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.

By Deborah Searle.

Dee Caspary is a creative soul with a passion for choreography and music. Recently known for his work on So You Think You Can Dance, Dee choreographed and was Director of Staging for Justin Timberlake’s 2007 tour.  He has a long list of stage, screen and commercial credits as both a performer and choreographer and used his expertise to artistic direct the Nvitational dance festival in Los Angeles this past month. 18 days of inspiring, jam-packed dance and music performances at the historic El Portal Theatre, the inaugural Nvitational was a must attend event for all dance lovers.  Dance Informa sponsored the festival, attended many of the performances and sat down with Dee to discuss his vision for the festival and his career.

What was your vision behind the Nvitational?
My vision was to give choreographers an opportunity in Los Angeles to showcase a work on a theatrical stage. To give choreographers an intimate environment to allow them to create whatever they wanted to on a beautiful stage.

How was the festival received?
I feel like there were a lot of choreographers that did very well. I think it takes a couple of years, if you’re not used to doing theatrical works in a theatrical environment, to realise what kind of opportunities you can create. I think that the choreographers did a great job and I think every year it will get better because people will see what others are doing in that environment.

Tell us about your dance background
I grew up in a dance studio called Studio C run by my parents. The letter C stood for our last name ‘Caspary’. I was always surrounded by dance, with my older sister and older brother both professional dancers. I was more into sports growing up, but I did love to dance. I never really wanted to be a dancer. I loved music. The thing that made me become a choreographer was music and bringing a different kind of element to contemporary, or lyrical (as it was called back then).  I grew up in the competition world. I wasn’t too familiar with the concert world or the modern world. Living on the West Coast we didn’t see too much of that. My style is nothing in particular, it changes with what I put into my work, which I think is all driven by the music – how you hear, what you hear, what you’re trying to speak, what you’re trying to translate in a performance.

So were your parents dancers?
My parents were just the business side of it. My mother and father cannot dance – we would not allow them to [laughs]. They just saw something in my sister when she was very young. She had a lot of teachers tell her that she needed to get into something more serious than dance competitions. So Mom started bringing my sister up to LA. She was taking class in LA when she was like 11 or 12 years old. I think back then you had to be 15 or 16 years old. They were allowing her in the classes because she was a remarkable dancer. She was beautiful.

What projects are you working on at the moment?
Right now I’m working on next season’s Nvitational in my head and I’m teaching a lot. I’m going to be abroad teaching for a week in the first week of September. I do a lot of dance intensives and other festivals as well – teaching and speaking at seminars. I’m also just trying to relight the fire in myself for creating new works this season and for whatever opportunities come my way. A lot of things start to pick up in the Fall, so I won’t be in LA very much. But I will be around the country and in Canada and Italy over the next month.

What do you look for in a dancer?
I look for clarity in a dancer, someone that is very aware of their body and you can really see it. And most importantly someone that is musical, someone that can really see and listen at the same time. I think that a lot of dancers and choreographers have great moves and great steps, but it really takes a talented individual to make the moves of the choreography emulate a little bit of self and be aware. I think being aware also translates into listening to the music. You can tell those dancers that really hear, feel and listen.

As Choreographer and Director of Staging for Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveShow tour, what was it like to work with him?
Justin is a pro. Working with Justin on that tour was so motivating because during breaks Justin would be on the drums playing around or be on the keyboard trying to do things. You could just tell that the guy gets it and he understands his opportunity. You can tell the guy works extremely hard. He’s so talented because he works at his craft. You get a sense that everyone else wants to be great because he is, when you’re in that working environment with him. As much of a professional that he is, he’s also just a good guy.

What has been the highlight of your career?
Working with Justin Timberlake was a highlight. To get a job like that was truly amazing because of what I got to see and what I got to learn.

When I was young I did a lot of stuff. I was on Kid’s Incorporated as a dancer and I danced with Paula Abdul on a couple of her videos when I was 12 years old. As a child I don’t think I really appreciated what that high was or the rollercoaster it was. I toured with New Kids On The Block when I was young. That was kind of like the last thing I did. I remember thinking ‘wow, does it get any better than this?’ I know that that was really special when I was a kid.

