So You Think You Can Dance

Dancers selected in open auditions across America take part in a rigorous competition designed to best display their talents, training and personalities to a panel of judges and viewers as they strive to win votes and avoid elimination.

So You Think You Can Dance (2005-present) is a American reality dance competition created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe for FOX. Hosted by Cat Deeley, with judges including Nigel Lythgoe, Jason Derulo, Vanessa Hudgens, Matthew Morrison, JoJo Siwa and choreographers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, the show follows dancers selected in open auditions across America. Its engine is simple and concrete: each contestant must master a rapid succession of routines in styles ranging from hip hop to ballroom, performing for a panel that critiques every move while viewers cast votes that decide who stays. Each week a new set of performances builds toward elimination, so the drama lives in the gap between technical perfection and personal expression. Across eighteen seasons the format has been a long-running staple of American television, with a bright, energetic mood, showy live stages and emotional moments as dancers struggle to keep their place. Fans of American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent will find the same blend of spectacle, public voting and elimination drama here.

Audiences broadly regard the series as a mixed but often enjoyable dance competition, with its strongest seasons praised for performances and judging while weaker seasons draw complaints.

• American Idollive competition format with public voting and judge panels, weekly eliminations
• Dancing with the Starsdance competition reality format with celebrity judges and talent showcases
• America's Got Talenttalent search reality competition built on open auditions and elimination rounds

Created by

Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe

Release Date

2005-07-20

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.0 / 10 (79)

What is So You Think You Can Dance about?

Dancers from open auditions across America compete through weekly routines, judges' critiques and audience votes to avoid elimination.

What is So You Think You Can Dance like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of So You Think You Can Dance as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is So You Think You Can Dance violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in So You Think You Can Dance.

What did critics think of So You Think You Can Dance?

Audiences broadly regard the series as a mixed but often enjoyable dance competition, with its strongest seasons praised for performances and judging while weaker seasons draw complaints.

Which shows are like So You Think You Can Dance?

Shows with a similar feel include American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and America's Got Talent.

How long is So You Think You Can Dance?

So You Think You Can Dance: 18 seasons, 318 episodes.

Is So You Think You Can Dance still running?

No, So You Think You Can Dance has ended.