By Stephanie Wolf.

Dance-focused television series have been in high demand lately. Program offerings used to be limited to long-standing shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. But, lately, many networks are getting in on the trend and there is a variety of dance programming to choose from. One of the most recent additions is the documentary style series A Chance to Dance, which follows former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt as they form a new American dance company in a mere 28 days. Initially, Nunn and Trevitt were hesitant to be a part of the fad, but, now, the two are thrilled with the final result and have new insight and respect for the American dance scene.

Nunn and Trevitt are intrigued by America’s newfound obsession with professional dance. “It has been fascinating to see how educated and experienced American audiences have become,” say Nunn and Trevitt. “They really know what they are watching now and are becoming very discerning, which means all of our standards have to be raised. “ Yet, they believe ACTD is different than other reality dance series. “Although it involves weekly eliminations, that’s only because it follows the actuality of recruiting a new company.” They state, “This show was made DESPITE the cameras, not for them.

Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt

At the suggestion of SYTYCD executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, Nunn and Trevitt traveled to Salt Lake City, UT for their first audition. They thought it an odd choice, but were pleasantly surprised by the talent they discovered. “It is a hotbed of talent, with spectacular dance studios on almost every corner.” Surprisingly, Washington D.C., considered one of the nation’s major dance metropolises, produced a much smaller turnout for the ACTD audition. Despite the low attendance, Nunn and Trevitt managed to recruit some exceptional classically trained dancers. Austin, TX, the next and final stop on their audition tour, was another “pleasant surprise,” yielding “lots of great individual talents who turned out to be able to work together very well.

The two were impressed by the American talent, but found the dancers to have different qualities than U.K. dancers. “The dancers have a different kind of confidence from British dancers, one that can allow them to appear deceptively capable in auditions, but they also have a wonderful desire to work. “ They were also astounded by the variety of dance genres they came across, wondering if this is the “result of the many dance TV shows that are on in the U.S.”

By the end of the audition tour, Nunn and Trevitt had hand-selected twenty-four dancers who would then continue on to the boot camp rounds at Jacob’s Pillow. There is no special formula for selecting dancers. “It is never the same thing twice,” they say of the specific attributes that draw them to a dancer. “At the start of an audition you look around and see a couple of people with great physiques or great faces and you hope they can dance, but it is usually someone from left field that catches your eye. It turns out that charisma plays a very important part.”

Nunn and Trevitt couldn’t be more pleased with the final twelve dancers selected for their new company. It’s a wide-ranging crop of talent, stemming from a variety of different upbringings and dance education. Reflecting on the twelve dancers, Nunn and Trevitt say, “[They] shouldn’t work together as an ensemble, but they do! [It’s] exactly what we had hoped for.“

The new troupe varies from Nunn and Trevitt’s U.K. based company, the BalletBoyz. The obvious difference between the two companies is that BalletBoyz is comprised solely of male dancers, while the American company’s roster represents both genders. But the two companies emphasize the rich diversity of its dancers. It’s their differences that make the companies work so well. “What we find most inspiring is seeing them share [their] specialities with each other and watching them grow as dancers before our eyes.” Eventually, Nunn and Trevitt hope to find projects, which will bring the two “wonderful, creative groups” together.

Photos: Top – Paul Morigi / Getty Images. In text – Clayton Chase / Getty Images. Supplied by Rogers & Cowan. Courtesy of Ovation.

By Stephanie Wolf.

As the dance community continues to debate over how to bring dance to a larger audience, some individuals are making strong efforts to etch the art form’s way into mainstream culture. With hit television shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, the average Jane and Joe are becoming interested and gaining awareness of the blood, sweat, and tears that dancers pour into the profession. Starting this summer, Ovation TV – the nation’s only “multi-platform network” devoted entirely to arts culture – is taking this cause to the next level. In collaboration with television juggarnauts, Simon and Nigel Lythgoe, Ovation is gearing up to premiere a brand new kind of dance on television experience called A Chance to Dance.

