Residents Make it to Next Round in Dance Competition

Newbury Park natives Robert Roldan and Melinda Sullivan made it to the next round in the Fox competition So You Think You Can Dance.

Roldan, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer who currently resides in North Hollywood, CA, and Sullivan, a 22-year-old tap dancer who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, were revealed to be in the bottom three during last night’s broadcast but will continue on the show.

It was the second consecutive week that Santana and Sullivan found themselves among the bottom three.

“I’m sorry to say it is not unanimous this evening,” said judge Nigel Lythgoe before addressing Roldan.

“Robert as you know, last week we lost a girl. We started this season with six guys and five girls — so it would have been very easy for us to say, ‘You’re going home tonight Robert.’ We’re not going to say that. We’re going to give you another week.”

Lythgoe then turned his attention to Sullivan.

“Melinda I don’t know what it is. I keep saying this to you, but the public are not connecting with you,” he said. “I have to say that it was my opinion to let you go this week — but my two colleagues insisted that you stay with us this week. So congratulations.”

Roldan, 19, began taking classes at Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts in Newbury Park when he was 11. A contemporary dancer, he says he was originally “forced into” dancing but now loves it, having performed on Dancing with the Stars and worked with well-known choreographers and dancers such as Travis Wall and Mandy Moore.

Sullivan, 22, is the only tap dancer competing this season. Born in Long Island, she also resided there from 2005 until recently but now lives in Thousand Oaks. She began dancing when she was four years old and once had the opportunity to tap with Gregory Hines during a “jam session.”

Sullivan won the nonclassical dance award at the Music Center of Los Angeles Spotlight Awards in 2004 when she was just 16. Since then she has appeared in several musical theater productions, including the 25th national tour of Cats and the world premiere of the stage productions of High School Musical 1 and 2.