Dancer, choreographer and filmaker, Adam Shankman, becomes the new permanent judge on So You Think You Can Dance, to sit alongside judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.
So does this mean the end of guest judges? Or will there now be a 4 judge panel? Nigel criticized American Idol for adding a 4th judge, saying he thinks it’s one judge too many…
If they’re adding another permanent judge, Adam is perfect for the job. He’s both knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Thumbs up from me.
From the press release:
Acclaimed producer, director and choreographer Adam Shankman has joined SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE as a third judge. Shankman, who has been a guest judge and choreographer on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE since 2007, will sit alongside Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe and draw upon his expertise to critique the dancers throughout the competition.
The all-new fall season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airs Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Shankman, who serves as a guest judge on this season’s audition episodes, will join the judges’ panel beginning with the Top 20 performance show Tuesday, Oct. 27 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
More from the Press Release after the Jump
‘SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE is one of the most important things to happen in the last decade for the art form, ‘ said Shankman. ‘Choreography is how I found my way into this business, and I’m proud to be a part of the show. As a filmmaker, it’s an honor to be able to recognize choreographers and dancers, and to be able to bring all of this amazing work into America’s homes. These kids challenge themselves every week, and it’s great for people to see how terrific these dancers are.’
‘I am extremely happy that Adam has agreed to be a resident judge, ‘ said Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer/Co-Creator, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. ‘We love bantering and bickering, and yet he still finds a way of capturing the sensitivity of every story told on stage. He is a consummate professional with a passion for dance and a discerning eye, which makes him perfect for us. Plus, it must be remembered, it takes a slightly crazy person to work with me and Mary.’
Adam Shankman is a master of comedy and one of the most loved and commercially successful filmmakers of his generation. His recent credits include ‘Bedtime Stories’ starring Adam Sandler and Keri Russell, ’17 Again’ starring Zac Efron and ‘Hairspray, ‘ the feature film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Shankman also directed the hit viral video ‘Prop 8: The Musical’ for FunnyorDie.com, which was honored by GLAAD and has been viewed over 4 million times.
Shankman’s directorial debut was ‘The Wedding Planner’ starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. He followed that project with ‘A Walk to Remember’ starring Mandy Moore and Shane West and ‘Bringing Down the House’ with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah. His other credits include ‘The Pacifier’ starring Vin Diesel, ‘Step Up, ‘ ‘Step Up 2’ and ‘Premonition’ with Sandra Bullock. Shankman’s upcoming films include ‘Step Up 3-D, ‘ ‘Going The Distance’ starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long and ‘The Last Song’ starring Miley Cyrus.
Prior to directing, Shankman was one of the premiere dance and physical comedy choreographers who put his creative stamp on such projects as ‘The Addams Family, ‘ ‘Casper, ‘ ‘Inspector Gadget, ‘ ‘Anastasia, ‘ ‘George of the Jungle, ‘ ‘Boogie Nights, ‘ ‘Miami Rhapsody’ and ‘The Flintstones, ‘ for which he was nominated for a Bob Fosse Award. Shankman teamed up with influential video director Julian Temple to choreograph Whitney Houston’s ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight.’ He has also choreographed videos for The B-52’s, Barry White, Aaron Neville, Chic and Stevie Wonder.
A native of Los Angeles, Shankman developed a love for the theater at an early age. After high school, he moved to New York to attend The Juilliard School. After five years as an actor and dancer in New York, he moved back to his hometown and began dancing in music videos for artists such as Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson.
