So You Think You Can Dance Australia

So You Think You Can Dance Australia
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	February 3, 2008; 18 years ago
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Products	Dance reality competition show
Parent	FremantleMedia Australia, Conrad Sewell Productions

So You Think You Can Dance Australia represents the Australian version of the American dance reality competition So You Think You Can Dance. The program was originally broadcast on Network Ten and featured Carrie Bickmore as host, with judges such as Paula Abdul, Shannon Holtzapffel, Jason Gilkison, and Aaron Cash.

The debut season launched on 3 February 2008 and concluded on 27 April 2008. Its second season ran from 1 February to 26 April 2009, followed by the third season airing between 31 January and 21 April 2010. Earlier seasons included former host Natalie Bassingthwaighte along with judges Jason Coleman, Matt Lee, and Bonnie Lythgoe.

Viewer participation was encouraged through telephone and SMS voting, determining winners like nineteen-year-old Broadway performer Jack Chambers, eighteen-year-old ballet dancer Talia Fowler, and eighteen-year-old contemporary artist Robbie Kmetoni, all crowned as Australia's Favourite Dancer. Contestants ranged in age from 18 to 35 years.

In July 2010, Network Ten decided to discontinue the series in favor of launching a new musical/dance show but kept communication open with production companies FremantleMedia Australia and Conrad Sewell Productions regarding potential future developments. After speculation within the industry, the show made a comeback for its fourth season on Network Ten beginning 9 February 2014.

Format and presentation details by season

Season	Air dates	Host	Permanent judges	Separate results show?	Contestant showcase episode?	Number of contestants at first live show	Weekly eliminations	Contestants in finale	Winners	Inclusion of All-Stars?	Stage when judge eliminations cease	Commencement of individual contestant voting
1	2008 (February–April)	Natalie Bassingthwaighte	Jason Coleman, Bonnie Lythgoe, Matt Lee	Yes	No	20	2	4	1	N/A	Top 10	Top 10
2	2009 (February–April)			Yes	No	20	2	4	1	N/A	Top 10	Top 10
3	2010 (January–April)			Yes	Yes	20	2	4	1	N/A	Top 10	Top 10
4	2014 (February–April)	Carrie Bickmore	Paula Abdul Shannon Holtzapffel Jason Gilkison Aaron Cash	No	Yes	20	2	4	1	N/A	Top 10	Top 10

Grand finalists

Season	Year	Winner	Runner-up	Third place	Fourth place
1	2008	Jack Chambers (Broadway)	Rhys Bobridge (Contemporary/Jazz)	Kate Wormald (Commercial Jazz)	Demi Sorono (Hip-Hop)
2	2009	Talia Fowler (Ballet)	Charlie Bartley (Hip-Hop)	Amy Campbell (Contemporary)	Ben Veitch (Jazz)
3	2010	Robbie Kmetoni (Contemporary)	Jessie Hesketh (Contemporary)	Ivy Heeney (Jazz/Ballet)	Phillipe Witana (Hip-Hop)
'\'\'\'4\'\'\'	'\'\'2014\'\'\'	'\'\'style="background:#afeeee;"\'\'\'Michael Dameski\'\'\' (Contemporary)	'style="background:pink;"'Lauren Seymour (Lyrical Jazz)	'style="background:#afeeee;"'Jay Johns (Tap/Hip-hop)	'style="background:pink;"'Renelle Jones (Jazz)

Season 1 (2008)

The first season's auditions were conducted in July and August 2008, covering cities such as Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney. Following initial rounds and choreography workshops, the top 100 dancers proceeded to a week-long audition phase in Sydney, where the final Top 20 was determined. The live finals took place in a purpose-built arena seating 600 in Sydney. On 26 April 2008, Jack Chambers was declared the winner, receiving the $200,000 prize along with the title of Australia's Favourite Dancer. Rhys Bobridge secured second place, while Kate Wormald and Demi Sorono finished third and fourth respectively. Several finalists also featured in performances during the 2008 Australian Idol grand finale and Ten's New Year's Eve special.

Season 2 (2009)

Auditions for the second season were held from September to November 2008. Due to restrictions on music rights, contestants were required to bring music CDs that had been pre-approved. Building on positive responses from the first season, the aim was to attract more professional dancers from the industry. The season was also rebroadcast on MuchMusic. On 27 April 2009, Talia Fowler won the competition, earning $200,000, the title of Australia's Favourite Dancer, and an opportunity to perform at the finale of America's So You Think You Can Dance Season 5. Charlie Bartley was the runner-up, Amy Campbell came third, and Ben Veitch placed fourth. This season featured guest judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.

