So you think Morgan Hill can rally enough votes? Dancing prodigy
and local product Ryan Ramirez, 19, broke into the Top 20 on FOX’s
Season 8 of the
”
American Idol
”
styled TV show
”
So You Think You Can Dance?
”
and starting Wednesday viewers can vote to keep their favorite
dancers in the competition.
So you think Morgan Hill can rally enough votes?
Dancing prodigy and local product Ryan Ramirez, 19, broke into the Top 20 on FOX’s Season 8 of the “American Idol” styled TV show “So You Think You Can Dance?” and starting Wednesday viewers can vote to keep their favorite dancers in the competition.
Ramirez and her mom Paige Day, who lives in Morgan Hill, is hoping her talent as a contemporary dancer can persuade Morgan Hill and thousands more to vote – and vote relentlessly.
“She feels more confident and mature and that makes a difference,” Day said Monday morning. “She knows who she is a little bit better.”
Last year Ramirez made the Top 24 but just missed the final cut on Season 7 – in 2010 the show retained the Top 10 dancers for viewer votes.
On Wednesday’s two-hour live broadcast and until the field is narrowed to five females and five males, the dancers will compete as couples. The three couples with the least amount of viewer votes will dance again Thursday. “So You Think You Can Dance?” judges will make the final decision and determine one couple to send home among the three lowest voted-for couples.
Five dancers of the Top 20 hail from California: Alexander Fost of Alhambra; Ashley Rich of Antioch; Clarice Ordaz of Whittier; Jordan Casanova of Chino Hills; and Sasha Mallory of Bakersfield.
Also adding to fierce dance-off is the redundancy of contemporary dancers just like Ramirez – six of the Top 10 women are best at contemporary dance. Ramirez is trained in tap, Jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, contemporary, musical theatre and hip hop, but studies mainly modern dance and ballet.
“We’re hoping the community will rally a little bit. She’s worked really hard and she’s a good kid, not just a good dancer,” Day said.
Ramirez received an academic scholarship to Loyola Marymount but deferred school for the chance to dance professionally.
On the season finale of “Glee,” Ramirez got a good deal of face-time dancing and portraying a singer on the popular FOX series. Ramirez called it, “(my) absolute favorite experience (I) has ever had.” She also performed at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards with host Jack Black.
While Ramirez is being missed by her family as she lands dancing gigs in Los Angeles, Day is getting positive feedback from Morgan Hillians.
“A lady in the line next to me (at the grocery store) said, ‘Aren’t you Ryan’s mom? We’re rooting for her!’ ”