Excited to be an integral part of arts advocacy in America, Ovation’s Senior Vice President of Programming Kris Slava claims that A Chance to Dance will further prove “how art makes for compelling TV with mass audience appeal.” Slava is also “jazzed” to work with two of television’s most recognizable reality TV personalities, siting Simon and Nigel’s combined commitment to the arts and “a track record for making addictive TV.”

Michael Nunn and William Trevitt

The feeling is mutual. “Simon and I are thrilled to be working with Ovation, a network that truly speaks to our artistic passions,” says Nigel Lythgoe. He and his son Simon have a close relationship and have been working together for over 20 years. They have already experienced huge television and ratings success with shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Now, they plan to use their respective production companies, Nigel Lythgoe Productions (NLP) and Legacy Productions, to continue to “tap into an insatiable craving for dance on television.”

However, A Chance to Dance is different from any other dance series currently on television, offering a documentary feel versus the reality show competition formula Americans have grown accustomed to. It follows former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt of BalletBoyz as they audition hopeful dancers, narrow down the talent, and launch an American dance company. “The show is based on exactly what [Nunn and Trevitt] do for a living,” explains Simon.

Simon met Nunn and Trevitt a few years ago through a mutual friend, while visiting North London. He had the pleasure of observing a BalletBoyz rehearsal and says, “I knew instantly they were something very special.” And special they are…they have experienced great success around the world, but have yet to tap into American talent. The idea for the series came from Nunn and Trevitt, but incorporating the Lythgoes and their years of television expertise will surely help make the show a huge success.

Dancers audition for the company.

Every episode will be unique, showcasing the very real “trials and tribulations of forming a dance company under extreme conditions.” Viewers will witness the two work with “a limited amount of time and resources” to nurture young, talented dancers and produce a final performance.

The series starts with Nunn and Trevitt scouring the country for dancers. Dancers will go through a rigorous audition process, without the typical glamour of a series produced in a television show. If the dancers show promise in the open auditions throughout the country then they will move on to New York City, where they will be put to the test with an “intensive dance boot camp.” From this crop of dancers, Nunn and Trevitt will select twelve to perform in a finale gala, a charity event for the arts. Out of these twelve individuals, only eight will tour with the BalletBoyz. The final eight will make up the American company, which will be based out of Manhattan and perform a variety of dance styles all over the country.

Simon speaks passionately about furthering the arts in America because, ultimately, all parties involved hope to see more results from the show than merely high ratings. “Sadly in these tough times, the first thing that gets cut is arts funding. I’m hoping this show will highlight how talented American dancers are and ensure the next generation has the same opportunities for success.” Through series like A Chance to Dance, as well as organizations such as the Actor’s Fund and Dizzy Feet Foundation, Simon hopes to help the arts continue to thrive. But he also emphasizes the potential of a united front within the dance community. “Combining strategies, staying ahead of the curve, using every means possible to promote companies through new media…and old media — it’s the only way dancing will flourish. The public needs to be informed about the arts in order to watch and appreciate dance.”

A Chance to Dance will premiere on August 17, 2012 on Ovation TV. For more information, visit Ovation at ovationtv.com.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Emily Yewell Volin.

The Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is a prestigious annual ballet competition dedicated to student dancers ages 9-19, attracting approximately 5,000 competitors to its twelve US regional and four international competitions.  Of the 2012 competing dancers, 300 students from 26 countries advanced to the finals.  Dance Informa spoke with YAGP founder Larissa Saveliev just before the annual finals, which convened from April 22-26 in New York.  She shared that “more than ½ of the finalists leave NY with some sort of scholarship to pursue their dance education further.”

