Fall TV Blog

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…)

The last chance for dancers to take a shot at So You Think You Can Dance glory took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Tuesday night’s episode. Back and ready to pass judgment, Nigel Lythgoe was joined by Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels, who all got an eye full from a local burlesque dancer named Ariana Rowley. (more…)

So You Think You Can Dance headed to New Orleans on Wednesday to find fresh moves. With Nigel off in England accepting an honorary doctorate from the University of Bedfordshire, it was up to Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman and Lil C to play judge and jury to hip-hop, contemporary and ballroom dancers.

Shelby “Skip” Skipper, 20, set the stage for great things to come with his New Orleans bounce, a fusion of hip-hop and Southern flavor that was so fast and furious it blew the judges away, including Krump master Lil C, who was visibly moved, thanking Skipper for bringing yet one more new style to the world. Yep, straight to Vegas!

(more…)

The So You Think You Can Dance auditions in the East and West have already set the bar almost out of reach for season 6, creating super high expectations for Atlanta’s talented dancers, who hit the stage on Tuesday’s episode.

Guest judge Lil C joined Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe on the panel in A-town, where a group of youngsters proved they were up to the challenge. Kicking things off was Bill Bell, who at 19 had only five years of experience, but showed enough potential with his contemporary audition to shine right through to Vegas. (more…)

For Wednesday’s So You Think You Can Dance, Emmy-winning choreographer Tyce Diorio joined Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy on the judges’ panel as hopefuls in Boston wowed them, showing exactly what Beantown could do. How do you like them apples?

Teddy was his name and “whimsical” was his game. Don’t judge this book by its cover. The kid in the golf pants and a bowtie performed a panel-pleasing contemporary piece and won a first class seat on Air Vegas.

With no formal training, Jean “the dream” Lloret, 22, pulled off breaking moves that simply defied gravity, including a 360-degree, torso-gyration move that left the judges gasping for air. Quick, stylish and amazing! When it was all over, there were no words — just a standing ovation and a ticket to Vegas.

Russell Ferguson, who was ready to be the first krumper to make it to Vegas, banged his way through a hard-hitting routine that had Nigel channeling krump master Lil C, calling it straight up “buck!” But this is no one-trick pony — he can do tap, ballet, jazz, all of it — but rather a force to be reckoned with when he arrives in Sin City. Watch a clip. (more…)