So You Think You Can Dance (American season 4)

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 Généreux, 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.

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. 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 William 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. He was voted off the competition on July 24, 2008. Because of Wingfield being eliminated, Debbie Allen was technically able to guest judge for the top six episode, but Adam Shankman was the guest judge instead.

The song played for the females and males varied throughout the season. Every week, a different song was played. Contestants are in alphabetical order by last name, then in reverse chronological order of elimination.

¹Jessica King suffered an injury that resulted in her being unable to continue in the competition. She was medically withdrawn, and Comfort Fedoke replaced her as she was the most recent female competitor eliminated.[4]
²Katee Shean was awarded $50,000 for being America's favorite female dancer.

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty

• Couple dances:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels

• Couple dances:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman

• Couple dances:

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

• Couple dances:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels

• Couple dances:

* 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.[4]

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Lil' C

• Couple dances:

• Solos:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Toni Basil

• Couple dances:

• Solos:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman

• Couple dances:

• Solos:

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mandy Moore

• Group dance: Top 4: "Hallelujah"—The Vitamin String Quartet (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mia Michaels)

Mia Michaels

• Couple dances:

• Solos:

• Group dance: Top 20 featuring Nigel Lythgoe: "Cobrastyle"—Robyn (Pop-jazz; Choreographer: Wade Robson)
• Guest dancer(s): Popin' Pete and Shonn Boog: "I Can Make You Dance" – Zapp (Popping)
• Musical guest: "When I Grow Up" – Pussycat Dolls
• Solos:

• 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

• Group dance: Top 18: "Elevator"—Flo Rida feat. Timbaland (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Shane Sparks)
• Guest dancer(s): Timo Nuñez (auditioned for season 1 and season 2, making it to Las Vegas week both times)
• Musical guest: "In the Ayer"—Flo Rida featuring will.i.am
• Solos:

• Eliminated:
  • Susie Garcia: "Brave"—Idina Menzel
  • Marquis Cunningham: "Wonderful World"—James Morrison
• New partners:
  • None

• Group dance: Top 16: "The Dance"—Charlotte Martin (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mia Michaels)
• Guest dancer(s): Quest Crew: "Chemical Calisthenics"—Blackalicious feat. Cut Chemist (Breakdance)
• Musical guest: "One Step at a Time"—Jordin Sparks
• Solos:

• Eliminated:
  • Chelsea Traille: "When You're Gone"—Avril Lavigne
  • Chris Jarosz: "All We Are"—OneRepublic
• New partners:
  • Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson

• Group dance: Top 14: "Money Money" from Cabaret (Broadway; Choreographer: Tyce Diorio)
• Guest dancer(s): Robert Muraine: "Gonna Make You Sweat"—C+C Music Factory (Popping)
• Musical guest: "Say (All I Need)"—OneRepublic
• Solos:

• Eliminated:

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

• New partners

• None

• Group dance: Top 12: "Closer"—Ne-Yo (Hip-Hop; Choreographers: Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo)
• Guest dancer(s): Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater "Revelations": "Sinner Man"—Billy Porter (Modern ballet)
• Musical guest: "I Kissed a Girl"—Katy Perry
• Solos:

• 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, and they'll be voted individually.

* It was reported on July 14, 2008 that Jessica King was injured and as a result could not continue in the competition. Comfort Fedoke returned to the show in place of King.[4]

• Group dances:

• Solos:

• Eliminated:

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

• Group dance: Top 8: "Universal Mind Control"—Common (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Chuck Maldonado)
• Guest dancer(s): Los Angeles Ballet Pas de deux: "The Man I Love" from Who Cares?
• Musical guest: "Baby"—LL Cool J featuring The-Dream
• Solos:

• Eliminated:

• Comfort Fedoke: "Come Home"—OneRepublic
• William Wingfield: "Love Remains the Same"—Gavin Rossdale

• Group dance: Top 6: "The Rose"—Bette Midler (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mandy Moore)
• Guest dancer(s): Lil' Demon: "Planet Rock"—Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force (Breakdance)
• Musical guest: "Just Dance"—Lady Gaga
• Solos:

• Eliminated:

• Chelsie Hightower: "Come Home"—OneRepublic
• Mark Kanemura: "All I Can See"—Brendan James

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Debbie Allen, Lil' C, Adam Shankman, Mia Michaels

• Group dances:

• Guest dancers:

• Musical guest: "Burnin' Up"—Jonas Brothers

• 4th Place

• Courtney Galiano: "It's Only Life"—Kate Voegele

• 3rd Place

• Katee Shean: "From Where You Are"—Lifehouse (She won $50,000 for being the top female dancer.)

• Runner-Up:

• Stephen "tWitch" Boss

• Winner
  • Joshua Allen

^† Tyce Diorio, along with Rob Ashford from 81st Academy Awards were joint-winners.