Written by: Angelina Granitz
Angelina Granitz, sophomore dance major whose dance pieces were chosen to represent NSU at the American College Dance Association, was a contestant on season 11 of the TV dance competition “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2014. At first, Granitz’s experience made her nervous, but as always, dance saved her from her nervousness and allowed her to do well.
I was 18, in high school, and had just returned from a dance convention. On that same day, my parents sent me back into the car for another road trip, but this time it wasn’t for a dance convention. I was on my way to Atlanta, Ga., to audition for “So You Think You Can Dance.”
I had argued with my parents about the all-night road trip to Georgia. I thought going to the auditions would be a waste of time because, one, I had school the next day, and two, I would never stand a chance to make it through “So You Think You Can Dance.” As I got back into the car and on the road, I did not feel any pressure until I actually arrived at Fox Theatre.
The call line had circled around the building. I stood in line for three hours, in 35-degree weather, until the staff finally let us in. From there, we grabbed our audition numbers and filed into groups of our represented dance styles. I was categorized as a contemporary dancer. After the organization of our groups, we were called onto the stage in groups of ten. At our first audition, we had to improvise to the given music, one by one.
When the music started in my group, I was number six in the line to perform. Before I knew it, I was the next to go. I danced in a state of fog, not knowing how I was doing — I didn’t know if my pirouette was decent, if that McDonald’s breakfast burrito that I ate was showing, or if I had showed enough technique.
After the 10th person finished dancing, we were lined up. The British director of the show, Jeff, was walking down the line making funny remarks and playing with people’s emotions. Jeff came to me, looked at me and remarked in his British accent, “Number six, you were very emotional.” Then, he proceeded to the next person, handing that person a ticket, but not me.
In a state of confusion, I just wanted to go home, so I left the stage in despair with the others who did not receive a ticket. Just as I was walking out, I heard that same lovely British voice say, “Number six, please come receive your yellow slip.” From there, I went through the pre-screening adventures of interviews, back shots, funny shots and dancing shots.
After that day, I had to come back again to do another round of improvisation. After passing that round, I was chosen to perform my solo. While waiting to perform, one of the directors from the show took me in for an interview with my brother.
During that interview, I could not stop talking about how much my brother meant to me and how he was the reason I started dancing. When he was in middle school, he was bullied for being a male dancer, but he never let that stop him. He continued to dance and was even a dancer for Ricky Martin and was casted in “Step Up 3D” and “Step Up Revolution.”
When it was time to perform my solo, I hugged my family and went to the front of the stage. Little did I know, the judges also had to interview me. I was asked questions about my nickname, “Pork Pork,” and who my brother was. At many times throughout the conversation, I was an awkward penguin, answering in strange tones and then waddling to the starting position of my solo.
During my solo, I went to my happy place where I had no longer felt the pressure of answering questions. I kept dancing until my song cut off at around the 2-minute mark. I waddled back up to the mic and waited for the reactions and commentary from the judges, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.
They could not believe I was the same person; it was like watching “two different people,” Lythgoe had said. Before I danced, I was a nervous wreck and made weird noises into the microphone, but after dancing they said that I blossomed into a butterfly and impressed them.
It came down to the decision; they all liked my solo, and I didn’t have to learn new choreography and re-audition. When they all said “yes” to getting a ticket, I was so shocked that I ran to them and gave them hugs. Stunned from what just happened, my brother joined in and was crying from happiness.
I made my way to Los Angeles, Calif., making the top 100 before being cut. But I never would have thought this would happen because I did not believe in myself, but my family did, enough to push me all the way to Atlanta, even on a school night.