The Youth America Grand Prix has been receiving some deserved attention thanks to the award-winning ballet documentary First Position scheduled to come to cinemas in May 2012.  The documentary follows six young dancers as they balance the physical and emotional demands of competing in the Youth America Grand Prix with the similar inherent demands of adolescence.  As the movie suggest, the process is riveting and demanding.  Dancers competing in the YAGP are adjudicated on two performances; a classical piece selected from an approved list of repertoire, and an open piece intended to allow opportunity for the dancers to show themselves in a different style of dance. Some opt to forgo pointe shoes in favor of showcasing themselves in a modern piece while others select new classical choreography to showcase their performance range.  Saveliev explains, “right now you cannot find a company in the world who only does Swan Lake.  We try to prepare them for a future career and try to guide them in how to find a job and how to find scholarships.  You have to be versatile. It is an extremely important point we try to teach them.”

Friedemann Vogel & Alicia Amatriain of Stuttgart Ballet perform at YAGP Gala 2012. Photo by Liza Voll

The YAGP is unique in its service to the youngest set of student ballet dancers and the rewards of competing last a lifetime.  Scholarships pair promising young dancers with premier training and have resulted in an impressive list of alumni.  Former YAGP award-winning dancers are performing in companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Royal Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet and others.  Saveliev praises the integral YAGP networking opportunities for helping dancers find their career paths.  And, for the 9-12 year old dancers who are typically too young to leave the country or commit to professional dance, Larissa says YAGP provides them “goals so they can work towards something and tries to educate them about what’s gong on in the world of ballet right now.”  She adds, “We look at ourselves as a membership club.  If you compete once, you become a member for a lifetime.  Any service you need, you get it for the rest of your life.  We’ll be there to help them.”

Larissa has been true to these goals since she and Gennadi Saveliev founded the 501c(3) YAGP organization in 1999.  She is a former dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet who desired an “outlet to learn and get guidance as a teacher” after moving to NY in 1995. Competitions were very popular in Russia.  “You learn so much by seeing it. Teachers watch and see what other teachers are doing,” says Saveliev.   In the 1990s there was nothing in the United States that paralleled the Russian Competitions.  “That’s what gave me the idea to come up with something that would serve this need”, she expands. “We started very small and we worked very, very hard.”

Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova in honored by YAGP. Photo by Liza Voll

In honor of teaching and inspiring young and old, teacher and student, the YAGP competition includes feature performances.  This year the YAGP presented a tribute event honoring Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova. The performance celebrated Ms. Makarova’s contribution to the world of ballet by presenting some of her most memorable roles performed by today’s leading dancers, including performers from Stuttgart Ballet, NYCB, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, The Royal Ballet and more. Saveliev adds, “(Makarova) designed the program herself. It had a lot of archival video footage that had never been seen before and she told us about it and talked about her life and the choreographers she worked with.”

The YAGP’s focus on serving young dancers also extends to its historically sold-out culminating Gala performance.  Performed in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, and heralded as “The highlight of the season” by Clive Barnes of the New York Post, the gala brings future stars and established stars of today onto the same stage.  “We try to bring all different kinds of choreography and styles to the Gala performance”, says Saveliev.  This year’s event was chaired by American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied and prima ballerina Susan Jaffe.  The performance was highlighted with world choreographic premiers by Dresden Ballet’s Jiří Bubenĺček, with an original score by Karen LeFrak, ABT’s Marcelo Gomes, with an original score by Ian Ng, and NYCB’s Justin Peck.  This program featured YAGP alumni who currently perform with over 50 international ballet companies. The opportunity for selected 2012 competition finalists (the stars of tomorrow) to share a concert with current premier dancers from around the world (the stars of today) is awe inspiring.

The Youth America Grand Prix is a crucial coming together of the ballet community – YAGP competitors, alumni, teachers, choreographers, composers, dance legends, enthusiasts, and the attending public.

For more information visit www.yagp.org

Top photo: Grand Defile, photo by Liza Voll

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

Auditions have started for Season Nine of So You Think You Can Dance, and Dance Informa’s been there to catch the action.

