So You Think You Can Dance (season 8)

So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
Season 8
Broadcast from	May 26, 2011–August 11, 2011
Judges	Nigel Lythgoe Mary Murphy
Host(s)	Cat Deeley
Broadcaster	Fox Broadcasting Company
Winner: Melanie Moore
Origin	Marietta, Georgia
Genre(s)	Contemporary
Runner-up
Sasha Mallory - African Jazz dancer
Chronology
◄ 2011

So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. The show's eighth season premiered on May 26, 2011. It features the return of Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe as permanent judges and Cat Deeley as host. Also returning is the selection of a Top 20 for the finals, in contrast to season 7's Top 11. Contemporary dancer Melanie Moore won the season and Sasha Mallory was the runner-up. This is the first season where both the winner and runner-up were female. DialIdol covered only the last four weeks of this season.

1 Judging panel
2 Auditions
- 2.1 Las Vegas week
3 Finals
4 References

Judging panel

Mary Murphy returned and replaced Mia Michaels as a permanent judge after being absent in season 7 due to contract disputes and to undergo surgery to remove a thyroid tumor.^[1]^[2] Adam Shankman's permanent judge spot—to which he was unable to return due to conflict with directing the film Rock of Ages—was filled with rotating guest judges Robin Antin, Lil' C, Tyce Diorio, Toni Redpath, and Jason Gilkison.^[1]^[3]

Auditions

Open auditions for this season took place in the following five cities: ^[4]

Air Date	Location	Audition Date	Judges
May 26, 2011	Paramount Theatre - Oakland, California (billed as San Francisco)^[5]	October 13, 2010	Nigel Lythgoe, Tyce Diorio, Toni Redpath
May 26, 2011	Fox Theatre^[6] - Atlanta, Georgia	February 19, 2011	Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Lil' C
June 1, 2011	Brooklyn, New York	November 15, 2010	Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Jason Gilkison
June 1, 2011	Capitol Theater^[7] - Salt Lake City, Utah	February 2, 2011	Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Robin Antin
June 2, 2011	Orpheum Theatre - Los Angeles, California	March 12, 2011	Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Tyce Diorio

Las Vegas week

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Debbie Allen, Tyce Diorio, Robin Antin, and Adam Shankman, who was replaced by Jason Gilkison on Day 2 due to a conflict with his schedule. The Las Vegas callbacks, which started on April 8, 2011, were held at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thirty-one dancers made it through to the final stage before the selection of the Top 20.

Task/style	Music	Choreographer(s)
Individual solo	Music chosen by contestant	The dancer
Hip-Hop	"Look at Me Now"—Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes	Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo
Broadway	"I Gotcha" from Fosse	Tyce Diorio
Jive	"Blue Suede Shoes (from Viva Elvis)"—Elvis Presley	Jason Gilkison
Group routines	Picked out of a hat	The dancers
Contemporary	"Yellow"—Vitamin String Quartet	Travis Wall
Individual solo	Music chosen by contestant	The dancer

Finals

Format changes

This season featured a combination of the Top 20 format from seasons 2–6 and the All-Star format from season 7. The finals began with a Top 20. When the show reached Top 10 week, contestants from previous seasons (the All-Stars) partnered current contestants in individual dance genres. Lythgoe has noted that although fans of the show complained about season 7's format^[8] and missed "the interconnection between people who had never been in competition before," "putting [contestants] with an All-Star lifted their game immensely,"^[1] which informed his decision to combine the two formats and try to "have the best of both worlds."^[8] This season also marked the first time that the public was able to cast their votes online, in addition to calling in, with a limit of 50 votes per viewer.^[9]

Top 20 finalists

Male contestants

Finalist	Age	Home Town	Dance Style	Placement
Marko Germar	22	Dededo, Guam	Contemporary Jazz	3rd Place
Tadd Gadduang	25	West Valley City, Utah	B-Boying	4th Place
Ricky Jaime	19	Miami, Florida	Contemporary	Top 6
Jess LeProtto	18	Little Falls, New Jersey	Broadway	Top 8
Mitchell Kelly	20	Atlanta, Georgia	Contemporary	Top 10
Alexander Fost	21	Alhambra, California	Ballet	Top 12
Chris Koehl	21	Garland, Texas	Hip-Hop	Top 14
Robert Taylor, Jr.	31*	Brooklyn, New York	Hip-hop	Top 16
Wadi Jones	24	Ossining, New York	B-Boying	Top 20
Nick Young	19	Franklin, Wisconsin	Tap	Top 20

Robert was 30 at the time of application. His age on the website is 31 years old.

Female contestants

Finalist	Age	Home Town	Dance Style	Placement
Melanie Moore	19	Marietta, Georgia	Contemporary	Winner
Sasha Mallory	23	Bakersfield, California	Contemporary/Jazz/Modern/African Jazz	Runner-up
Caitlynn Lawson	18	Moses Lake, Washington	Contemporary	Top 6
Jordan Casanova	19*	Chino Hills, California	Jazz	Top 8
Clarice Ordaz	19	Whittier, California	Jazz	Top 10
Ryan Ramirez	19	Morgan Hill, California	Contemporary	Top 12
Ashley Rich	22	Antioch, California	Contemporary	Top 14
Miranda Maleski	19	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Contemporary	Top 16
Iveta Lukosiute	30	Klaipėda, Lithuania	Ballroom	Top 20
Missy Morelli	20	Arvada, Colorado	Jazz	Top 20

Jordan turned 19 on June 15, 2011.

