This week, on So You Think You Can Dance, we bid farewell to Contemporary Jazz dancer Ashley Valerio and Ballroom International Latin hoofer Max Kapitannikov. I briefly spoke with these two recently eliminated contestants on a conference call this afternoon and got to toss in a few questions (props to EW.com’s Alynda Wheat for vocab inspiration!). Our conversations went a little something like this:

Max Kapitannikov

Albert Lawrence: As a ballroom dancer, you’re used to always dancing with a partner. So when it came time for you to do your dance solo, do you think that you were at a disadvantage?

Max Kapitannikov: I don’t think so, because it’s only 30 seconds. I think by doing the pop jazz routine, you can show a lot of things. I don’t think it’s really difficult as a ballroom dancer, for 30 seconds anyway.
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Ashley Valerio

Albert Lawrence: Last night Nigel mentioned that the judging panel was not unanimous in its decision for who to send home. Do you have an idea of who was gunning for you and who was on the fence for you last night?

Ashley Valerio: No, I have no idea, I really don’t know – I’m clueless to that decision. I was really confident last night and enjoyed doing my solo, but I have no idea.

Albert: And Lil C’s comments are always very loquacious and eloquent, but as a dancer are you able to take something away from the deep comments that he gives out?

Ashley: It’s nice because, I’m kind of a very intellectual person. And when he speaks, I’m not like the most brilliant person, but he kind of gets me a little bit. I kind of get him, you know, and it’s exciting because sometimes I can get a little bit deep too, and I can take things from him.

Albert: Last night, it seems like you were channeling a little bit of Betty Boop with your costume and with your hair-do.

Ashley: (Laughing) Thank you!

Albert: It was great, but when your going into elimination night and you have the chance to choose what you want to wear, do most of the dancers have fun and choose what they want to choose, or is there more of a strategy?

Ashley: I kinda wanted to be creative with my song and how I wanted to be perceived. We all had the freedom to do whatever it is that we wanted. So I just wanted to step out of the box and do something different. I didn’t just want to have the cute hair and the makeup – I wanted to be different.

Albert: Mission: accomplished!
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Bummed out to see Max and Ashley go? What questions would you have posed to the dancers?

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