Fall TV Blog

It must have been written in the So You Think You Can Dance stars!

PEOPLE has learned that two of last season’s favorite dancers, who are currently on tour, Janette Manrara, the sexy salsa dancer from Miami, and Jason Glover, lyrical and contemporary wonder from Fresno, Calif., are an item.

“Yes, they are definitely together,” a source close to the tour confirms.

And if there were sparks back in the studio, things actually started heating up for the couple, who were both eliminated on the 100th episode of the show back in July, during Los Angeles tour rehearsals.

“It was obvious that they were into each other,” adds the source. “During any down time between numbers, they always would be together, holding hands and acting like a couple.”

The source goes on to say that the relationship has since blossomed as the two “only got closer over the course of the tour … It’s nice to see two such amazing people so happy together.”

Fans can get a closer look at the new couple, along with the rest of season 5’s top 10 — Ade, Brandon, Evan, Jeanine, Kayla, Kupono, Melissa and Randi — on the So You Think You Can Dance Tour, which goes through Nov. 21, making stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, Ore., and more. –Jed Dreben

Patrick Liotta/Meet The Famous

What is up world? It’s your friendly neighborhood tWitch here, about to share my thoughts on So You Think You Can Dance’s performance episode. I am currently in Atlanta, filming Stomp The Yard 2, but I will still be making sure to check in on you.

I am very excited to see Jamal Sims on the show. I find it refreshing to see the different relationships choreographers see in a duet. The tennis match idea he used in the piece he choreographed for Russell and Noelle was amazing. Tennis is high energy and so was the piece!!! With that high energy, however, comes the challenge of pace and full extension of the moves and choreography. Trust me, I feel the difficulty being a guy that’s 6′ tall. But in that, you have to know exactly how much time you have to move and plan accordingly.

I loved the first wedding dance!!! Both Jakob and Ashleigh are amazing dancers!!! Would have liked the routine to be a bit more dreamy. When I think about the first dance with the future Mrs. Boss, I’d imagine that the connection would be more intense between us as opposed to the people that are watching. Don’t get me wrong, you are performing for the audience in the studio and at home, but as dancers you have the power to pull us into your world, rather than you dancing in ours. The passion of the moment before they kissed at the end needed to be mirrored throughout the whole routine. (more…)

Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mia Michaels, 43, exudes art and creativity in dance from her freshly shaved head to her expert toes. On Oct. 14, just moments after appearing on a Vegas-week episode of So You Think You Can Dance, she shocked fans across America, announcing (via Twitter) that she was leaving the show after five years. Speculation about her departure ranged from a strife with FOX to rumors of cancer (thanks to her new haircut). On Tuesday, Michaels spoke exclusively with PEOPLE and revealed the factors that drove her decision to leave, as well as what is on the horizon for a woman whose name is synonymous with dance. –Jed Dreben

Why did you decide to move on from So You Think You Can Dance?
It’s been an amazing five-year journey and I am in a place where I have all these great opportunities that have been presented to me and I am ready to take on all these challenges. So when I was working on the show, I wasn’t able to really focus on anything else. Now I’m really focusing on these other projects that I can’t pass up. I think that’s pretty much the main reason why I left the show. (more…)

What up Doc!!

First and foremost — WOW, what a great night to be a fan of dance! A very strong opening show indeed. The lighting and space of the new stage also worked a lot better than I thought they would, allowing the dancers to really get into every performance.

I’m very proud of the hip-hoppers for committing to whatever style they were given. Russell reminds me of Joshua Allen in a way — no matter what he has been given so far, every step of the way, he has given 100 percent commitment. The passion he showed in his solo was amazing.

I love Adam Shankman as a judge; he’s very informative and personable and one of my favorite people in the industry. I also love what Adam said about Jakob Karr: “God put him here to spread the gospel of dance.” A powerful statement, and a testament to Jakob’s amazing ability.

(more…)

It was a dancer’s dream and a choreographer’s delight when So You Think You Can Dance decided to try something a little different for their first fall episode after auditions. Rather than jump right into competition, the judges, the audience and the choreographers had a chance to meet the top 20 and see them dance in their own styles without worry of elimination.

Judges Nigel, Mary and Adam Shankman (now a permanent fixture) were on hand more to encourage than to critique on the new set, now on the famed American Idol stage. (There was even a designated spot for Paula Abdul if she decides to drop by!)

The first of seven routines showcasing the top 20 in their respective styles started with a Wade and Amanda Robson creation set in a speakeasy world with rival gangs battle-dancing in a vivid costume extravaganza.

Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo then got the chance to do what nobody has done so far — choreograph just for the show’s b-boys. Jonathan “Legacy” Perez (breaker), Kevin Hunte (popper and locker) and Russell Ferguson (krumper) were like watching a scene from Beat Street as they burned up the stage. “If this is an example of how exciting this season is going to be,” Nigel said, “bring it on!” (more…)

Attention So You Think You Can Dance fans! Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss will be blogging about the performance shows for this season of SYTYCD each week at PEOPLE.com. A choreographer, dancer and budding clothing designer based in L.A., tWitch captivated fans with his popping and ticking solos and partnering with dancers Kherington Payne and Katee Shean on Season 4. He’s now a movie star with his work in Step Up 3D! Check back each week to hear from tWitch — and to talk about all the Top 20 performances, which begin Tuesday, Oct. 27.

