So You Think You Can Dance (American season 1)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American television dance competition that airs on the Fox network. The first season premiered on July 20, 2005 with Lauren Sánchez as host, Nigel Lythgoe as the main judge, and Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty, Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman as most frequent guest judges. Nick Lazzarini was crowned America's Favorite Dancer on October 5, 2005 with 37.7% of the votes.
Auditions
Locations
The main auditions for this season were held in following cities:| Audition Veune | City | Judges |
| Chicago Theatre | Chicago, Illinois | Nigel Lythgoe Bonnie Lythgoe Jeff Thacker |
| Manhattan Center Theatre | New York City, New York | Nigel Lythgoe Bonnie Lythgoe Jeff Thacker |
| Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, California | Nigel Lythgoe Bonnie Lythgoe Jeff Thacker |
Format
Auditioners had one minute to impress the judges. A contestant deemed to be not good enough was sent straight home, otherwise, they were sent to a choreography round. After that, the judges decided the fifty dancers that got through to the Hollywood week.Minimum age for contestants was 18; maximum was 30.
Hollywood week
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Alex Da SilvaHollywood week was held in Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. 25 females and 25 males were invited to participate in the callback auditions. This number was cut down to 8 females and 8 males, a total of 16 dancers that came through to the live shows. Hollywood week included the following rounds, cuts were made at the end:
| Task/style | Choreographer |
| Salsa | Alex Da Silva |
| Jazz | Brian Friedman |
| Hip-Hop | Dan Karaty |
| Contemporary | Mia Michaels |
| Foxtrot | Mary Murphy |
Finals
Top 16 finalists
Male contestants
Canadian-born McGrath has since become lead choreographer and occasional third judge for So You Think You Can Dance Canada ; he is choreographer for those contestants who are sent to choreography.Female contestants
Elimination chart
Performance nights
Week 1 (17 August 2005)
Judges: Brian Friedman, Mia Michaels, Nigel Lythgoe and Dan Karaty- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Hip-Hop | "Touch"—Omarion | Blake Anthony/Marty Kudelka | Safe |
| Michelle Brooke Jonathan "Jonnis" Tannis | Mambo | "Caravan"—Eddie Torres and his Mambo Kings | Alex DaSilva | Jonathan "Jonnis" Tannis eliminated |
| Sandra Colton Artem Chigvintsev | Lyrical | "Nora"—Blessid Union of Souls | Alex Magno | Sandra Colton eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Jamile McGee | Jive | "Jim Dandy"—LaVern Baker | Mary Murphy | Safe |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin Allan Frias | Hip-Hop | "Touch"—Omarion | Blake Anthony/Marty Kudelka | Bottom 3 |
| Melissa Vella Ryan Conferido | Mambo | "Caravan"—Eddie Torres and his Mambo Kings | Alex DaSilva | Safe |
| Destini Rogers Blake McGrath | Lyrical | "Nora"—Blessid Union of Souls | Alex Magno | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Craig DeRosa | Jive | "Jim Dandy"—LaVern Baker | Mary Murphy | Safe |
- Bottom 3's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Michelle Brooke | Hip-Hop | "Dum Diddly"—The Black Eyed Peas | Safe |
| Jonathan "Jonnis" Tannis | Hip-Hop | "Bebot"—The Black Eyed Peas | Eliminated |
| Sandra Colton | Tap | "Hollaback Girl"—Gwen Stefani | Eliminated |
| Artem Chigvintsev | Rumba | "Let Me Love You"—Mario | Safe |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin | Samba | "Din Daa Daa"—George Kranz | Safe |
| Allan Frias | Lyrical Hip-Hop | "Take You Out"—Luther Vandross | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Sandra Colton
- *Jonathan "Jonnis" Tannis
Week 2 (24 August 2005)
- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin Jamile McGee | Quickstep | "It Don't Mean a Thing "—Geoff Love and his Orchestra | Glenn Weiss | Bottom 3 |
| Destini Rogers Blake McGrath | Lyrical Jazz | "A Song for You"—Donny Hathaway | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Craig DeRosa | Hip-Hop | "Tipsy"—J-Kwon | Shane Sparks | Craig DeRosa eliminated |
| Michelle Brooke Nick Lazzarini | Quickstep | "It Don't Mean a Thing "—Geoff Love and his Orchestra | Glenn Weiss | Michelle Brooke eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Artem Chigvintsev | Lyrical Jazz | "A Song for You"—Donny Hathaway | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Kamilah Barrett Allan Frias | Hip-Hop | "Tipsy"—J-Kwon | Shane Sparks | Safe |
