So You Think You Can Dance Australia

Melbourne is the arts capital of Australia so we’re expecting some pretty good dancers from the Victorian capital.

Before the auditions start, Jason gives all the hopefuls some advice on how to use their minute and a half. He tells them that Matt doesn’t like clicking, Bonnie doesn’t like looking at the floor and he doesn’t like miming.

The first to take the stage is 19 year old David who says his parents don’t think dance is really for an Asian boy. He does a stunning routine to The Chemical Brothers Get Yourself High and has the judges in awe. But they want to have him do Matt’s choreography.

23 year old Courtney wasn’t going to audition but eventually convinced herself to come along. She dances to afraid and after conquering her fears, the judges put her through to the choreography round until Jason changes his mind and says that she deserves to be in the Top 100 because he thinks people will love her.

After not making it through in Brisbane, Matt is back chasing his dream. The tell him that perhaps he’s chasing the wrong dream.

Another Asian to make his mark on So You Think You Can Dance Australia is Geoffrey “Drumstick” who dances to Missy Elliot’s Hurt Sumthin. He’s quite tall, half deaf and night blind but he’s put through to choreography.

Interpretive dancer Melissa does some weird moves to The Salmon Dance. They admired her dance but it’s not for the competition.

CJ is next who thinks Australia could really benefit from having a male version of Madonna. He dances to Safri Duo’s The Bongo Song but ends up prancing around rather weakly. They tell him no and as he leaves, he flips them the bird.

Rhys throws everything into his performance set to The Presets
DownDownDown and Jason thought his great start and finish were what put him through to the choreography round.

The Sorono family crew include one sister who is deaf and relies on the bass vibrations. Demi auditions first with Aint No Other Man and goes through to the choreography round. Lorraine is next and auditions to Mary Mary. The judges appreciate her auditioning but it’s not going to work any further for her.

Carlo is last from the Sorono family to dance and wows everyone with his audition to MJ’s PYT. He’s awesome and gets a ticket to the Top 100.

Nikki is next up to prove she’s just as good as her friends and shakes it to Get Ur Freak On.

The dancers have been at the studio for 14 hours already and now they’re being put through their paces through Matt’s choreography.

After the choreography round, Rhys makes it through along with Geoffrey “Drumstick” and David. From the girls, Nikki misses out while her friend Demi makes it to Sydney.

Day two starts with 26 year old hip hop choreographer JD mixes it up with two parts to his routine, firstly set to Lost Without U and then My Love. They love him and Matt thinks it’s the best hip hop choreography he’s seen so far in the competition. He’s getting a ticket to the Top 100 – no question.

Indigenous Ballet graduate Ella performs with beautiful technique to Stupid but the judges want to see some versatility so put her through to the choreography round.

Samoan slap dancer Mack performs and the judges love his eclectic style. He gets a ticket to Sydney.

The last two dancers in Melbourne are Kieran and Cathie who have some great energy with their routine and get put through to the choreography round.

Ella makes it through to the Top 100 before Jason asks Cathie and Keiran if only one of them could go, who would it be. Keiran is a real gentleman and offers the ticket to Cathie until Jason shows that he’s actually holding two tickets and that they’re both through to the Top 100.

In Adelaide, 26 year old Maddy auditions to JT’s SexyBack and the judes give her kudos for being the only dancer to have turned up who has had a baby. She’s given a ticket to the Top 100 much to her excitement.

20 year old Laura has been dancing since she was 3 years old and performs to One Night Only but it’s a little old fashioned. They put her through to the choreography round to try and break her down.

Next up with a real passion for dance is Rodoflo who shows off his hip hop skills to Like I Love You. They put him through to the choreography round too.

Nikki and Tamara have danced together for many years but today they’re auditioning individually. Tamara is definitely the better of the two with her audition set to Unchain My Heart and her likability scores her a ticket straight through to the Top 100 in Sydney.

Finally in Adelaide is Keyte who dances to Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole. She gets put through to the choreography round.

When it comes to the crunch, Keyte didn’t make it but Nikki gets to hang with her sister in the Top 100 in Sydney. Joining them are Rodoflo and Laura.

Tomorrow night, the Sydney auditions

So You Think You Can Dance Australia will continue to electrify, excite and entertain you as the remaining 18 contestants perform their routines this week in a bid to win the viewer’s vote, and the ultimate tag of Australia’s Favourite Dancer.

The reality of the competition became very apparent last week when two of the dancers were eliminated, leaving 18 to battle it out. This week, they will have a new genre to master and perfect.

Each week the couples randomly select a dance genre to perform, ranging from jazz, hip hop, contemporary, Boogaloo, musical theatre and ballroom to name a few. They are then matched with a choreographer who they develop a routine with, and a stylist who creates a personalised outfit for them, resulting in a spell-binding performance on the Sunday night.

