If being on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation wasn't stressful enough, imagine losing your All-Star before the live shows. Well, that's what happened to Sheaden on So You Think You Can Dance since host Cat Deeley announced at the beginning of the first live episode on July 11 that his All-Star Joshua was replaced by Marko. However, that didn't seem to hold back the hip-hop dancer when he channeled a bogeyman for his duet with new partner Marko in a dance choreographed by Pharside and Phoenix.
After the top 10 Next Generation dancers performed with the All-Stars, Cat revealed that Marko had replaced Joshua to mentor and dance with Sheaden without offering any explanation as to why Joshua wouldn't be on the live shows. While that could have been a setback for Sheaden since he was handpicked by Joshua, he seemed to be comfortable performing with Marko right off the bat with Marko saying during their first rehearsal together that they matched each others' energies.
Marko placed third in Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance and although he's technically not a hip-hop dancer since he competed as a contemporary dancer on his season, that didn't stop him from joining forces with Sheaden. Sheaden haunted Marko right out of bed as a bogeyman and judge Paula Abdul remarked how much Sheaden's showmanship had improved since his auditions. Jason Derulo did offer some criticism about how Sheaden needs to finish one move before starting another, but I was impressed with his tricks, his great theatricality, and how fully he embraced the task of being a hip-hop bogeyman.
As long as he gets the votes to stay on the show, Sheaden will continue to get more comfortable with his new All-Star. He's already a pro at interacting with past So You Think You Can Dance dancers since he was featured on "tWitch and Allison's Dance Challenge" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and based on how seamlessly he handled the switch during the first live episode, he proved that he's got the moves, the character, and the versatility to keep going in the competition.
Image: Drew Herman/FOX