Elimination chart

Contestants are listed alphabetically by first name, then in reverse chronological order of elimination.

**Legend**
Female	Male	Bottom 3 couples	Bottom 4 contestants	Injury

Contestant	Result
Week:	6/16¹	6/23	6/30	7/7	7/14	7/21	7/28	8/4	8/11
Melanie Moore									Winner
Sasha Mallory					Btm 3				Runner-up
Marko Germar									3rd Place
Tadd Gadduang	Btm 3			Btm 3			Btm 4		4th Place
Ricky Jaime		Btm 3		Btm 3	Btm 3	Btm 4		Elim
Caitlynn Lawson			Btm 3		Btm 3		Btm 4	Elim
Jess LeProtto	Btm 3						Elim
Jordan Casanova	Btm 3			Btm 3		Btm 4	Elim
Mitchell Kelly	Injury²		Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Clarice Ordaz	Btm 3					Elim
Alexander Fost					Elim
Ryan Ramirez		Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Chris Koehl			Btm 3	Elim
Ashley Rich			Btm 3	Elim
Robert Taylor, Jr.	Btm 3		Elim
Miranda Maleski	Btm 3		Elim
Nick Young		Elim
Iveta Lukosiute
Wadi Jones
Missy Morelli

^1 The judges elected not to eliminate anyone the first week. As a result, two couples were eliminated the following week.
^2 Due to Mitchell Kelly having an elbow injury, he was barred from performing the routine. See below for more information.

Performance shows

Meet the Top 20 (June 9, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Tyce Diorio, Lil' C, Robin Antin

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)
Ricky Jaime Miranda Maleski Sasha Mallory Melanie Moore	Contemporary	"In This Shirt"—The Irrepressibles	Stacey Tookey
Tadd Gadduang Wadi Jones Chris Koehl Robert Taylor, Jr.	Hip-hop	"Everyday (Coolin')"—Swizz Beatz feat. Eve	Dave Scott
Iveta Lukosiute Pasha Kovalev	Ballroom Medley (Viennese Waltz, Paso Doble, and Cha-cha-cha)	"Ven a Bailar (On the Floor)"—Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull	Jason Gilkison
Jordan Casanova Marko Germar Missy Morelli Clarice Ordaz	Jazz	"Vanguardian"—Steed Lord	Sonya Tayeh
Jess LeProtto Nick Young	Broadway/Tap	"Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter"—Nina Simone	Christopher Scott
Alexander Fost Mitchell Kelly Caitlynn Lawson Ryan Ramirez Ashley Rich	Contemporary	"Moth's Wings"—Passion Pit	Travis Wall
Top 10 guys	Hip-hop/Contemporary	"Velocity"—Nathan Lanier	Christopher Scott
Top 10 girls	Jazz	"Pop Drop & Roll"—Chonique Sneed & Lisette Bustamante	Sonya Tayeh
Top 20	Jazz	"Little Bird"—Annie Lennox	Tyce Diorio

Top 20 Perform (June 15, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Megan Mullally

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	African Jazz	"Riding the Waves"—Afro Celt Sound System	Sean Cheesman	Bottom 3
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Contemporary	"Stupid" (Mark Bell mix)—Sarah McLachlan	Travis Wall	Safe
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Broadway	"Me and My Baby"—Liza Minnelli	Tyce Diorio	Bottom 3
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Lyrical hip-hop	"Ain't No Sunshine"—Lighthouse Family	Christopher Scott	Safe
Caitlynn Lawson Robert Roldan²	Jazz	"In For the Kill" (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)—La Roux	Sonya Tayeh	Safe
Miranda Maleski Robert Taylor, Jr.	Jive	"Runaway Baby"—Bruno Mars	Jason Gilkison	Bottom 3
Missy Morelli Wadi Jones	Jazz	"Judas" (R3HAB Remix)—Lady Gaga	Sean Cheesman	Safe
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Contemporary	"Turn to Stone"—Ingrid Michaelson	Travis Wall	Safe
Ashley Rich Chris Koehl	Hip-Hop	"Forget You"—Cee Lo Green	Christopher Scott	Safe
Iveta Lukosiute Nick Young	Quickstep	"The Ballroom Blitz"—Sweet	Jason Gilkison	Safe

^2 Due to a shoulder injury, Mitchell Kelly was barred from performing in his routine. He was replaced for the evening by season 7's Robert Roldan and was automatically in danger of going home.