What’s up world!!! It’s your boy tWitch here, runner-up on Season 4, getting ready for Season 6 (or what I like to call Season ‘SICK’), of So You Think You Can Dance! I am taking a break from saving the world one dance floor at time and I thought I would jump on PEOPLE.com to share my thoughts on the upcoming season of SYTYCD.

Each week, I will be giving you a recap on the performance episodes, letting you know which piece moved me, which choreographers shared their soul, and which dancers left in on the floor. This season is sure to be a hot one and I will be here to let you know who sizzles… and sometimes… who fizzles. There will definitely be heartbreak throughout the season but there will also be moments of excitement, passion and hopefully praise.

I remember being on the show and what it did for me. The experience I gained was priceless and it got me prepared for an industry that never sleeps. I have been able to pursue all of my passions and spread my wings farther than I ever imagined possible. I have shot movies, started a clothing line, and I have been able to help people realize that dancers are more than just ‘back up’… they are the show. To all of the folks out there aspiring to be professional dancers, keep doing your thing and never stop. The world of dance has exploded and the opportunities out there right now for us are endless.

To all of the fans of SYTYCD, get ready for an amazing season, and you know I will always keep it ‘tWitch’ with you, week in and week out. All right, I have to return to saving the world with my moves… so it is now time to return to your regular programming. tWitch out!

Tell us: Who are your early favorites?

Joe Viles/FOX

Emmy-winning choreographer Mia Michaels shocked So You Think You Can Dance fans when, after being a prominent presence since the show began, she tweeted Oct. 14 that she was leaving the show.

“I AM OFFICIALLY AN ADORING FAN OF SYTYCD….THANK U FOR 5 WONDERFUL YRS,” Michaels, 43, wrote on her Twitter account after appearing on season 6’s Vegas week. “TO CREATE MOMENTS AND MOVEMENT FOR THE WORLD TO SHARE WITH ME WAS A GIFT…..THANKS SYTYCD AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHATS AHEAD FOR ME…LOOKOUT WORLD!!!!!”

More questions were raised when the contemporary star appeared with a newly shaved head in the final Vegas callbacks. Again, she took to Twitter: “CANT A GIRL JUST SHAVE HER HEAD??????????”

As fans speculated as to why one of the show’s most talented and beloved choreographers had decided to move on, judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe assured PEOPLE that there is nothing scandalous behind the move. (more…)

After six US cities, thousands of auditions and one grueling Vegas week, it was finally time for So You Think You Can Dance to reveal the top 20 of its first fall season. And what a talented bunch, boasting three tappers, three hip-hoppers and a gaggle of young and talented contemporary dancers.

When Wednesday’s episode began, 38 contestants waited in agony backstage as Nigel and Mary, who were joined by Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Tyce Diorio and Mia Michaels — in her last appearance before leaving the show — revealed their decisions.

First up was contemporary dancer Nathan Trasoras, 18, from Downey, Calif., who was too young for season 5 but got a ticket to Vegas for season 6. A smiling Mia Michaels (with a newly shaved head) gave him the good news that SYTYCD would like to be “a part of his growth.”

Next, the judges dished out bad news, including some shocking eliminations, until Kathryn McCormick, 19, a contemporary and lyrical dancer from Augusta, Ga., broke the losing streak, learning that she’d made the cut. (more…)

Just 77 out of 152 hopefuls were left as day two of the So You Think You Can Dance Las Vegas callbacks shifted into the final and most difficult rounds of choreography. Wednesday’s episode looked more like Bruce Lee fighting his way through adversaries in Game of Death than a dance competition, as the exhausted dancers found themselves up against the dreaded choreographer syndicate: Gibson, Michaels and Diorio, who brought one impossible routine after another, leaving some dancers injured and even more heartbroken.

Laurieann Gibson kicked things off with a jazz number that was so tough it split up married pair Karen and Matthew Hauer. She squeaked by with a so-so from Nigel, but he wasn’t so lucky. The tough routine also took out Willem, the remaining same-sex ballroom dancer, and class act Iveta Lukosiute. (more…)

Vegas week finally arrived Wednesday on So You Think You Can Dance — and based on the first round of competition, it’s going to be one heck of a ride! A total of 152 dancers, who were given very little time to master relentless routines, faced judges Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe, Tyce Diorio, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen and Adam Shankman. By show’s end, only 77 were left standing.

First up was contemporary wonder Nathan Trasora, who took a rain check last season after an amazing audition, but he was just 17. One to watch, Nathan had no problem moving forward, as did other familiar faces like hip-hop dancer Justin Kenney (New Orleans) and rising ballroom star Iveta Lukosiute (Salt Lake City), who showed real showmanship by helping to coach krumper Russell Ferguson (Boston) in a ballroom routine that left Shankman in awe, calling their performance, “the most unexpected thing I had ever seen!” (more…)