Season 3 (2010)

The third season began airing on 31 January 2010. Robbie Kmetoni emerged as the winner on 21 May 2010, earning $200,000 along with the title of Australia's Favourite Dancer. Additionally, he was granted the chance to choose from three exclusive dance contracts—offered by Australian Dance Theatre, Hairspray, and Burn the Floor—to showcase his talent both nationally and internationally. Jessie Hesketh finished as runner-up, Ivy Heeney secured third place, and Phillipe Witana came in fourth. This season marked the introduction of an elimination process involving a bottom group of three or four contestants.

Cancellation and Revival

In July 2010, Network Ten declared it would not renew So You Think You Can Dance Australia for the 2011 lineup, opting instead to produce a localized version of the British talent series Don't Stop Believing, which drew inspiration from Glee. This project was undertaken by Shine Australia, managed by former FremantleMedia Australia executives, but was ultimately cancelled before its scheduled broadcast later that year.

By October 2011, Ten began airing promotional material hinting at a possible return of the show, though specifics remained undisclosed. Early 2012 rumors suggested Sarah Murdoch might take over hosting duties from Natalie Bassingthwaighte, who had transitioned to judging on The X-Factor Australia. These speculations were disproved when Murdoch was confirmed as host of another dance program titled Everybody Dance Now. Eventually, after a four-year break, So You Think You Can Dance Australia resumed airing on Network Ten with its fourth season in 2014.

Season 4 (2014)

Season four premiered on 9 February 2014 featuring a streamlined format with just one episode per week, mirroring the approach used in seasons nine and ten of the U.S. version. The traditional open auditions were removed; instead, the competition commenced at the Top 100 phase with dancers selected through unseen audition tapes—a notable shift from the usual format that showcased early audition rounds. The judging panel underwent a full overhaul, consisting of Paula Abdul, Aaron Cashacting, Jason Gilkison, and Shannon Holtzapffel, while Carrie Bickmore took on hosting responsibilities. The season concluded on 1 May with contemporary dancers Michael Dameski and Lauren Seymour finishing first and second respectively. No official word has been given regarding a fifth season.

Ratings

The premiere episode on 3 February 2008 attracted a peak audience of 2.15 million viewers, making it the highest-rated program of the night and averaging 1.83 million during its timeslot. Subsequent audition episodes sustained strong ratings with peaks reaching 2.04 million and 1.94 million viewers. The Sunday night Top 100 broadcast averaged around 1.6 million viewers, dominating that evening’s ratings.

Following this strong start, weekly performance episodes maintained an average viewership near 1.5 million. The first season finale drew an average audience of 1.8 million and peaked at 2.2 million nationally, capturing over half of Network Ten’s crucial 18–49 demographic. However, by the third season ratings had dropped below one million on average, which contributed to the show's cancellation. The fourth season's revival experienced even lower numbers, frequently falling under one million viewers and sometimes dipping to as low as 300,000.

Controversy

Judge Jason Coleman encountered backlash from members of the dance community who questioned his credentials and criticized his misuse of dance terminology—for example, confusing a pivot with a promenade. Additionally, eliminated contestant Marko Panzic accused Coleman of showing favoritism. Critics also highlighted a possible conflict of interest due to Coleman’s business association with choreographer Kelly Aykers.

Coleman dismissed these complaints as "nit-picking," clarifying that terminology differs among dance styles and that it is impractical to explain every term within brief feedback segments. Regarding his praise for Aykers’ work, he stated that commendations are based solely on merit rather than personal relationships.

The program has also faced criticism for its representation of dance, with some observers arguing it favors flashy stunts and crowd-pleasing choreography over genuine artistic expression. Valerie Lawson remarked that the show diminishes dance as an art form by emphasizing athleticism and spectacle instead of subtlety.

On two occasions during live PG-rated broadcasts, profanities were inadvertently aired. After the initial incident, Network Ten issued an apology and promised tighter controls. Later, contestant Sermsah Bin Saad swore during an elimination speech; this profanity was censored in the broadcast and he issued an apology upon recognizing his error afterward.

External links