Top 20 Perform Again (June 22, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Debbie Reynolds

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Jazz	"Addicted to Love"—Robert Palmer	Mandy Moore	Bottom 3
Caitlynn Lawson Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"Turning Tables"—Adele	Stacey Tookey	Safe
Missy Morelli Wadi Jones	Cha-cha-cha	"Cannibal"—Kesha	Jean-Marc Généreux	Both eliminated
Iveta Lukosiute Nick Young	Bollywood	"Baawre" from Luck by Chance	Nakul Dev Mahajan	Both eliminated
Miranda Maleski Robert Taylor, Jr.	Hip-hop	"Break Ya Neck"—Busta Rhymes	Nappytabs	Safe
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Contemporary	"Cathedrals"—Jump, Little Children	Stacey Tookey	Safe
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	Viennese Waltz	"Fade Into Me"—David Cook	Jean-Marc Généreux	Safe
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Jazz	"Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" (Raf Marchesini Remix)—DKS	Mandy Moore	Safe
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Hip-hop	"Coming Home"—Diddy-Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey	Nappytabs	Safe
Ashley Rich Chris Koehl	Broadway	"Please, Mr. Jailer"—Rachel Sweet	Spencer Liff	Safe

Top 16 Perform (June 29, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Kristin Chenoweth, Lil' C

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Sasha Mallory Chris Koehl Ryan Ramirez Tadd Gadduang Clarice Ordaz Marko Germar Miranda Maleski Mitchell Kelly	Broadway	"Hit the Road Jack"—Ray Charles	Tyce Diorio	No Results
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Contemporary	"Belong"—Cary Brothers	Dee Caspary	Safe
Caitlynn Lawson Mitchell Kelly	Samba	"Put It in a Love Song"—Alicia Keys feat. Beyoncé Knowles	Jean-Marc Généreux	Bottom 3
Miranda Maleski Robert Taylor, Jr.	Broadway	"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" from Sophisticated Ladies	Tyce Diorio	Both eliminated
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Lyrical hip-hop	"I Got You"—Leona Lewis	Nappytabs	Safe
Ashley Rich Chris Koehl	Jazz	"Lights Go Down" (District 78 remix)—Telepathe	Sonya Tayeh	Bottom 3
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Foxtrot	"Fly Me to the Moon"—Frank Sinatra	Jean-Marc Généreux	Safe
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"With Every Heartbeat" (Acoustic)—Robyn	Sonya Tayeh	Safe
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	Hip-hop	"Memories"—David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi	Nappytabs	Safe
Jordan Casanova Robert Taylor, Jr. Melanie Moore Jess LeProtto Ashley Rich Alexander Fost Caitlynn Lawson Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"Poison & Wine"—The Civil Wars	Dee Caspary	No Results

Top 14 Perform (July 6, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Carmen Electra, Travis Wall

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
All guys	Contemporary	"Prague"—Damien Rice	Justin Giles	No results
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Latin Jazz	"Americano"—Lady Gaga	Ray Leeper	Safe
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Hip-hop	"To the Moon"—Miguel	Shaun Evaristo	Safe
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	Smooth Waltz	"Nocturne"—Secret Garden	Toni Redpath	Bottom 3
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Contemporary	"Light Through the Branches"—Celeste Lear	Justin Giles	Safe
Ashley Rich Chris Koehl	Salsa	"Mambo Beat"—Tito Puente	Liz Lira	Both eliminated
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Jazz	"Fashion"—David Bowie	Charles Klapow	Bottom 3
Caitlynn Lawson Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"To Love You More"—Celine Dion	Mandy Moore	Safe
All girls	Jazz	"My Discarded Men"—Eartha Kitt feat. Bronski Beat	Ray Leeper	No results

Top 12 Perform (July 13, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sonya Tayeh

Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Paso Doble	"Alley Dash/March of the Trolls"—Taylor Long/Rick Powell	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Fost eliminated
Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost	Jazz	"That's Life"—Aretha Franklin	Tyce Diorio	Fost eliminated
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	Contemporary	"Brotsjór"—Ólafur Arnalds	Travis Wall	Safe
Jordan Casanova Tadd Gadduang	Broadway	"Out Tonight" from Rent (Original Broadway Cast)	Spencer Liff	Safe
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Broadway	"All I Need is the Girl"—Frank Sinatra	Spencer Liff	Ramirez eliminated
Ryan Ramirez Ricky Jaime	Cha-cha-cha	"Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)"—Enrique Iglesias featuring DJ Frank E	Louis van Amstel	Ramirez eliminated
Caitlynn Lawson Mitchell Kelly	Hip-hop	"Break the Chain"—Lupe Fiasco feat. Eric Turner and Sway	Christopher Scott	Bottom 3
Caitlynn Lawson Mitchell Kelly	Jazz	"Piece of My Heart"—Janis Joplin	Travis Wall	Bottom 3
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Tango	"Triptico"—Gotan Project	Louis van Amstel	Safe
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Contemporary	"Skin and Bones"—David J. Roch	Dee Caspary	Safe
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Lyrical hip-hop	"Just The Way You Are"—Boyce Avenue	Christopher Scott	Safe
Clarice Ordaz Jess LeProtto	Jive	"Ain't Nothing Wrong With That"—Robert Randolph and the Family Band	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe

Top 10 Perform (July 20, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Neil Patrick Harris
Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Marko Germar Chelsie Hightower	Samba	"Cinema Italiano" (The Ron Fair Remix)—Kate Hudson	Jason Gilkison	Safe
Brandon Bryant Jordan Casanova	Contemporary	"Who You Are" (Live Acoustic Version)—Jessie J	Dwight Rhoden Desmond Richardson	Bottom 4
Comfort Fedoke Tadd Gadduang	Hip-hop	"Look at Me Now"—Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes	Chuck Maldonado	Safe
Mitchell Kelly Melody Lacayanga	Broadway	"Take Off With Us" from All That Jazz	Tyce Diorio	Eliminated
Pasha Kovalev Caitlynn Lawson	Argentine Tango	"Malajunta"—Orquesta Color Tango	Miriam Larici Leonardo Barrionuevo	Safe
Stephen "tWitch" Boss Sasha Mallory	Hip-hop	"Misty Blue"—Dorothy Moore	Christopher Scott	Safe
Jess LeProtto Kathryn McCormick	Contemporary	"The Lonely"—Christina Perri	Stacey Tookey	Safe
Pasha Kovalev Melanie Moore	Viennese Waltz	"Everybody Hurts"—Tina Arena	Jason Gilkison	Safe
Allison Holker Ricky Jaime	Jazz	"Precious Things"—Tori Amos	Tyce Diorio	Bottom 4
Clarice Ordaz Robert Roldan	Bollywood	"Aila Re Aila" from Khatta Meetha	Nakul Dev Mahajan	Eliminated

Solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Sasha Mallory	Contemporary	"Syrup & Honey"—Duffy	Safe
Jess LeProtto	Broadway	"Come By Me"—Harry Connick, Jr.	Safe
Melanie Moore	Contemporary	"You're the One That I Want"—Angus & Julia Stone	Safe
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"Daylight Breaks"—Cassidy Haley	Bottom 4
Clarice Ordaz	Jazz	"Royal T"—Crookers feat. Róisín Murphy	Eliminated
Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"This Time"—John Legend	Eliminated
Jordan Casanova	Contemporary	"Tonight"—Lykke Li	Bottom 4
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"Everything I Can't Have"—Robin Thicke	Safe
Caitlynn Lawson	Contemporary	"Cosmic Love"—Florence and the Machine	Safe
Marko Germar	Jazz	"More Than Anyone" (Stripped version)—Gavin DeGraw	Safe

Top 8 Perform (July 27, 2011)

Judges: Lady Gaga, Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Rob Marshall
Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Pasha Kovalev Sasha Mallory	Quickstep	"Puttin' On the Ritz"—Terry Snyder	Jonathan Roberts	Safe
Ivan Koumaev Caitlynn Lawson	Hip-hop	"Let Me Love You"—Mario	Marty Kudelka	Bottom 4
Ade Obayomi Jordan Casanova	Jazz	"Nutbush City Limits"—Tina Turner	Tyce Diorio	Eliminated
Neil Haskell Melanie Moore	Contemporary	"Total Eclipse of the Heart"—Bonnie Tyler	Mandy Moore	Safe
Anya Garnis Ricky Jaime	Jive	"River Deep, Mountain High"—Celine Dion	Jason Gilkison	Safe
Lauren Gottlieb Jess LeProtto	Hip-hop	"Take A Bow"—Rihanna	Nappytabs	Eliminated
Lauren Froderman Tadd Gadduang	Jazz	"Another One Bites the Dust"—Queen	Mandy Moore	Bottom 4
Allison Holker Marko Germar	Contemporary	"I Know It's Over"—Jeff Buckley	Sonya Tayeh	Safe
Caitlynn Lawson Tadd Gadduang	Foxtrot	"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails"—Ella Fitzgerald	Jonathan Roberts	Both Bottom 4
Marko Germar Ricky Jaime	Hip-hop	"Bad Boy For Life"—Diddy feat. Black Rob & Mark Curry	Nappytabs	Both Safe
Jordan Casanova Jess LeProtto	Rumba	"Set Fire to the Rain"—Adele	Jason Gilkison	Both Eliminated
Melanie Moore Sasha Mallory	Jazz	Game On—District 78	Sonya Tayeh	Both Safe

Top 6 Perform (August 3, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Lil' C, Christina Applegate
Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Stephen "tWitch" Boss Melanie Moore	Hip-hop	"Roman's Revenge"—Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem	Nappytabs	Safe
Kent Boyd Sasha Mallory	Contemporary	"Fool of Me"—Meshell Ndegeocello	Tyce Diorio	Safe
Marko Germar Janette Manrara	Paso Doble	"Zorongo" (Traditional)—Antonia Gomez, Ely "La Gambita", Guillermo Basilisco & Paco Peña	Dmitry Chaplin	Safe
Tadd Gadduang Ellenore Scott	Jazz	"The Gulag Orkestar"—Beirut	Sonya Tayeh	Safe
Jaimie Goodwin Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"Inside These Lines"—Trent Dabbs	Dee Caspary	Eliminated
Pasha Kovalev Caitlynn Lawson	Samba	"Drop It Low" (District 78 remix)—Kat DeLuna	Dmitry Chaplin	Eliminated
Ricky Jaime Sasha Mallory	Waacking	"Schoolin' Life"—Beyoncé Knowles	Kumari Suraj	Jaime eliminated
Tadd Gadduang Melanie Moore	Broadway	"(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" (Away Team Remix)—Shirley Bassey	Spencer Liff	Safe
Marko Germar Caitlynn Lawson	Lyrical Jazz	"Heavy in Your Arms"—Florence and the Machine	Sonya Tayeh	Lawson eliminated

Solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"After Tonight"—Justin Nozuka	Eliminated
Caitlynn Lawson	Contemporary	"What's Love Got to Do with It"— Katie Thompson	Eliminated
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"We No Speak Americano"—Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP	Safe
Sasha Mallory	Jazz	"Teeth"—Lady Gaga	Safe
Marko Germar	Contemporary	"Wonderful World (Acoustic)"—James Morrison	Safe
Melanie Moore	Jazz	"Cracks" (Flux Pavilion Remix)—Freestylers feat. Belle Humble	Safe

Top 4 Perform (August 10, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Katie Holmes, Kenny Ortega
Performances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Disco	"I Feel Love" (12" Version)—Donna Summer	Doriana Sanchez
Sasha Mallory Mark Kanemura	Jazz	"Raise Your Weapon"—Deadmau5	Sonya Tayeh
Joshua Allen Tadd Gadduang	Hip-hop	"Hustle Hard"—Ace Hood	Lil' C
Melanie Moore Robert Roldan	Contemporary	"Sacrifice"—Sinéad O'Connor	Stacey Tookey
Sasha Mallory Marko Germar	Broadway	"Whatever Lola Wants"—Ella Fitzgerald	Spencer Liff
Sasha Mallory Tadd Gadduang	Cha-cha-cha	"Raindrops"—Basement Jaxx	Mark Ballas
Lauren Froderman Marko Germar	Contemporary	"Shirk"—Meshell Ndegeocello	Tessandra Chavez
Melanie Moore Tadd Gadduang	Jazz	"Show Me What You're Working With"—Sista Monica	Ray Leeper
Melanie Moore Sasha Mallory	Contemporary	"Heart Asks Pleasure First"—Ahn Trio	Stacey Tookey
Tadd Gadduang Marko Germar	Stepping	"B.O.B."—OutKast	Chuck Maldonado

Solos:

Dancer	Style	Music
Melanie Moore	Contemporary	"Song for Viola"—Peter Bradley Adams
Marko Germar	Contemporary	"The Fear You Won't Fall"—Joshua Radin
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"Mama Knows Best"—Jessie J
Sasha Mallory	Contemporary	"Be Be Your Love"—Rachel Yamagata

Result shows

Results show musical performances

Week	Performer(s)	Title	Performance type
Week 1 (6/16/2011)	Keri Hilson	"Lose Control"	pre-recorded performance
Week 1 (6/16/2011)	Lady Gaga	"The Edge of Glory"	music video world exclusive
Week 2 (6/23/2011)	LMFAO	"Party Rock Anthem" (dancing guests Quest Crew)	pre-recorded performance
Week 4 (7/7/2011)	Florence + the Machine	"Cosmic Love"	pre-recorded performance
Week 5 (7/14/2011)	Nicole Scherzinger	"Right There"	pre-recorded performance
Week 6 (7/21/2011)	Blush^[10]	"Undivided"	pre-recorded performance
Week 7 (7/28/2011)	Lady Gaga	"You and I"/"The Edge of Glory"	pre-recorded performance
Week 8 (8/4/2011)	Pia Toscano	"This Time"	pre-recorded performance
Week 9 (8/11/2011)	N/A	N/A	N/A

Week 1 (June 16, 2011)

Group dance: Top 20: "XR2"—M.I.A. (Jazz; Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh)
Guest dancers: (Gopak; )
Bottom 3's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"Say"—John Mayer	Safe
Jordan Casanova	Commercial	"Hot Like Wow"—Nadia Oh	Safe
Tadd Gadduang	Breakdance	"Jump, Jive An' Wail"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra	Safe
Clarice Ordaz	Jazz	"Glam"—Christina Aguilera	Safe
Jess LeProtto	Broadway	"Mr. Bojangles"—Robbie Williams	Safe
Miranda Maleski	Contemporary	"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"—Leona Lewis	Safe
Robert Taylor Jr.	Hip-Hop	"Electric"—Omarion	Safe

Eliminated:
- No one was eliminated.
New partners:
- None. Starting with the next four weeks, no one will get a new partner until Top 10.

Week 2 (June 23, 2011)

Group dance: "Sinnerman"—Nina Simone (Hip-hop; Choreographer: Dave Scott)
Guest dancers: Quest Crew
Bottom 3's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Wadi Jones	B-boying	"Pon de Floor"—Major Lazer feat. Vybz Kartel	Eliminated
Missy Morelli	Jazz	"Move" (Metronomy Remix)—CSS	Eliminated
Nick Young	Tap	"Follow Me Down"—3OH!3 feat. Neon Hitch	Eliminated
Iveta Lukosiute	Samba	"Samba Rock"—Gennaro	Eliminated
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"Riot Rhythm"—Sleigh Bells	Safe
Ryan Ramirez	Contemporary	"Moving Mountains"—Usher	Safe

NOTE:
- Four contestants were eliminated because no one was voted off in Week 1.

