So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series) season 4

So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series) season 4
Created by	Simon Fuller Nigel Lythgoe
Directed by	Don Weiner
Starring	Cat Deeley Nigel Lythgoe Mary Murphy
Country of origin	United States
Production
Executive producers	Simon Fuller Nigel Lythgoe Barry Adelman
Running time	1 or 2 hours
Original release
Network	Fox Broadcasting Company
Release	May 22, 2008 – August 7, 2008

So You Think You Can Dance is an United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host.

Auditions

Open auditions for this season were expanded to the following six cities:

• McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas—January 17–19
• Charleston Music Hall in Charleston, South Carolina—January 31–February 2
• Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah—February 4–7
• Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C.—February 21–23
• The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California—March 6–8
• The Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—March 20–22

For the first time, New York City was not a stop on the audition tour. To be able to audition, contestants had to be between the ages of 18 and 30 and able to be legally employed in the United States. Partner auditions were allowed.

Las Vegas week

Over 200 contestants who impressed the judges in the initial auditions each received a plane ticket to a challenging week of callback auditions at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The week consisted of multiple rounds of choreography, with dancers cut from the competition every round. This season, the rounds included a hip-hop routine with Napoleon D'umo and Tabitha D'umo, a Broadway number with Tyce Diorio, the foxtrot with Jean-Marc Genereux, group choreography, contemporary choreography with Mia Michaels, and a final solo for the remaining contestants. Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were part of the judging panel for the week, along with Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels, Napoleon D'umo and Tabitha D'umo.

Finals

Format

As in seasons 2 and 3, the finals began with 20 contestants, ten male and ten female. After partners are assigned, couples pick a dance style out of a hat, are rehearsed by a choreographer, and perform their routine, which is pre-taped. Following the airing of the performances, home viewers vote for their favorite couple. The bottom three couples (six dancers overall) are then liable for elimination by the judges on the live, or broadcast on Broadcast delay in the western United States, results show. All six dancers perform a solo, after which the judges eliminate one male and one female contestant. If the eliminated dancers are not from the same couple, their respective partners form a new pair for the following week's performances. Once the field of dancers is narrowed down to the top 10, permanent partnerships dissolve and contestants draw their new partners from a hat each week. The judges no longer have any say in the elimination process; viewers call in to vote for their favorite individual dancer, and the male and female with the lowest number of votes are eliminated each week.

Because of the inclusion of performer Will Wingfield into the top 20 dancers, Debbie Allen was ruled ineligible to perform duties as a Guest Judge during the Finals phase, as long as Wingfield remained in the competition. Wingfield is a Contemporary dancer from Nashville, Tennessee who trained under Allen at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Elimination chart

Contestants are in alphabetical order by last name, then in reverse chronological order of elimination.

Legend

Female

Male

Bottom 3 couples

Bottom 4 contestants

Week:	6/12	6/19	6/26	7/03	7/10	7/17	7/24	7/31	8/07
Contestant	Result
Joshua Allen
Stephen "Twitch" Boss					Btm 3
Comfort Fedoke		Btm 3	Btm 3	Btm 3	Elim*	Btm 4
Courtney Galiano				Btm 3
Chelsie Hightower
Mark Kanemura						Btm 4
Katee Shean
William Wingfield	Btm 3				Btm 3
Gev Manoukian				Btm 3		Elim
Kherington Payne					Btm 3	Elim
Jessica King	Btm 3				Btm 3*
Thayne Jasperson		Btm 3	Btm 3	Btm 3	Elim
Matt Dorame	Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Kourtni Lind	Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Chris Jarosz		Btm 3	Elim
Chelsea Traille		Btm 3	Elim
Marquis Cunningham		Elim
Susie Garcia		Elim
Jamie Bayard	Elim
Rayven Armijo	Elim

*Jessica King suffered an injury that resulted in her being unable to continue in the competition. Comfort Fedoke replaced her as she is the most recent female competitor eliminated.

