So You Think You Can Dance 3 (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the FOX network. Season three premiered May 24, 2007.
Cat Deeley returned for her second consecutive season as host. Nigel Lythgoe returned as a permanent judge, joined this season by choreographer Mary Murphy. The remaining third"and during Vegas Week, fourth"judging spot is filled by a guest judge (see main article).
After 16 million votes were cast, Sabra Johnson was announced on the 16 August finale as the winner of $250,000 and the title of "America's Favorite Dancer."
Auditions
Open auditions were held in the following locations:
The Manhattan Center Theatre in New York City, New York"March 1-3
The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois"March 8-10
The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California"March 22-24
The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia"April 5-7
Vegas week
As in the previous season, those making the cut moved on to an intensive week of dance training in Las Vegas, Nevada. This season, Vegas week included hip-hop choreography taught by Shane Sparks, samba choreography taught by Mary Murphy with assistance from season two finalist Dmitry Chaplin, and contemporary choreography taught by Mia Michaels. The contestants that survived the cuts following those rounds were divided into groups, asked to randomly select from a box a CD containing one of five possible music types, and choreograph a routine to the song on their chosen disk. The dancers remaining after the group choreography round were asked to perform one last solo, following which the group was whittled down to 34 contestants"17 male, 17 female. From this 34, the judges chose their top 20.
Finals
Format
As in season 2, the finals began with 20 contestants, ten male and ten female. After partners are assigned, couples pick a dance style out of a hat, are rehearsed by a choreographer, and perform their routine, which is taped two days prior to airing. Following the airing of the performances, home viewers vote for their favorite couple. The bottom three couples (six dancers overall) are then liable for elimination by the judges on the live, or broadcast on tape delay in the western United States, results show. All six dancers perform a solo, after which the judges eliminate one male and one female contestant. If the eliminated dancers are not from the same couple, their respective partners form a new pair for the following week's performances. Once the field of dancers is narrowed down to the top 10, permanent partnerships dissolve and contestants draw their new partners from a hat each week. The judges no longer have any say in the elimination process; viewers call in to vote for their favorite individual dancer, and the male and female with the lowest number of votes are eliminated each week.
Recurring theme
Mary Murphy's loud, high pitched scream, reserved for performances she liked best, made a reappearance this season, along with the added element of the "hot tamale train." On the first performance show, Murphy enjoyed Anya Garnis and Danny Tidwell's jive performance so much, she made a metaphor of a "hot tamale train" having "just pulled up and let Anya off the train, special delivery." Two weeks later, she gave Sabra Johnson and Dominic Sandoval "two tickets on the hot tamale train" for their outstanding rumba performance. The phrase was regularly referred to by Murphy throughout the rest of the season, sometimes with an added distinction of being in "first class" for truly extraordinary routines. On the week before the final performance show, she brought the metaphor to a close by noting that the "hot tamale train was entering finale station."
Controversy
The sixth week of competition marked controversy surrounding Emmy-nominated choreographers Wade Robson and Mia Michaels.
The controversy regarding Wade Robson was due to the anti-war solo routine he created for the top 10 contestants. His choreography was meant to be a dance promoting peace, but was considered by some viewers as a political statement against the Iraq War. The dancers wore t-shirts on which they painted words of their own choosing, such as "compassion," "understanding," "unity," and "peace." The following night, Nigel Lythgoe addressed the controversy by stating that the choreography was not in any way meant to be against the troops fighting in the war. He did not wish anyone to be offended by a routine that had words such as "peace" and "compassion" in it. To make light of the moment, Lythgoe joked that he was more upset to have seen the same routine ten times.
The controversy surrounding Mia Michaels was regarding a jacket she wore during the performance show. The garment was a United States Marine Corps Blue Dress jacket with red piping, which only enlisted Marines are able to wear. In addition, a Marine Corps rank insignia was sewn upside-down and in the wrong location on the sleeve. Michaels addressed this by apologizing and stating that a friend of hers had given her the jacket, and that she wore it as a fashion statement, noting that she had no idea of its tradition or that it would offend anyone.
Elimination
The song played for the females' elimination is Ryan Cabrera's "I Will Remember You". The song played for the males' elimination is Audio Adrenaline's "Goodbye".
Contestants are in reverse chronological order of elimination.
ą Because Jessi Peralta was unable to participate in the performance show, she had to perform a solo despite not technically being in the bottom three couples.
˛ Because FOX aired NFL coverage during the regular Thursday time slot, the results broadcast was pre-recorded and moved to the following Monday. In order to keep the results from leaking before the airing, the audience and nonessential crew were asked to leave the studio, which was locked down, before eliminations were announced.
