So You Think You Can Dance returns to FOX after two years with Nigel Lythgoe, Maks Chmerkovskiy, Allison Holker
The So You Think You Can Dance news gets better and better! It’s now OFFICIAL. FOX reveals that the beloved dance competition will return for season 18 with ALL NEW JUDGES!
Nigel Lythgoe is baaaack and sitting next to him will be former Dancing with the Stars pro Maks Chmerkovskiy , and former SYTYCD contestants, Comfort Fedoke and Allison Holker. Cat Deeley returns as host!
Aside from being a SYTYCD alum, Allison Holker also worked as a DWTS pro. She was married to the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss who sat on the SYTYCD panel last year. Also, the return of creator and producer Nigel Lythgoe to the panel is surprising after the network snubbed him for season 17.
So You Think You Can Dance season 18 premiers March 4
And So You Think You Can Dance won’t be airing in the summer as it typically does. It’s returning to TV on Monday, March 4. FOX is probably using it as a fill in for scripted shows delayed after the writers and actors strikes stopped production last spring and summer. Remember, the network cancelled the show again after season 17 aired in the summer of 2022.
“So You Think You Can Dance is television’s preeminent dance competition, and we are thrilled to bring the beloved show back for an all-new season,” said Allison Wallach, President of Unscripted Programming at FOX Entertainment. “Reuniting Cat, Nigel, Allison and Comfort and, welcoming Maksim into the SYTYCD family, is sure to make Season 18 bigger than ever for their legions of fans around the globe.”
This season, during the auditions round, So You Think You Can Dance All-Star Comfort Fedoke, an associate choreographer on the new film Wicked and associate choreographer for Cabaret on London’s West End, will join the judging panel to audition dancers from across the country as they showcase their talent in a wide array of dance styles including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom and more, in hopes of securing one of ten coveted spots on the show.
SYTYCD season 18 features a brand new format
According to the press release: “Season 18 will infuse the long-running hit with a new format reflecting the authentic experience of building a successful career in dance, as so many So You Think You Can Dance alums have. Each week, contestants will compete in new, intense dance challenges that will give them a real taste of the career, from performing in a music video or a football halftime show to going toe-to-toe on stage with a Broadway performer. In the end, it will be up to the judges to decide their fate. Eliminations will take place weekly, with the Top 3 finalists competing in the season’s spectacular finale, but only one will win the $100,000 grand prize and the highly coveted title of So You Think You Can Dance champion.”
In other words, like season 17, the episodes will be taped ahead with NO viewer voting.
SYTYCD will feature more “reality” elements
In addition, says the release, “This season will also debut new storytelling elements to further capture the authentic ups and downs experienced by professional dancers. For the first time ever, in addition to the big spectacle dance numbers that So You Think You Can Dance has long been famous for, viewers will get a documentary-style inside look at the contestants’ dynamics, following them throughout the competition as they go through their personal and competitive journeys, including the daily struggles, new relationships, personality clashes and more.
These new dimensions to the show’s format reflect and celebrate its consistency in launching illustrious dance careers for its contestants, who can be found in the dance troupes for superstar musical acts, on Broadway stages, on every dance show on TV and beyond. Each year, amateurs gain the experience and exposure to launch successful careers, and the real-world challenges of the 18th season will prove their professional readiness more than ever. Last year, ballroom dancer Alexis Warr from Orem, UT was named the winner of So You Think You Can Dance during the live two-hour season finale on FOX. Warr waltzed off with the grand prize winnings and prestigious title of ”America’s Favorite Dancer’.”
Over the course of its 17 seasons, So You Think You Can Dance has received 72 Emmy Award nominations and garnered 17 Emmy Award wins, including Outstanding Choreography for Al Blackstone (2020); Mandy Moore (2018); Travis Wall (2017, 2015); Mia Michaels (2011, 2010 and 2007); Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo (2014 and 2011); Tyce Diorio (2009); and Wade Robson (2008 and 2007). The hit series also received awards in the category of Outstanding Costumes in 2014, 2010 and 2009, as well as awards in Outstanding Lighting Design in 2012 and 2011.
