2 Utahns living their dreams on 'So You Think You Can Dance' tour

When Brandon Bryant was named runner up during Season 5's "So You Think You Can Dance," he was honored and relieved.

"I realized that I wouldn't have the stress of being the winner," Bryant said during a phone call from Charlotte, N.C. "But I still get the recognition, and I still get to do things with the 'So You Think You Can Dance' family."

Bryant, the Florida native who danced with Utah's Odyssey Dance Theatre last year, placed second to Jeanine Mason at the end of the show's fifth season. And that solidified his place on the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour, which makes a stop at the E Center today.

For Bryant, being on the tour is everything he's always dreamed of — and more.

"I get to be in 10 numbers," Bryant said. "In addition to performing all big solo and group dances we did on TV, we are also doing a new opening number."

The most difficult thing for Bryant is talking with the audience.

"You have to memorize speaking lines," he said. "And that is more difficult for me than dancing."

Bryant said his experience on the TV aspect of "SYTYCD" was an eye-opener.

"The big thing was the rehearsals," he said. "That schedule didn't allow much time for sleep. And if you wanted to dance and perform well, you just had to bear it."

So far the tour is going well, he said, adding he is amazed at how much the fans know about him and the other dancers.

"Those who love the show are really dedicated and support us fully," he said. "You never know how much impact a dance will have while you're dancing on TV. But when you're on tour, you see the results. And it's all about the fans."

Bryant considers Utah his second home and is looking forward to coming back to dance with the tour. "I've adopted Utah, or it has adopted me," he said. "I can't wait to see all my friends and see my co-dancers from Odyssey. I'm looking forward to it all."

Randi Evans, another Utahn on the tour, is also excited to be coming home.

Evans, the Springville dancer known as the "Unitard Girl" because of her affinity for a certain kind of dance outfit, can't wait to dance for her family and friends.

"Right now, everyone from my husband to my mom and dad feel a bit disconnected because I'm performing and touring on the East Coast," Evans said from Charlotte. "So I'm really excited to dance in front of my whole family."

Evans, who barely made the Top 10 before being eliminated during week 6, said dancing for TV was nothing like dancing for a live audience.

"When we did the TV shoots, there were something like 200 people in the studio," she said. "And you danced to a little camera. But you didn't realize that through that little camera, you were dancing for millions of people.

"When I'm on stage during the tour, you get a little taste of how many watched the show."