So You Think You Can Dance is a non-scripted competition television show that airs on FOX and premiered in the US in 2005. There are also Canadian and Australian spin-off versions. It's hosted by Cat Deeley with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy as judges, along with guest judge, Mia Michaels. The judges don't take themselves too seriously, which can be fun for audiences.
Nationwide auditions seek out contestants. Contestants are paired into couples, for whom choreographers create routines. The dancers perform, judged by the panel and voted on by the viewers. Until the top ten finalists, dancers are judged in pairs. Once the top ten are announced, dancers are judged individually until one is declared "America's Favorite Dancer." Many choreographers have made names for themselves because of this, Mia Michaels being the preeminent example.
The show has been nominated for many awards. It won 3 Emmys for Outstanding Choreography along with Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Show and Choice Summer Series.
So You Think You Can Dance has pushed boundaries through the years, incorporating various forms of world dance rather than sticking with the same old classics – hip-hop, ballroom, and contemporary. Starting in the third season, it's included group dances, allowing for more complicated choreography and more flexibility than the 90-second format allows. Only in the fourth season did the group dances really gel, becoming a distinctive part of the show's appeal. And appeal, it does. So You Think You Can Dance is a hit, both with general audiences and in the professional dance world.
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