SYTYCD host, Cat Deeley, interviews a contestant on the steps of McFarlin (Jessica Huseman/The Daily Campus )

Dancers from around the country lined up in front of McFarlin Auditorium from Wednesday, March 10 through Friday, March 12 to try-out for “So You Think You Can Dance.”
 

The try-out process is three days long, and is filled with free-style dancing and prepared solos, producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe said. The dancers first perform free-style in front of the producers, and if they are talented enough or particularly unique they are sent to the judging panel to perform their own choreography.
 

“We are looking for stars, and that’s the problem. They’ve got to come out there and be unique. Just being good isn’t enough anymore,” Lythgoe said.
 

In addition to Lythgoe, the Dallas judging panel included “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographers Tyce Diorio and Toni Redpath.
 

Diorio became involved in the show during season one as a Broadway choreographer. “I was in ‘Chicago’ the musical on Broadway at the time, so it was a good fit,” Diorio said.
Redpath was selected for the show because of her extensive background in ballroom dance.
 

“Just through my experience in the ballroom dancing world, I was able to join the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ team,” Redpath said. “I was able to let them know what the ballroom dance world expects out of dancers.”
 

The dancers in Dallas impressed the judges. Lythgoe noted that they weren’t as impressive as the dancers in New York, but they surpassed the Miami dancers.
 

“We’ve seen some really interesting talent here,” Diorio said, who was excited about a few Dallas dancers that they sent straight to Vegas.
 

Redpath agreed with Diorio. “There’s been one or two that really have that star quality and we think they really have the potential,” she said. 
 

And even though the dancers have existing talent, the judges hope to drive them to higher levels. “We really want to push these dancers to excel. We want them to take their dancing to limits they didn’t even know were possible,” Redpath said.
 

Every dancer is forced to go beyond the bounds of their own style and try forms of dance that they may never have done before, Redpath said. She said that she believes that the hardest style of dance to transition out of is hip-hop, which provides very little technical training. She said that taking on styles like modern and contemporary after only being trained in hip-hop can be extremely challenging.
 

The dancer that can master all styles and win the hearts of Americans everywhere will be awarded $250,000, will appear on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and receive all of the other perks that come along with being a “So You Think You Can Dance” winner.
 

In the past, competitors have been given lead roles in movies and spots on television. The producers hope that they can continue that trend, Lythgoe said. This year, former contestants danced at the Oscars in a piece choreographed by “So You Think You Can Dance” judge, Adam Shankman.
 

Deeley tries to keep up with former dancers as much as she can. She says that they often come to her house for a Fourth of July Barbeque. “I’m English, I shouldn’t even be celebrating the bloody Fourth of July, but they come around and we’ll have hamburgers and beers and swim in the pool and just chill.”
 

She has often been called one of the most caring hosts on television for becoming so involved in the lives of the contestants, but Deeley says that she believes that it would be hard for anyone not to become as involved as she is.
 

“Essentially what you are doing is taking ordinary people and putting them in the most extraordinary situation, and then they have this talent, so there is so much for them to deal with just as human beings,” Deeley said. “I think it would be very strange if you didn’t form some kind of human connection with [them].”
 

But she says that she is not the only one on the show that retains a connection with past contestants. The show often brings them back to choreograph and assist with auditions. In fact, former dancers Courtney Galiano and Jason Glover were in Dallas to choreograph for the try-outs.
 

“Its not like, ok you were with us one season and off you go into the big bad world,” Deeley said.
 

And even though the Dallas auditions were bustling with activity and stress, the judges still found time to enjoy what Dallas had to offer.
 

Diorio said that he felt like he was in the movie “Legally Blonde” stepping out onto Harvard’s campus, and remarked on how beautiful SMU was, while Lythgoe hoped for some SMU goodies to take home with him. “I got a really good SMU golf cap the last time I was here, and I’m hoping I get something today.”