Season 9 Premieres May 24

The wait is nearly over! So You Think You Can Dance, the Emmy-nominated hit dance competition series, returns for a ninth season on Thursday, May 24 at 8/7c. The auditions in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas and Salt Lake City feature host Cat Deeley and resident judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, as well as guest judges Debbie Allen, Lil’ C, Tyce Diorio, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Adam Shankman.

For Season Nine, during which the series will reach its 200^th episode, So You Think You Can Dance will once again travel across the country in search of 18 dancers – 9 males and 9 females – from the thousands who auditioned to continue in the competition. Each week, contestants will be paired up to perform inspired pieces choreographed by some of the biggest names in the business. The following week, the couples at risk after the previous week’s performances will be asked to perform solo routines, after which the judges will decide which male and female are eliminated. If a couple is split apart, the two individual dancers who remain become a couple the following week.

So You Think You Can Dance will air once a week, and each jam-packed two-hour show will feature awe-inspiring performances and eliminations, as the contestants compete to be named America’s Favorite Dancer.

Once the series is down to the Top 10, each finalist will be joined by a So You Think You Can Dance All-Star dancer. These All-Stars are experts in various styles of dance – Ballroom, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Jazz – and will partner with one of the Top 10 finalists to perform in their specialty. Each week, it will be revealed who keeps dancing and who goes home.

As announced by Emmy-nominated host Cat Deeley, Season Eight champion Melanie Moore was voted America’s Favorite Dancer last August and danced off with the cash prize of $250,000.  Moore was featured on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine, and as an athlete in Gatorade print ads in select publications and online at www.gatorade.com.

Throughout its eight seasons, So You Think You Can Dance has received 22 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and garnered 10 Emmy wins, including Outstanding Choreography for Mia Michaels in 2011, 2010 and 2007; Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo in 2011; Tyce Diorio in 2009; and Wade Robson in 2008 and 2007. The series also received awards in the category of Outstanding Costumes for Soyon An and Graine O’Sullivan in 2010 and Soyon An in 2009, and Outstanding Lighting Design in 2011. Last year, So You Think You Can Dance celebrated eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations including two firsts: Outstanding Reality-Competition Series and Outstanding Host for Reality or Reality-Competition Series for Cat Deeley.

So You Think You Can Dance was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and dick clark productions, inc. The series is executive-produced by Fuller, Lythgoe and Barry Adelman. “Like” So You Think You Can Dance on Facebook at www.facebook.com/soyouthinkyoucandance. Follow the series on Twitter @DanceonFOX and join the discussion at #SYTYCD.

SYTYCDX is a 2-3 day workshop filled with classes, seminars, a mock audition opportunity, and performances.  Participants have a chance to win scholarships, tickets to a live taping of SYTYCD Season 9, Gift Packages, complete with SYTYCD Tour Merchandise, and more. This unique event grants guests VIP status with up-close and personal access to a renowned roster of choreographers and SYTYCD Alumni Dancers.

SYTYCDX is open to the public for students and enthusiasts 18 and older. For more information, including registration for the event, go to www.sytycdx.com

Audition for Season 9 in Salt Lake City or Los Angeles.

There are only two more opportunities to audition for Season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance. The show will continue its search for America’s Favorite Dancer Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT and Friday, March 2 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Auditions in Atlanta, Dallas, and New York have wrapped.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Audition Information:

Salt Lake City, UT – Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 – Capitol Theatre
50 West 200 South
Salt Lake City, Utah  84101

Los Angeles, CA – Friday, March 2, 2012 – Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA  90014

Registration will begin at 8:00 AM at each venue. Auditioners traveling to cities for the open calls should make arrangements to stay for at least two days–if auditioning in Los Angeles–or three days–if auditioning in Salt Lake City–following their initial audition in the event of a callback.

Dancers must be either a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident of the U.S. or possess a current legal Employment Authorization Card enabling him/her to seek employment freely in the U.S. (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions.

IMPORTANT FORMS
>>Release Form
>>Eligibility Requirements
>>Music Information Form
>>Audition Agreement Form

SYTYCD Alumni Surprise Ellen DeGeneres

Talk Show Host and So You Think You Can Dance fan Ellen DeGeneres celebrated her birthday last week, and Late Night Host Jimmy Kimmel surprised her with a performance from seven So You Think You Can Dance alumni! Season 8’s Top 2 Melanie Moore and Sasha Mallory, Season 7’s Alex Wong, All-Stars and Season 4 finalists tWitch Boss and Comfort Fedoke, and All-Stars and Season 2 finalists Allison Holker and Ivan Koumaev sprung from seats in The Ellen Show audience to surprise her with a performance to LMFAO’s “Sexy And I Know It.”

Ellen is such a huge SYTYCD fan that she served as a guest judge during Season 5 and she appeared in the audience during Season 8. It was appropriate that Alex and tWitch performed on Ellen’s birthday, because Ellen filled in for an injured Alex Wong during the Season 7 finale, dancing Hip Hop to “Outta Your Mind” with tWitch! View a photo of Ellen’s Season 7 performance.

Watch the SYTYCDers on ELLEN.

You still have two more chances to be on So You Think You Can Dance’s ninth season. Audition Thursday, Feb. 23 in Salt Lake City or Friday, March 2 in Los Angeles.
Get all the details.

Alex Wong is going to Hollywood with American Idol!

Season 7 superstar Alex Wong had his dance career temporarily sidelined by his Achilles injury, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his other dreams. Did you know Alex can sing? American Idol’s Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler put him through to Hollywood after he auditioned for them at San Diego Auditions for the show’s 11th season!

