Melvin Shane Sparks (born June 25, 1969) is an American hip-hop choreographer best known for his work as a choreographer on ''

So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and ha ...

'' and judge on '' America's Best Dance Crew''.

Early life

Sparks was born in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...

. He is the youngest of three children born to Melvin and Wanda Sparks, both officers in the police force. Sparks spent some time in the hospital after his birth due to scoliosis. He became interested in dance at the age of 11 when he started performing in talent shows. His interest in teaching became apparent when he started offering dance lessons from his own backyard. Dance became extremely important to Sparks after his sister's boyfriend was murdered, as it became a way for him to escape and feel safe.

Career

Dance career

In 1993, Sparks left his hometown to move to Los Angeles. Here, he began making a name for himself as a choreographer. Several projects such as the feature film ''

You Got Served ''You Got Served'' is a 2004 American dance drama film written and directed by Chris Stokes, who was also the business manager of the performers who were the film's main characters: recording artist Marques Houston and the boy band B2K. The plo ...

'' and Fox's hit TV show ''

'' made Sparks a force to be reckoned with. His solid resume of credits and awards today reflect his deep passion for dance and people of all ages and races admire his style of dance and suave attitude. From a young age, Sparks knew his talent and gift was dance. Three months after his move to Los Angeles, he was offered a chance to substitute a hip-hop class at the Millennium Dance Complex, formerly known as Moro Landis, located in the North Hollywood Arts District. He soon became an assistant for this hip-hop class. When the teacher left, he took over the whole class. Due to his skill as a teacher and dancer, his class expanded from only three people to a record high of 175 people.

''So You Think You Can Dance''

Sparks is best known for being one of the judges and choreographers on the reality dance competition, ''

''. According to ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'', Gaynor accepted the role. The show features a broad variety of American and international dance styles including classical, contemporary, ballroom, hip-hop, street, club, jazz, and musical theatre styles, amongst others, with many subgenres within the categories represented.

''America's Best Dance Crew''

Sparks was a judge on MTV's dance competition reality show '' America's Best Dance Crew'' from seasons 1 to 4. He did not return to judge for the fifth season due to his arrest. Singer

Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...

replaced Sparks during season 5. Omarion left after season 5, so he could focus on his music career. In season 6, D-Trix from Quest crew took over the spot as the third judge.

Legal issues

Sparks was arrested on Friday the 18th December 2009 on a felony warrant. Dancer Monique Fronti alleged that Sparks sexually assaulted her while she was underage. Sparks pled no contest and was charged with committing non-forcible sex acts with an underage girl. He was sentenced to serve 135 days in a " pay-to-stay" jail, and did so over the course of two years while continuing to work and travel internationally. Sparks was not required to register as a sex offender under the terms of his no contest plea.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, Shane 1969 births American choreographers America's Best Dance Crew Living people So You Think You Can Dance choreographers