Dance Informa spoke to Nigel Lythgoe, Cat Deeley, Mary Murphy, guest judge Debbie Allen and Co-Executive Producer Jeff Thacker at the Atlanta auditions. With the elimination of the “Results Show” this season, there are many changes in store for the popular reality dance show.

Watch these video interviews to find out about Season Nine, and much, much more.

Top photo: Cat Deeley and Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Adam Rose/FOX

So You Think You Can Dance is back, kicking off its ninth season with auditions beginning Thursday, January 5 at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA. The show will then continue its hunt for ‘America’s Favorite Dancer’ with audition stops in Dallas, New York, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

So You Think You Can Dance will search for the most talented and loveable young dancers in the country. Those who shine during auditions will once again be given a ticket to Las Vegas for callbacks, where they will work with top choreographers to learn and

Excited contestants during last season's auditions. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Photo by Adam Rose/FOX

then be judged on multiple styles of dance. Dancers will then be chosen to compete in the series and dance for audience votes.

Last season’s winner, Melanie Moore of Georgia, danced off with a $250,000 cash prize and was featured as a Gatorade athlete on Gatorade.com and in Gatorade’s G series FIT print campaign. Moore also participated in the 32-city So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2011.

“For the past eight seasons, So You Think You Can Dance has been a huge part of our success. We are excited to bring the series and an incredible set of new dancers back for another fantastic season,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Last summer, So You Think You Can Dance ranked No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens.

Get to an audition near you for a chance to be named ‘America’s Favorite Dancer’.

Atlanta, GA                      
Thursday, Jan. 5             
The Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA  30308 

Dallas, TX                        
Friday, Jan. 13                 
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
6405 Boaz Lane
Dallas, TX  75275

New York, NY                  
Monday, Jan. 23              
Manhattan Center
311 W. 34^th Street
New York, NY  10001

Salt Lake City, UT           
Thursday, Feb. 23           
Capitol Theatre
50 West 200 South
Salt Lake City, Utah  84101

Los Angeles, CA              
Friday, March 2              
Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA  90014

Please note that venue information may change. For the latest information visit www.fox.com/dance.

Registration will begin at 8:00am at each venue. Auditioners traveling to cities for the open calls should make arrangements to stay for at least two days following their initial audition in the event of a callback. Dancers must be either a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident of the U.S. or possess a current legal Employment Authorization Card enabling him/her to seek employment freely in the U.S. (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions.

For more details on auditions for season nine, as well as eligibility requirements, go to www.fox.com/dance.

By Deborah Searle.

And the winner of So You Think You Can Dance season 8 is…Melanie Moore! Hear what Melanie had to say after her convincing win.

You won with 47% of the 11.5 million home viewer votes.  That’s a huge margin given it was a four-way. Do you know why you had such strong support?

I really have no idea. I was just surprised. Wow. I tried to make sure that my personality really came through in everything that I was saying and I definitely think it had—I always laugh.  I always laugh at myself.  I can never take myself too seriously and I definitely think that came through.  I hope that I’m relatable to people.  I would hope that they see something in me that inspires them to get up and do something.  Maybe that’s why, I don’t know.

What are your plans for the $250,000 you won?

Everyone has said to sort of indulge myself on one thing and then put the rest of it away.  This is so stupid and crazy, but I sort of want to get really nice carry-on luggage so I can feel really cool when I walk into the airport when I travel, or maybe like a nice ring or something and then I just want to put the rest of it away.

You got some pretty interesting offers while you were on the show.  Lady Gaga said she would love to have you on tour.  Kenny Ortega said that you would make a great addition to Dirty Dancing while Nigel said that you could probably join any company that you wanted. Which three of those options appeal to you most? Joining a company, going on tour or maybe getting into movies?

I don’t know.  I feel like my dream has always been to be in a company. My movement would be more suited for a company atmosphere. I would love to do tour work though.  I’ve always said that I want to dance and I didn’t care what I am doing, I just want to be able to sustain a living dancing. That’s really what I’m hoping to do.

