In the search for America’s favorite dancer, some contestants will collapse under the pressure, some will reveal two left feet but only one will dance his or her way into the hearts of the nation.

Recently nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has kept viewers amazed and inspired for more than 100 episodes as talented dancers skilled in everything from Hip-Hop, Krumping and Popping to Salsa, Quickstep and Jive compete to be named America’s Favorite Dancer.
Each week during Season Five, the dancers have competed not only to impress the judges, but also to secure America’s vote. But only one can be named America’s Favorite Dancer when host Cat Deeley reveals the results of America’s vote live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood before thousands of fans and millions of television viewers. The Season Five winner will be crowned America’s Favorite Dancer and will dance off with a cash prize of $250,000 and a featured spot on the cover of the November issue of Dance Spirit magazine. Following the season finale, the Top 10 dancers from this season will embark on a 40-city performance tour that kicks off Sunday, Sept. 20 in Manchester, NH.
For Season Six, premiering for the first time this fall, producers traveled across the country to Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City in search of dancers who represent the best in America. Those who shine during auditions are given a ticket to Las Vegas for call-backs, where they work with top choreographers to learn and then be judged on multiple styles of dance.
During the call-back week, the judges – Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, as well as guest judges including Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio and Lil C – choose the Top 20 dancers who will continue in the competition.
During the performance round, the 20 finalists dance for America’s votes, and each week the six contestants comprising the bottom three couples are given a chance to perform solo routines to encourage viewers to keep them on the show. The judges then decide which dancers stay in the competition and which male and female contestants are eliminated. If a couple is split apart, the two individual dancers who remain become a couple the following week.
Once the series is down to the Top 10 finalists, the dancers switch partners and it’s solely up to America to decide who remains in the competition. Following the performance shows, viewers can vote for their favorite couples. The live results shows reveal who keeps dancing and who goes home.
Choreographers Mia Michaels and Wade Robson were honored with Emmy Awards in 2007 for their work on Season Two. Robson won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography again the following year for his work on Season Three, while Shane Sparks and Mandy Moore earned nominations in the same category. In 2008, the make-up team was nominated for Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic).
In 2009, choreographers Tabitha Dumo, Napoleon Dumo, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio and Dmitry Chaplin were honored with Emmy nominations for Outstanding Choreography.