June 10, 2011

Meet the Top 20 Dancers of 'So You Think You Can Dance' Season 8


So You Think You Can Dance will merge the concept of previous years for its eighth season. Executive Producer and Judge Nigel Lythgoe announced on Thursday night's show that Season 8 will go back to its original format of featuring 20 new dancers -- 10 boys and 10 girls -- for the start of the competition. But, because the they were so popular, some all-star dancers will return to the show to perform with the contestants once they've been narrowed down to a top 10. Pretty neat, right?

Also, for the first time ever, viewers will be able to vote for their favorite contestants online at Fox.com/dance. Online voting will begin immediately after the first performance show (airing Wednesday, June 15.) In addition to online voting, fans will continue to be able to vote via toll-free phone lines and text-messaging during the voting window.

But let's get back to the dancers! After a few weeks of audition rounds and callbacks in Las Vegas the top 20 dancers on season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance have been revealed. Take a look!


Wadi Jones, 24, is a Breaking dancer from Ossining, NY


Tadd Gadduang, 25, is a Hip Hop dancer from Salt Lake City, UT


Sasha Mallory, 23, is a Contemporary dancer from Bakersfield, CA


Ryan Ramirez, 19, is a Contemporary dancer from Morgan Hill, CA


Robert Taylor Jr., 30, is a Hip Hop dancer from Brooklyn, NY


Ricky Jaime, 18, is a Contemporary dancer from Miami, FL


Missy Morelli, 20, is a Jazz dancer from Aruada, CO


Nick Young, 19, is a Tap dancer from Franklin, WI


Mitchell Kelly, 20, is a Contemporary dancer from Chicago, IL


Miranda Maleski, 19, is a Contemporary dancer from Pittsburgh, PA


Melanie Moore, 19, is a Contemporary dancer from Marietta, GA


Marko Germar, 22, is a Jazz dancer from Dededo, Guam


Jordan Casanova, 18, is a Jazz dancer from Chino Hills, CA


Jess LeProtto, 18, is a Broadway dancer from Little Falls, NJ


Iveta Lukosiute, 30, is a Ballroom dancer from Klaipeda, Lithuania


Clarice Ordaz, 19, is a Jazz dancer from Whittier, CA


Chris Koehl, 21, is a Hip Hop dancer from Garland, TX


Caitlynn Lawson, 18, is a Contemporary dancer from Moses Lake, WA


Ashley Rich, 22, is a Contemporary dancer from Antioch, CA


Alexander Fost, 21, is a Contemporary dancer from Alhambra, CA

The dancers were revealed during group numbers on Thursday night's show according to their style of dance. Who are your early favorites? Leave a comment!