Would you like to be in the remake of Dirty Dancing as was suggested on the show?

It’s one of my mom’s favorite movies! I feel like it would be electric to be a part of it.  I have a friend who worked on the Footloose remake, and they said that everyone’s energy was just crazy because everyone knew how great the first one was, so they’re expecting so much from the second one.  It would be so much fun and the choreography would be great because Kenny Ortega is absolutely amazing. It would just be a blast.

Marko Germar and Melanie Moore perform a Hip-Hop routine. Photo Adam Rose/FOX

What or who do you attribute your success to?  

I feel like the reason why I did so well would probably be because of my partnership.  I had an absolutely amazing partner from the beginning.  Marko was so strong and I feel like we really carried each other.  We fed off each other from the very beginning.  Marko and I put so much hard work in.  We were the only couple who rented studio space outside of the rehearsal time.  We would be in rehearsals all day and then we would go to rehearse at night.  I can definitely attribute my success both to Marko and our work ethics, because without those I don’t think we would have made it as far in the competition.

The fans loved the large leap you performed with Neil in your Mandy Moore number. How do you gain so much trust in a partner in such a short period of time?

Neil and I sort of just clicked from the very beginning.  He’s so funny and he made me feel so comfortable, so when Mandy told me that I was going to be sprinting across the stage and jumping into his arms I wasn’t too nervous. Neil’s got a lot of muscle.  I knew he could handle it.  We started out just a couple of steps away and within three tries I was across the room. We both said ‘let’s keep moving back’. We were sort of daredevils about it.  I feel like whoever I’m partnering with I usually have complete trust in them, because I want them to have total trust in me. What you give is what you receive in that relationship. 

What’s going to be on your to-do-list after the So You Think You Can Dance tour?

Right now I’m thinking that I really want to go back to school but major in dance rather than art, just because I’m so inspired and people have asked me about choreography and things like that. I don’t consider myself a choreographer at all.  I can improvise my solos but I’m definitely a dancer right now and not a choreographer. I look up to people like Stacey and Sonya so much. Maybe after some schooling and learning how to choreograph, and a little bit of growing up, I’ll really be able to choreograph. I’m definitely going to be auditioning though.

If they ask you to be an All Star next session would you like to be one?

I have already told them that I don’t care what I have to do, I will be an All Star next session without a doubt.  I told them that from the minute I got into the top ten.  I said, “Okay, so here’s the thing.  I got into the top ten.  That means I have to be an All Star next year. I don’t care whether you put me in Bollywood.  I don’t care whether you put me in disco”.  I really want to be an All Star, and I’m hoping that I may be able to be like an assistant for some of the choreographers next year too.

Dancing their way home.

In an unprecedented double couple elimination So You Think You Can Dance judges sent four contestants home in Season Eight’s first elimination round.  America didn’t have much time to enjoy the dancing talents of breaker Wadi Jones, tapper Nick Young, ballroom champion Iveta Lukosiute and jazzy  Missy Morelli, but do doubt we’ll see these dance stars again as they develop their careers and look to the future. Dance Informa spoke with Wadi, Nick and Iveta the morning after their shock departures.

Were you surprised to be eliminated?

Wadi
I wasn’t anticipating anything really, because anything happens. Last week nobody expected all of us to stay, and nobody expected the bottom three to be who they were.  This week I never expected even Ryan or Ricky to be bottom three, so it was shocking, in general. I went in with the mindset that whatever happens it’s really meant to happen and to be prepared to be bottom three and maybe go home.

Iveta
I was surprised because I thought this show was about versatility and showing different genres of dancers.  I was the only ballroom dancer, Nick was the only tap dancer and Wadi was the break dancer.  It was strange to me that on the first elimination they got rid of all these different styles.

Nick
I 120% agree with Iveta.  But you never really know who is going to be in the bottom. I think it is kind of ironic that the bottom three this week were completely different than the bottom three last week.  But the judges did what they thought was right. I’m a little disappointed.  I definitely thought I was going to get a little bit farther than the first week.

