So You Think You Can Dance sneak peek: Teary Paula Abdul leads standing ovation after young hopeful Kenny's mesmerizing performance
Feb 6th, 2014
By Daniel Van Boom, Daily Mail UK
So You Think You Can Dance is returning to Australian screens this weekend and it already looks set to be an emotionally charged series.
In an exclusive sneak peek, a young hopeful called Kenny Johnson delivers a mesmerizing audition that brings the judges, Paula Abdul, Shannon Holtzappfel, Jason Gilkison and Aaron Cash to their feet.
The 26-year-old from The Riverland, South Australia performed a powerful dance to minimalistic This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington.
Introducing Kenny Johnson: In a preview for the second episode of Ten's So You Think You Can Dance, this 26-year-old dancer brought judges to tears
Impact: Kenny's dance to the minimalistic This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington brought Paula Abdul, Shannon Holtzappfel, Jason Gilkison and Aaron Cash to their feet
Before his audition he told cameras that his piece was about 'going away from family and sacrificing things that I love and doing things that I'm not particularly comfortable with, but it's things like that that make you the person who you are.'
The strings started playing, and within thirty seconds Kenny had the judges, and some of the audience, in tears.
A teary eyed Aaron Cash told Kenny that 'you mightn’t have the best technique, you mightn’t have the greatest control, but mate you move - your soul just speaks volumes', while Paula said to Kenny that he's very special and 'able to tell a story from the beginning to a beautiful middle, to the end.'
It's all part of the audition process for the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance, which returns to television following a four year hiatus - this particular preview is for episode number two.
The show originally ran for three seasons from 2008 to 2010, and is back now - but with some changes.
Carrie Bickmore, 33, replaces Natalie Bassingthwaighte as host, while Paula, Shannon, Jason and Aaron Cash serve as this year's judges.
Abdul, 51, is the most internationally famous member of the panel - a highly successful singer and choreographer, but is perhaps most known for her stint as judge on American Idol from 2002-2009.
Internationally known: Paula Abdul is the most famous judge, a long tenured singer, dancer and one of the original judges of American Idol
Gilkinson, 47, was a Latin dancing champion from 1981-1997 with his partner Peta Robby, and was a choreographer on previous Australian and American seasons of So You Think You Can Dance.
Holtzapffel is a prolific 29-year-old dancer who's worked with legends like Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
Aaron Cash spent ten years as a lead dancer for Cher, and has danced in films like Titanic, and was a choreographer for the international show, Ballet Revolution.
The 2014 season begins on February 9 on Channel 10. The second episode, featuring Kenny, airs on Monday the 10th.
