Sammy Ramirez, 20, wows judges on
”
So You Think You Can Dance
”
Hollister resident Sammy Ramirez thinks he can dance, and after
a recent audition on a hit FOX television show, celebrity judges
felt the same way.
Sammy Ramirez, 20, wows judges on “So You Think You Can Dance”
Hollister resident Sammy Ramirez thinks he can dance, and after a recent audition on a hit FOX television show, celebrity judges felt the same way.
The 2007 San Benito High School graduate earned high praise during the audition that aired last week on “So You Think You Can Dance,” advancing to the Las Vegas portion of the show, which airs Wednesdays from 8-10 p.m. and Thursdays at 9 p.m. Now in its fifth season, the show pits dancers of varying styles against one another for the title of “America’s Favorite Dancer,” which includes a $250,000 cash prize.
Ramirez, 20, introduced himself on the show as “a dancer from Hollister, California” who has done wrestling all of his life. His brother, Josh, a graduating senior at San Benito High School, won a Central Coast Section championship in wrestling this year.
On the TV show, which was a popular YouTube download among SBHS students this week, Sammy Ramirez also told the story of how as a freshman he met a young man who in one month taught him the basics of “popping and locking,” a dance style made famous with the onset of rap music in the early 1980s.
“He actually got involved with his gang life again and ended up going back to prison,” Ramirez said on the show. “I haven’t seen him since. He started me with dancing, he sparked my fire, he sparked my love; he sparked every opportunity that’s come my way. I hope one day … he gets to see all this.”
Ramirez’s mother Maureen, better known as “Reenee” in her job at Salon Dejà vu in Hollister, said she “was stoked” when she heard her son was going to be on television.
“I was screaming when I saw him,” she said, noting that the episode was filmed a month ago and Sammy didn’t know whether he’d appear on the episode. “I was super happy for him. He works really hard.”
Her son “has always had rhythm and he was a drummer,” said Reenee, who took dance classes when she was younger, but he taught himself most of the moves he has mastered by watching videos on the Internet and ordering dance CDs.
“He’s a go-getter,” said his proud mom, who also has a 14-year-old son. “Every day he’s dancing or teaching. We totally support everything he does. This is his dream. It’s been a great experience for him.”
Ramirez, who lives with his parents in Hollister, has taught a dance unit for a Rancho San Justo School physical education class and has worked at various dance studios as well as sharing his knowledge with San Benito High School dancers.
He has also traveled to New York and Colorado teaching master dance classes, according to his mother.
Ann Vasquez, who teaches in the Life Skills program at SBHS, said her colleagues have praised Ramirez as a “natural teacher [who] makes the kids – all of them, not just the special-needs kids – really fall in line.”
“He was very prepared and knew his stuff,” she said. “The students really loved having him” as an instructor.
Ramirez, whose mother says he “loves to choreograph,” also works with the high school’s dance program and its various dance troupes.
On last week’s episode of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Ramirez, who could not be reached for comment by The Pinnacle’s press time this week, greeted judges Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe with a big smile as he took the stage to begin his routine.
Cameras showed judges also smiling during Ramirez’s performance, which featured a variety of precise popping moves and break dance moves.
“I loved you so much,” said Shankman, a choreographer and director of movies such as “The Wedding Planner,” “Hairspray” and “Step Up.” “Please tell me that you know how to do other stuff. I mean, have you ever trained in anything else?”
Ramirez said that he has taken “a little bit of lyrical and jazz” as well as some ballet, “but it’s not to the point where I’d say I’ve trained.”
Shankman, hoping that Ramirez can perform in other dance styles, responded, “My fingers are so crossed they’re hurting.”
Judge Mary Murphy, a dance instructor and choreographer, said Ramirez was “wonderful.”
“I love your whole look,” she said. “You’ve got a face that the whole world would just love.”
Murphy praised Ramirez for the “wave” that he did with his arms, saying that he “brought a little different taste to it” when he faced the judges, held his arms out to the side, and rhythmically twisted them to the music.
“I haven’t really seen that before,” Murphy said. “And then you went into the ticking (short, precise movements). It was so teeny, but it was so clear.”
Shankman added, “You have some of the best stops that I have ever seen.”
Ramirez thanked the judges for their comments, continuing to display a beaming smile as he soaked in the adoration.
Lythgoe, president of 19 Television and executive producer of “American Idol,” told Ramirez that “the one thing that you have that a lot of other people don’t have is a beaming smile that lights the stage up.”
Lythgoe then asked Ramirez to repeat a move that the producer called “hair choreography.”
Ramirez then turned to the side, raised his eyebrows and made his red-colored faux-hawk hairstyle undulate, drawing laughs of approval from the panel.
“It’s so much fun,” Lythgoe said. “You’re an absolute yes to going to choreography, and like Adam, I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that you’re good because it would be really good to have you in the competition.”
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ break down
“So You Think You Can Dance” is in its fifth season, and audtions are already under way for a fall season six. But for anyone who hasn’t watched the show, here is a breakdown of how it works.
The series starts off with several weeks of auditions in cities throughout the United States. Dancers perform for judges Nigel Lythgoe, a producer on the show and an executive producer of “American Idol;” Mary Murphy, a ballroom choreography; and a guest judge. Dancers can audition in any genre and to any music they choose. The audition episodes often highlight dancers who have an interesting story – such as local Sammy Ramirez, who had plenty of airtime on the May 28 episode.
The auditions are a mix of dancers who really know what they are doing, and some people who are little bit delusional about their abilities. Those who show the most ability are sent straight through to Las Vegas for a callback. Others, such as Ramirez, who show potential but might not have as much training, are invited to learn some choreography at the end of the audition day. Some of those who master it are then invited to Vegas, as Ramirez was.
In Las Vegas, the hundreds of dancers are weaned to the top 20 who will compete for a $250,000 prize – and sometimes extra opportunities are added along the way. Season two Benji Schwimmer received a contract to dance on tour with Celine Dion; Season four’s Joshua Allen received a part in a dance movie directed by Adam Shankman.
After the top 20 dancers are selected, the real competition begins. The dancers are matched up into boy-girl pairs, and each week they draw two genres out of a hat – the genres can be as varied as krunk, contemporary, hip hop, jazz or Viennese Waltz, among others. The show airs twice a week, and on the first episode the dancers perform two dances with their partners, and a solo. Viewers can then vote for their favorite dancers, and the bottom three girls and the bottom three boys will have to “dance for their lives” with a solo on the results show. The judges decide which dancers will go home. Each week, the dancers learn a group dance that is aired at the beginning of the results show, and the results shows feature musical guests or performances by world-famous dancers to entertain viewers while they wait for the results.
When the pairs get to just five guys and five girls, the judges give the fate of the dancers over to the viewers – each week the guy and girl with the least votes goes home.
After the winner is announced, the top 10 dancers travel around the United States as part of a “So You Think You Can Dance” tour.