Nick

How do you all feel about the judge’s decision to not send anyone home last week?  Do you think the twist was fair?

Wadi

What was the most difficult dance style for you?

Wadi
Obviously, the Cha-Cha was really hard for me because of all the technical parts about it, like making sure I had strong arms and my feet were doing what they were supposed to do while keeping my head up. It was just complicated because I am way more laid back and don’t think so much about structure.

Nick
I’d have to say it’s the one I got eliminated on.  Bollywood is really, really intricate, with all the intricate hands that you have to do and all the footwork.  It was definitely hard to keep my stamina up the whole time.  But I had a lot of fun doing it.  I don’t regret anything about the way I performed it.  It’s just that America didn’t really like it.

Iveta

The different dance styles have such varied degrees of difficulty. Should this be factored into the judging?

Nick
I love that they keep it random.  Just this past week, we got Bollywood by chance.  But it is hard, for me especially, to have danced out of my style twice in a row, with two of the hardest dances the show has ever had, when at the same time you have a lot of people still dancing in their own styles. I don’t want to be bitter, but it is hard to get eliminated on a week where a lot of people were still dancing in their own styles.

Who was your favorite choreographer?

Wadi
I can’t pick a favorite because each one has such different styles and such different ways of teaching. Each choreographer, from Jean-Marc to Sonya and Tyce had something inspiring to say that had more to do with life than just dance and they taught us how to be better dancers and better people.

Nick
I loved working with Sonya.  The passion she puts into her dancing and the passion she wants you to put into it, is just amazing and it says a lot about the kind of person she is. Working with Tyce was just a lot of fun.  He’s just a really genuine guy and you know he means everything he says.

Iveta
I enjoyed working with Jason Gilkison. He is a great choreographer and it was an honor for me to work with him. I thought every choreographer was great and unique in their own style. I learnt so much from how much passion they put into their work, how much they get done in such a short time. They inspire the dancers to believe in themselves and to be better.

What was the highlight of being on the show?

Wadi
The highlight, honestly, was being able to connect so well with other dancers because where I’m from, unless I’m in the city or at a dancing event, there are not really any other dancers around me because my home town is very small. It was great to be in front of so many talented and amazing dancers who I can learn from, because you can only get better from being around people who are better. The other contestants were really the highlight for me. Also the choreographers were so amazing, and being in front of millions of people was great.

Nick
I think a highlight would have to be the family we created.  We’re past friendship, we’re past best friendship; we’re family. We’re the family called Season Eight Top Twenty and we’re going to be the only ones that will ever be able to say that.

Iveta
For me, it was amazing to see how the dancers can do so much more than they can imagine.  I could not have imagined learning the most difficult choreography within only six hours and then performing it in two days on a stage in front of millions of people. Every single day I was thinking ‘how can we possibly perform this? It’s not possible’.  But every single dancer learnt the choreography, perfected and performed it at their best.  That was amazing.  Every single performance was magical and having all the fans support you was a highlight.

Wadi and Missy dance Cha Cha

Who do you think will win the competition?

Wadi
Every week is a surprise and you never know who is going to be on the top or bottom or who America is going to vote for, so you can’t ever really say.  There are no favorites because we all are such a big family.

Iveta
I think everyone deserves to be a winner on this show because everyone works so hard and everyone is extremely talented.

Nick
Anybody could win.  We could have won the show a couple of weeks ago, so you never know.  Whoever wins, I’m going to be their biggest fan.  We’re all a family and I don’t want to favor anyone over anyone else.

Nick and Iveta dance Bollywood

What do you have planned for the future?

Nick
I am not 100% positive of what I want to do, but I’m hoping to move out to New York City to try to start up a Broadway career. We’ll have to see what happens over the summer.  I’m just going to take it one day at a time.

