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So You Think You Can Dance…update

Some of you have already read the So You Think You Can Dance…Auti Angel? But if you haven’t…please read that post first. This is simply an update to my experience with this show.

I was invited by one of the producers to come to the live taping of the show since my segment was not aired.

(Photography by: Eric Rivera)

It was a great experience. I even got the chance to dance on the actual stage. The Hype-Man asked if anyone would like to do their thang during a commercial break and there was my chance. My main goal was to inspire the many dancers that were there to see the live taping of the show. And of course it worked. Many people including the cast and crew acknowledged my boldness and gifts.

(Photography by: Eric Rivera)

Afterwards, we went back stage and met up with Nigel, Mary, and Mia. They remembered me from the audition and welcomed me and Eric with open arms. They said that they were sorry for not being able to air my segment, but thanked me for introducing them to my amazing gifts. It was simply another awesome experience with this show!

(Photography by: Eric Rivera)

(Photography by: Eric Rivera)

So You Think You Can Dance…Auti Angel?

Thursday Feb. 12th I went to the famous Los Angeles Orpheum Theater to audition for the hit show on Fox “So You Think You Can Dance”! I have watched this show’s seasons before and thought to myself, “What a wonderful forum for dancers. It’s about time that producers brought this back to TV.”

Well, little did I know that I would be auditioning for this show. My good friend and Producer of “The Wiz Kidz”, Pamela Pedder, told me, “Auti, you should audition for “So You Think You Can Dance”. You really should…in fact, you have to. People need to see what you can do!” She was so enthused, how could I say no?

So I answered her and said, “If you find out the details and let me know, I will go.” Sure enough, Pamela kept letting me know all of the info I needed to get my butt there. She even told me that she would go with me.

Once I looked online to fill out the forms and get the time & location of the audition for Los Angeles, I was stumped when I read that the age limit for eligibility was only between the ages of 18-30. So I immediately called Pamela and said, “Well, it looks like we can’t audition cause I am a little older than 30…LOL… and the rules say that you can only be between 18-30.” She answered, “I think you should audition anyway.” So then I said, “I was thinking that too, I just didn’t want to break any rules. OK, we’ll let them decide once we get there. I will let them know right away so that I don’t break the rules and then leave it up to them to turn me away.” But they didn’t turn away. In fact, they kept escorting me right to the perfect places to be through out the entire time we were there.

Eric and I left the house around 7am to meet up with Pamela. We arrived at the Orpheum Theater in Downtown Los Angeles around 8am to find the line of auditioning dancers around the whole block and it is a huge block. I told Eric and Pamela to follow my lead. I went straight to the front of the line and said to them that I told Nigel I was coming to audition and that he would be expecting me.

Now that wasn’t a lie at all. Mia had blessed Eric & I with a couple of tickets to this event called “LA’s BEST Community Jam”. Once the event was over, Mia and I took a chance to meet Nigel, who was the Host and Sponsor of this amazing event. I rolled right up to him and said, “I’m going to audition for your show “So You Think You Can Dance’. He replied, I would love to see you there. That would be amazing to see.” We all then got the chance to hang out with him and his lovely wife in the “V.I.P. After Party” section of the event. We had a blast.

Now, back to the audition. They let me in without having to wait in line. I had to show my I.D., that has my date of birth, along with turning in my contract. The lady took a look at the age and said that I was over the age limit. Luckily, and more like destiny, one of their producers “Hope” (of all names) was walking by and recognized Eric as an old friend from Sacramento, CA. I told her about my conversation with Nigel and she told the lady to send me through. Isn’t funny how God makes a way out of no way.

I got my number (#26677) and was escorted by my husband Eric, Pamela, and the associate producer Andrew. Andrew pretty much helped me through the whole audition procedure to make sure that I went everywhere I was supposed to be.

In fact, let me rewind a little bit, cause this miracle testimony too awesome to not fill you in on.

Eric & I found out that we were pregnant on August 26^th, 2008. We were both shocked and elated at the same time. Of course our doctor told us that it would be a good idea to keep this news to ourselves for the first three months as it very common for women to miscarry within these first months. So we agreed and left the office in awe.

Now about two weeks later, sure enough, I started spotting and called the doctor right away. She said if it get’s any worse to go directly to the emergency room at the hospital. Sad enough, it did get worse and we did miscarry. Eric & I were devastated, but at the same time new that God has his perfect timing for everything, especially the birth of a child.

Six months had passed and I skipped a period and began to have the same symptoms as before I found I was pregnant in Aug. But bad news would come again. We had another miscarriage, but this time it was the day before this audition for “So You Think You Can Dance.”

I was in a lot of pain and my body was exhausted from the trauma, however, my spirit pressed me forward. I knew in my spirit that I had a job to do and that I couldn’t & wouldn’t let anything stop me. So I decided to keep my divine appointment regardless of my recent disappointment.