| Melissa Vella Ryan Conferido | Salsa | "Cubanjam"—Orquesta la Palabra | Alex Da Silva | Safe |
- Bottom 3's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin | Cha-Cha | "And She Said"—Lucas Prata | Safe |
| Jamile McGee | Popping | "I Can Make You Dance"—Zapp | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga | Jazz | "You Can Leave Your Hat On"—Etta James | Safe |
| Craig DeRosa | Contemporary | "Everything"—Lifehouse | Eliminated |
| Michelle Brooke | Hip-Hop | "Disco Club"—The Black Eyed Peas | Eliminated |
| Nick Lazzarini | Contemporary | "Storm"—Lifehouse | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Michelle Brooke
- *Craig DeRosa
Week 3 (31 August 2005)
- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Rock'n'Roll | "Hound Dog"—Elvis Presley | Travis Payne | Safe |
| Melissa Vella Artem Chigvintsev | Paso Doble | "España cañí"—Boston Pops Orchestra | Ron Montez | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Allan Frias | Lyrical | "Rocket Man"—Elton John | Keith Young | Allan Frias eliminated |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin Ryan Conferido | Hip-Hop | "Pon de Replay"—Rihanna | Dan Karaty | Snejana "Snow" Urbin eliminated |
| Destini Rogers Jamile McGee | Viennese Waltz | "The Blue Danube"—Manhattan Pops Orchestra | Ron Montez | Safe |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Disco | "You Make Me Feel "—Sylvester James | Doriana Sánchez | Safe |
- Bottom 2's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Melody Lacayanga | Contemporary | "Seduces Me"—Celine Dion | Safe |
| Allan Frias | Hip-Hop | "Feel the Girl"—Ms. Jade | Eliminated |
| Snejana "Snow" Urbin | Cha-Cha | "Ma Ya Hi"—Lucas Prata | Eliminated |
| Ryan Conferido | Breakdance | "Poison"—Bell Biv DeVoe | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Snejana "Snow" Urbin
- *Allan Frias
Week 4 (7 September 2005)
- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Melissa Vella Artem Chigvintsev | Pop | "Don't Cha"—The Pussycat Dolls | Doriana Sánchez | Safe |
| Melissa Vella Artem Chigvintsev | Quickstep | "Big Swing Face"—Buddy Rich | Glenn Weiss | Safe |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Tango | "Tanguedia"—Prandi Sound Dance Orchestra | Mary Murphy | Safe |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Pop | "I Drove All Night"—Celine Dion | Doriana Sánchez | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Ryan Conferido | Lyrical | "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"—Jeffrey Gaines | Tovaris Wilson | Ryan Conferido eliminated |
| Melody Lacayanga Ryan Conferido | Foxtrot | "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"—Renee Olstead | Glenn Weiss | Ryan Conferido eliminated |
| Destini Rogers Jamile McGee | Quickstep | "Sing, Sing, Sing"—Benny Goodman | Glenn Weiss | Destini Rogers eliminated |
| Destini Rogers Jamile McGee | Hip-Hop | "Shake"—Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull | Shane Sparks | Destini Rogers eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Samba | "Jazz Machine"—Black Machine | Mary Murphy | Safe |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Lyrical | "Right Here Waiting"—Richard Marx | Tovaris Wilson | Safe |
- Bottom 2's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Melody Lacayanga | Jazz | "Giving Him Something He Can Feel"—En Vogue | Safe |
| Ryan Conferido | Breakdance | "Know the Ledge"—Erik B. & Rakim | Eliminated |
| Destini Rogers | Jazz | "Bring on the Men"—Linda Eder | Eliminated |
| Jamile McGee | Popping | "Give It to Me, Baby"—Rick James | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Destini Rogers
- *Ryan Conferido
Week 5 (14 September 2005)
- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Mambo | "Mambo Cool"—Ernesto Marquez and his Orchestra | Alex Da Silva | Safe |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Contemporary | "King of Pain"—The Police | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Blake McGrath | Lyrical | "Heaven"—DJ Sammy & Yanou feat. Do | Tovaris Wilson | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Blake McGrath | Disco | "You Should Be Dancing"—The Bee Gees | Doriana Sánchez | Safe |
