OOPS! ‘SYTYCD’ Judge Nigel Lythgoe Calls Dancer Billy Bell ‘Androgynous’ On Live TV — And Then Explains Himself To Us After The Show!
When HollywoodLife.com asked So You Think You Can Dance creator and head judge Nigel Lythgoe about his seemingly offensive comment, he told us he was referring to a style of dance…not Billy’s questionable sexuality. Do you buy it?
Due to last week’s groundbreaking decision to keep all of the top six dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, we had to bid farewell to TWO dancers this week—contemporary dancer Billy Bell and b-boy Jose Ruiz.
The results weren’t surprising given that these two guys weren’t nearly as awesome as the four dancers who made the cut, but it WAS heartbreaking to see Billy go – especially after watching him struggle manfully after getting injured during rehearsals last week. Although he has been a stand-out since day one, I was positive he’d be part of last night’s double elimination round.
The most shocking moment of the night was when Nigel Lythgoe referred to Billy’s dancing as “slightly androgynous” – how rude! However, I chatted with the head judge and SYTYCD creator after the show, and he tried to explain what he meant.
“’Slightly androgynous’ means that it’s asexual. It’s not something you see guys or girls do – it’s his own unique style, and it’s asexual,” Nigel told me. “It’s not like a male, it’s not like a female…It’s obviously not connected with America.. But that style is still being respected by the lovers of dance, choreographers, and artistic directors.”
I completely agree with Nigel there — Billy’s style is totally unique in the dance world, but it just didn’t translate on national TV. On the other hand, Jose should have been eliminated weeks ago! The judges loved his charisma, sure, and while he may be a sweet, lovely person, come on — this is a dancing competition! He wasn’t as versatile and technically strong as most of the other dancers.
Another shocker was seeing Lauren Froderman in the bottom three for the first time. Perhaps it was because the judges didn’t think she would last after her health scare on July 28: she was treated for dehydration by medics during the show. Thankfully, she recovered and the judges kept her around for another week! After losing my favorites Alex Wong, Ashley Galvan, and now Billy, I’m hoping that she takes the crown!
The season seven craziness will come to an end in two weeks, where three dancers will compete in the finale and the results will be decided solely on America’s votes. But the show will go on the road this fall in a nationwide tour featuring the top seven dancers of this season, a few of the all-stars, and season 6 finalists Russell Ferguson and Kathryn McCormick. Check out Ticketmaster.com to see if they’re coming to a city near you!
Did you agree with last night’s double elimination? And who do you want to see in the finale?
–Karen Datangel
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