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 has ...

'' is an American television

reality program Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

and dance competition airing on the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

network. The show's eighth season premiered on May 26, 2011. It features the return of Mary Murphy and

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949), also known as Nasty Nigel, is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the ...

as permanent judges and

Cat Deeley Catherine Elizabeth Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English television presenter and actress. From 1998 to 2002, she hosted the ITV children's show ''SMTV Live,'' for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show '' C ...

as host. Also returning is the selection of a Top 20 for the finals, in contrast to season 7's Top 11. This is the final season to feature Results Show episodes. Contemporary dancer Melanie Moore won the season and Sasha Mallory was the runner-up. This is the first season where both the winner and runner-up were female.

Judging panel

Mary Murphy returned and replaced

Mia Michaels Mia Michaels Melchiona (known professionally as Mia Michaels; born February 22, 1966) is an American choreographer and judge on the television show ''So You Think You Can Dance''. She has worked with Tom Cruise, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, M ...

as a permanent judge after being absent in

season 7 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

due to contract disputes and to undergo surgery to remove a

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The thy ...

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

Adam Shankman Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964) is an American film director, producer, writer, dancer, author, actor, and choreographer. He was a permanent judge on season 6–7 of the television program ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He began h ...

's permanent judge spot—to which he was unable to return due to conflict with directing the film ''

Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...

''—was filled with rotating guest judges

Robin Antin Robin Antin is an American actress, entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer and clothing designer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with ...

Lil' C Christopher "Lil' C" Toler (born 1983) is an American dancer and choreographer best known for his choreography and judging on the TV show ''So You Think You Can Dance'', and for his appearance in the 2005 krumping documentary ''Rize''. Since app ...

Tyce Diorio "Tyce" Diorio (born August 22, 1970) is an American dancer and choreographer. He is best known for his work as a choreographer and guest judge on the Fox television series ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He has choreographed and performed with ...

Toni Redpath Toni Redpath is a professional ballroom dance champion and choreographer. Biography Toni Redpath was born in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia, and started ballroom dancing at the age of 9, after accompanying a friend to a local dance com ...

, and

Jason Gilkison Jason Gilkison is an Australian professional ballroom dance champion and choreographer. Early life Gilkison was born in Perth, Australia. He was raised by his single mum, Kay. At age 4, he began dancing at the Perth ballroom dance studio, fo ...

Auditions

Open auditions for this season took place in the following five cities:

Las Vegas week

''Judges:'' Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy,

Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an ...

, and Adam Shankman, who was replaced by Jason Gilkison on Day 2 due to a conflict with his schedule. The Las Vegas callbacks, which started on April 8, 2011, were held at

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known ...

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Thirty-one dancers made it through to the final stage before the selection of the Top 20.

Finals

Format changes

This season featured a combination of the Top 20 format from seasons 2–6 and the All-Star format from season 7. The finals began with a Top 20. When the show reached Top 10 week, contestants from previous seasons (the All-Stars) partnered current contestants in individual dance genres. Lythgoe has noted that although fans of the show complained about season 7's format and missed "the interconnection between people who had never been in competition before," "putting ontestantswith an All-Star lifted their game immensely," which informed his decision to combine the two formats and try to "have the best of both worlds." This season also marked the first time that the public was able to cast their votes by SMS or online, in addition to calling in, with a limit of 50 votes per viewer.

Top 20 Contestants

Female contestants

*Jordan turned 19 on June 15, 2011.

Male contestants

*Robert was 30 at the time of application. His age on the website is 31 years old.

Elimination chart

Contestants are listed alphabetically by first name, then in reverse chronological order of elimination.

The judges elected not to eliminate anyone the first week. As a result, two couples were eliminated the following week.
Due to Mitchell Kelly having an elbow injury, he was barred from performing the routine. See below for more information.

Performance shows

Meet the Top 20 (June 9, 2011)

* Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Tyce Diorio, Lil' C, Robin Antin * Performances:

Top 20 Perform (June 15, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Megan Mullally Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for playing Karen Walker on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'' (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received eight Primetime Emmy Award no ...

* Performances: Due to a shoulder injury, Mitchell Kelly was barred from performing in his routine. He was replaced for the evening by season 7's Robert Roldan and was automatically in danger of going home.

Top 20 Perform Again (June 22, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

* Performances:

Top 16 Perform (June 29, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

* Performances:

Top 14 Perform (July 6, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Carmen Electra Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), known professionally as Carmen Electra, is an American actress, model, singer, and media personality. She began her career as a singer after moving to Minneapolis, where she met Prince, who produced h ...