Now, let’s fast forward to the audition process. Remember that I told you that a gentlemen, by the name of Andrew, was escorting me around. Remember his name because he is a part of this incredible testimony.

I had to wait for hours upon hours to go through the first cut. But it was worth the wait when I received my pass to go to the next level in the audition process. Unfortunately the next level was the next day. So I would have to endure another day of this pain and suffering while waiting to make my mark.

I came back the very next day at 8am and for those of you who know me, know that is torture hours for a non-sleeper like me.

Anyway, I had to play the waiting game again, but this time Andrew lead me to different places to get interviewed by different producers and then I finally got an interview with the Host Cat Deeley. She was great and she is just as sweet as she is on the show.

By now, it had to be around 6pm and I was almost getting called to audition. I knew that this was it and that I would not be getting a ticket to Vegas to move to the next round due to the age constraints, but I knew that I had to share my gift regardless.

I was physically and emotionally exhausted because of my miscarriage two days before. I was thrilled that God showed Eric and I that we could still get pregnant regardless of my spinal-cord injury and paralyzed body, but I was emotionally exhausted because I was wondering if I would be able to carry it to full term and I asked God, silently, that very question. Next thing I know, Andrew came out of the blue and said you remind me of my mother. She was like you, paralyzed from the waist down and used a wheelchair. I couldn’t help but just stair at him in amazement. I had to ask, ”How long ago did this happen?” He replied, “Oh, it happened before I was born. She was paralyzed when she had me.” I couldn’t help but say, “THANK YOU JESUS!”, out loud. That was the perfect sign and answer that I needed to boost my emotions and kick me right where faith really counts. Thank you Lord for giving me my answer…and so rapidly too.

Well, I ended up getting approached by the producer who was running the segment that Cat was doing. He came up to me and said, ya know, my mother was in a wheelchair. She was a quadriplegic. She broke her neck and became  paralyzed form the chest down before she had me. She would have loved to see you dance.

Dance, oh yeah, that is what I was here to do, but after hearing this great news from two different people at a freak’n audition out of all places…WOW! God is truly Faithful!

Well, I had my name called and waited in the wings to go up on stage and my heart was pounding. What the heck is it pounding for? This is what I do. Dancing is my life. Oh, it must be because I just had a miscarriage, gone through two looooong days of auditioning and interviewing, shared my life story on a numerous amount of occasions through the process, gave other dancers motivation to conquer their fears, and then got the most incredible answers from God in the weirdest way. I AM EXHAUSTED!

So, the P.A. motions Eric to take me to the stage, that was not wheelchair accessible at the moment. He carried me up the stairs and I heard a shadow call out, “Well hello Ms. Angel”. As I got to the stage I immediately waived and began to roll to the back to get into position. I was eager to do this. I was ready to hear “Cue Music” as they always do. But next thing I know, I hear the same voice say, “No, wait Angel, come here first.” It was Nigel Lythgoe, the producer of the show.  So my amped exhausted body rolled to the front where they propped a mic. He asked, ”So what’s your story?”

I was so in the zone to dance and I was completely fatigued and exhausted that my only reply was, “You want me to do that now?” LOL… What the heck just came out of my mouth? I am delirious.

No…I just broke down…”I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time…”, is what I replied.

I went on sharing a brief description of what I had already shared in the interviews before this. And as my tears were flowing I looked up to see the impact I was having on the judges. Their faces were sympathetic and Mary’s eyes welled up just as much as mine were.

And when I finished, I said, “ I would like to share my gift now.” Then I finally heard the words  I was waiting to hear for 2 days…”CUE MUSIC”. I instantly breathed in the beats and enveloped the music. My soul began to express with power, but my body responded with exhaustion.

I know I did what I came to do cause, when the music was finished, the judges were in awe. They said that they never have seen anything like this and they were happy I chose to share my gift regardless of what the rules may have said.

Fast forward, I got a call from the producers saying they were so impressed with my story and they decided to feature it on their show. I was thrilled and felt like this was the break that I was looking for. Ever since my accident, I wanted to share my gift with the world and here was my chance.

Remember I said earlier that God has His perfect timing for everything. Well, the time had come for the show to premiere when I discovered that my story didn’t make the cut.

It was time for another amazing dancer to shine.  “Tiffany Geigel”

…Tiffany Geigel was born with Spinal Thoracic Dysplasia. Her spinal cord did not grow and the doctors said she would not live long. But to everyone’s surprise, she is now a 23 year-old dancer. She is incredibly inspiring and I loved her story.

Remember, when one door is closed for you, it is someone else big door and a bigger door awaits you. So be encouraged and don’t give up…no matter what…it will come to pass!

–Auti Angel–

Let’s Dance!

This is how we do it!