So You Think You Can Dance (American season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host. Joshua Allen was announced as the winner on August 7, 2008, the first hip-hop dancer to win the title.
Auditions
Open auditions for this season were expanded to the following six cities:| Audition Venue | City | Date | Guest Judges |
| McFarlin Memorial Auditorium | Dallas, Texas | January 17–19, 2008 | Adam Shankman |
| Charleston Music Hall | Charleston, South Carolina | January 31–February 2, 2008 | Tyce Diorio |
| Capitol Theatre | Salt Lake City, Utah | February 4–7, 2008 | Mandy Moore |
| Atlas Performing Arts Center | Washington, D.C. | February 21–23, 2008 | Dan Karaty |
| Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, California | March 6–8, 2008 | Mia Michaels |
| The Milwaukee Theatre | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | March 20–22, 2008 | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo |
For the first time, New York City was not a stop on the audition tour.
To be able to audition, contestants had to be between the ages of 18 and 30 and able to be legally employed in the United States. Partner auditions were allowed.
Las Vegas week
Over 200 contestants who impressed the judges in the initial auditions each received a plane ticket to a challenging week of callback auditions at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The week consisted of multiple rounds of choreography, with dancers cut from the competition every round. This season, the rounds included a hip-hop routine with Napoleon D'umo and Tabitha D'umo, a Broadway number with Tyce Diorio, the foxtrot with Jean-Marc Généreux, group choreography, contemporary choreography with Mia Michaels, and a final solo for the remaining contestants. Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were part of the judging panel for the week, along with Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels, Napoleon D'umo and Tabitha D'umo.Finals
Format
As in seasons 2 and 3, the finals began with 20 contestants, ten male and ten female. After partners are assigned, couples pick a dance style out of a hat, are rehearsed by a choreographer, and perform their routine. Following the airing of the performances, home viewers vote for their favorite couple. The bottom three couples are then liable for elimination by the judges on the live, or broadcast on Broadcast delay in the western United States, results show. All six dancers perform a solo, after which the judges eliminate one male and one female contestant. If the eliminated dancers are not from the same couple, their respective partners form a new pair for the following week's performances. Once the field of dancers is narrowed down to the top 10, permanent partnerships dissolve and contestants draw their new partners from a hat each week. The judges no longer have any say in the elimination process; viewers call in to vote for their favorite individual dancer, and the male and female with the lowest number of votes are eliminated each week.Because of the inclusion of performer William Wingfield into the top 20 dancers, Debbie Allen was ruled ineligible to perform duties as a Guest Judge during the Finals phase, as long as Wingfield remained in the competition. Wingfield is a Contemporary dancer from Nashville, Tennessee who trained under Allen at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. He was voted off the competition on July 24, 2008. Because of Wingfield being eliminated, Debbie Allen was technically able to guest judge for the top six episode, but Adam Shankman was the guest judge instead.
Top 20 Finalists
Male Contestants
Female Contestants
Elimination chart
The song played for the females and males varied throughout the season. Every week, a different song was played.Contestants are in alphabetical order by last name, then in reverse chronological order of elimination.
Jessica King suffered an injury that resulted in her being unable to continue in the competition. She was medically withdrawn, and Comfort Fedoke replaced her as she was the most recent female competitor eliminated.
Katee Shean was awarded $50,000 for being America's favorite female dancer.
