And Then There Were 14: Asuka And Jonathan Depart ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

Thursday night’s So You Think You Can Dance results show was a bit more somber than usual given the tragic death of the King of Pop, and likely dance, Michael Jackson earlier that day. But the show must go on, right? And it did, though it was the end of the line for Asuka Kondoh and Jonathan Platero, who were let go from the competition last night. Fancast spoke to these newly departed dancers earlier today for their take on why they ended up in the bottom three and how the show’s cast dealt with the death of an icon.

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Jonathan Platero:

What’s going through your mind when you only have 30 seconds for a solo?

There’s so much to think about. So really the only dynamic I can put into my solos for the thirty seconds I have is to incorporate a mix of salsa and acrobats to try and help save my life like it did the first time.

A big topic on everyone’s mind is Michael Jackson’s passing. He was such a big inspiration to dancers; who inspires you as a dancer?

Michael, definitely, I remember being young and watching his videos and trying to learn them. On top of that, I’m also a big fan of Janet Jackson, and I was always a fan of 80s dance.

Your acrobatic skills are very impressive. Are you putting any serious thought to your backup Cirque de Soleil aspirations or will you stick with dancing?

Yeah, for sure, I’ve always loved doing acrobats and I still definitely want to pursue that. I think that would be amazing. Whether it falls into acrobatics, or dancing, or even something where I can do both of them.

What was your reaction to Nigel’s comments Wednesday night betting you’d be in the bottom three? Did you anticipate being there?

It hurt a little bit for him to say that. I didn’t think he was going to be as tough as he was, but each judge is entitled to their own opinion, and it was a tough style for me so I couldn’t blame him. No one wants to think they’ll be eliminated, but I definitely thought I’d be in the bottom three, especially because of his comments. I can understand where he was coming from. I think we could have taken more risks, especially the part with the lean, we could have leaned even further like we had in rehearsal. But when nerves kick in you’re just trying to perform for your life and there’s only so much you can do. For this style I was given I guess I had to be a little bit more dangerous.

You performed in High School Musical, are you hoping that movies begin to incorporate more dancing like HSM did?

Yeah, that would be amazing. That’s something I’ve always looked forward to doing, to perform acrobats and dancing in different kinds of movies. I’d love to act as well. And I always wanted to be in music videos. I would love to be a Janet Jackson dancer or a Britney Spears dancer I think that would be a lot of fun

How do you think Vitolio and Karla will do as a new couple?

I think they’re going to do great. Karla is amazing, she was easy to get along with, and able to adapt with anyone who she’s partnered with like with me and I think they’ll do great; they’ll do good together.

Asuka Kondoh:

We saw you try a lot of new dance styles so was it hard to hear the judges sentiments that you weren’t growing with the competition?

I was kind of hard to hear. I thought every week was a challenge for me and I never got to do my own style. But I just tried the best I could.

Were you surprised to be let go in a unanimous decision?

Well, being on this show I’ve learned to accept things as they come along and just not expect anything in general. So when I found out I was the one leaving I just took it. I wasn’t surprised. It could have been any one of us and I just accepted the fact that if it’s me then I cant fight it anymore.

Were you nervous this week since Max, the other ballroom dancer, was sent home last time? Is performing more of a challenge for ballroom dancers than other genres?

When he was eliminated I knew I had to try even harder just because I’m a ballroom dancer and I think it’s harder for us to show all of our abilities just because it is a partner dance. But I didn’t think that just because he went home I would be the next one to go home even though it ended up that way. I just thought I had to work even harder just to prove the judges wrong.

Tell us about your relationship with Vitolio; it seemed to be quite emotional. Is it hard to leave him in the competition to partner up with someone else?

It was a journey with Vitolio. I had only been there three weeks and we had our ups and downs. In the beginning it didn’t feel like we had much of a connection in doing the waltz. But then we just seemed to blossom and learned to have the chemistry and connect with each other. It’s hard going from one partner to another. I hope with every partner I get we can have the same relationship I had with Vitolio because it was wonderful.

Which style was hardest for you?

Probably the most difficult was jazz. Everything was just against what I normally do. There were lots of level changes, I was trying to dance in jazz shoes for one, being in bent knees, being lifted, everything was completely just not what I’m used to doing. It was hard.

What was the mood like back stage when news broke of Michael Jackson’s death?

I think we were all in a bit of shock; we didn’t believe it in the beginning. When someone first told me I thought they must be joking, that can’t be it. And then everyone started talking about it and we were just upset and shocked and we couldn’t believe it. I think he’s a big inspiration to all the dancers out there, and not just dancers, but the general public. He was such a big part of everyone’s life and he changed the dancing world.

What’s next?

A week long vacation for my body and mind!

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