Performances

Week 1 (11 June 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Rayven Armijo Jamie Bayard	Hip-hop	"American Boy"—Estelle feat. Kanye West	Napoleon D'umo Tabitha D'umo	Both eliminated
Susie Garcia Marquis Cunningham	Waltz	"Dark Waltz"—Hayley Westenra	Hunter Johnson	Safe
Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame	Jazz	"Tainted Love"—Soft Cell	Mandy Moore	Bottom 3
Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson	Cha-cha-cha	"Oye Como Va (Latin/Trance Mix)"—Celia Cruz	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe
Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura	Contemporary	"Beautiful"— Meshell Ndegeocello	Mia Michaels	Safe
Kherington Payne Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Broadway	"Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me, Kate	Tyce DiOrio	Safe
Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz	Jive	"Boom Boom Boom"—Big Head Todd and the Monsters	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe
Katee Shean Joshua Allen	Hip-hop	"No Air"—Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown	Napoleon D'umo Tabitha D'umo	Safe
Jessica King William Wingfield	Tango	"Tango" —Cirque du Soleil	Hunter Johnson	Bottom 3
Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian	Disco	"Boogie Wonderland"—Earth, Wind & Fire	Doriana Sanchez	Safe

Week 2 (18 June 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson	Jazz	"Untouched"—The Veronicas	Mandy Moore	Bottom 3
Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura	Argentine tango	"Mi Confesión"— Gotan Project	Alex Da Silva	Safe
Jessica King William Wingfield	Hip-hop	"Whatever U Like"—Nicole Scherzinger	Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley	Safe
Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame	Foxtrot	"A Foggy Day (In London Town)" —Michael Bublé	Jean-Marc Genereux	Safe
Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian	Contemporary	"Lost"—Anouk	Mandy Moore	Safe
Katee Shean Joshua Allen	Broadway	"All for the Best" from Godspell	Tyce DiOrio	Safe
Susie Garcia Marquis Cunningham	Salsa	"Aguanilé" —Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe	Alex Da Silva	Both eliminated
Kherington Payne Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Viennese waltz	"A New Day Has Come"—Celine Dion	Jean-Marc Genereux	Safe
Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz	Krump	"Come and Get Me" —Timbaland feat. 50 Cent & Tony Yayo	Lil' C	Bottom 3

Week 3 (25 June 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Kherington Payne Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Hip-hop	"Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em)"—Busta Rhymes	Napoleon D'umo Tabitha D'umo	Safe
Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian	Rumba	"Wishing on a Star"—Rose Royce	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe
Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz	Jazz	"The Beautiful People"—Marilyn Manson	Tyce Diorio	Jarosz eliminated
Jessica King William Wingfield	Disco	"Heaven Must Have Sent You"—Bonnie Pointer	Doriana Sanchez	Safe
Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame	Contemporary	"Wrestlers (Sticky, Dirty Pop Mix)"—Hot Chip	Sonya Tayeh	Bottom 3
Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson	Quickstep	"You Can't Hurry Love"—Phil Collins	Heather Smith	Traille eliminated
Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura	Hip-hop	"Bleeding Love"—Leona Lewis	Napoleon D'umo Tabitha D'umo	Safe
Katee Shean Joshua Allen	Samba	"Baila, Baila"—Angela Via	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe

Week 4 (2 July 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Napoleon D'umo, Tabitha D'umo