Performances
Week 1 (June 11, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Rayven Armijo Jamie Bayard | Hip-Hop | "American Boy"—Estelle feat. Kanye West | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Both eliminated |
| Susie Garcia Marquis Cunningham | Waltz | "Dark Waltz"—Hayley Westenra | Hunter Johnson | Safe |
| Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame | Jazz | "Tainted Love"—Soft Cell | Mandy Moore | Bottom 3 |
| Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson | Cha-cha | "Oye Como Va "—Celia Cruz | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Contemporary | "Beautiful"—Meshell Ndegeocello | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Broadway | "Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me, Kate | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz | Jive | "Boom Boom"—Big Head Todd and the Monsters | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Lyrical hip-hop | "No Air"—Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Tango | "Tango"—Cirque du Soleil | Hunter Johnson | Bottom 3 |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Disco | "Boogie Wonderland"—Earth, Wind & Fire feat. The Emotions | Doriana Sanchez | Safe |
Week 2 (June 18, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson | Jazz | "Untouched"—The Veronicas | Mandy Moore | Bottom 3 |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Argentine Tango | "Mi Confesión"—Gotan Project | Alex Da Silva | Safe |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Hip-Hop | "Whatever U Like"—Nicole Scherzinger | Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley | Safe |
| Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame | Foxtrot | "A Foggy Day "—Michael Bublé | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Contemporary | "Lost"—Anouk | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Broadway | "All for the Best" from Godspell | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Susie Garcia Marquis Cunningham | Salsa | "Aguanilé"—Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe | Alex Da Silva | Both eliminated |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Viennese Waltz | "A New Day Has Come"—Celine Dion | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz | Krump | "Come and Get Me" —Timbaland featuring 50 Cent & Tony Yayo | Lil' C | Bottom 3 |
Week 3 (June 25, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Result |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "Don't Touch Me "—Busta Rhymes | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Rumba | "Wishing on a Star"—Rose Royce | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke Chris Jarosz | Afro Jazz | "The Beautiful People"—Marilyn Manson | Tyce Diorio | Jarosz eliminated |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Disco | "Heaven Must Have Sent You"—Bonnie Pointer | Doriana Sanchez | Safe |
| Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame | Contemporary | "Wrestlers "—Hot Chip | Sonya Tayeh | Bottom 3 |
| Chelsea Traille Thayne Jasperson | Quickstep | "You Can't Hurry Love"—Phil Collins | Heather Smith | Traille eliminated |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Lyrical hip-hop | "Bleeding Love"—Leona Lewis | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Samba | "Baila, Baila"—Angela Via | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
Week 4 (July 2, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Results |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Jive | "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie" from Five Guys Named Moe | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Lyrical Jazz | "Alone"—Heart | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson | Broadway | "Cool" from West Side Story | Andy Blankenbuehler | Bottom 3 |
| Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson | Smooth Waltz | "Hov Arek Sarer Jan"—New Age Armenia | Edward Simon | Bottom 3 |
| Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame | Hip-Hop | "How Do I Breathe"—Mario | Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley | Both eliminated |
| Kourtni Lind Matt Dorame | Mambo | "Ban Con Tim"—Super All-Star | Alex Da Silva | Both eliminated |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Jazz | "Kiss Kiss"—Holly Valance | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Foxtrot | "It's My Life"—Paul Anka | Edward Simon | Safe |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Paso Doble | "Malagueña"—Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Safe |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Contemporary | "Dreaming With a Broken Heart"—John Mayer | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Contemporary | "Hometown Glory"—Adele | Mia Michaels | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | West Coast Swing | "Shake It"—Brother Yusef | Benji Schwimmer Lacey Schwimmer assisting | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Hip-Hop | "Lights, Camera, Action!"—Mr. Cheeks | Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley | Bottom 3 |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Broadway | "New York, New York" from On the Town | Andy Blankenbuehler | Bottom 3 |
