- Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to So You Think You Can Salsa!
(cheers and applause)
We've scoured the globe to find Latinos who've never danced
Salsa, and put them through Salsa boot camp...
- Uhh...
(laughter)
- [Host] To face off in the ultimate Salsa competition.
- If you relax, you won't break your neck.
- [Host] Let's meet our competitors!
- I don't think that I'm a good dancer.
I think that Latinos are born with an innate sense
of rhythm, but I don't know that we're all great dancers.
- I think when people think of Latina dancers, there's this
expectation that they're really good, like really sexy
on the dance floor.
- If I walk into a Salsa club, I sit down,
'cause I don't move.
I don't like to sweat.
- I don't know where to go, and I get really self-conscious,
and I'm like, "I'm doing it wrong,"
and I kind of freeze up.
- Am I gonna win?
Yeah, I'm gonna win it.
I'm not gonna lose to Claudia and Gadiel.
- I'm also very competitive, so I think I'm gonna do well.
- I've been dancing since I was in my mom's belly I guess.
(laughs)
- Some of the Latin dances and Salsa and stuff, you can
actually learn it, and go out and dance it.
And you can dance it with a stranger that you've never met.
- Yeah, if you're single, or from out of state, or they
don't have family here, they become family.
- So my partner for this challenge is the beautiful and the
lovely goddess Daysha.
- This is Team Claudia and Gadiel.
- Off the T.
- And we're gonna fucking slay this competition.
- Let her go here.
- Okay.
- From the beginning.
- From the top.
- That was a lot.
- Yeah, I can do it.
(laughs)
- Six, seven.
- I feel like it's gonna be like every dance movie,
where the underdog is gonna kill it.
We're gonna crush it.
- And we'll see you for the competition.
- Good luck!
- Thanks!
We're gonna need it.
I mean not.
No, we won't, 'cause we're gonna be great.
(applause)
- So let's get to it, guys.
Our first couple up is gonna be Curly and Daysha.
(applause)
- We have a plan of attack, right, Daysha?
- Yeah, if all else fails, we'll just do jazz hands
and twerk.
- Twerking and jazz hands.
- That's exactly what I did at my prom.
So this sounds perfect, right?
Let's see some Salsa!
- [Daysha] Yeah!
(Salsa music)
- Oh, oh, oh, oh!
(cheering)
(applause)
- Guys, so good!
Oh, my gosh, Shakira would be proud because those hips
do not lie.
How are you guys feeling?
- Good, I feel good.
It was fun.
At the end of the day, it's just about having fun, right?
- Well let's get some advice from our judges.
Hannah, how'd you feel about that?
Okay, first, you have matching flowers in your hair,
and that was awesome.
Second, I could not take my eyes off of your smiling faces.
That connection was just so beautiful to be a part of!
I couldn't even see what your feet were doing because I
couldn't take my eyes off your faces.
- There you go.
Wonderful.
Quinta, how did you feel about the performance?
- The stage presence was fantastic.
You guys were smiling, you were lighting up the stage,
that flower fell out of your hair, Daysha, you walked over
it like it was Michelle, I really appreciate it.
(laughter)
Technicality, seemed like it was a little rough walking up
in the beginning, but then you guys got on the same footing
and you got on the same page.
- Eugene, how did you feel?
- [Eugene] Uh oh.
(laughter)
- Some hard facts with Eugene.
- Uh oh.
- Curly do you like it when people take control?
- Oh, yeah, totally.
- Yeah, so I wanted to see more masculine vigor from you,
and I really saw it come out at the end when you slapped
your own ass.
- Oh yeah.
(laughter)
- But I wanted to see it throughout the entire dance.
Now, are you adorable?
Both of you, yes.
A+ on that.
Is that enough to beat the other couple?
I'm not so sure.
- We'll see, we'll see.
- Alright guys, let's give our judges some time to think
about their scores.
(drum roll)
You guys are ready?
Starting with Hannah?
- Nine!
- Oh, a nine from Hannah, very good!
Next up we have Quinta.
A seven, oh, very good.
Alright, time for our final score.
Eugene?
Whoa, a six.
Very good.
Alright, so we have a score of 22.
How do you guys feel about that?