As far as a choreographer goes, I’ve really embraced SYTYCD and the opportunity it gives to do duets. I love it. But the pinnacle for me was when I was doing my own shows at the El Portal Theatre. I was working with dancers and creating my own projects and that’s again why the Nvitational is so important to me. I remember how fulfilling it was and how great of a process it was. Nowadays people can’t afford or don’t want to pay the rent, or the labour, to put on a show. Nobody’s just doing their own shows anymore, or as much as they used to. Doing my own shows was a great thing for me in my career and a great time to be creative. It was really remarkable.

What are your future goals and dreams?
I definitely want to direct someday. I want to direct vision movement. I don’t know what that entails or if that’s more on the lines of videos or on the line of short films, but I want to tell more stories with music. I think a lot of musicians don’t realise how influential music is in the dance world. Ever since MTV started to go to the reality side and show less music videos, it’s been disappointing. It would be really cool to see music videos come back. I would love to direct and collaborate with artists. When I did the light bulb piece for SYTYCD this year I used a song called Skin and Bones by Dave Roch. Ever since I used it on the show, it’s now on iTunes all over the States. Dave emailed me and said ‘I don’t know if you’re the one to thank, but now my stuff is hitting the States’. I was like, ‘well let’s take it to another level, let’s create a video’. So that is what I’m looking to do. I’m looking to get more in contact with artists and do things that are really special and different.

Young Melanie Moore has won the hearts of American TV viewers in this season of So You Think You Can Dance. The talented dancer from Georgia, who’s currently at college in New York, spoke with Dance Informa about her experiences on the show and her plans for the future.

By Deborah Searle.

When did you start dancing?
I started dancing when I was 2 ½ – 3.

What styles have you been formally trained in?
I’ve been trained in Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Broadway, Tap, Ballet and Hip Hop – well sort of Hip Hop. Hip Hop was a recent one.

Have you had any Ballroom training?
I absolutely love Ballroom. I’ve taken ballroom classes at Tony and Melanie’s studio in New York but I had never met them before I did the show, because they have other instructors. It’s so hard, but so fun. I really wish my mum had put me in ballroom classes because ballroom dancers have a self-confidence and air about them. I think it’s amazing. To work with Pasha and to just go out there was so exciting.

Melanie performs with All-Star dancer Neil Haskell. Photo Adam Rose/FOX

Tell us about your life in New York
I go to Fordham University in Manhattan. I love it, although I don’t get to dance as much as I’d like to. But now that I’m doing this show and I’m on tour, hopefully I can take a second away from school and really get to concentrate on dancing.

Are you focusing on art at Fordham, and not dance?
Yes. They do have a dance program but I’m not a part of it. I take classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps a lot.

How do you get time for your art course and dance as well?
I’ve always been a really focused person. During high school I was always focused on grades at school but every time I was at dance I was focused on dancing. I’d stay up late to get stuff done. But it’s definitely hard to divide your energy between two things. I’m always the one to go to a dance class over studying for a test. Then I’ll just cram and have a late night study session.

Are you aiming to be a visual artist, a dancer, or both?
I’ve always wanted to be a dancer, in any capacity really. I don’t really care what kind of dance I’m doing as long as I’m making a living. I don’t really care if I’m at the back of a toothpaste commercial or whether I’m on Broadway, as long as I’m able to make and sustain a lifestyle doing that. Going to school, for me, was because the dance industry is so hard to break into. My mum and I decided that it would be a better choice to go to school and study something other than dance, because dance will always be there. And if an opportunity comes up I can always go back to school, which is why right now I’m not going to focus on school. I’m going to continue focusing on dancing. It was sort of like my back up plan. So I’m really happy that right now it’s happened for me.

Did you expect to get this far in the competition?
I definitely didn’t. I was just hoping that I was going to grow as a dancer and as a person, and really enjoy the experience. I didn’t expect to get this far, and to get the kind of response I’ve been getting. I’ve put in a lot of extra hours rehearsing by myself, and it’s been nice when it’s paid off. I think maybe that’s the reason for getting good reviews.

What’s been the biggest challenge of the competition for you?
The biggest challenge for me was overcoming the nerves and stress. When you get out there in front of the judges and tons of people, you can lose your mind a little bit because you can get so nervous and start freaking out. We’ve been working so hard on our routines and we can only do our best. So it’s just struggling with nervousness.  It’s a constant battle.

