So You Think You Can Dance Says Goodbye to Jaimie

Was So You Think You Can Dance on last night? I'm really hoping it wasn't since my Tivo didn't record it, and I'm going to be bummed if I missed an episode. Another one who may be bummed is contestant Jaimie Goodwin, who got the boot last week in the first elimination due to viewers votes, or lack thereof. She sat down with TV Guide to dish on her relationship with Hok and what's in store for her in the future.

TVGuide.com: Do you think you deserved to go home?
Jaimie Goodwin: I did my best, so I can't really say that I deserved to go home, but I'm not upset about it. Everyone there deserves to be there, and if someone has to go, then I'm completely OK with it. I actually said to my dance teacher and my friends, “Do you guys want to come to the show on Thursday? Because I think I'm going home.” I think I'm psychic.

TVGuide.com: Do you think you're in shock about it, or that it might hit you later?
Jaimie: I don't think so. My main goal was to be in the top 10, and now that I've done that, I'm all set. I just love everyone on the show, and it was harder to watch someone like Shauna, Jesus or Hok leave than it was for me to go.

TVGuide.com: Was it any different knowing you were the first to go home because of the viewers instead of the judges?
Jaimie: I don't know if it was any different for me. I know the people vote according to their opinion and their tastes, and I can't really blame it on anyone. I have a lot of great people who are supporting me. Last night the first thing I did was look at my e-mails, and someone had written me and said that her family always fights, but they watched the show together and agreed I was their favorite. She wanted to thank me for being on the show because it inspired her and made her family better. That was the first thing I saw after being eliminated and it was a huge inspiration for me.

TVGuide.com: So, you knew Travis Wall and Danny growing up?
Jaimie: Yeah, I've known Travis for a very long time. He was my dance partner for five years, and he's my best friend. Danny I wasn't as close to, but since they're brothers, I grew up with him as well. Travis wanted me to do the show with him last year but I was too young, so I went with Danny this year, and we were excited because we'd never danced together. So when Mia Michaels choreographed the group number, she put us together as partners and it ended up being the last thing we did.

TVGuide.com: Did Travis give you any good advice when you were coming on the show?
Jaimie: Travis' main advice to me was always, "Don't read the [message] boards," because you can have one negative thing and a thousand positive things, and the only thing you'll really hear is the negative. People can love and hate you for the same things, and you can never satisfy everyone — it just ends up tearing you down.

TVGuide.com: What were your experiences dancing with Hok versus dancing with Dominic?
Jaimie: Actually, they were very similar. They're both breakers, they both have an amazing work ethic, and they're both great performers. I think they pushed me to work harder because they work so hard themselves. I feel lucky to have danced with them.

TVGuide.com: The show played up your chemistry and your relationship with Hok. How much of that was true?
Jaimie: [Laughs] Hok and I don't really have that relationship at all. We were always trying to strengthen our chemistry because we thought that if we were so comfortable with each other outside the dance studio, we would be just as comfortable on stage. But I have a boyfriend, and [Hok] likes someone else on the show. So that was always just a joke between us, and it was a big shock when they asked us about that in our interviews.

TVGuide.com: So who does Hok like?
Jaimie: I don't know if I can say because it's none of my business. They're really into each other, but we're not supposed to have relationships on the show.

TVGuide.com: Did you have a favorite dance on the show?
Jaimie: My favorite dance by far was Wade Robson's piece, the butterfly and hummingbird. It was awesome. I think all his pieces are something every dancer looks forward to because they know that his vision is just crazy. Hok was the perfect hummingbird.

TVGuide.com: What a compliment. Do you have a favorite memory from the show?
Jaimie: The Hairspray premiere was a huge ordeal for us, and Nigel's birthday party was a lot of fun, but ultimately my favorite moments were just hanging out backstage. We had a lot of fun in the hair-and-makeup room, in the studios and in the apartments — I think that's where we all really bonded. And every Wednesday we'd get together and watch the show.

TVGuide.com: What was the hardest thing for you on the show in terms of dancing?
Jaimie: Oh, probably the waltz, because the first time I did it [with Hok], it was just hard, neither of us knew the waltz. And when I got it the second time [with Dominic], there was more pressure on us.

TVGuide.com: So who do you think will win?
Jaimie: Rough question. It's hard because everyone is so different and all of them are good at what they do in terms of dancing. I just think it's really going to be a big surprise to everyone this year.

TVGuide.com: Who do you want to see win?
Jaimie: I could have picked out someone a while [back], but now that I know everyone and have seen their accomplishments, I couldn't pick out anybody.

TVGuide.com: What will you do tomorrow, now that you're off the show?
Jaimie: I'm trying to do normal things because for the past three months I really haven't done anything normal. I haven't really even gotten my own food in the last four months! I'm going to find a flight home because I want to see my family, but I have to be back here in a week to rehearse for the finale.

