SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: L-R: Judges Stephen “tWitch” Boss, JoJo Siwa and Matthew Morrison at the Los Angeles auditions for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airing Wednesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2022 Fox Media LLC. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX

We can hardly contain our excitement. So You Think You Can Dance is back! The Season 17 premiere of everyone’s favorite dance competition show premiere Wednesday. Here’s everything you need to know if you missed out.

After a two-year hiatus, SYTYCD did not disappoint. The show’s opening included a dance sequence not just from the contestants in a variety of locations but also from our new judges, JoJo Siwa, tWitch, and Matthew Morrison.

As Cat said, “It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” We’ve been waiting to watch with as much anticipation as the dancers that have been waiting to compete. As always, the dancers need two yeses from the judges to move to the next round. Here’s how the first round of auditions went.

The Contestants

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Jordan Betscher at the Los Angeles auditions for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airing Wednesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2022 Fox Media LLC. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX

Konnor Kelly was the first dancer in front of the judges this week. His contemporary performance to a dramatic remix of “What a Wonderful World” was the perfect for Season 17. He walked onto the stage shy, but his routine was anything but hesitant. “That’s what I’m talking about!” tWitch said. JoJo called Konnor’s dance abilities a gift that is only made stronger by how humble he is. Matthew and tWitch echoed her excitement. Are we surprised he got three yeses?

Following Konnor with confidence was Samuel “Hooliboy” Kyei. Born in Ghana, West Africa, Samuel wants to bring Afrodance to So You Think. His audition had tWitch and JoJo on their feet and everyone dancing. The judges were excited to see a routine full of so much movement-based joy. Matthew was concerned that he wasn’t always on-beat with his rhythms, but he received three yeses, so we’ll be cheering him on in the choreography round.

Tap dancer Blake Rhodes received emphatic yeses from the judges. Jordan Betscher (jazz), Rachel Lockhart (contemporary), and Jerome Cunanan (hip hop) were also some of the dancers quickly pushed toward the choreography round this week.

Anna Miller is one of many dancers coming to the show excited that SYTYCD returned right as she turned 18. Anna is a dancer and a fast car driver. Her contemporary performance earned plenty of compliments from the judges. Matthew Morrison called her “a complete original.” It was a “1-2-3 YES!” from the judges.

Anastasiia Gavriukhova left Russia to live in New York and pursue hip hop. Anastasiia was the first contestant we saw receive a no this season after the judges weren’t totally wowed by her popping routine. After he no, Anastasiia challenged tWitch to a battle to show him some more popping.

Dakota Pizzi and Misha Randelovic are the first couple (dance and romantic!) that we’ve seen this season. Their love story from dance to marriage gave their ballroom routine all the chemistry we could hope for, but JoJo was a little disappointed to see their stamina waning at the end of their performance. JoJo gave both dancers a no, but tWitch gave Dakota and Misha a yes. Matthew was the decider, giving Dakota a yes and Misha a no. Dakota will go on to the choreography round while Misha goes home.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Maci Montes at the Los Angeles auditions for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airing Wednesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2022 Fox Media LLC. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX

Maci Montes was the final contestant this week. She shared her journey with mental health and how dance has helped her progress. Maci’s contemporary routine immediately had JoJo on her feet, and the entire audience gave her a standing ovation. Matthew was impressed with her storytelling and isolations. The judges gave her three yeses.

The New Show

While Season 17 is SYTYCD “refreshed,” it’s still the same show we all love. There is a lot of vibrance and excitement in everything, and the positivity is contagious, but everyone that loved SYTYCD for the dance and the judges’ comments won’t be disappointed.

So You Think You Can Dance will be back next week for another round of auditions. What dancer are you rooting for?

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.