [her] corner.” Her audition earned a yes from Maksim and Comfort and an “absolute yes” from Allison, who thanked her for being vulnerable.

Arianna Santos

Nineteen-year-old Arianna brought something a little different to the “SYT” stage: a little flamenco, a little hip hop, and a whole lot of fusion. Though, for the judges, it wasn’t enough fusion. They saw more hip hop than flamenco and, initially, chose not to send Arianna through. 

But (spoiler alert!) everyone loves a second chance, and the judges are no exception. After seeing another dancer perform, Allison voiced her concern, saying she was “kind of questioning one of [her] decisions.” With the sign-off of the other judges, Allison brought Arianna back in, and sent her through to the choreography round. 

Kaylee Bays

Twenty-seven-year-old Kaylee started dancing when she was only 3. But at 21, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and told she would never dance again. She decided to compete on “SYTYCD” not only to follow her dream but to raise awareness for her condition, for which there is currently no cure. 

After her stunning performance, the judges checked in with Kaylee to see if she felt her limited mobility would hold her back in competition. But Kaylee stayed strong, voicing that there is “no style [she] can’t adapt.” The judges took her at her word and moved her on to the next round. 

Avery Gay

Avery entered the competition alongside two of her fellow dancers from her home studio in Tucson, Arizona. But it was her contemporary ballet routine, performed on pointe, that stood out to the judges. Though they asked her to really push herself moving forward and get out of her comfort zone, Avery made it through to the next round. 

Cole Neville

There was something immediately a-heel-ing (sorry, not sorry) about 22-year-old Cole’s performance. But on a more serious note, we were so excited to see their performance and glad to hear Allison’s reminder of how hard it is to dance in heels like Cole did. It was a “resounding yes” from Maksim, Allison, and Comfort. 

Jainil Mehta

Last night’s episode featured all the fusion, and Jainil’s audition was no exception. He combined Indian dance with hip hop and contemporary to create a performance that didn’t just bring the technique, it told a story. Comfort loved that Jainil “brought something different,” and all three judges were easily in agreement: yes!

Kenidee Allen

Next up was Kenidee from West Haven, Utah. Though she had serious health troubles growing up, Kenidee has since recovered and continues to pursue her dream of dancing. 

Maksim announced that he would be sitting this round of judging out, since he previously worked with Kenidee, when she appeared with him and his brother on their SAVOR After Hours tour (NBD, Kenidee). But that didn’t stop him from giving Kenidee honest feedback, telling her that it wasn’t his favorite performance of hers. Allison and Comfort, however, responded more positively to Kenidee’s classic jazz solo and put her through to the next round. 

Next week, we’ll see the audition round come to a close, and we’ll know exactly who will be competing for the title of America’s Favorite Dancer. And maybe we’ll even get to see Maksim cry at least one more time!