Fan Fare

Has the star factor dimmed for Nathan on SYTYCD?

It wasn’t a surprise that Victor Smalley and Karen Hauer were picked to leave the competition Wednesday on So You Think You Can Dance, but the big surprise was who judge Nigel Lythgoe wanted to see packing up his bags.

While Nigel praised Victor’s strong solo and growth, he did not mince words with Nathan Trasoras. For a moment even, it almost seemed like Nigel was leading up to sending Nathan home. He concluded his critique by pointedly telling Nathan if it were up to him, this would be the end of the road for the young dancer. He then turned to Victor and announced he was going home.

The decision came as part of what judges called “the most important results show of the season.” The 10 remaining dancers are guaranteed a spot on the North American tour next year and, more importantly, the judges no longer have a say in their fates. Whether this will be a good or bad thing for Nathan remains to be seen.

From the start, judges marked Nathan as a “brilliant” dancer who would have a strong fan base. This seemed to prove true at first, despite at least one particularly messy routine. But in the last two weeks, the audience love has cooled, with judges speculating about a possible backlash over glimpses of his relative immaturity.