TO STREET AND STAGE DANCERS THIS SEASON
ON “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE,”
Along with Honorary AllStar First Lady Michelle Obama,
to Teach “#gimmefive” Dance at White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 6
Season 12 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE will bring back two powerhouse alumni – Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Travis Wall – as mentors to the Top 20 finalists. Mentors tWitch and Travis join new judges Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo, alongside returning judge Nigel Lythgoe and host Cat Deeley. Beginning in the Las Vegas callbacks round, the dancers will be divided into the best street and best stage dancers. Travis will mentor the stage dancers and tWitch will mentor the street dancers. Although they have never faced each other in competition, they will go head-to-head now, fighting for one of their dancers to be crowned America’s Favorite Dancer. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE premieres Monday, June 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
The STAGE dancers will feature those trained in styles such as contemporary, ballet, jazz or tap; and the STREET dancers, hopefuls skilled in styles such as hip-hop, animation or breaking. When the competition goes “live,” the Top 20 will be challenged weekly to perform a variety of styles, working with world-renowned choreographers. One dancer from each genre will be eliminated each week leading up to the Season Finale. Who will win…a dancer from the stage or the street?
Additionally, the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AllStars – tWitch, Travis, Jasmine Harper, Marko Germar, Robert Roldan, Kathryn McCormick, Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval, Phillip Chbeeb, Comfort Fedoke and Fik-Shun – along with Honorary All-Star First Lady Michelle Obama, will teach and perform the “#gimmefive” dance at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 6. The “#gimmefive” theme of this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll celebrates the fifth anniversary of Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative.
tWitch originally won over critics and fans alike with his amazing performances on Season Four of the series, during which he captivated audiences with his impressive dancing skills and unmatched charisma. Just short of making the Top 20 in Season Three, he came back the next year to earn a spot on the show, as well as the runner-up title. With his unparalleled hip-hop skills, he has continued to dance, choreograph and judge on subsequent seasons, while also starring in the popular film franchises “Step Up” and “Stomp the Yard.” He currently can be seen as a guest D.J. on the hit talk show, “Ellen.” Later this summer, he will be featured in “Magic Mike XXL,” the highly anticipated sequel to “Magic Mike.”
Four-time Emmy Award-nominated contemporary choreographer Travis Wall has long been known as a visual musician. In 2006, he was the runner-up in the search for America’s Favorite Dancer on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Wall has served as choreographer and guest judge on the series, having created some of the most popular and memorable pieces in its history. Wall produced and starred in the docu-reality series “All The Right Moves” based on his dance company, “Shaping Sound.” After two hugely successful tours, “Shaping Sound” is back on the road domestically and internationally for its third tour, beginning Fall 2015.
Wall’s most recent collaboration can be seen on the music video for Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water,” for which he not only choreographed the moves, but also danced. He holds the distinction of being the only choreographer to be asked back three times to choreograph the prestigious Macy’s Stars of Dance segment on “Dancing with the Stars.” Also, he was the assistant choreographer on the “82nd Academy Awards,” he choreographed for the Los Angeles City Ballet Company and he choreographed parts of the 2010 “MTV Video Music Awards,” working with Florence and the Machine, Chelsea Handler, Eminem and Drake. Wall also provided choreography for “Step Up: Revolution”, the fourth installment of the popular movie franchise.
Over the course of its 11 seasons, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has received 44 Emmy Award nominations and garnered 13 Emmy Award wins, including Outstanding Choreography for Mia Michaels (2011, 2010 and 2007); Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo (2014 and 2011); Tyce Diorio (2009); and Wade Robson (2008 and 2007). The hit series also received awards in the category of Outstanding Costumes in 2014, 2010 and in 2009, as well as awards in Outstanding Lighting Design in 2011 and 2012. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE recently celebrated seven Emmy Award nominations, including repeat nods in the categories of Outstanding Reality – Competition Series and Outstanding Host for Reality or Reality – Competition Series (for Cat Deeley). The series won a TEEN CHOICE Award in 2012 for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming, a Critics’ Choice Television Award in 2012 for the category of Best Reality Series – Competition, and Deeley won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Reality Show Host in 2012.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and dick clark productions. The series is executive-produced by Fuller; Lythgoe; Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions; Barry Adelman, Executive Vice President of dick clark productions; James Breen; and Jeff Thacker.
Visit the official SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE site at fox.com/dance to view exclusive videos and photos. “Like” SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE on Facebook at facebook.com/SoYouThinkYouCanDance. Follow the series on Twitter@DANCEonFOX and join the discussion using #sytycd and #stagevsstreet. Follow host Cat Deeley at @catdeeley, and follow the judges Nigel Lythgoe @dizzyfeet, Paula Abdul @PaulaAbdul and Jason Derulo @JasonDerulo.
