So You Think You Can Dance: Jarrod Tyler Paulson, girlfriend Madison Jordan audition
It’s a So You Think You Can Dance tale as old as time — if you’re auditioning for the show alongside the person you’re in a relationship with, you have to expect that Nigel Lythgoe is going to make you both dance on stage at the same time. Luckily, both Jarrod Tyler Paulson and his girlfriend Madison Jordan were extremely good dancers, so their routines were pretty much appreciated across the board.
Their love story itself was simple, but also moving. They met while in dance class and have worked at getting better together. They can be that support system you often need in an art form. Dance is often difficult. It’s extremely demanding physically, it’s tiring, and at times, you don’t receive a lot of money for it. this is truly a labor of love and that’s what makes this show so special. It’s not about winning this show and becoming a millionaire because so few do that in this field; it’s instead about just being able to make a career doing some of what you love. These two have each other and that is a great start.
The next thing we’ll say about Jarrod in particular is that his athleticism is off the charts — seriously. We haven’t really seen many people who can pull off some of the stuff that he pulls off in this performance. That’s the first thing that immediately catches our eye when he starts. There is also artistry and lyricism there (it is a contemporary routine, after all), but we imagine that with this sort of physical ability he’ll be able to take on anything.
Madison, meanwhile, is extremely flexible and lyrical with her movements; it’s a softer routine, but there is still a punch to her movements and a deliberateness about they way that she navigates across the floor. She has alopecia and while she’s in good health, she does talk about the struggles that she’s been through with it. Both of these performers are moving forward to the Academy, not that this should come as a shock to anyone. We’re excited about the talent this season overall! There are a lot of really strong dancers who are popping up from all over the country, and it goes to show that this is an art that isn’t dying. Instead, it actually feels more like the routines and the inspiration are there more than ever — we’re not in the audition rooms, but we can speak to this more as a viewer.