Watch his Road to Hollywood video.

View a photo from Alex’s Idol audition.

Congrats, Alex, and good luck in Hollywood!

You still have two more chances to be on So You Think You Can Dance’s ninth season. Audition Thursday, Feb. 23 in Salt Lake City or Friday, March 2 in Los Angeles.
Get all the details.

Watch Cat Deeley co-host LIVE! WITH KELLY on Thursday.

So You Think You Can Dance’s host with the most, Cat Deeley, will co-host LIVE! WITH KELLY alongside Kelly Ripa this Thursday, January 26. Cat has been busy traveling for Season 9 auditions, which brought her to Atlanta, Dallas, and New York this month.

Think you have what it takes to be on So You Think You Can Dance?

Audition Thursday, Feb. 23 in Salt Lake City or Friday, March 2 in Los Angeles.
Get all the details.

Choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo are adding to their family!

Congratulations to So You Think You Can Dance’s hip-hop choreographers, Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo. They announced over the holidays that they’re expecting a baby in 2012!

Napoleon tweeted, “What an amazing day. So many things to be thankful for. I remember Christmas’ past…so many memories & so presents! BUT this Christmas…is the most morable, and brings the best gift. I’m gonna be a DADDY. Tabitha is pregnant.”

So we think their future baby can dance!

>>Relive your favorite Hip-Hop routines with this photo gallery.

Allison, tWitch, Dmitry, Chelsie, Louis, and Mary will ring in 2012 together.

So You Think You Can Dancers Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, Allison Holker, Dmitry Chaplin, Chelsie Hightower, and choreographer Louis Van Amstel will perform at Casa Dorada Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on New Year’s Eve. Judge Mary Murphy will host the New Year’s Eve show. Casa Dorada’s GM Enrique Turcott offers, “We’re excited to announce that even more talented performers will be coming to Los Cabos for New Year’s! tWitch’s signature hip hop style and Allison’s contemporary grace will be a great compliment to the fantastic ballroom dancers already announced. Our guests are going to be blown away by all the talent on display!”

What does 2012 hold for you? Audition for Season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance!

Kent Boyd & Robert Roldan are among many SYTYCDers who have appeared on GLEE.

Have you been watching Glee this season? If so, you may have noticed quite a few So You Think You Can Dance stars, and if you haven’t been watching, you may want to start!

Last night’s episode, Hold On To Sixteen, featured five So You Think You Can Dance alumni: Kent Boyd, Robert Roldan, Courtney Galiano, Comfort Fedoke, and Jaimie Goodwin.

In the episode, which took place at Sectionals, Season 7 finalists/Season 8 All-Stars Kent Boyd and Robert Roldan were part of the Glee team called “Unitards,” featuring lead singer Harmony (“The Glee Project” runner-up Lindsay Pearce), and they partnered her and danced as she sang “Buenos Aires” from Evita.

The all-girl glee team at McKinley High, the Trouble Tones, features some of Glee’s biggest voices, and backing them up were Season 4 finalists/All-Stars Courtney Galiano and Comfort Fedoke, as well as Season 3 finalist/Season 8 All-Star Jaimie Goodwin, dancing to a mash-up of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and Destiny’s Child’s ”Survivor.”

Comfort and Jaimie also appeared in the “Mash Off” episode a few weeks ago performing Adele’s “Rumor Has It” and “Someone Like You.” See if you can spot Jaimie and Comfort in this photo.

Courtney, who appeared on Season 1 of Glee, was also on the first two episodes of this season, “Purple Piano Project” and “I Am Unicorn,” as a member of Quinn’s (Dianna Agron) tough, edgy friends called “The Skanks.” She even had a speaking role!

Last night, Courtney tweeted, “Thanks for all the #Glee love!!! It was so much fun ” and Robert tweeted this photo of the Unitards.

Keep up the good work, Dancers!

>>Follow in their footsteps and audition for Season 9 of SYTYCD!

Neil Haskell partnered Melanie Moore in a memorable Season 8 piece.

Every time I catch a musical in Los Angeles, Season 3 finalist/Season 7 and 8 All-Star Neil Haskell leaps on to the stage. You might remember that I unexpectedly caught him as Snowboy in West Side Story earlier this year. On Saturday night, I attended a new musical comedy called Bring It On: The Musical, and I was delighted to see that Neil had a large role as Steven, the main character’s boyfriend. Not only does he dance in this part, but he also shows off his acting and singing chops! I was also excited to see Season 6’s Ariana DeBose in a major role as Nautica. When I attended Vegas week during Season 6, I witnessed Ariana’s mesmerizing solo and was bummed when she was eliminated during the first week of the show. Seeing Ariana dance, sing, and act in Bring It On: The Musical made me realize she’s really found her niche in musical theater. To top it off, the show’s Director and Choreographer is Andy Blankenbuehler, who choreographed two Broadway routines on So You Think You Can Dance’s 4^th season and 6^th season.

Last week, Neil tweeted about the show, “I couldn’t be more excited to open a show. So honored to be working with this amazing group of people. #BringItOn It’s all happening!!!” He also thanked SYTYCD alumni Kathryn McCormick, Kent Boyd, and Comfort Fedoke and Executive Producer Jeff Thacker for attending opening night.

Ariana DeBose tweeted, “So in love with my cast, my production team and everyone involved with this show! #amazed”

Catch the show at a town near you!