Two years after production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “So You Think You Can Dance” is making a comeback. Fox announced on Wednesday that the long-delayed 17th season of the dance competition series will premiere this summer.
Auditions for the new season will take place in March, as the show looks for “highly skilled dancers between the ages of 18 and 30, showcasing their talents in various dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation, breaking and more.” Aspiring contestants can sign up at danceshow2022.castingcrane.com or fox.com/dance.
Selected dancers will be sent to auditions in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans, with finalists then traveling to Los Angeles to perform for the judges and try to win a spot as one of the final contestants. Contestants will work with choreographers and compete each week in a variety of styles, in the usual “So You Think You Can Dance” fashion. Fox did not reveal whether host Cat Deeley is back, or if there will be a new emcee at the helm; ditto any information on the show’s judges. (This season was originally scheduled to include panelists Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Laurieann Gibson.)
“So You Think You Can Dance” was originally supposed to air its 17th season in 2020, but Fox and the show’s producers had to scrap those plans over health concerns. “Production on Season 17 of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ will not be moving forward due to health and governmental restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Fox said in a June 18, 2020 statement. “As a result, while we were looking forward to its return this summer, we cannot meet the standards we’ve set for viewers and contestants in light of the show’s unique format, intricate production schedule and limited time.”
The show comes from Industrial Media’s 19 Entertainment and MRC, and is executive-produced by co-creator Nigel Lythgoe, Jeff Thacker, Rosie Seitchik, and Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman on behalf of 19 Entertainment. Seitchik will also serve as showrunner.
Over the show’s 16 seasons, “So You Think You Can Dance” has won 17 Emmys, across 71 Emmy nominations, including outstanding choreography, outstanding costumes and outstanding lighting design.
“So You Think You Can Dance” will also be available to stream on Fox’s Tubi service, as well as Fox Now, Hulu and on demand.