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Jessica King William Wingfield	Jive	"Choo Choo Ch' Boogie"-Louis Jordan	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe
	Lyrical Jazz	"Alone"—Heart	Mandy Moore
Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson	Broadway	"Cool" from West Side Story	Andy Blankenbuehler	Bottom 3
	Smooth Waltz	"Hov Arek Sarer Jan"—New Age Armenia	Edward Simon
Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame	Hip-hop	"How Do I Breathe"—Mario	Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley	Both eliminated
	Mambo	"Ban Con Tin"—Super All-Star	Alex Da Silva
Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura	Jazz	"Kiss Kiss"—Holly Valance (incorrectly listed as "Holly Vance")	Mandy Moore	Safe
	Foxtrot	"It's My Life"—Paul Anka	Edward Simon
Kherington Payne Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Paso Doble	"Malaguena"—Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin	Safe
	Contemporary	"Dreaming With a Broken Heart"—John Mayer	Mia Michaels
Katee Shean Joshua Allen	Contemporary	"Hometown Glory"—Adele	Mia Michaels	Safe
	West Coast Swing	"Shake It"—Brother Yusef	Benji Schwimmer Lacey Schwimmer assisting
Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian	Hip-hop	"Lights, Camera, Action!"—Mr. Cheeks	Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley	Bottom 3
	Broadway	"New York, New York" from On the Town	Andy Blankenbuehler

Week 5 (9 July 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura	Salsa	"Fuego"—Joe Bataan	Alex Da Silva	Safe
	Broadway	"I'm a Woman" from Smokey Joe's Cafe	Tyce Diorio
Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson	Hip-hop	"Can We Chill"—Ne-Yo	Napoleon D'umo Tabitha D'umo	Jasperson eliminated*
	Contemporary	"A Different Corner"—George Michael	Mandy Moore
Jessica King William Wingfield	Contemporary	"Silence" from Unfaithful	Tyce Diorio	King withdrawn*
	Quickstep	"Bandstand Boogie"—Barry Manilow	Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin
Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian	Cha-cha-cha	"Don't Stop the Music" (The Wideboys Club Mix)—Rihanna	Anya Garnis Pasha Kovalev	Safe
	Jazz	"Standing There"—The Creatures	Mandy Moore
Kherington Payne Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Krump	"2 Buck 4 TV"—Tha J-Squad	Lil' C	Bottom 3
	Tango	"Assassin's Tango" from Mr. and Mrs. Smith	Jean-Marc Genereux
Katee Shean Joshua Allen	Viennese Waltz	"Iris"—Goo Goo Dolls	Jean-Marc Genereux	Safe
	Bollywood	"Dhoom Taana" from Om Shanti Om	Nakul Dev Mahajan

• Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson were eliminated by the judges, but Jessica King later had to withdraw from the competition due to injury. She was replaced by Fedoke, the most recent eliminated female.

Week 6 (16 July 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Lil' C

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Courtney Galiano Joshua Allen	Hip-Hop	"Skippin'"—Mario	Dave Scott	Safe
	Rumba	"Hero"—Enrique Iglesias	Jean-Marc Genereux
Kherington Payne Mark Kanemura	Country/Western Two-step	"Kick Back"—Ty England	Ronnie DeBenedetta Brandi Jobais	Payne eliminated; Kanemura in bottom 4
	Jazz	"Canned Heat"—Jamiroquai	Tyce Diorio
Comfort Fedoke Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Smooth Waltz	"Open Arms"—Journey	Hunter Johnson	Fedoke in bottom 4
	Hip-Hop	"Forever"—Chris Brown	Dave Scott
Katee Shean William Wingfield	Broadway	"Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys and Dolls	Tyce Diorio	Safe
	Pas de deux	"Imagine"—David Archuleta	Dwight Rhoden Desmond Richardson
Chelsie Hightower Gev Manoukian	Contemporary	"These Arms of Mine"—Otis Redding	Sonya Tayeh	Manoukian eliminated
	Jive	"The House is Rockin'"—Brian Setzer	Jean-Marc Genereux

• Solos:
  • Chelsie Hightower: "Pon de Replay"—Rihanna
  • Gev Manoukian: "Hello Goodbye (Uncool)"—Lupe Fiasco ft. Unkle
  • Courtney Galiano: "I Want You to Need Me"—Celine Dion
  • Mark Kanemura: "Bohemian Rhapsody"—Queen
  • Comfort Fedoke: "Need a Boss"—Shareefa ft. Ludacris
  • Stephen "Twitch" Boss: "I Question Mark"—Wade Robson
  • Katee Shean: "This Woman's Work" (MTV Unplugged)—Maxwell
  • William Wingfield: "Dance With My Father"—Luther Vandross
  • Kherington Payne: "Breakin' Dishes"—Rihanna
  • Joshua Allen: "Jam"—Michael Jackson