Week 5 (July 9, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Results |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Salsa | "Fuego"—Joe Bataan | Alex Da Silva | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower Mark Kanemura | Broadway | "I'm a Woman" from Smokey Joe's Cafe | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson | Hip-Hop | "Can We Chill"—Ne-Yo | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Both eliminated* |
| Comfort Fedoke Thayne Jasperson | Contemporary | "A Different Corner"—George Michael | Mandy Moore | Both eliminated* |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Contemporary | "Silence" from Unfaithful | Tyce Diorio | Bottom 3 King withdrawn* |
| Jessica King William Wingfield | Quickstep | "Bandstand Boogie"—Barry Manilow | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Bottom 3 King withdrawn* |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Cha-cha | "Don't Stop the Music "—Rihanna | Anya Garnis Pasha Kovalev | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano Gev Manoukian | Jazz | "Standing There"—The Creatures aka singer Siouxsie Sioux | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Krump | "2 Buck 4 TV"—Tha J-Squad | Lil' C | Bottom 3 |
| Kherington Payne Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Tango | "Assassin's Tango" from Mr. and Mrs. Smith | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | Bottom 3 |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Viennese Waltz | "Iris"—Goo Goo Dolls | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Bollywood | "Dhoom Taana" from Om Shanti Om | Nakul Dev Mahajan | Safe |
Week 6 (July 16, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Lil' C- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Results |
| Courtney Galiano Joshua Allen | Hip-Hop | "Skippin'"—Mario | Dave Scott | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano Joshua Allen | Rumba | "Hero"—Enrique Iglesias | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau | Safe |
| Kherington Payne Mark Kanemura | "Kick Back"—Ty England | Brandi Tobais | Payne eliminated Kanemura in bottom 4 | |
| Kherington Payne Mark Kanemura | Jazz | "Canned Heat"—Jamiroquai | Tyce Diorio | Payne eliminated Kanemura in bottom 4 |
| Comfort Fedoke Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Smooth Waltz | "Open Arms"—Journey | Hunter Johnson | Fedoke in bottom 4 |
| Comfort Fedoke Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "Forever"—Chris Brown | Dave Scott | Fedoke in bottom 4 |
| Katee Shean William Wingfield | Broadway | "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat"—Sam Harris | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Katee Shean William Wingfield | Pas de deux | "Imagine"—David Archuleta | Dwight Rhoden | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower Gev Manoukian | Contemporary | Sonya Tayeh | Manoukian eliminated | |
| Chelsie Hightower Gev Manoukian | Jive | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | Manoukian eliminated |
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Chelsie Hightower | Samba | "Pon de Replay"—Rihanna | Safe |
| Gev Manoukian | Breakdance | "Hello Goodbye "—Lupe Fiasco feat. Unkle | Eliminated |
| Courtney Galiano | Contemporary | "I Want You to Need Me"—Celine Dion | Safe |
| Mark Kanemura | Pop-Jazz | "Bohemian Rhapsody"—Queen | Bottom 4 |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Need a Boss"—Shareefa feat. Ludacris | Bottom 4 |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "I Question Mark"—Wade Robson | Safe |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "This Woman's Work" —Maxwell | Safe |
| William Wingfield | Contemporary | "Dance With My Father"—Luther Vandross | Safe |
| Kherington Payne | Jazz | "Breakin' Dishes"—Rihanna | Eliminated |
| Joshua Allen | Hip-Hop | "Jam"—Michael Jackson | Safe |
Week 7 (July 23, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Toni Basil- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Results |
| Courtney Galiano William Wingfield | Samba | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau assisting | ||
| Courtney Galiano William Wingfield | Lyrical hip-hop | "Like You'll Never See Me Again"—Alicia Keys | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "Mercy"—Duffy | Mia Michaels | Boss in bottom 4 |
| Katee Shean | Broadway | "Sweet Georgia Brown" from Bubbling Brown Sugar | Tyce Diorio | Boss in bottom 4 |
| Comfort Fedoke Mark Kanemura | Hip-Hop | "Party People"—Nelly feat. Fergie | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Fedoke eliminated |
| Comfort Fedoke Mark Kanemura | Foxtrot | "Lady Luck"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra | France Mousseau assisting | Fedoke eliminated |
| Chelsie Hightower Joshua Allen | "A Los Amigos" from Forever Tango | Dmitry Chaplin | Safe | |
| Chelsie Hightower Joshua Allen | Disco | "Everlasting Love"—Gloria Estefan | Doriana Sanchez | Safe |
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "I Got This Down"—Simian Mobile Disco | Eliminated |
| William Wingfield | Funk | "Get Up Offa That Thing"—James Brown | Eliminated |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "Taking Chances"—Celine Dion | Safe |
| Mark Kanemura | Pop-Jazz | "Creator"—Santigold feat. Switch and Freq Nasty | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower | Cha-cha | "Damaged"—Danity Kane | Safe |
