So You Think You Can Dance

The minute Kourtni Lind hit 18, she headed to try out for So You Think You Can Dance.  On her first try, she made it to Vegas and through to the Top 20.  She has studied at her mother's dance studio since the age of 3 and graduated high school early to get her dance career started.  She was paired up with Matt Dorame this season on So You Think You Can Dance and they found themselves in the bottom group more often than they would have liked.  Last week proved to be their last as the judges sent both Matt and Kourtni home.  Today, after enjoying the holiday weekend, Kourtni talked to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview!

Below, you will find the complete transcript and mp3 of the interview.

Hey everybody this is Gina from BuddyTV and today I’m talking to Kourtni from So You Think You Can Dance. Well was this your first season trying out for So You Think You Can Dance?

It was, yes.


What made you decide to try out this year?

I have kind of just been waiting until I could because I’ve been watching all the other seasons and been like, Ahhh, they want me to do that, I can do that. But I was just not old enough, and so when I was old enough it was just time, so off I went.


What was the audition process like for you, was it stressful? How was it?

Yeah, it was really stressful. On the first time it was very, very long, and it was very different than what I expected it to be actually. I was pretty much there for like 13 hours I think, so from like the time until I started in line until they actually got to me. It was stressful, but every step of the way was like stress relief, it’s like, Oh my gosh! I kept getting further and further, and my first audition I didn’t even expect to get through, let alone be in the top 20, so it was really bizarre.


Is there part of you that’s upset that you didn’t get into top 10 with Matt and get on tour?

Yeah, but they always have alternates, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.


They do have alternates, that would be great. What was this experience like for you, getting onto the show? I know that you and Matt landed in the bottom a couple of times and it was sort of an uphill battle. What was it like for you to go through that?

Yeah, it was a little bit rough. I don’t have any regrets about anything that I did on the show, period. Even looking back and watching my performances, I feel good about the way I presented myself and I feel like we did good as a team. From there, there’s not a whole lot we can do, and it just wasn’t it. It’s okay, in the last week it kind of just became a joke that we were going to be in the bottom three, because we just knew it. We were like, Okay, we’re going to be doing our solos tomorrow! We made light of it, so it was okay, it’s really all right.


Do you feel like the judges have been particularly hard on the contemporary dancers this season?

I think they always are, just because technically trained dancers are kind of expected to be able to adapt a little bit easier than a hip-hop dancer. I don’t know if I agree with that really, because it’s really just very, very difficult for us to transform into these gorgeous ballroom dances just like it is for a hip-hop dancer. Usually they’re pretty fair and pretty on point about what they say, but sometimes I’m, Come on, give me some slack, I’m in three-inch heels doing a mambo.


Do you have any favorite dancers that are still on the show or any favorite routines that they’ve performed?

Aw, they’re all my favorite, I can’t pick a favorite, I’m sorry.


You and Matt really are a pair, because he gave me the exact same answer.

[laughs] We definitely get along very well, Matt and I.


How were the dancers to work with this season? I have heard in the past that the dancers are easy to get along with, that you guys have a lot of respect for each other. What was the mood like on the set for you?

I feel like we have the best cast ever this year. Not that I don’t love the other casts, but I feel like we have such a cool bond through absolutely everybody. Everybody was really clicking, I didn’t have any people I didn’t talk to as much. We were really just a group and everybody was involved in everything all the time and very, very supportive. Before getting into the Top 20 I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was kind of thinking, Oh, there’s going to be some divas and be some really unsupportive people. But they were so the most amazing group of people I’ve ever worked with.


Do you plan on going back to the show and supporting people throughout the rest of season?

I already went last night to the taping. So yes, I am.


What’s in the future for you in terms of dance? What do you plan to do now?

I kind of took the weekend off after I got eliminated just to relax and catch up with friends and stuff, and then I was back in class on Sunday. I’m back to training and continuing and seeing where it can take me.


Well I just wanted to thank you so much, Kourtni, and wish you the best of luck.

Thank you so much, have a great day.

- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of FOX)