HAVERHILL — It was a little close for comfort, but Channing Cooke survived last night and will continue to compete on the TV reality show "So You Think You Can Dance?''
Cooke's dance partner Phillip Attmore, 25, of Pasadena, Calif., was voted off the Fox Network show last night and received harsh criticism from the judges, but Cooke, 18, of Haverhill has advanced and will dance with a new partner next week.
"It was a tough week,'' said Karla Pattavina of Haverhill, Cooke's longtime dance teacher who was at the show in Las Vegas. "Her partner's dad had passed away. Instead of dropping out (of the competition), he said it was going to make him try harder.''
But the judges said his performance was poor, and they voted him off the show. They said his poor performance was not a reflection on Cooke, and so she remains.
Next week, her new partner will be Victor Smalley, 18, of Miami, perhaps the most popular man on the show, Pattavina said.
"The good news is she has him as her partner,'' Pattavina said. "She couldn't be happier.''
Cooke qualified for the show in May when she impressed judges at a tryout in Boston, one of several tryouts across the nation. The show began last week with 20 contestants — 10 women partnered with 10 men for their dance performances. Two contestants were voted off the show by judges last week and two more were voted off this week.
The public will begin voting next week after the Tuesday and Wednesday night shows. Viewers will vote for their favorite dance couple by calling a toll-free number that will be given out during the show.
"You can vote as many times as you want,'' Pattavina said, encouraging local viewers to support Cooke. "It would be so great if she could go on. She really has a shot.''
The show is the dance version of "American Idol.''
Each contestant is allowed to have two people attend the shows. Cooke invited her Haverhill teachers Pattavina and Lisa Paley to this week's show.
Pattavina said teachers at Pentucket Regional High, from which Cooke graduated, have sent her letters of encouragement. She gave thanks for their support.
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