So You Think You Can Dance Changes: The Return of the Top 20

Fancast is on the scene at the So You Think You Can Dance auditions in Los Angeles where Nigel Lythgoe reveals  a few of the tweaks we can expect from the upcoming season, which is set to premier on Thursday May 26.

“We’re bringing back the top 20 this season, ” says Nigel. “And when we get to the top 10, is when we’ll introduce the all-stars. I don’t know who they are going to be yet. I want to make sure we complement the dancers that are in the top 10.”

Nigel hopes to challenge the new crop of dancers.  If they cast a lot of hip-hoppers in the top 10, they’ll bring in more classical. If they’ve got classical, they’ll bring in more hip-hop. “Just to push them in other areas, ” he explains.

One question on a lot of fan’s minds–will injured contestant, Alex Wong, return as a contestant? “Alex is about 80% back to full fitness, so far, ” says Nigel. “That’s really great news. Hopefully Alex will be back. Not sure in what guise yet. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Speaking of injuries, Nigel is planning to change the dancer’s routines, to try and avoid further problems.

“We had dramatic injuries last season, and certainly Alex Wong, ” he says. “But cracked ribs, broken toes – [that’s] a dancer’s life. What we didn’t do last season is do a ballet bar every morning. We have to do that for the warming up process even if they are not working immediately afterward – just the fact that they’re doing it for their body is essential. We also obviously need to monitor their work [and] how much work they are doing because it’s a really tough competition.”

About mj santilli 34832 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!