Week 3 (June 30, 2011)

Group dance: "The Incredits" from The Incredibles (Jazz; Choreographer: Michael Rooney)
Guest dancers:

AXIS Dance Company ("Partita for Violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Ciaccona"—Janine Jansen; Contemporary; Choreographer: Alex Ketley)
Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian ("Calypso" from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Ballroom)

Bottom 3's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Ashley Rich	Contemporary	"For You"—David Ryan Harris	Safe
Chris Koehl	Hip-hop	"You're Gonna Make It"—KJ-52 feat. Blanca Reyes	Safe
Miranda Maleski	Contemporary	"Unthinkable"—Maria Zouroudis	Eliminated
Robert Taylor, Jr.	Hip-hop	"I Don't Need It"—Jamie Foxx	Eliminated
Caitlynn Lawson	Contemporary	"It Doesn't Hurt" (Live version)—Katie Thompson	Safe
Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"Rolling in the Deep"—Adele	Safe

Week 4 (July 7, 2011)

Group dance: "Kata Kata" from Raavan (Bollywood; Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan)
Guest dancers: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet ("Ends"—Mikael Karlsson)
Bottom 3's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Ashley Rich	Contemporary	"Lovely"—John West feat. Pusha T	Eliminated
Chris Koehl	Hip-hop	"Scars"—Basement Jaxx feat. Kelis, Meleka and Chipmunk	Eliminated
Jordan Casanova	Jazz	"Commander"—Kelly Rowland feat. David Guetta	Safe
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"1-2-3 (Remix)"—Gloria Estefan	Safe
Ryan Ramirez	Contemporary	"Adagio for Strings"—Brno Philharmonic Orchestra	Safe
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"When You Say My Name"—Mario Spinetti	Safe

Week 5 (July 14, 2011)

Group dance: "El Fuego" by Sean Peter feat. Oscar Jimenez (Flamenco-Jazz; Choreographer: Kelley Abbey)
Guest dancers: Jason Samuels Smith & Anybody Can Get It - "Move The Crowd (Sole Sessions Pt. 1)"
Bottom 3's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Caitlynn Lawson	Jazz	"The Edge of Glory"—Lady Gaga	Safe
Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"Ra"—Nathan Lanier	Safe
Ryan Ramirez	Jazz	"Not in Love"—Crystal Castles feat. Robert Smith	Eliminated
Ricky Jaime	Jazz	"Body Language"—Queen	Safe
Sasha Mallory	Modern	"Thinkin' About Your Body"—Bobby McFerrin	Safe
Alexander Fost	Ballet	"Palladio"—Escala	Eliminated

Note: Now it's up to Top 10, they'll be voted individually by America.

Week 6 (July 21, 2011)

Group dance: "Act One: On Broadway" from Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber & Stoller (Broadway; Choreographer: Josh Bergasse)
Guest dancers: Daniil Simkni from The American Ballet Theater ("Les Bourgeois"—Jacques Brel; Ballet)
Bottom 4's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Clarice Ordaz	Jazz	"Royal T Crookers feat Roisin Murphy"	Eliminated
Mitchell Kelly	Contemporary	"Time & Space"—The Cinematic Orchestra	Eliminated
Jordan Casanova	Contemporary	"Tonight"—Lykke Li	Safe
Ricky Jamie	Contemporary	"Battle for the Beat"—District 78	Safe

Week 7 (July 28, 2011)

Group dance: "The Circus Sets Up" from Water for Elephants (Contemporary; Choreographer: Tyce Diorio)
Guest dancers: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers ("Bernini's Angels"—Kerry Muzzey; Choreographers:Christopher Scott and Galen Hooks)
Bottom 4's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Jordan Casanova	Jazz-Funk	"S&M"—Rihanna	Eliminated
Jess LeProtto	Broadway	"Mack the Knife"—Kevin Spacey	Eliminated
Caitlynn Lawson	Contemporary	"What Turns You On"—Katie Thompson	Safe
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"Jump in the Line"—Harry Belafonte	Safe

Week 8 (August 4, 2011)

Group dance: "Grown Unknown"—Lia Ices (Contemporary; Choreographer: Justin Giles)
Guest dancers:

Kent Boyd and Lauren Froderman: "Collide"—Howie Day (Contemporary; Choreographer: Travis Wall)
Bad Boys of Dance: "Derezzed" from Tron: Legacy (Choreographer: Rasta Thomas)

Top 6's solos:

Dancer	Style	Music	Result
Sasha Mallory	Jazz	"We Gonna Win"—Miri Ben-Ari feat. Styles P.	Safe
Caitlynn Lawson	Contemporary	"Touch"—Natasha Bedingfield	Eliminated
Melanie Moore	Contemporary	"My Love"—Sia Furler	Safe
Tadd Gadduang	B-boying	"Only So Much Oil in the Ground"—Tower of Power	Safe
Marko Germar	Contemporary	"You Give Me Something" (Acoustic)—James Morrison	Safe
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"Requiem for a Tower"—London Music Works & Clint Mansell	Eliminated

