Last spring, Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn announced that the network had no plans to renew “So You Think You Can Dance.” The reality competition show, which debuted on July 20, 2005, had not aired since 2024, its 18th season.
When the news broke, it rocked fans everywhere, including hundreds of dancers and choreographers who had competed on the dance-world mainstay over the decades. In this essay, one of those artists, Jakob Karr, reflects on how he views the legacy “SYTYCD” leaves behind.
I’d only been dancing for about two years when the first season of “So You Think You Can Dance” premiered. I was 14. My mom and I tuned in for the first episode, and after that it became required viewing in our household. At the time, I wasn’t really aware of what the dance industry was, so seeing it on TV blew my mind. I didn’t realize that you could make a career out of dance—that maybe I could. It became my goal to be on the show and get a job through it.
Jakob Karr on Season 6 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Photo courtesy Karr.
On my 19th birthday, I flew to New Orleans to audition for Season 6. I waited in line forever and went through a ton of pre-screening interviews
before going onstage to do my solo, then suddenly got my ticket to the next round in Las Vegas. (My mom still has that ticket somewhere, framed.) From there I went straight to Los Angeles for filming.
My season was the one and only season they did in the fall, and we were up against primetime television—“Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Survivor.” In 2009, there was not a bigger TV lineup. We still got a ton of viewership, but I never really cared about the televised aspect. The chance to
work with so many major people, to learn different styles and to be thrown into it all—that was what I was craving. I know everyone has had their own journey with “SYTYCD,” but for me, it was exactly
what I had dreamed of.
As I came barreling downstage during our “Meet the Top 20” opening group number, choreographed by Wade Robson, I thought, This is my shot to make myself known. We didn’t really have social media then, so a lot of what the judges said during live feedback we hadn’t heard before. Learning how to receive very public critiques was challenging. Even when it was good, it was hard for the brain and body to even process. You’d just wipe your brow, close your eyes, open them again, then you’re learning a whole routine. It was nonstop. I was exhausted. Traveling home after the show ended, I could barely walk. But I loved it.
“SYTYCD” changed my whole trajectory. I used to think I was going to be a concert dancer and that was it. I didn’t think I was capable of anything else. But once I got on the show, I was partnered with a ballroom dancer, Ashleigh Di Lello. She and I pushed each other through every style. I left the show as runner-up thinking, Alright, there’s room for me in more than that tiny little box I’d set up for myself. It opened my eyes to the rest of the industry and to what I needed to have a long career—to exist as a multifaceted dancer.
From left: Top six Season 6 contestants Ryan and Ashleigh Di Lello, Ellenore Scott, Russell Ferguson, Kathryn McCormick, and Jakob Karr on set at “SYTYCD.” Photo courtesy Karr.
The show also introduced me to incredible people. I mean, I got to dance with now–Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose. I got to work with Andy Blankenbuehler, Desmond Richardson, Mandy Moore…I now have those people as connections and resources.
Flash forward to now and I hadn’t seen the show in a few seasons. I’d check in here and there because I’d always know someone on it. But to be honest, I’d just gotten so busy and had lost my love of primetime television. Which makes it sad, because now the show is done. I don’t know what the next version of a dance show would be. I’d love to see it genuinely appeal to the masses and uplift all kinds of dancers. So often it became about watching dancers fail—seeing the jazz girl get a cultural dance and flop. It’s the same on all kinds of cooking and singing shows. But I think we want to see people succeed. It’s about competition, of course, but if the show ever returns, I’d hope it would be equal parts challenge and showcasing excellence.
Photo by Matthew Murphy, courtesy Karr.
I understand why “SYTYCD” was changing formats every season. I think they were trying to grasp today’s audience. When I heard it wouldn’t be renewed, I was devastated. But I thought: People can barely sit through an episode of “American Idol” or “The Voice.” How do we rein people back in to want to watch talent live on television? What can we do to get audiences desperate for it the way we were during the first 10 seasons?
We were foaming at the mouth for this show. It really reflects the, well, reality of reality television right now. And it’s reflected in Broadway, in film, in opera. Everywhere.
I really do think that “SYTYCD” did a lot of good for dance. I’ve seen it open up opportunities for more diverse hiring—I’ve now done shows with breakers who also competed, and someone saw them on TV and offered them a job in a musical because of that. I think that’s the show’s legacy: the way it put a stamp on expanding the visibility of dancers, choreographers, and the art form at large. I ended up losing in the finale, but it never felt that way. I felt like I’d gained everything. I just hope there can be something like that for the generations of artists coming next.
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