Monday night will see a fantastic group performance with all 18 dancers, followed by the nail-biting reveal of which couples are in the bottom three, as voted by viewers.

The six individuals in the bottom three are then required to ‘dance for their lives’, with a 30 second routine that will assist the judges, Bonnie Lythgoe, Jason Coleman and Matt Lee decide which male and female dancer they will be sending home. This is the dancers last opportunity to shine and prove they still deserve to be in the running to be Australia’s Favourite Dancer.

7.30PM Sunday / Feb. 24 & Monday / Feb. 25 on Ten

It is a tough, exhausting competition for the dancers who will have to prove they deserve their place in the competition week after week. Only the truly gifted and much-loved will survive. All of Australia will fall in love with our dancers, not only for their incredible talent, but also for their fantastic personalities.

It’s up to YOU, the viewer, to keep your favourite dancer alive and dancing on the So You Think You Can Dance stage.

You will decide Australia’s favourite dancer!

Australia – get ready to see your Top 20 dancers in the first of the live shows for So You Think You Can Dance Australia!

Last week the judges made their toughest decision yet and chose the Top 20. On Sunday night, the Top 20 dancers will perform for the first time ever for both the judges and Australia.

The contestants will perform in pairs in a randomly selected style each week. They will have the opportunity to work with the very best choreographers from both Australia and overseas. Their performances will not only be judged by resident judges Bonnie Lythgoe, Jason Coleman and Matt Lee, but also the Australian public.

After the Sunday night performance, viewers submit their votes and on Monday night, the bottom three couples will be given the chance to impress the judges just one more time with a solo performance in “Dance For Your Life”. The judges must then eliminate one female and one male dancer from the competition based on their performances – ending their dream of becoming Australia’s favourite dancer.

7.30PM SUNDAY / FEBRUARY 17 & MONDAY / FEBRUARY 18 on Ten

The competition becomes even more fierce this week, as dancers are expected to prove their strength, diversity, tenacity and personality across a range of dance genres including Hip Hop, Ballroom and Contemporary, in a bid to be selected for the Top 20.

Dancers are placed in groups and taught a routine which they then are required to perform in front of
the judges, Bonnie Lythgoe,

Jason Coleman and Matt Lee. As they move through each genre, dancers are judged on their ability to grasp and adapt to what is potentially a completely new dance form. After each performance, some dancers are eliminated, some dancers are required to dance for their lives, and some are put straight through to the next stage and dance genre.

On Sunday night, Nacho Pop choreographs the Hip Hop and presents the dancers with one of the most difficult challenges they’ve had to date. Jason Gilkinson leads the dancers through a Ballroom routine and encourages emotive performances, while Kelley Abbey teaches them a jazz routine which is both vibrant and enthralling.

The contestants that remain are then given a gruelling task – to choreograph their own routine in groups. Exhausted but inspired, the dancers are put to the test as they use all the knowledge they have learnt that week and inject that in to a performance that will hopefully blow the judges away. While some dancers crack under the pressure, others thrive.

Monday night will see the groups perform their routine in front of the judges and then those who succeed in making it through to the next stage will be required to do a solo performance. This will be last opportunity for them to dance for their lives as after the judges final deliberation, the Top 20 dancers will be chosen and announced – Australia will have their Top 20.

7.30PM SUNDAY / FEBRUARY 10 & MONDAY / FEBRUARY 11

SYTYCD AUSTRALIA SERIES PREMIERE!
7.30PM SUNDAY / FEB 3, MONDAY / FEB 4, WEDNESDAY / FEB 7

So You Think You Can Dance Australia is set to be the smash hit of 2008! After the US series proved a ratings winner, Network Ten has embarked on the local version to show case Australia’s best undiscovered dancing talent. Host Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s breadth of performance experience will be complemented by a stellar judging panel including international producer and acclaimed choreographer Bonnie Lythgoe, events guru and choreographer Jason Coleman and one of Australia’s brightest dancing
talents and choreographer Matt Lee.

So You Think You Can Dance Australia pits dancer against dancer, following them through a gruelling 12 week competition. The winner will receive a cash prize, a ‘money can’t buy’ experience and the title of Australia’s favourite dancer!

Over the past few months, Natalie, Jason, Bonnie and Matt have travelled across the country in search of Australia’s best dancers. A short-list of more than 100 talented dancers were then invited to Sydney where they worked with some of Australia’s top choreographers including Kelley Abbey, Nacho Pop and Jason Gilkinson. During this week the judges had the difficult task of determining who would make it through to the Top 20.

Each week the dancers will be challenged to perform different genres of dance including hip hop, contemporary and ballroom, and the viewers get the chance to have their say by voting for their favourite.

This Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, viewers will be enchanted by the passion, determination, the highs, the lows and the sheer talent of dancers across Australia, as they audition in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for the chance to prove themselves and win a place to the Top 100 week in Sydney.

Sunday 3 Feb at 7:30pm on Ten