* All of the dancers also performed the same, pro-peace themed, solo routine to John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" , choreographed by Wade Robson.
Week 7 (1 August 2007)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman
Couple
Style
Music
Choreographer
Sara Von Gillern Danny Tidwell
Argentine Tango
"Whatever Lola Wants""Sarah Vaughan and Gotan Project
Alex Da Silva
Hip-hop
"Push It""Salt-N-Pepa
Shane Sparks
Lauren Gottlieb Dominic Sandoval
Krump
"I Get Money""50 Cent
Lil C
Rumba
"Ain't No Sunshine""Bill Withers
Tony Meredith
Lacey Schwimmer Neil Haskell
Latin Jazz
"Acid""Ray Barretto
Maria Torres (dancer)
Contemporary
"Time""Billy Porter
Mia Michaels
Sabra Johnson Pasha Kovalev
Broadway
"A Wild Wild Party""from The Wild Party
Tyce DiOrio
Quickstep
"Mr Pinstripe Suit""Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Tony Meredith
Week 8 (8 August 2007)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Debbie Allen
Couple
Style
Music
Choreographer
Lacey Schwimmer Pasha Kovalev
Hip-hop
"In The Morning""Junior Boys
Dave Scott
Smooth Waltz
"A Daisy In December""Mick McAuley & Winifred Horan
Hunter Johnson
Lauren Gottlieb Danny Tidwell
Contemporary
"Then You Look at Me""Céline Dion
Mia Michaels
Disco
"Don't Leave Me This Way""The Communards
Doriana Sanchez
Sabra Johnson Neil Haskell
Jazz
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)""Eurythmics
Mandy Moore
Paso Doble
"Espańa Cańí""Juan & Gennaro
Tony Meredith
Solos:
Sabra Johnson: "Rock Your Soul""Elisa
Pasha Kovalev: "Total Eclipse of the Heart""Bonnie Tyler
Lauren Gottlieb: "Sorry""Maria Mena
Neil Haskell: "Out Of My Hands""Dave Matthews Band
Lacey Schwimmer: "Le Disko""Shiny Toy Guns
Danny Tidwell: "The Fear You Won't Fall""Joshua Radin
Special performance: The Top 4 performed a Broadway routine choreographed by Tyce DiOrio to Liza Minnelli's "Mein Herr" from the Cabaret movie soundtrack.
Couple
Style
Music
Choreographer
Sabra Johnson Neil Haskell
Hip-hop
"Whine Up""Kat DeLuna (featuring Elephant Man)
Shane Sparks
Lacey Schwimmer Danny Tidwell
Viennese Waltz
"Keep Holding On""Avril Lavigne
Jean-Marc Genereux
Lacey Schwimmer Sabra Johnson
Jazz
"Koyal (Songbird)""Nitin Sawhney
Wade Robson
Danny Tidwell Neil Haskell
Contemporary
"Are You the One?""The Presets
Mia Michaels
Lacey Schwimmer Neil Haskell
Lindy Hop
"Bill's Bounce""Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra
Nick Williams Kristin Scorci assisting
Sabra Johnson Danny Tidwell
Cha-cha
"Gotta Get Down (La Negra Tiene Tumbao) [Spanglish Remix]""Celia Cruz
Melanie LaPatin Tony Meredith assisting
Solos:
Lacey Schwimmer: "Technologic""Daft Punk
Neil Haskell: "Gravity""Shawn McDonald
Danny Tidwell: "We Are the Champions""Gavin DeGraw
Sabra Johnson: "Wonderful World""James Morrison
Results shows
Week 1 (14 June 2007)
Group dance: "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See""Busta Rhymes (Choreographer: Wade Robson)
Special performance:Benji Schwimmer; "Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano" from The Talented Mr. Ripley
Musical guest: "Get It Shawty""Lloyd
Solos:
Sabra Johnson: "Shine""David Gray
Dominic Sandoval: "Let's Groove""Earth, Wind & Fire
Ashlee Langas: "Cry Me a River""Barbra Streisand
Ricky Palomino: "Virtual Insanity""Jamiroquai
Faina Savich: "Ain't No Other Man""Christina Aguilera
Cedric Gardner: "Dream Within a Dream""Wade Robson
Eliminated:
Ashlee Langas
Ricky Palomino
New partners:
None
Week 2 (21 June 2007)
Group dance: "It Was All In Your Mind""Wade Robson (Choreographer: Shane Sparks)
Musical guest: "Impacto""Daddy Yankee
Solos:
Jessi Peralta: "Hurts So Bad""Kina
Pasha Kovalev: "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That""Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Shauna Noland: "Everything""Lifehouse
Jimmy Arguello: "Veins""Charlotte Martin
Faina Savich: "Do You Love Me""The Contours
Cedric Gardner: "Hide and Seek""Imogen Heap
Eliminated:
Faina Savich
Jimmy Arguello
New partners:
Cedric Gardner and Shauna Noland
Week 3 (28 June 2007)
Group dance: "The Lioness Hunt" from The Lion King (Choreographer: Tyce DiOrio)
Special Performance: Pasha Kovalev and Jessi Peralta performed the cha cha routine they were unable to originally exhibit due to Peralta's medical issues.