Week 7 (23 July 2008)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Toni Basil

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer	Results
Courtney Galiano William Wingfield	Samba	"I Fell in Love With the DJ"—Che'Nelle	Jean-Marc Genereux
	Hip-hop	"Like You'll Never See Me Again"—Alicia Keys	Tabitha D'umo Napoleon D'umo
Katee Shean Stephen "Twitch" Boss	Contemporary	"Mercy"—Duffy	Mia Michaels
	Broadway	"Sweet Georgia Brown" from Bubbling Brown Sugar	Tyce DiOrio
Comfort Fedoke Mark Kanemura	Hip-hop	"Party People"—Nelly feat. Fergie	Tabitha D'umo Napoleon D'umo
	Foxtrot	"Lady Luck"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra	Jean-Marc Genereux
Chelsie Hightower Joshua Allen	Argentine tango	"A Los Amigos" from Forever Tango	Dmitry Chaplin
	Disco	"Everlasting Love"—Gloria Estefan	Doriana Sanchez

• Solos:

• Comfort Fedoke: "I Got This Down"—Simian Mobile Disco
• William Wingfield: "Get Up Offa That Thing"—James Brown
• Katee Shean: "Taking Chances"—Celine Dion
• Mark Kanemura: "Creator"—Santogold ft. Switch and Freq Nasty
• Chelsie Hightower: "Damaged"—Danity Kane
• Joshua Allen: "Shawty Get Loose"—Lil' Mama feat. T-Pain and Chris Brown
• Courtney Galiano: "Where I Stood"—Missy Higgins
• Stephen "Twitch" Boss: "Go To Work"—Kay L

Results shows

Week 1 (12 June 2008)

• Group dance: "Cobrastyle"—Robyn (Pop-Jazz; Choreographer: Wade Robson)
• Guest dancer(s): Poppin' Pete & Shonn Boog
• Musical guest: "When I Grow Up"—Pussycat Dolls
• Solos:
  • Kourtni Lind: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"—The Side Project
  • Matt Dorame: "Baby's Romance"—Chris Garneau
  • Rayven Armijo: "As I Am (Intro)"—Alicia Keys
  • Jamie Bayard: "Mas Que Nada"—Sérgio Mendes feat. Black Eyed Peas
  • Jessica King: "Misery Business (Acoustic)"—Paramore
  • William Wingfield: "More Than Anyone"—Gavin DeGraw
• Eliminated
  • Rayven Armijo: "It's Only Life"—Kate Voegele
  • Jamie Bayard: "Best Days (Here Comes the Rest of Our Lives)"—Graham Colton
• New partners:
  • None

Week 2 (19 June 2008)

• Group dance: "Elevator"—Flo Rida feat. Timbaland (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Shane Sparks)
• Guest dancer(s): Tino Nuñez (auditioned for season 1 and season 2, making it to Las Vegas week both times)
• Musical guest: "In the Ayer"—Flo Rida feat. will.i.am
• Solos:
  • Chelsea Traille: "Time Is Now"—Moloko
  • Thayne Jasperson: "Belief"—Gavin DeGraw
  • Susie Garcia: "The Anthem"—Pitbull feat. Lil Jon
  • Marquis Cunningham: "Stop and Stare"—OneRepublic
  • Comfort Fedoke: "Planet Rock"—Afrika Bambaataa
  • Chris Jarosz: "Again"—John Legend
• Eliminated:
  • Susie Garcia: "Brave"—Idina Menzel
  • Marquis Cunningham: "Wonderful World"—James Morrison
• New partners:
  • None