Travis Wall Travis Michael Wall (born September 16, 1987) is an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer specializing in contemporary and jazz dance styles. He rose to international attention in 2006 as a competitor on the second season of the Fox t ...

* Performances:

Top 12 Perform (July 13, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Jesse Tyler Ferguson Jesse Tyler Ferguson (born October 22, 1975) is an American actor. From 2009 to 2020, he portrayed Mitchell Pritchett on the sitcom ''Modern Family'', for which he earned five consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...

Sonya Tayeh Sonya Tayeh is a New York City-based choreographer. She has worked nationally and internationally across the worlds of dance and theater. She has earned several accolades for her work, including the Tony award for her choreography work on the Br ...

* Performances:

Top 10 Perform (July 20, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...

* Performances: * Solos:

Top 8 Perform (July 27, 2011)

* Judges:

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, Mary Murphy,

Rob Marshall Robert Doyle Marshall Jr.http://www.alumni.cmu.edu/s/1410/images/editor_documents/alumnirelations/getinvolved/alumniawards/all_honorees_2018june1.pdf (born October 17, 1960) is an American film and theater director, producer, and choreographer. ...

* Performances:

Top 6 Perform (August 3, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. As a child actress, she gained recognition for starring as Kelly Bundy in the Fox sitcom '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997). Applegate established a successful film an ...

* Performances: * Solos:

Top 4 Perform (August 10, 2011)

* Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

Katie Holmes Kate Noelle Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'' (1998–2003). Holmes made her feature film debut in 1997 with a supporting role in Ang Lee ...

Kenny Ortega Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American filmmaker, touring manager, and choreographer. He is known for directing the films '' Newsies'', '' Hocus Pocus'', ''The Cheetah Girls 2'', ''High School Musical'', ''Michael Jackson's Th ...

* Performances: * Solos:

Result shows

Results show musical performances

Week 1 (June 16, 2011)

* Group dance: Top 20: "XR2"— M.I.A. (

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

; Choreographer:

) * Guest dancers: ( Gopak; ) * Bottom 3's solos: * Eliminated: ** No one was eliminated. * New partners: ** None. Starting with the next four weeks, no one will get a new partner until Top 10.

Week 2 (June 23, 2011)

* Group dance: " Sinnerman"—

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

( Hip-hop; Choreographer: Dave Scott) * Guest dancers:

Quest Crew Quest Crew is an American hip-hop dance crew from Los Angeles, California who were declared winners of the third season of '' America's Best Dance Crew''. They made their first few appearances individually on shows like ''So You Think You Can ...

* Bottom 3's solos: * NOTE: ** Four contestants were eliminated because no one was voted off in Week 1.

Week 3 (June 30, 2011)

* Group dance: "The Incredits" from ''

The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...

'' (

; Choreographer: Michael Rooney) * Guest dancers: :*

AXIS Dance Company AXIS Dance Company is a professional physically integrated contemporary dance company and dance education organization founded in 1987 and based in Oakland, California. It is one of the first contemporary dance companies in the world to conscious ...

("Partita for Violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Ciaccona"—

Janine Jansen Janine Jansen (born 7 January 1978) is a Dutch violinist and violist. Early life and education Jansen was born in Soest in the Netherlands and came from a musical family. Her father plays organ, harpsichord and piano; from 1987 to mid-2011 he ...

;

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

; Choreographer: Alex Ketley) :* Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian ("Calypso" from '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'';

Ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...

) * Bottom 3's solos:

Week 4 (July 7, 2011)

* Group dance: "Kata Kata" from '' Raavan'' (

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

; Choreographer:

Nakul Dev Mahajan Nakul Dev Mahajan (born 15 September 1975) is an Indian-American Bollywood dancer and choreographer best known for his choreography on ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He is the founder and artistic director of ''NDM Bollywood Dance Productions an ...

) * Guest dancers:

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was a New York City-based contemporary ballet company. Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2003 by Nancy Walton Laurie.Luke JenningsCedar Lake Contemporary Ballet – review: Sadler's Wells, London ''The Gu ...

("Ends"—Mikael Karlsson) * Bottom 3's solos:

Week 5 (July 14, 2011)

* Group dance: "El Fuego" by Sean Peter feat. Oscar Jimenez (Flamenco-Jazz; Choreographer:

Kelley Abbey Kelley Abbey (born 28 July 1966) is an Australian actress, choreographer, singer and dancer. She has been a leading performer and choreographer in TV, film and musical theatre for more than 20 years. She remains best known for her role on soap ...

