HAVERHILL — Haverhill knows what the judges of "So You Think You Can Dance" don't — hometown girl Channing Cooke can dance.
But the votes from Shoe City and the rest of America weren't enough to convince the three judges to keep the 18-year-old Pentucket High graduate on the hit TV show. They sent Cooke home after a 30-second "dance for your life" set to "The Face" by RyanDan.
"This is about performance as well as about technique," judge Nigel Lythgoe said to Cooke. "Your technique is terrific but we do feel your personality is not coming through. You need to be a performer, too."
A tearful Cooke looked to a group of other contestants after the judges' decision. She told them when she looks back on her time on the show and talks about it with her grandchildren, "I'm going to tell them about the people who I've met through this experience and how I love each and every one of you."
Cooke made it farther than thousands of other dancers did. The show, which is the dance version of "American Idol," hosts open auditions around the country. Only the best made it to Las Vegas. Only the stars made it to the top 20. Cooke made it to number 14.
An hour after the show, Cooke's mother, Stephanie, still hadn't had much of a chance to talk to her daughter. Stephanie Cooke watched the show at the home of Karla Pattavina, Cooke's longtime dance instructor. Stephanie called the judges' decision "disappointing."
"I don't know what I will say (to Channing)," Stephanie said. "I hope it will come to me."
Cooke's family had been to two previous tapings of the show in Los Angeles. This time, her mother said, she had a group of longtime friends supporting her.
The show matched Cooke with fellow contestant Victor Smalley, a 20-year-old from Miami, Fla., who has only been dancing for five years. Tuesday night, the two performed a jazz number to Bobby McFerrin's "Blackbird." The two began and ended their performance by dancing in a bird cage with flexible bars.
The judges liked what they saw. Lythgoe told Cooke, "It really looked like it was the first time you enjoyed yourself and consequently, I enjoyed your performance."
"Do you contain yourself sometimes?" Lythgoe asked Cooke. With an impish smile, she replied, "Yea, I do, but I stepped out of the cage tonight."
America voted and Cooke and Smalley were among the three couples who received the lowest votes. As a result, the six contestants had to perform 30-second dance solos to prove to the judges that they shouldn't be the one man and one woman sent home.
Cooke looked beautiful in a flowing, pinkish top. After her performance, the show's host, Cat Deeley, said, "Fantastic stuff."
But the three judges on the show said their decision was unanimous.
Stephanie Cooke said she doesn't know when her daughter will be home. She said Channing had many interviews to do last night and will soon make an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
When the self-proclaimed "tomboy" does make it home, she will undoubtedly be a star. The teen who worked in Seabrook scooping ice cream at Dunlap's has 2,258 fans listed on her Facebook page. Many posted notes of encouragement and disbelief, including one who works at Pentucket High where Cooke graduated from in May.
"We are all so proud of you Channing. You were amazing and inspiring to more people than you'll ever know. Be proud of what you accomplished," the person posted. "Top 14 - pretty awesome accomplishment at only 18! I speak not only for myself, but from many of us at (Pentucket). Come visit us when you are back in town! You are the best dancer in our hearts."
After the judges' decision, a video of Cooke was shown to the estimated 10 million people watching the show on the Fox Network. Clips of her audition, along with the good words of the judges in previous episodes, were shown. It ended with Cooke looking into the camera and talking of her time on "So You Think You Can Dance."
"This experience has been really amazing," she said. "I feel like I can now walk away not only as a better person but also as a better dancer."
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