Ryan Cabrera performed this year's elimination song for the female contestants, "I Will Remember You".
Judges' picks:
Mary Murphy: Lauren Gottlieb and Pasha Kovalev, hip-hop to "Fuego""Pitbull, choreographed by Shane Sparks
Nigel Lythgoe: Jaimie Goodwin and Hokuto "Hok" Konishi, jazz to "The Chairman's Waltz" from Memoirs of a Geisha, choreographed by Wade Robson
Jean-Marc Genereux: Sabra Johnson and Dominic Sandoval, hip-hop to "Make It Work""Ne-Yo, choreographed by Shane Sparks
Adam Shankman: Sara Von Gillern and Neil Haskell, disco to "Knock on Wood""Rachel Stevens, choreographed by Doriana Sanchez
Wade Robson: Lacey Schwimmer and Danny Tidwell, samba to "Hip Hip Chin Chin""Club Des Belugas, choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin
Shane Sparks: Sara Von Gillern and Pasha Kovalev, west coast swing to "The Rockafeller Skank""Fatboy Slim, choreographed by Benji Schwimmer
Tyce DiOrio: Anya Garnis and Danny Tidwell, foxtrot to "It Had to Be You""Brian Evans, choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux
Tony Meredith: Sara Von Gillern and Jesús Solorio, pop-jazz to "Cabaret Hoover" from Les Triplettes de Belleville, choreographed by Wade Robson
Mia Michaels: Sabra Johnson and Neil Haskell, jazz to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)""Eurythmics, choregraphed by Mandy Moore
Dan Karaty: Lacey Schwimmer and Neil Haskell, contemporary to "Time""Billy Porter, choreographed by Mia Michaels
Order of elimination
Lacey Schwimmer
Neil Haskell
Danny Tidwell
Winner
Sabra Johnson
Live tour
As in season 2, the top 10 contestants will embark on a live tour of the United States. Due to the success of the previous tour, this season's engagement has been extended to 10 weeks and will visit 50 cities. Tickets went on sale 11 August. On the season finale, Hokuto "Hok" Konishi, Shauna Noland, Anya Garnis, and Jesús Solorio were named as alternate performers in the event of injury to any of the top 10. Currently, Noland, Garnis, and Jaimie Goodwin have been replacing Lacey Schwimmer in some of her tour routines because of an injury to her meniscus.
Broadcast outside of the United States
Australia is currently only the country outside of the United States that airs So You Think You Can Dance on Network Ten which premiered on the 27th of September 2007. Before the show was aired, commercials were shown with Cat Deeley wearing the same blue dress she wore on the 19th of September's result show with long earrings and her hair tied back, started to broadcast the show to the Australian audience saying "Coming on Ten". Other footage that was shown included Nigel Lithgoe doing a little dance and wearing the same suit on that result show. During the show with the top 20, after the last couple danced, Cat Deeley (still wearing the same dress on the 19th of September's result show) says "Will your favourite dancer make it through to the next round? Don't go anywhere Australia (Deeley doing a little head shake), because the result show is coming up right after this break". During this time, Australia started to do auditions for their version of So You Think You Can Dance (Australia). It has been discovered by fans of the show that Channel 10 has been showing a heavily edited version of SYTYCD Season 3, with the audition shows compressed into two episodes and even leaving whole dances out of the some of the finals shows (the We Will Rock You Paso Doble for example).
The series is currently shown on DSTV Channel 104 across Africa. Currently in the top four. It will finish on the 22nd of November 2007.
And it is also being shown in Canada on Muchmusic.
In the Middle East, it is being shown on MBC 4. It premiered on 24th of October.
It is also shown on the FOX network in Japan without any editing with the performance and elimination round being shown on the same night. Following the show, Japanese amateur dancers are also shown, usually 4 dancers per week. It is currently showing the top 12 dancers as of 2007 Dec 30.