From Deseret News archives:

All Utah-linked finalists survive to dance again

Published: Friday, June 13, 2008 3:09 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
All four of the "So You Think You Can Dance" finalists with Utah ties survived the first week of eliminations, although it was a close call for one.

Chelsie Hightower, 18, of Orem; Thayne Jasperson, 27, of Springville; and Gev Manoukian, 21, a native of Kaszakhstan who lives in Centerville, were all "safe" when the results of voting by viewers of Fox's dance competition show were announced.

Matt Dorame, 22, a native of Arizona who has lived in Salt Lake City for the past two years while performing with Odyssey Dance Theatre, narrowly avoided elimination. He was half of one of three couples voted in the bottom three by viewers.

After the six performed solos, he was in the judges' bottom two male dancers.

But after being severely criticized by judge Nigel Lythgoe for not showing enough personality, Dorame survived to dance another week when the judges decided to choose "technique over personality" and give him another chance.

Two Californians who danced as partners on Wednesday — Rayven Armijo of La Puente and Jamie Bayard of Palm Springs — were eliminated.

Story continues below
The 18 remaining contestants dance again on Wednesday; two more will be eliminated on Thursday.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

31% of the board voted for the other guy. Looks like Brems won.

Max will be remembered in one of two ways...some will remember him for being...

Prep boys basketball top 20

like i said delgado do work on wasatch!!!

Thank God my wife is Japanese and we can return to Japan and participate in...

I have followed the Utah/BYU rivalry since I was a boy back in the 1950s....

If BYU chokes all of it's marquis games, then explain to me how these schools...

It is time for the adults to take charge of the children. If the decent fans...

I am so tired of hearing about Mitchell. When will it ever end?

That syracuse team is going to give some teams some problems this year.

Philpot may run for Congress

Though I don't live in Utah, I think he'd be a good choice. Go for it bro!

Advertisements