Week 3 (26 June 2008)

• Group dance: "The Dance"—Charlotte Martin (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mia Michaels )
• Guest dancer(s): Qwest to "Chemical Calisthenics"—Blackalicious feat. Cut Chemist
• Musical guest: "One Step at a Time"—Jordin Sparks
• Solos:
  • Chelsea Traille: "A Song For You"—Donny Hathaway
  • Thayne Jasperson: "Always"—Bon Jovi
  • Comfort Fedoke: "Just Fine"—Mary J. Blige
  • Chris Jarosz: "After Tonight"—Justin Nozuka
  • Kourtni Lind: "Fire Door (Live)"—Ani DiFranco
  • Matt Dorame: "I'm Yours"—Jason Mraz
• Eliminated:
  • Chelsea Traille: "When You're Gone"—Avril Lavigne
  • Chris Jarosz: "All We Are"—OneRepublic
• New partners:
  • Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson

Week 4 (3 July 2008)

• Group dance: "Money Money" from Cabaret (Broadway; Choreographer: Tyce DiOrio )
• Guest dancer(s): Robert Muraine ("Gonna Make You Sweat"—C&C Music Factory)
• Musical guest: "Say (All I Need)"—OneRepublic
• Solos:

• Kourtni Lind: "No Man"—Nina Storey
• Matt Dorame: "Sweet Contentment"—Bradley James and the Roadies
• Courtney Galiano: "What's Another Day"—Maria Mena
• Gev Manoukian: "Everybody Loves A Carnival"—Fatboy Slim
• Comfort Fedoke: "Hit the Floor"—Twista feat. Pitbull
• Thayne Jasperson: "I Want To Break Free"—Queen

• Eliminated:

• Kourtni Lind: "Incredible"—Clique Girlz
• Matt Dorame: "Might As Well Have a Good Time"—Crosby, Stills, & Nash

• New partners:

• None

Week 5 (10 July 2008)

• Group dance: "Closer"—Ne-Yo (Hip-Hop; Choreographers: Napoleon D'umo and Tabitha D'umo )
• Guest dancer(s): Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater "Revelations" ("Sinner Man"—Billy Porter)
• Musical guest: "I Kissed a Girl"—Katy Perry
• Solos:

• Comfort Fedoke: "Oh Timbaland"—Timbaland
• Thayne Jasperson: "Come Home"—OneRepublic
• Jessica King: "Best For Last"—Adele
• William Wingfield: "Daraijan"—Kodo
• Kherington Payne: "All We Are"—OneRepublic
• Stephen "Twitch" Boss: "We Gonna Win"—Miri Ben-Ari

• Eliminated:

• Comfort Fedoke: "The Greatest"—Michelle Williams
• Thayne Jasperson: "Believe"—Staind

• New partners:

• None. Now that only the top ten remain, new partners are randomly assigned each week

• It was reported on 14 July, 2008 that Jessica King was injured and as a result could not continue in the competition. Comfort Fedoke has returned to the show in place of King.

Week 6 (17 July 2008)

• Group dances:

• All dancers: "JBJ" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (Bollywood; Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan)
• Female dancers: "Ave Maria"—Celine Dion (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mia Michaels)
• Male dancers: "Five Guys Named Moe"-Louis Jordan (Broadway; Choreographer: Nigel Lythgoe)

• Solos:

• Comfort Fedoke: "Egypt, Egypt"—Egyptian Lover
• Mark Kanemura: "Black Betty"—Ram Jam
• Kherington Payne: "Myphilosophy"—Inner
• Gev Manoukian: "Feeling Good"—Michael Bublé

• Eliminated:

• Kherington Payne: "Forever May You Run"—Gavin Rossdale
• Gev Manoukian: "It Ends Tonight"—All-American Rejects

External links

• Official "So You Think You Can Dance" Website
• All the So You Think You Can Dance Music