TVGuide.com: And what will be next for you?
Jaimie: I have a lot I want to do, inside and outside of dance. I want to be in a contemporary company one day; I want to work more in commercials and TV — I know more dance spots are opening up for that and I would love to jump in. Also, my family and I are opening up a breast-cancer fund in my mom's name. Writing is another one of my other hobbies and I want to write a book about my mom's journey, and there are people I'm collaborating with to set that up. Dancing is always my first priority, so I want to be able to juggle it all at the same time. The show's exposure has really meant a lot.

Photo from TV Guide.

Hok Says Sayonara on So You Think You Can Dance

Hokuto "Hok" Konishi was one of my favorite contestants on FOX's hit show, So You Think You Can Dance, and I was sorry to see him leave last week. He has such a great spirit, hopefully this exposure will be a fantastic launching pad for him. He sat down to dish with the folks at TV Guide about the whole experience, and what's in store for him now. But the real unanswered question ... is there anything going on between him and Jaimie?

TVGuide.com: Do you think you deserved to go home?
Hok Konishi: That's a hard question, but I think that whatever the judges say, their decision is right. At this point in the show, anyone can go home, so it was meant to be.

TVGuide.com: For the last few weeks, the judges have been criticizing your performances while complimenting your partner Jaimie's. What was that like for you?
Hok: It was hard. I think it's my own fault — if I was a better dancer, that would have never happened. The judges were right, and it just pushes me to work even harder.

TVGuide.com: How do you feel about being kicked off while Jaimie continues with the show?
Hok: I'm actually really glad that she's still on the show because I would have felt guilty — well, I did feel guilty for even putting her in the bottom three two weeks in a row. I just hope she does the best with the competition.

TVGuide.com: How much work went into preparing for your solo?
Hok: Actually, I wasn't feeling it for some reason for the past couple of days, so it wasn't that good. The day before the results show, when I started practicing I twisted my back muscle really bad and after that I couldn't practice at all. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to dance when it came down to the solo, so I'm glad that at least I was able to dance those 30 seconds.

TVGuide.com: If you hadn't gotten kicked off, would your back have been a problem going into the next week of the competition?
Hok: Well, it's feeling better already and when you're put in that position, you have to keep on going no matter what.

TVGuide.com: What were your rehearsals like with Jaimie?
Hok: It was fun. She's a great partner to work with and she's an amazing dancer. We worked together really well.

TVGuide.com: How was your chemistry?
Hok: It was good. I got to know her in Vegas so we didn't have to start from zero when we were put together as partners. We knew a little bit about each other, and that helped.

TVGuide.com: What was your favorite dance you did on the show?
Hok: It has to be Wade Robson's "Hummingbird and Flower" piece by far. It's actually funny because right before I went up on stage, instead of thinking and going over the steps again, I was just really picturing myself as a hummingbird and going into the garden. If you don't believe that you are the bird, then that can't come across in your dancing. And if you worry about the steps, that's going to show. Wade's amazing, not just as a dancer and a choreographer but also as an artist. The way he thinks really inspires me.

TVGuide.com: Because of the relationship you developed with Wade, was it difficult hearing criticism from him about your last duet with Jaimie?
Hok: It was, but I'm happy that he gave me criticism — it made sense. If he just said it was good, I would have been happy, but I wouldn't have learned anything. I loved the fact that he was hard and on point and that I was able to actually learn something from the critique.

TVGuide.com: Which style was the most difficult for you?
Hok: The waltz was a big challenge for me because the nature of my movements is completely opposite from everything they told me to do. With some choreography that I was used to, I could kind of guess what was coming up next, but with a completely new style, you have to learn all the specifics and you have to be focused on that, yet you can't show that in your face. It was definitely a challenge, but I had so much fun learning it.

TVGuide.com: What's your favorite memory from SYTYCD?
Hok: Everything. Just being around everyone and all of us going through it together, living together and learning new stuff every day. The experience of being with all the contestants was such a blessing for me and I'm just so sad that I can't continue on with that journey.

TVGuide.com: Do you think you will stay in touch with everyone?
Hok: Definitely. This is something that's going to last a lifetime.

TVGuide.com: What's next for you?
Hok: I think I'll rest for a couple of days and then start my training again, just become a better dancer. If possible, I would like to use this exposure to be able to travel to different places around the world and show my dancing to people and hopefully inspire them.

TVGuide.com: Who do you think will win?
Hok: I really don't know. This show could go either way, but what I can say is that everyone on the show is just truly amazing. They're blessed with talent and they have great personalities. I just think they're different colors on a palette, so it just comes down to what America likes.

Photo from TV Guide.