Top 10 The Greatest Dancer Auditions

As the show’s only drag act, it was this group’s ambition to bring drag further into the mainstream. And their opening offering proved just how much talent goes into a good drag performance. However, despite all being well-versed West End professionals, this all-singing all-dancing troupe didn’t win over the audience in the same way they did the judges. Making it past the audition stage is certainly something though, and while they were only in the live competition for one week, they definitely made an impression on their dance captain Oti Mabuse, who had nothing but praise.

There’s no shortage of street dancers in any talent competition nowadays, but that didn’t stop Prospects Fraternity from blowing away the judges. With a dozen of them on stage together, it’s hard to know where to look… especially since they’re all as talented as each other, pulling off complicated moves that most of us can only dream of. Lighting up the show, they’ve come a long way from South London. But, what makes them even more impressive is that the youngest performer is only ten. With Matthew as their dance captain, they established themselves as early favourites for the series.

Self-described as “contemporary fusion commercial contemporary”, Company Jinks easily stole the show when they had their initial audition. And they’ve continued to wow, ever since. The buzz around these guys is probably in part thanks to the prestige which surrounds them, as they’re a group of professional dancers all sourced by Ricky Jinks – another pro who teaches at the celebrated Pineapple Dance Studios. With Cheryl and Oti fighting over who got to be their dance coach after they received a standing ovation for their outstanding first routine, these guys demand attention – and they get it.

It’s more than a little impressive to see a group as young as KLA hold their own against the adults. The all-girl group from South Wales defy gender roles to fill the male lead spots which come with Latin dancing, and they’re only aged between 9 and 11 to boot – they’ve not even finished primary school yet! After wowing crowds with their ballroom-style dance audition, they offered something different for fans of the classic genre. KLA further proved their versatility in the first live shows, however, with a fast-paced, samba/salsa crossover.

This group of contemporary dancers may be spread across the UK most of the time, only able to come together and practice once a month, but they still pride themselves on their sisterly bonds with one another. There’s an age range of 12 to 19, but there’s definitely no great difference between their talent; they’re all as skilled as each other – with the opening routine feeling even more impressive, given their unique rehearsal schedule. Dane Bates Collective won Cheryl as their dance captain for the rest of the competition, but it was Matthew who described them as “moving through space as one” after watching their astonishing audition. High praise, indeed!

Brotherly love wins out next with a stunning performance from this duo – though surprisingly enough, they’re not actually related, instead meeting at dance school in Hertfordshire. James and Oliver’s audition was so poignant it moved Matthew to tears, making it a surety that he’d choose to be their dance captain. They’re also one of the few dance acts to bring a prop with them to the audition, a bench, though it’s not a patch on the enormous staircase set they later used in the live show. In a show centred on incredible moves, this double-act definitely stood out!

This inspiring, teenage ballet dancer gave a performance so emotional it was Oti who this time was reduced to tears. While lots of other young contestants have all been part of larger troupes, 14-year-old Ellie went onto the stage all on her own. And, by the end of this audition, it’s really no surprise that Oti chose her for her team, alongside KLA and Globe Girls. Ellie has dedicated herself to dancing since being seven years old, practicing for up to four hours every day – all to get to this point. And, when the mirror opened, the hard work was all worth it.

These school friends clearly have an unbreakable bond, and it’s one which made the early front-runners to take home this show’s £50,000 top prize and land them a gig on “Strictly.” Harry & Eleiyah conjured up incredible emotion for their audition, stunning all three judges and the audience. Despite performing early in the competition as a whole, Matthew quickly called them “the couple to beat” - although he lost out on the chance to be their captain to Cheryl. The years they’ve spent working hard together at dance school have clearly paid off here – for what fans felt was one of the most beautiful performances across all the auditions.

The second street group to make it through to the live finals, Frobacks are a four-piece who blew the audience – and most notably Cheryl – away with their first audition. It was obvious from the start that she was going to fight tooth and nail to get them on her team, and they started the live shows as clear favourites for the rest of the competition. All thanks to this incredible debut. Even more impressive is that while they’ve been dancing their whole lives, they’ve only been grouped together for a year. In such a short space of time, they’ve achieved a stage chemistry to rival anybody else.

As with most talent shows, some performances are just more inspirational than others. For Andrew, who has Down’s syndrome, this audition made him by far the public’s favourite dancer. His opening routine went viral on YouTube – with more hits than any other contestant – and it brought the ire of millions to discover that Andrew hadn’t been selected for the final nine. Nevertheless, he still brought Cheryl to tears, and later Oti when she had to tell him he hadn’t made the cut. And his time on the show saw him deliver arguably its most memorable moment.