Iveta
I am planning to open a ballroom studio this year in New York City.  I was planning to do this even before I got on the show. I also enjoy all the television camera work so maybe I would like to try dancing on television.  We’ll see…

Wadi
Tadd Gadduang, another friend and I started a company before we went on the show called Dance Touch Collective. What we do is promote drug and alcohol abstinence for kids. We teach them about how to handle abuse and how to use dance, art or basically anything they love as an outlet instead of doing drugs.  We started doing workshops with kids. I want to continue to do that and continue to reach out and inspire kids to go out and do what they love.

Photos: Portraits by James Dimmock/FOX, Action shots by Adam Rose/FOX

Dizzy Feet Foundation and the Larry King Cardiac Foundation Partner to Urge Americans to
DANCE 4 YOUR LIFE!

The Larry King Cardiac Foundation and Dizzy Feet Foundation have partnered to form Dance 4 Your Life!, a new national health campaign that asks Americans to dance their way toward an active and healthy lifestyle. Dance 4 Your Life! is centered around National Dance Day, an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July and was launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, DFF co-president and co-creator and executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance.  Expanding the message and fun of National Dance Day into a year-around initiative, Dance 4 Your Life! will raise awareness of the benefits of dance and encourage people of every age and physical condition to incorporate dance into their lives as a way to improve heart health and combat obesity. 

“Dance is an activity that is universally recognized and accessible across all socioeconomic levels, making it an ideal approach to promoting heart health. Our partnership with Dizzy Feet in creating Dance 4 Your Life! is intended to address Americans’ increasingly sedentary lifestyles and the resulting health issues,” says Larry King, longtime host of CNN’s “Larry King Live” and founder of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.

The Dance 4 Your Life! campaign will feature a nationwide dance celebration and information program during the month of July, leading up to National Dance Day and continuing thereafter through media and tie-in activities throughout the remainder of the year. LKCF and DFF are pleased to have the support of leading dancewear retailer Discount Dance Supply as a platinum sponsor for the campaign.

“The Dizzy Feet Foundation is committed to supporting better access to dance education for all. I am excited to join my fellow Dizzy Feet co-founders, Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Katie Holmes, and the rest of the foundation in introducing Dance 4 Your Life! — the first national campaign to reduce obesity through dance,” says Lythgoe.

To support the campaign, Discount Dance Supply has created an exclusive T-shirt available for purchase at www.discountdance.com. All proceeds from sales of the T-shirt will go to support Dance 4 Your Life! 

“Discount Dance Supply is committed to supporting the dance community,” says Brian Hill, CEO of Discount Dance Supply. “We’re thrilled to work with the Dizzy Feet Foundation and Larry King Cardiac Foundation to help Americans get fit through dance.”

Six Flags, the world’s largest regional theme park company, has also joined Dance 4 Your Life! as a national venue sponsor and will host National Dance Day events at a number of its parks around the country.

For more information on Dance 4 Your Life! and how to become involved, visit www.dance4yourlife.org.

So You Think You Can Dance will be back on our television screens this Summer for it’s eighth season!
With auditions held in Oakland CA, Brooklyn NY, Salt Lake City UT, Atlanta GA and Los Angeles CA this season is set to shine. Dance Informa caught up with the eager contestants at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, for the Georgia round of auditions.

Dance Informa was at the Atlanta auditions for So You Think You Can Dance Season 8!

Although it was bright and early on a Saturday morning, the dancers were excited and ready to show their moves at Atlanta’s famous Fox Theatre. Dancers lined up from 1:30am to get their chance to shine, but how many hopefuls got a ticket to Vegas? You’ll have to watch Season 8 this Summer to find out.

Lil' C judged the Atlanta auditions

Mary Murphy is back for Season 8!

Nigel Lythgoe speaks with Dance Informa

Excited dancers in the line

Cat Deeley speaks with dancers in line

Dancers show their moves

Dancers warm up and stretch

Cat Deeley speaks to the cameras

Dance Informa speaks with Co Executive Producer Jeff Thacker