) * Guest dancers: Jason Samuels Smith & Anybody Can Get It - "Move The Crowd (Sole Sessions Pt. 1)" * Bottom 3's solos: Note: Now it's up to Top 10, they'll be voted individually by America. Also, new partners randomly picked whether they get a male or female and an All-Star pool.

Week 6 (July 21, 2011)

* Group dance: "Act One: On Broadway" from ''

Smokey Joe's Cafe Smokey Joe, Smokey Joe's or Smoky Joe's may refer to: Nickname * Joe Barton, Texan Congressman, nicknamed "Smokey Joe" for defending industries against pollution controls * Smokey Joe Baugh (1932–1999), American rockabilly musician * Happy Finne ...

'' (Broadway; Choreographer: Josh Bergasse) * Guest dancers: Daniil Simkni from The American Ballet Theater ("

Les Bourgeois ''Les Bourgeois'' ( en, The middle class) is the sixth studio album by Jacques Brel. Also known as ''Jacques Brel'', the album was released on Barclay Records on 15 March 1962. Later, on 4 April 1962, a 10" maxi-single containing of 8 of the alb ...

"—

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

;

Ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

) * Bottom 4's solos:

Week 7 (July 28, 2011)

* Group dance: "The Circus Sets Up" from ''

Water for Elephants ''Water for Elephants'' is the third novel by the Canadian–American author Sara Gruen. The book was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. The historical fiction novel is a 20th century circus drama. Gruen wrote the book as part ...

'' (

; Choreographer:

) * Guest dancers:

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers ''The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers'', commonly called ''The LXD'', is a 2010–2011 American web series that premiered on Hulu. The series follows two groups of rival dancers: The Alliance of the Dark, who are the villains, and The Legion of E ...

("Bernini's Angels"—Kerry Muzzey; Choreographers:Christopher Scott and Galen Hooks) * Bottom 4's solos:

Week 8 (August 4, 2011)

* Group dance: "Grown Unknown"—Lia Ices (

; Choreographer: Justin Giles) * Guest dancers: :*Kent Boyd and Lauren Froderman: " Collide"—

Howie Day Howard Kern Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals to accompany himself. He self-financed and s ...

(Contemporary; Choreographer:

) :* Bad Boys of Dance: "Derezzed" from '' Tron: Legacy'' (Choreographer:

Rasta Thomas Rasta Kuzma Ramacandra (known professionally as Rasta Thomas) was born on July 18, 1981 in San Francisco and is a dancer, martial artist, gymnast, and choreographer. Thomas is the founder of the Bad Boys of Dance and director/owner of the Show ...

) * Top 6's solos:

Week 9 (Finale) (August 11, 2011)

*Judges:

, Mary Murphy,

*Group dances: Matt Flint is the winner of '' So You Think You Can Dance UKs second season, and this performance comprised a portion of his prize package.

=Judges' picks

All-Stars Dance Pool

As opposed to last season, there is no set group of All-Star dancers. Rather, All-Stars will be changing weekly based on availability. On the July 14, 2011 results show, Lythgoe announced that Season 7 contestant Alex Wong—forced to withdraw after tearing an

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

—was asked to be an All-Star for Top 10 week, but that Wong tore his other Achilles tendon at an audition the Saturday prior and thus would not be able to participate. : This dancer was eliminated this week. : This dancer was in the bottom 4 this week. : This All-Star did not perform this week. : This dancer placed second in the competition. : This dancer won the competition. :All-Stars in bold text won the competition in their season.

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:So You Think You Can Dance (Season 8) 2011 American television seasons Season 08

Judging panel

Auditions

Las Vegas week

Finals

Format changes

Top 20 Contestants

Female contestants

Male contestants

Elimination chart

Performance shows

Meet the Top 20 (June 9, 2011)

Top 20 Perform (June 15, 2011)

Top 20 Perform Again (June 22, 2011)

Top 16 Perform (June 29, 2011)

Top 14 Perform (July 6, 2011)

Top 12 Perform (July 13, 2011)

Top 10 Perform (July 20, 2011)

Top 8 Perform (July 27, 2011)

Top 6 Perform (August 3, 2011)

Top 4 Perform (August 10, 2011)

Result shows

Results show musical performances

Week 1 (June 16, 2011)

Week 2 (June 23, 2011)

Week 3 (June 30, 2011)

Week 4 (July 7, 2011)

Week 5 (July 14, 2011)

Week 6 (July 21, 2011)

Week 7 (July 28, 2011)

Week 8 (August 4, 2011)

Week 9 (Finale) (August 11, 2011)

=Judges' picks

All-Stars Dance Pool

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

See also

Notes

References