| Ashlé Dawson Artem Chigvintsev | Foxtrot | "Fever"—Michael Bublé | Heather Smith | Artem Chigvintsev eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Artem Chigvintsev | Cha-Cha | "El Sabroso Son"—La Palabra | Alex Da Silva | Artem Chigvintsev eliminated |
| Melissa Vella Jamile McGee | Hip-Hop | "Can't Stop, Won't Stop"—Young Gunz feat. Chingy | Shane Sparks | Melissa Vella eliminated |
| Melissa Vella Jamile McGee | Paso Doble | "Spanish Gipsy Dance"—Tony Evans | Mark Weiss | Melissa Vella eliminated |
- Bottom 2's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Ashlé Dawson | African Jazz | "La Corrida"—De La Guarda | Safe |
| Artem Chigvintsev | Cha-Cha | "Don't Phunk with My Heart"—The Black Eyed Peas | Eliminated |
| Melissa Vella | Contemporary | "Gone"—Kelly Clarkson | Eliminated |
| Jamile McGee | Popping | "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"—The Gap Band | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Melisa Vella
- *Artem Chigvintsev
Week 6 (21 September 2005)
- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Kamilah Barrett Jamile McGee | Hip-Hop | "Toma"—Pitbull | Brian Friedman | Kamilah Barrett eliminated |
| Kamilah Barrett Jamile McGee | Jive | "Jump, Jive and Wail"—Louis Prima | Glenn Weiss | Kamilah Barrett eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Smooth Waltz | "Rilassamento"—Gianni Pavesi | Michael Mead | Blake McGrath eliminated |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Argentine Tango | "Santa María "—Gotan Project | Alex Da Silva | Blake McGrath eliminated |
| Melody Lacayanga Nick Lazzarini | Broadway | "All That Jazz" from Chicago | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Melody Lacayanga Nick Lazzarini | Disco | "Knock on Wood"—Amii Stewart | Brian Friedman | Safe |
- Top 6's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Kamilah Barrett | Jazz | "Maniac"—Michael Sembello | Eliminated |
| Jamile McGee | Popping | "Atomic Dog"—George Clinton | Safe |
| Ashlé Dawson | Cha-Cha | "I Like It Like That"—Tito Nieves | Safe |
| Blake McGrath | Jazz | "Body Language"—Queen | Eliminated |
| Melody Lacayanga | Jazz | "Brave and Crazy"—Melissa Etheridge | Safe |
| Nick Lazzarini | Contemporary | "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"—Jeffrey Gaines | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Kamilah Barrett
- *Blake McGrath
Week 7 (28 September 2005)
- Duo dances:
| Dancers | Style | Music | Choreographer |
| Melody Lacayanga Nick Lazzarini | Paso Doble | "España cañí"—Boston Pops Orchestra | Mary Murphy |
| Ashlé Dawson Jamile McGee | Salsa | "Oh Mayi"—La Sonora Poncena | Alex Da Silva |
| Nick Lazzarini Jamile McGee | Hip-Hop | " Young'n"—Fabolous | Dan Karaty |
| Ashlé Dawson Melody Lacayanga | Contemporary | "Message in a Bottle"—The Police | Mia Michaels |
| Melody Lacayanga Jamile McGee | Jazz | "Cold Hearted"—Paula Abdul | Brian Friedman |
| Ashlé Dawson Nick Lazzarini | Hip-Hop | "Feel the Girl"—Ms. Jade | Shane Sparks |
- Top 4's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music |
| Melody Lacayanga | Contemporary | "Listen to Your Heart"—Roxette |
| Ashlé Dawson | Jazz | "Endangered Species"—Dianne Reeves |
| Jamile McGee | Popping | "Early in the Morning"—The Gap Band |
| Nick Lazzarini | Contemporary Jazz | "Pardon Me"—Incubus |
- Freestyle round: Top 4: "Music"—John Miles
Week 8 (Finale) (5 October 2005)
- Group dance: Top 16: "Pump It"—The Black Eyed Peas
- Guest dancers:
| Dancer | Style | Music |
| Alex Da Silva Lauren Sánchez | Mambo | "Caravan"—Eddie Torres and his Mambo Kings |
| The Groovaloos | Breakdance | "It's Just Begun "—Jimmy Castor Bunch |
| Anthony Bryant | Contemporary | "Love with My Eyes Closed"—Michael Bolton |
- Top 4's favorite routines:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Chosen by |
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini | Disco | "You Make Me Feel "—Sylvester James | Doriana Sánchez | Nick Lazzarini |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath | Samba | "Jazz Machine"—Black Machine | Mary Murphy | Ashlé Dawson |
| Destini Rogers Jamile McGee | Hip-Hop | "Shake"—Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull | Shane Sparks | Jamile McGee |
| Melody Lacayanga Nick Lazzarini | Broadway | "All That Jazz" from Chicago | Tyce Diorio | Melody Lacayanga |
- Places:
| Place | Dancer | % of the votes |
| 4th | Ashlé Dawson | 8.8% |
| 3rd | Jamile McGee | 24.9% |
| 2nd | Melody Lacayanga | 28.6% |
| 1st | Nick Lazzarini | 37.7% |