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So You Think You Can Dance 6

Nigel Lythgoe "thrilled" about Simon Cowell's reported dance project

By Christopher Rocchio, 09/28/2009

Nigel Lythgoe is all about promoting dance, which is why he apparently has no problems with Simon Cowell's reported development of a new So You Think You Can Dance-like reality dance competition.

"I'm thrilled to hear that Simon Cowell is doing a dance show," Lythgoe told OK! Weekly in a Thursday report.

"He is an excellent producer and any program that exposes the huge talent that has been discovered in the area of dance is extremely exciting."

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The American Idol judge is reportedly in "secret talks" with friend Ian Burton to develop the new dance-themed series.

"It's his own So You Think You Can Dance show," a source told Us Weekly last week. "He is always trying to do his own thing to compete with the Idol team. Now he is trying to steal the So You Think You Can Dance thunder."

Cowell's representative subsequently denied the report, according to OK!.

So You Think You Can Dance was co-created by American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe -- who served as an Idol executive producer for the first seven seasons of the Fox mega-hit before announcing last summer that he was stepping down to instead focus on So You Think You Can Dance.

Cowell is said to be close to signing a new two-year, $50 million-a-season deal that will keep him with American Idol through its 2012 edition. As part of the new agreement, the Idol judge and network are also attempting to launch an American version of Cowell's The X Factor reality series.

(Photo credit Fox)

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