| Joshua Allen | Hip-Hop | "Shawty Get Loose"—Lil Mama feat. T-Pain & Chris Brown | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano | Contemporary | "Where I Stood"—Missy Higgins | Bottom 4 |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "Go To Work"—Kay L | Bottom 4 |
Week 8 (July 30, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman- Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer | Results |
| Courtney Galiano Mark Kanemura | Viennese Waltz | "The Time of My Life"—David Cook | Jason Gilkison | Kanemura eliminated |
| Courtney Galiano Mark Kanemura | Jazz | "The Garden"—Mirah | Sonya Tayeh | Kanemura eliminated |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Contemporary | "All by Myself"—Celine Dion | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Paso Doble | "Filet" from Le Rêve | Jason Gilkison | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Mambo | "Ahora Me Toca a Mi"—Víctor Manuelle | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting | Hightower eliminated |
| Chelsie Hightower Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "Control"—Vitamin String Quartet | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Hightower eliminated |
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Chelsie Hightower | Cha-cha | "When I Grow Up"—Pussycat Dolls | Eliminated |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Funk | "Midas Touch"—Midnight Star | Safe |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "Can't Stop"—Maroon 5 | Safe |
| Joshua Allen | Hip-Hop | "Like That"—Memphis Bleek | Safe |
| Courtney Galiano | Contemporary | "Rock Your Soul"—Elisa | Safe |
| Mark Kanemura | Pop-Jazz | "Bum Like You"—Robyn | Eliminated |
Week 9 (August 6, 2008)
Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mandy Moore- Group dance: Top 4: "Hallelujah"—The Vitamin String Quartet
- Couple dances:
| Dancers | Style | Music | Choreographer |
| Courtney Galiano Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "Church"—T-Pain | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo |
| Katee Shean Joshua Allen | Lyrical Jazz | "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room"—John Mayer | Wade Robson |
| Courtney Galiano Katee Shean | Broadway | "The Trolley Song"—Rufus Wainwright | Tyce Diorio |
| Joshua Allen Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Trepak | "Trepak" from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker | Youri Nelzine |
| Katee Shean Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Foxtrot | "Feeling Good"—Michael Bublé | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin assisting |
| Courtney Galiano Joshua Allen | Jive | "The Dirty Boogie"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra | Jason Gilkison |
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music |
| Courtney Galiano | Contemporary | "They Weren't There"—Missy Higgins |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "It Was All In Your Mind"—Wade Robson |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "Hide and Seek"—Imogen Heap |
| Joshua Allen | Hip-Hop | " Knee Deep"—Funkadelic |
Results shows
Week 1 (June 12, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 20 featuring Nigel Lythgoe: "Cobrastyle"—Robyn
- Guest dancer: Popin' Pete and Shonn Boog: "I Can Make You Dance" – Zapp
- Musical guest: "When I Grow Up" – Pussycat Dolls
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Kourtni Lind | Contemporary | "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"—The Side Project | Safe |
| Matt Dorame | Contemporary | "Baby's Romance"—Chris Garneau | Safe |
| Rayven Armijo | Ballet | "As I Am "—Alicia Keys | Eliminated |
| Jamie Bayard | Samba | "Mas Que Nada" – Sérgio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas | Eliminated |
| Jessica King | Contemporary | "Misery Business "—Paramore | Safe |
| William Wingfield | Contemporary | "More Than Anyone "—Gavin DeGraw | Safe |
- Eliminated
- *Rayven Armijo: "It's Only Life"—Kate Voegele
- *Jamie Bayard: "Best Days "—Graham Colton
- New partners:
- *None
Week 2 (June 19, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 18: "Elevator"—Flo Rida feat. Timbaland
- Guest dancer: Timo Nuñez
- Musical guest: "In the Ayer"—Flo Rida featuring will.i.am
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Chelsea Traille | Jazz | "The Time Is Now"—Moloko | Safe |
| Thayne Jasperson | Contemporary | "Belief"—Gavin DeGraw | Safe |
| Susie Garcia | Salsa | "The Anthem"—Pitbull feat. Lil Jon | Eliminated |
| Marquis Cunningham | Contemporary | "Stop and Stare"—OneRepublic | Eliminated |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Planet Rock"—Afrika Bambaataa | Safe |
| Chris Jarosz | Contemporary | "Again"—John Legend | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Susie Garcia: "Brave"—Idina Menzel
- *Marquis Cunningham: "Wonderful World"—James Morrison
- New partners:
- *None
Week 3 (June 26, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 16: "The Dance"—Charlotte Martin
- Guest dancer: Quest Crew: "Chemical Calisthenics"—Blackalicious feat. Cut Chemist
- Musical guest: "One Step at a Time"—Jordin Sparks
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Chelsea Traille | Contemporary | "A Song For You"—Donny Hathaway | Eliminated |