Finale (August 11, 2011)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sonya Tayeh, Tyce Diorio, Robin Antin, Lil' C
Group dances:

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer	Chosen by
Top 20	Jazz	"Wanna Get Hype"—District 78	Sonya Tayeh	N/A
Top 8	Contemporary	"The Circus Sets Up" from Water for Elephants (taped from broadcast of 28 July)	Tyce Diorio	Cat Deeley
Matt Flint¹ Jess LeProtto Nick Young	Tap	"Can't Buy Me Love"—Michael Bublé	Matt Flint Jess LeProtto Nick Young	N/A
Top 10 girls	Jazz	"Pop Drop & Roll"—Chonique Sneed & Lisette Bustamante	Sonya Tayeh	Tyce Diorio
Top 10 guys	Hip-hop	"Velocity"—Nathan Lainer	Christopher Scott	Sonya Tayeh

^1 Matt Flint is the winner of So You Think You Can Dance UK's second season, and this performance comprised a portion of his prize package.

Judges' picks

Dancers	Style	Music	Choreographer	Chosen by
Sasha Mallory Kent Boyd	Contemporary	"Fool Of Me"—Meshell Ndegeocello	Tyce Diorio	Mary Murphy
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Hip-hop	"I Got You"—Leona Lewis	Nappytabs	Nigel Lythgoe
Tadd Gadduang Lauren Froderman	Jazz	"Another One Bites The Dust"—Queen	Mandy Moore	Robin Antin
Miranda Maleski Robert Taylor, Jr.	Hip-hop	"Break Ya Neck"—Busta Rhymes	Nappytabs	Lil' C
Melanie Moore Neil Haskell	Contemporary	"Total Eclipse of the Heart"—Bonnie Tyler	Mandy Moore	Mary Murphy
Marko Germar Allison Holker	Contemporary	"I Know It's Over"—Jeff Buckley	Sonya Tayeh	Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Ashley Rich Chris Koehl	Broadway	"Please, Mister Jailer"—Rachel Sweet	Spencer Liff	Lil' C
Sasha Mallory Stephen "tWitch" Boss	Hip-hop	"Misty Blue"—Dorothy Moore	Christopher Scott	Nigel Lythgoe
Caitlynn Lawson Pasha Kovalev	Argentine Tango	"Malajunta"—Orquesta Color Tango (taped from broadcast of 20 July)	Miriam Larici Leonardo Barrionuevo	Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Melanie Moore Marko Germar	Contemporary	"Turn to Stone"—Ingrid Michaelson	Travis Wall	Mary Murphy
Melanie Moore Sasha Mallory	Jazz	Game On—District 78	Sonya Tayeh	Nigel Lythgoe

All-Stars Dance Pool

As opposed to last season, there is no set group of All-Star dancers. Rather, All-Stars will be changing weekly based on availability. On the July 14, 2011 results show, Lythgoe announced that Season 7 contestant Alex Wong—forced to withdraw after tearing an Achilles tendon—was asked to be an All-Star for Top 10 week, but that Wong tore his other Achilles tendon at an audition the Saturday prior and thus would not be able to participate.

All-Stars, Contestant Partners, and Results
Dancer	Season	Dance Styles	Original Placement	Partner
Dancer	Season	Dance Styles	Original Placement	Week 6		Week 7	Week 8	Week 9
Melody Lacayanga	1	Contemporary/Jazz	Runner-up	Mitchell
Ivan Koumaev	2	Hip Hop	Top 6			Caitlynn
Allison Holker	2	Contemporary/Jazz	Top 8	Ricky		Marko
Neil Haskell	3	Contemporary/Jazz	3rd Place			Melanie
Lauren Gottlieb		Contemporary/Jazz/Hip Hop	Top 6			Jess
Pasha Kovalev		Ballroom/Latin	Top 6	Caitlynn	Melanie	Sasha	Caitlynn
Jaimie Goodwin		Contemporary/Jazz	Top 10				Ricky
Anya Garnis		Ballroom/Latin	Top 12			Ricky
Joshua Allen	4	Hip-Hop	Winner					Tadd
Stephen "tWitch" Boss		Popping/Locking/Krump	Runner-up	Sasha			Melanie
Chelsie Hightower		Ballroom/Latin	Top 6	Marko
Mark Kanemura		Contemporary/Jazz	Top 6					Sasha
Comfort Fedoke		Hip Hop/Krump	Top 8	Tadd
Brandon Bryant	5	Contemporary/Jazz	Runner-up	Jordan
Ade Obayomi		Contemporary/Jazz	Top 6			Jordan
Janette Manrara		Ballroom/Latin	Top 8				Marko
Kathryn McCormick	6	Contemporary/Jazz	3rd Place	Jess
Ellenore Scott	6	Contemporary/Jazz	4th Place				Tadd
Lauren Froderman	7	Contemporary/Jazz	Winner			Tadd		Marko
Kent Boyd		Contemporary/Jazz	Runner-up				Sasha
Robert Roldan		Contemporary/Jazz	3rd Place	Clarice				Melanie

This dancer was eliminated this week.

