The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 5, 2011 2 coverstory Eight is not enough Success of ‘Dance’ gets series a ninth season By Dee Underwood TV Media E ven before the current season has wrapped up, “So You Think You Can Dance” has been renewed for another season on Fox. The hit dance competition show has received eight Emmy nominations this year, including host Cat Deeley’s first nod as host, and Fox has been raking in the viewership since the series premiered back in the summer of 2005. It’s no surprise that viewers are begging for more, and Fox is promising to deliver. The finale of Season 8 will air on Thursday, Aug. 11 on Fox, and it is guaranteed to be a magnificent spectacle as viewers decide who they want to vote for to be “Ameri- ca’s Favorite Dancer”. Each season, the selection process starts with several open auditions across the country, and dancers from ev- ery discipline stand in mile- long lines while they wait pa- tiently to take the stage before the judges. If a dancer im- presses all of the judges, he or she advances directly to the next round. If the judges are iffy about the dancer’s abili- ties, he or she must stay until the end of the day and per- form a learned choreographed dance to prove their worth. Over the course of the next several weeks (the length var- Season 7 winner Lauren Froderman (right) with All-Star partner Mark Kanemura ies by season), the contes- tants are randomly paired to- gether to learn, practice and perform choreographed piec- es in a variety of dance styles. Viewers then call in after the broadcast to cast their votes for their favorite dancer or pair, in order to save them from elimination. The guy and girl with the lowest number of votes will then be eliminat- ed, until only one is left. Dance styles cover every end of the spectrum, includ- ing ballroom dancing (waltz, quickstep, tango), hip-hop and krumping, and contem- porary. The recent seasons have also incorporated more cultural dances like Bolly- wood and Tahitian dances. Season 8 of the hit series premiered back in late May, and it featured a few changes to the format. Instead of a Top 11 group from last season, the judges expanded the viewer-voted portion to in- clude 20 dancers. Once the group was whittled down to 10 dancers, they were paired with “So You Think You Can Dance” alumni for the re- mainder of the competition. The pool of alumni, dubbed the All-Stars, consists of for- mer “Dance” contestants who were selected for their versatility in various styles and are sure to be strong partners for the current con- testants. This season’s All- Stars change every week, whereas last season featured contestants permanently partnered with one All-Star. Judge and executive pro- ducer Nigel Lythgoe has been called “the original Simon Cowell” by critics, because he has been known to give harsh criticism to dancers and has never sugar-coated his opin- ions. Lythgoe is one of the vi- sionaries behind “American Idol,” and he and Cowell are actually good friends. Lythgoe is a technically trained ball- room dancer, and he has per- formed with the best of the best, including Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly and even the Mup- pets. He is also a talented choreographer. Judge and ballroom dancer Mary Murphy has a lot to be celebrating this season. Not only has the series earned a record number of Emmy nom- inations, but Murphy herself is back on the judge’s panel A/Auto Boutique B/The Green Giraffe 2 x 2 after a fight with thyroid can- cer. After having a tumor re- moved in December, she was eager to get back to her nor- mal life and continue on the series. The surgery was quite invasive and could have ru- ined her vocal cords, which would have meant the end of her trademark “Mary Scream,” which she does to express her enthusiasm after routines. Guest judges this season have rotated more than in previous seasons, but Lythgoe claims it is only because he wants the dancers to get dif- ferent opinions and critiques. This season’s guest judges have included controversial pop sensation Lady Gaga, sit- com star Megan Mullally, Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin and Season 2 runner-up Travis Wall. Next season promises to include even more guests, including Neil Patrick Harris and Ellen Dege- neres. “Harris has had a strong stage career, complete with some awesome dance moves,” said Lythgoe,”and Ellen is just Ellen -- great to have around.” Host Cat Deeley got her first Emmy nod this season, and the Brit is quite flattered. “To be acknowledged by those who make some of the best television in the world is something I never would have dreamed was possible coming to America six years ago,” she said in an interview with Us Weekly. Chirstopher’s Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: With “Entourage” ending after this season, what will become of Jeremy Piven? He’s the best part of that show, hands down. A: There has never been any reason to worry about versa- tile comedic actor Jeremy Piven since his inauspicious debut in the 1986 Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen football picture “Lucas” -- it’s been a steady climb from there. Though, really, the surprising success of the HBO buddy drama “Entourage” was more of a leap than a steady climb. Piven is now firmly entrenched on the A-list thanks to it, and he has a bunch of high-profile projects on the go to prove it. He recently wrapped roles in the upcoming sequel “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4-D,” the action-comedy “So Undercover” starring teen sensation Miley Cyrus, and a voice role in the animated comedy “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” -- perhaps all this family friendliness is a form of atonement for all the swearing he did in his seven years on “Entourage.” He’ll blow a fair bit of that parental goodwill with the project he has lined up afterwards, though. He’s been at- tached to a role in the thriller “Sound of Mind,” about a for- mer mental-hospital resident with abnormally strong hear- ing who thinks he overheard a woman being murdered and must prove it before he’s recommitted. A/Crazy Tom's B/Allstar Auto Wash 2 x 3 Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town.