It seemed the Jamie Bayard would fare well this season on So You Think You Can Dance. He was the only West Coast swing dancer to make the top 20 and he had previously danced with last season’s finalist, Lacey Schwimmer. Yet, when he pulled hip hop from the hat with partner Rayven Armijo this week, it seemed to be the kiss of death. Both Rayven and Jamie were eliminated on last night’s live results episode. Today, Jamie took some time to talk with BuddyTV in an exclusive interview, chatting about his solo, his girlfriend, and life after So You Think You Can Dance.
Hey this is Gina from BuddyTV and today I’m talking to Jamie from So You Think You Can Dance. Hey Jamie, how are you?
Doing good, how are you?
I’m okay, thanks. Well I was so sorry to see you go out first last night.
I know, thank you.
What the heck happened? Do you think that it was an issue where they were just trying to eliminate a couple? Rayven went first and so you went too?
Basically, my thoughts are that someone had to go. That’s the reality of the competition. As far as eliminating a couple in general, I don’t know what the judges were thinking on that, whether it was intentional or not. Their choice is their choice and that’s all you can really go with. I’m not upset about it, I guess.
Did the judges say anything to you after the episode, especially Mary?
They just congratulated me. One of the things that they said was this is a top 20 spot and no one can ever take that away from us, and it’s not that we are bad dancers or anything it’s just that someone had to go.
When you got a hip hop routine with a ballet dancer for a partner, were you a little bit nervous?
Absolutely, yes, because ballet and hip hop are opposite ends of the spectrum. But when we got to work on it, it turns out that Rayven was like the hardest worker there. I was so happy that I got her because we worked really, really hard into the night with it, and she didn’t stop and I didn’t stop. We had the same kind of pushing personality that way. So we went out there and we did our best and she did her best, and I’m really proud of her.
Did you go into last night’s episode worried at all that you two would land in the bottom?
Absolutely, yeah, I totally was worried that I would land in the bottom. I think everyone’s a little fearful of landing in the bottom. No one really felt too safe and it’s always a shocker, you never know what America’s going to do.
Did you plan out a solo beforehand or did you improvise it as you went on?
I had an idea of what I was doing.
Did you have a favorite routine that another couple performed?
No, not in particular. I liked them all.
What is the plan for you now? What will you do now that the show is over?
I’m going to go back to teaching and I’ve got a couple of theater offers already. I might go back into musical theater. I’m just going to do as much as I can. A lot of people have seen me now, which is nice. If you just Google my name you can find a whole bunch of stuff on me now, and I think that recognition is going to help push me farther into all the other industries, too. I also act, I want to do quite a bit more on that and just keep going. It’s not stopping me, if anything me it’s pushed me even farther.
What did your girlfriend have to say after last night’s elimination?
She’s happy she gets to hang out with me again.
This has really been such a roller coaster for you and for her, from Vegas to this. Would you trade any of it or do any of it over again?
No, absolutely not. It was like the coolest experience I’ve gone through. I wouldn’t change any of it.
Can we expect to see you at So You Think You Can Dance tapings and maybe performing again?
Heck yeah.
All right, great. Thanks so much Jamie, I appreciate it.
All right, thanks.
– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
