So You Think You Can Dance Australia is set to be the smash hit of 2008! After the US series proved a ratings winner, Network Ten has embarked on the local version to showcase Australia’s best undiscovered dancing talent.

Host Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s breadth of performance experience will be complemented by a stellar judging panel including international producer and acclaimed choreographer Bonnie Lythgoe, events guru and choreographer Jason Coleman and one of Australia’s brightest dancing talents and choreographer Matt Lee.

So You Think You Can Dance Australia pits dancer against dancer, following them through a grueling 12 week competition. The winner will receive a cash prize, a ‘money can’t buy’ experience and the title of Australia’s favourite dancer!

Over the past few months, Natalie, Jason, Bonnie and Matt have travelled across the country in search of Australia’s best dancers. A short-list of more than 100 talented dancers were then invited to Sydney where they worked with some of Australia’s top choreographers including Kelley Abbey, Nacho Pop and Jason Gilkinson. During this week the judges had the difficult task of determining who would make it through to the Top 20.

Each week the dancers will be challenged to perform different genres of dance including hip hop, contemporary and ballroom, and the viewers get the chance to have their say by voting for their favourite.

NATALIE BASSINGTHWAIGHTE
HOST

Natalie Bassingthwaighte can do it all! Sing, act and is now host of So You Think You Can Dance Australia.

As the lead singer and face of Australian electrorock act the Rogue Traders and former Ramsay Street femme fatale Izzy Hoyland on Neighbours, Natalie has firmly established herself as an international success.
Natalie was nominated for the 2006 Silver and Gold Logie Awards for Most Popular Actress and TV personality. She has also been ARIA Award nominated, is an MTV Award winner and a Dolly Teen Choice Award winner.

A multi-talented musical performer Natalie played Ariel, the female lead in the 2002 live production of Footloose and Sandy in the Australian national tour of Grease in the same year. Natalie reprised the role of Sandy in Grease – The Arena Spectacular in 2005 opposite Craig McLachlan, John Farnham, Toby Allen [Human Nature] and Magda Szubanski.

Natalie recently finished filming her first lead role in the US feature film 'Prey'.

JASON COLEMAN
JUDGE

Jason Coleman has been a fixture of the Australian Dance scene for more than twenty years. Jason’s engagement as Choreographer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games was a career highlight – watched by over 3.8 billion people across the globe.

Jason’s musical theatre credits include Chicago, A Chorus Line, Saturday Night Fever, Little Shop of Horrors, Dancin’ Man, Dancin’ Dynamite, Sweet Charity, Fame, Hair and many more. His TV and music credits are numerous having worked with Tina Arena, John Farnham, Chaka Khan, The Bee Gees and Chrissy Amphlet amongst others.

Jason has worked as a choreographer, dance consultant and in a motion capture performance role in the animated film Happy Feet.

BONNIE LYTHGOE
JUDGE

Bonnie Lythgoe is an entertainment industry success story. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Bonnie’s achievements as a dancer, choreographer, TV presenter, TV producer and Broadway producer are second to none.

Bonnie started her dancing career at the Corona School for Performing Arts. While studying, she won a role in the feature film ‘To Sir With Love’ starring Sidney Poitier. Seven months later she was offered a presenter role on a children’s television series in the UK. Bonnie then auditioned for a BBC dance series called ‘Young Generation’. The choreographer for the series was Nigel Lythgoe who Bonnie later married in 1974.

A variety of choreography and directing roles followed including Snow White [London], Seven Brides for Seven Brothers [London], The Best Little Whore House in Texas, The Real Monty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Aladdin and Royal Variety for HRH Queen Elizabeth.

After working with Simon Fuller on this S Club Juniors, Bonnie then flew to the United States to join a new Simon Fuller venture - American Idol. Here she was reunited with Nigel Lythgoe who was the Executive Producer on the series. Bonnie was a producer on the first three series of American Idol before moving on to a new project - So You Think You Can Dance where she was judge and producer for the first two series.

Bonnie has worked with numerous well known entertainers throughout her career including Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Junior, Sir Cliff Richard , Victoria Beckham, Dudley Moore, Sidney Poitier, Olivia Newton-John, Black Eyed Peas, Sarah – Duchess of York, Rolf Harris and Jerry Lee Lewis.

MATT LEE
JUDGE

Matt Lee is an Australian dance prodigy who first began his dance career at the age of five. A graduate of the Brent Street School of Performing Arts in Sydney, Matt is now a seasoned performer at only 27 years of age.

Matt recently performed with the Australian tour of Miss Saigon, recently appeared in Hugh Jackman’s The Boy From Oz and has played roles in the musicals We will Rock You [Japan and Australia], The Witches of Eastwick, Oh! What a Night and Rent. He has also performed in Happy Days - The Arena Spectacular, Grease - The Arena Spectacular and Hot Shoe huffle.

Matt made his film debut in 2000 when he played a supporting role in Dein Perry’s 'Bootmen'. Most recently he played a key role in George Miller’s Golden Globe and Oscar nominated animated feature Happy Feet.
Besides performing, Matt is a dance teacher and choreographer. His credits include – choreographer for Human Nature, Guy Sebastian, Marcia Hines and Christine Anu.

KELLEY ABBEY
CHOREOGRAPHER

For over two decades Kelley Abbey has performed, danced and choreographed for theatre, film and television. A leading lady in musicals like Sweet Charity and Fame – The Musical, Kelley has won as many hearts as awards. For Sweet Charity she received the Green Room, Variety Heart and MO Awards for Best Female Musical Theatre Performer. In Fame – The Musical, she both starred and choreographed, winning a MO Award for Best Female Performer/ Choreographer in a musical and the Green Room Award for Best Original Choreography.

Kelley has also worked as choreographer, lead performer and creative motion capture consultant on the award winning film Happy Feet and was honoured in the feature film category at the Los Angeles Choreography Media Honors for her work in the film.

NATE MENDELSOHN AKA NACHO POP
CHOREOGRAPHER

Growing up in New York City, Nate began dancing as a child, inspired by the local hip hop culture and the local street corner breakers. Nate moved to Australia seven years ago and quickly established himself as one of Australia’s leading hip hop performers. He has danced in numerous TV ads [Evian, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Channel [V], MTV, Vodafone] and music video clips.

Nate has won battles against some of Australia’s and Asia’s best poppers / hip hop dancers and produces shows with the world famous ‘Seven Dollar Crew’. Nate is currently a member of Australia and New Zealand’s leading funkstyle crew – Star Connection.

Nate also works as a choreographer and dance instructor. Kelley is also one of Australia’s leading music video choreographers working with artists such as Human Nature and Sophie Monk In 1991, Kelley first came to public notice as Jo-Jo in the popular Australian Soap E-Street.

JASON GILKISON
CHOREOGRAPHER

Jason Gilkison has been called the Bradman of Ballroom. Jason and his dance partner Peta Roby, are regarded as the finest ballroom dancers of the last decade and one of the most famous ballroom teams of the 20th Century. Undefeated Australian Latin American champions from 1981 until their retirement in Moscow in 1997, they swept the international ballroom dancing awards, winning World, British, Asian Pacific, International, United States and Japan Open championships.

In 1990 Jason was named 'Young Australian of the Year'. Jason's credits include Segment Choreographer for Sydney Olympic Games - Closing Ceremony, Artist Director and choreographer for Burn the Floor world tour and A Night with Dame Edna US tour. In 2005 Jason was the Artistic Director and Choreographer for
'Jason Gilkinson's Ballroom' which opened to rave reviews around the world.

Tags: Natalie Bassingthwaight, So You Think You Can Dance