TV dance show proves a springboard for Broadway careers
Boot camp reality show has opened many doors for aspiring performers
There are plenty of places that get young people ready for Broadway - Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, Yale and New York University. But don't forget So You Think You Can Dance.
The Fox TV show, which just concluded its 12th season, has turned into a reliable springboard for scores of Broadway dancers, helping performers land in everything from The King and I to Hamilton.
"I can't say enough about how much I learned on the show, how many connections I made on the show and how I needed it as a performer and as an artist," says Melanie Moore, the Season 8 winner who went on be Peter Pan in Finding Neverland and next has a featured part in Fiddler on the Roof.
Alumni who have made a mark on Broadway include Ricky Ubeda in On the Town, Virgil Gadson in After Midnight, Cole Horibe and Alex Wong in The King and I, and Thayne Jasperson and Neil Haskell in Hamilton. The recent ensemble of Newsies was studded with former So You Think dancers.
Contestants who endure the 10-week TV boot camp on the show must learn to adapt to new partners and unfamiliar dance styles, all under the gaze of live cameras and judges. It's no wonder that Broadway comes knocking.