| Thayne Jasperson | Contemporary | "Always"—Bon Jovi | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Just Fine"—Mary J. Blige | Safe |
| Chris Jarosz | Contemporary | "After Tonight"—Justin Nozuka | Eliminated |
| Kourtni Lind | Jazz | "Fire Door "—Ani DiFranco | Safe |
| Matt Dorame | Contemporary | "I'm Yours"—Jason Mraz | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- *Chelsea Traille: "When You're Gone"—Avril Lavigne
- *Chris Jarosz: "All We Are"—OneRepublic
- New partners:
- *Comfort Fedoke and Thayne Jasperson
Week 4 (July 3, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 14: "Money Money" from Cabaret
- Guest dancer: Robert Muraine: "Gonna Make You Sweat"—C+C Music Factory
- Musical guest: "Say "—OneRepublic
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Kourtni Lind | Contemporary | "No Man"—Nina Storey | Eliminated |
| Matt Dorame | Contemporary | "Sweet Contentment"—Bradley James and the Roadies | Eliminated |
| Courtney Galiano | Jazz | "What's Another Day"—Maria Mena | Safe |
| Gev Manoukian | Breakdance | "Everybody Loves a Carnival"—Fatboy Slim | Safe |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Hit the Floor"—Twista feat. Pitbull | Safe |
| Thayne Jasperson | Contemporary | "I Want To Break Free"—Queen | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- New partners
Week 5 (July 10, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 12: "Closer"—Ne-Yo
- Guest dancer: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater "Revelations": "Sinner Man"—Billy Porter
- Musical guest: "I Kissed a Girl"—Katy Perry
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Oh Timbaland"—Timbaland | Eliminated* |
| Thayne Jasperson | Contemporary | "Come Home"—OneRepublic | Eliminated |
| Jessica King | Contemporary | "Best for Last"—Adele | Safe* |
| William Wingfield | African Jazz | "Daraijan"—Kodo | Safe |
| Kherington Payne | Contemporary | "All We Are"—OneRepublic | Safe |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Hip-Hop | "We Gonna Win"—Miri Ben-Ari | Safe |
- Eliminated:
- New partners:
Week 6 (July 17, 2008)
- Group dances:
| Dancers | Style | Music | Choreographer |
| Top 10 | Bollywood | "JBJ" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom | Nakul Dev Mahajan |
| Top 5 female dancers | Contemporary | "Ave Maria"—Celine Dion | Mia Michaels |
| Top 5 male dancers | Broadway | "Five Guys Named Moe" from Five Guys Named Moe | Nigel Lythgoe Chuck Maldonado assisting |
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Egypt, Egypt"—Egyptian Lover | Safe |
| Mark Kanemura | Pop-Jazz | "Black Betty"—Ram Jam | Safe |
| Kherington Payne | Jazz | "Myphilosophy"—Inner | Eliminated |
| Gev Manoukian | Breakdance | "Feeling Good"—Michael Bublé | Eliminated |
- Eliminated:
Week 7 (July 24, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 8: "Universal Mind Control"—Common
- Guest dancer: Los Angeles Ballet Pas de deux: "The Man I Love" from Who Cares?
- Musical guest: "Baby"—LL Cool J featuring The-Dream
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Comfort Fedoke | Hip-Hop | "Like This"—Mims | Eliminated |
| William Wingfield | Contemporary | "Closer"—Goapele | Eliminated |
| Courtney Galiano | Jazz | "Passion"—Kreesha Turner | Safe |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Locking | "Hollywood Swinging"—Kool & the Gang | Safe |
- Eliminated:
Week 8 (July 31, 2008)
- Group dance: Top 6: "The Rose"—Bette Midler
- Guest dancer: Lil' Demon: "Planet Rock"—Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
- Musical guest: "Just Dance"—Lady Gaga
- Solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Courtney Galiano | Contemporary | "Almost Lover"—A Fine Frenzy | Safe |
| Mark Kanemura | Pop-Jazz | "Wind It Up "—Gwen Stefani | Eliminated |
| Katee Shean | Contemporary | "Beautiful Disaster"—Jon McLaughlin | Safe |
| Joshua Allen | Popping | "I Can Make You Dance"—Zapp | Safe |
| Chelsie Hightower | Jive | "The Girl's Gone Wild"—Travis Tritt | Eliminated |
| Stephen "tWitch" Boss | Funk | "Don't Worry, Be Happy"—Bobby McFerrin | Safe |
- Eliminated:
Week 9 (Grand Finale) (August 7, 2008)
- Group dances:
| Dancers | Style | Music | Choreographer |
| Top 20 | Hip-Hop | "Boom"—Sin featuring T-Pain | Shane Sparks |
| Top 5 male dancers | Broadway | "Five Guys Named Moe" from Five Guys Named Moe | Nigel Lythgoe Chuck Maldonado assisting |
- Guest dancers:
| Dancer | Style | Music |
| Robert Muraine Phillip Chbeeb | Popping Battle | "Stronger"—Kanye West |
| Mary Murphy Dmitry Chaplin | Samba | "Baila, Baila"—Angela Via |
| Cirque du Soleil/ Cast of Criss Angel Believe | Pop-Jazz | "Homage to the Rabbits"—Éric Serra |
| Debbie Allen Dance Academy Nigel Lythgoe | Tap | "Boogie Wonderland"—Earth, Wind & Fire feat. The Emotions |
| Earlier contestants | Discoswing | "Don't Stop the Music"—Rihanna |
- Musical guest: "Burnin' Up"—Jonas Brothers
Muraine and Chbeeb both auditioned earlier in the season. Chbeeb contracted pneumonia and was medically advised to withdraw and Muraine later quit during the Las Vegas auditions. Chbeeb was later selected to the Top 20 for Season 5.
Dmitry Chaplin, Ryan Conferido, Anya Garnis, Jaimie Goodwin, Allison Holker, Lauren Gottlieb, Neil Haskell, Hok Konishi, Ivan Koumaev, Melody Lacayanga, Dominic Sandoval, Benji Schwimmer and Travis Wall
Judges' picks
- 4th Place
- 3rd Place
- Runner-Up:
- Winner
- * Joshua Allen
Awards