- We feel pretty good, for like a day of practice?
- I had a Big Mac before I came here, I'm good.
- I feel that, very good.
Well you guys did an amazing job.
Super proud of you.
Curly, you killed it, Daysha, wonderful as always.
Next up, we have Claudia and Gadiel!
Are you guys feeling good?
- Little nervous, but I'm really confident.
I even took a shower today.
- Terrified.
Trying to remain calm.
Trying to get through the day.
- [Host] Have the jitters,
but they're gonna do the jitterbug.
- The jitterbug's the wrong dance!
- Oh, no, don't do the jitterbug!
Wait, jitterbug's wrong!
Let's see how they do!
(cheering and applause)
(Salsa Music)
- Oh!
- Ohhh...
(cheers and applause)
- Guys, someone call 911, 'cause you just murdered
the dance floor.
Oh, my God.
Let's see how our judges feel about what just happened.
Hannah, how you feeling?
- I find it impossible to believe that Claudia, you have
never Salsa danced before.
Start to finish, you did an amazing job, it just flowed
perfectly, had some really cool moves,
I thought it was amazing!
- Next up, Quinta.
- Oh, guys, it was sexy, it was hot, it was now, okay?
I loved it.
At a moment, I was like, "Is it too much?
"Should we turn it down a little bit?"
But we kept it going.
I wanna see more.
I wanna go watch you guys dance.
Like, not on TV, I don't think you're that good,
but I would like to see you, onstage at a class, yeah--
- I was about to go change my life, so I'm glad you took
me down a little bit.
- Yes, no, it was fantastic.
- Alright, Eugene, how'd you feel about the dance?
- I'm sorry to say you don't have the X factor.
But you do have the sex factor.
(cheers and applause)
- Two more letters!
- That was absolutely brilliant!
Claudia, this is your first time doing the Salsa?
- Yeah, I mean, we had boot camp.
- You might have to quit your job, because I might be
looking at America's Next Top Salsa Dancer.
- I'm getting conflicting information, but I like it.
- Claudia...
- Don't quit--
- You need to hear the producer, just don't do that.
Don't quit.
Don't do that.
- We'll talk later.
- No.
Ugh, Eugene.
(drum roll)
- Alright, guys, are you ready to see your scores?
Alright, let's do it.
Starting with Hannah.
- I think you know what I'm gonna give you guys.
(cheering)
- A 10!
Our first 10!
Quinta?
- Yes.
- What are you thinking?
- I'm thinking...
(cheers)
- What, 56?
- No, 11.
(laughing)
Bitch, you thought you got a 56?
- She never went to school, it's okay.
- I'm a dancer!
I'm a dancer!
- Oh, my God, no.
11.
I couldn't reach the 10.
- Okay, so we have a 10 and an 11.
Last score, from Eugene.
A yes!
Oh, my God.
- Can you add that to something?
- Yes, because you have won.
(cheering)
- A 10!
That's a 31, not even possible.
Didn't know it was possible until now.
So wonderful!
How do you feel?
- I feel amazing!
I wanna thank God, I wanna thank mom, I wanna thank papi
and grandma and my cat and my dog.
- I wanna thank our amazing choreographer, Danella!
(cheering)
- [Host] You guys did it!
So good.
I'm very proud of them.
(cheering)
Curly and Claudia, you both did amazing.
But I think we both know only one person wins
the Salsa crown.
And the Salsa crown goes to the Salsa queen, Claudia!
Beautiful!
(applause)
- Thank you, thank you to our amazing choreographer,
thank you to my amazing partner, thank you to Curly,
for not taking it too rough on me.
- All I got to say is it is her video, these are her lights,
these are her cameras, these are her friends--
(laughter)
- Do not believe a word this boy says.
- It makes sense that she would win, that's all I'm saying.
- Claudia set this whole thing up just to be
the Salsa queen.
- Join us next time for So You Think You Can...
Meringue!
(laughter)
- [Curly] I know where you live, Eugene, and Quinta,
by the way.
I know your little cat, I know your little puppies.
Six, Eugene?
- Well, if you can break in better than you can dance,
then I'll be worried.
(everyone yelling)
- Oh, the shade!