What’s been the highlight for you so far?
I feel like every time I perform there’s a new highlight. Being here has been my highlight. It’s unexplainable how amazing this experience has been. I’m so happy that I did it.

Who has been your favorite choreographer to work with?
That’s really hard. I love Jason Gilkison. I’ve always wanted to work with him since he did the Jive in Vegas. I love Travis Wall too, and Sonya Tayeh.  Everybody’s so good and so different. It’s been amazing.

So where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope that I will be living in New York. I’m more like a city, cold weather person. It’s just like my place, I love it. I hope that I’m working, maybe in something on Broadway. It’s always been my dream to be on Broadway. I hope I’ve done some stuff in Europe maybe. I don’t really have a pin point of where I want to be because I want to be open to wherever dance takes me.

Portrait Photos: James Dimmock/FOX

We all know Christopher “Lil‘ C” Toler as a verbose judge and hip hop specialist on So You Think You Can Dance. A pioneer of Krump and a well-known performer and choreographer in the hip hop scene, Lil’ C may be a man of many words – but he knows what he’s talking about. Lil C will once again be a judge on the SYCTYD panel this new season and Dance Informa spent a few minutes with him during the auditions to talk about his time with the show.

What are you looking for when you’re judging Season Eight?

When I’m judging I’m looking for a number of things. I’m looking for authenticity, for individualism and a connection to the music and heart. Technique only goes so far. Technique is taught, but ‘essence’ – that’s not taught. It’s discovered, developed, learned and honed.

Lil' C with fellow judges for Season 8 of SYTYCD

SYTYCD has been a television phenomenon. What do you think is SYTYCD’s secret to success?

I don’t even think there’s a secret, it’s think it’s just a success! The things that have been going on in dance have always been going on, but SYTYCD has created a funnel to showcase this and make people aware of what is going on in dance. There are so many revolutionary things going on in this industry that people haven’t even caught up to yet.

The fact that SYTYCD is now on the radar of middle America and reaching the masses makes people aware of what we are really doing. We as dancers are athletes. We are just as athletic as Kobe and LeBron. The things that we can do with our bodies are amazing like our muscle elasticity and our rhythm – it’s crazy. The fact that SYTYCD showcases that makes it a success.

How do you think SYTYCD has changed the street dance scene?

It’s definitely opened eyes to what is going on in the ‘urban culture’. It is urban dance – it’s under the radar and people are oblivious to it. Having a platform that showcases urban dance only strengthens the education about it. SYTYCD is educational as well as entertaining and that is a recipe for impeccability!

What is the highlight of being a part of SYTYCD for you?

The highlight is being able to do all three things – being able to choreograph, judge, and perform as well. Whether I’m hitting the stage with Russell or dancing with Twitch, it’s great. And then to see these dancers grow into the amazing artists and physical expressionists that they become, it just warms my heart. It’s being more than a judge; you’re helping them develop themselves.

Watch Season 8 of SYTYCD on Fox!

As we eagerly await Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Informa spoke with Nigel Lythgoe to find out what we can expect. Will there be All Stars? Will we see amazing young talent?

After 6 years of the highly successful shows Nigel shares that he still gets surprised by the talent that graces their stage and our television screens.

Watch his video interview and get ready for a great summer of dance viewing!

Dance News International LLC/Dance Informa Pty Ltd takes no responsibility for the content of any videos viewed through youTube.

Cat Deeley, much loved host of So You Think You Can Dance spoke to Dance Informa about her role behind the scenes and what she enjoys most about hosting the popular television show.  Not a dancer herself, Cat told us how the show has helped her to develop a great love and appreciation for dance.

Busy filming with competition hopefuls in Atlanta at the Season Eight auditions, Cat was having fun meeting the many eager dancers and was excited about the talent she had seen so far.

So You Think You Can Dance Season Eight begins this Summer on FOX.

Dance News International LLC/Dance Informa Pty Ltd takes no responsibility for the content of any videos viewed through youTube.

Mary Murphy is back for Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance.  She’s healthy, happy and excited to take her seat on the judging panel after successfully fighting cancer.  Dance Informa chatted with Mary at the Season 8 auditions. In person Mary was quiet, sincere and very sweet, and distinctly calmer than her boisterous TV persona.  We are so excited to see Mary back doing what she loves and sharing her passion for dance with us!