This dancer was in the bottom 4 this week.

This All-Star did not perform this week.

This dancer placed second in the competition.

This dancer won the competition.

All-Stars in bold text won the competition in their season.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Moorhouse, Drusilla (2011-05-26). "So You Think You Can Dance Is Back—With More Dancers, More Judges and More Danger!". E! Online. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b243938_you_think_you_can_dance_backmdashwith.html. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ "Mary Murphy to Life & Style: I'm cancer-free!". Life & Style Weekly. 2011-02-22. http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/2011/02/post-41.html?loc=interstitialskip. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ [Thttp://dance.blogs.fox.com/2011/03/14/so-you-think-you-can-dance-season-8-premieres-may-26/ "So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Premieres May 26"]. Fox Broadcasting Company. 2011-03-14. Thttp://dance.blogs.fox.com/2011/03/14/so-you-think-you-can-dance-season-8-premieres-may-26/. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ "LAST CALL: Season 8 Auditions". Fox Broadcasting Company. 2010-09-15. http://dance.blogs.fox.com/2010/09/15/season-8-auditions/. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ Barney, Chuck (2011-05-27). "Oakland gets dissed on "So You Think You Can Dance"". Media News Group. http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2011/05/27/oakland-gets-dissed-on-so-you-think-you-can-dance/. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ Hanks, Henry. "'SYTYCD' auditions hit Atlanta (slideshow)". CNN.com. http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/22/sytycd-auditions-hit-the-road-again/. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ "Auditions - New York and Salt Lake City". So You Think You Can Dance. Fox. 2011-06-01. No. 2, season 8.
^ ^a ^b Rojas Weiss, Sabrina (2011-05-26). "'So You Think You Can Dance' Returns With Mary Murphy, Contortionists". MTV.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664671/so-you-think-you-can-dance-returns.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ "So You Think You Can Dance Offers Online Voting for First Time Ever". Fox.com. 06-09-2011. http://dance.blogs.fox.com/2011/06/09/so-you-think-you-can-dance-offers-online-voting-for-first-time-ever/. Retrieved 06-09-2011.
^ http://www.blushband.com/tour

So You Think You Can Dance

Seasons	1 (2005) · 2 (2006) · 3 (2007) · 4 (2008) · 5 (Summer 2009) · 6 (Fall 2009) · 7 (2010) · 8 (2011)

Hosts	Lauren Sánchez (2005) · Cat Deeley (2006–present)

Permanent judges	Nigel Lythgoe (2005-present) · Mary Murphy (2007–2009, 2011–present) · Adam Shankman (2009–2010) · Mia Michaels (2010)

Guest judges	Debbie Allen · Toni Basil · Kenny Ortega

Choreographers	Louis van Amstel · Dee Caspary · Dmitry Chaplin · Sean Cheesman · Alex Da Silva · Tyce Diorio · Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo · Brian Friedman · Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev · Jean-Marc Généreux · Jason Gilkison · Dan Karaty · Spencer Liff · Nakul Dev Mahajan · Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin · Mia Michaels · Ron Montez · Mandy Moore · Mary Murphy · Toni Redpath · Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson · Wade Robson · Doriana Sanchez · Benji Schwimmer · Christopher Scott · Dave Scott · Shane Sparks · Sonya Tayeh · Lil C · Stacey Tookey · Travis Wall

Winners	Nick Lazzarini · Benji Schwimmer · Sabra Johnson · Joshua Allen · Jeanine Mason · Russell Ferguson · Lauren Froderman · Melanie Moore

2nd place finalists¹	Melody Lacayanga · Travis Wall · Danny Tidwell · Stephen "tWitch" Boss · Brandon Bryant · Jakob Karr · Kent Boyd · Sasha Mallory

3rd place finalists¹	Jamile McGee · Donyelle Jones · Neil Haskell · Katee Shean · Evan Kasprzak · Kathryn McCormick · Robert Roldan · Marko Germar

4th place finalists¹	Ashlé Dawson · Heidi Groskreutz · Lacey Schwimmer · Courtney Galiano · Kayla Radomski · Ellenore Scott · AdéChiké Torbert² · Tadd Gadduang

Other finalists	Season 1 · Season 2 · Season 3 · Season 4 · Season 5 · Season 6 · Season 7

Other countries	Australia · Benelux · Canada · Denmark · Finland · Germany · Greece · Israel · Lithuania · Malaysia · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Scandinavia · South Africa · Turkey · UK · Ukraine

Click here for the complete list of contestants. ^1 Only the first season of the show provided an official percentage breakdown of the final vote. For the remaining seasons, second through fourth place finalists are based only on the order in which they were announced, which may not reflect the official vote breakdown. ^2 Season 7 featured only three dancers as finalists at the end of its run. Although Torbert technically finished fourth, he was eliminated the week prior to the finale.