So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series) season 2

The second season of So You Think You Can Dance premiered on May 25, 2006, with new host Cat Deeley.

So You Think You Can Dance
Season 2
Hosted by	Cat Deeley
Judges	Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels, Shane Sparks, Dan Karaty, Brian Friedman
Winner	Benji Schwimmer
Runner-up	Travis Wall
Finals venue	CBS Studio Center
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	May 25 (2006-05-25) – August 16, 2006 (2006-08-16)
Season chronology

On August 16, Benji Schwimmer was announced as the winner of season 2 and received the grand prize of $100,000, a new hybrid SUV, and a one-year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, A New Day.... Schwimmer almost did not make the show's top 20 — he was officially first runner-up dancer in case any of the male dancers ran into unforeseen difficulties prior to the start of filming. As it happened, for the second year in a row, Hokuto Konishi was unable to get his visa cleared to work in the U.S. in time for the first taping, and he was cut. Schwimmer took his spot in the Top 20 and fared well from the start, garnering consistent praise from the judges and votes from viewers. Schwimmer and fellow grand finalist Donyelle Jones, who were paired as a couple from the first performance episode, became the fourth contestants in the show's run never to face elimination from being among the bottom six or bottom four contestants, became the second contestants to be in the grand finale, and became the first pair in the show's run never to face elimination from being among the bottom six or bottom four contestants in the grand finale.

Auditions

Auditions were held in New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Vegas week

One hundred and sixteen contestants were invited for a week of training to the Aladdin hotel (now Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This training included hip-hop choreography taught by Shane Sparks, samba choreography taught by Mary Murphy with assistance from season 1 contestant Artem Chigvinsev, a contemporary routine taught by Mia Michaels, and training from Brian Friedman, who described his choreography as a fusion of jazz and hip-hop.^[1] The original group of contestants was eventually whittled down to 41, from which the judges chose their top 20.

Contestant(s)	Thing/style	Music	Choreographer(s)
All	Hip-hop	"Run It!"—Chris Brown"	Shane Sparks
All	Samba	"Magalenha"—Sérgio Mendes	Mary Murphy with Artem Chigvinsev
All	Contemporary	N/A	Mia Michaels
All	Jazz-fusion	"So Sexy"—Shanice	Brian Friedman
All (individual)	Solo	Individual songs chosen by contestant	The contestant

Top 20 Contestants

Female Contestants

Contestant	Age	Home Town	Dance Style	Elimination date	Placement
Donyelle Jones	26	Los Angeles, California	Hip Hop/Jazz	August 16, 2006	3rd Place
Heidi Groskreutz	24	Newport Beach, California	Latin/Swing	August 16, 2006	4th Place
Natalie Fotopoulos	22	Tampa, Florida	Jazz	August 3, 2006	Top 6
Allison Holker	18	Orem, Utah	Contemporary	July 27, 2006	Top 8
Martha Nichols	19	Brooklyn, New York	Contemporary	July 20, 2006	Top 10
Ashlee Nino	21	Fort Worth, Texas	Hip Hop	July 13, 2006	Top 12
Jessica Fernandez	19	Miami, Florida	Ballet	July 6, 2006	Top 14
Aleksandra Wojda	23	Pretoria, South Africa	Contemporary	June 29, 2006	Top 16
Joy Spears	19	Killen, Alabama	Contemporary	June 22, 2006	Top 18
Erin Ellis	19	Nashville, Tennessee	Jazz	June 15, 2006	Top 20

Male Contestants

Contestant	Age	Home Town	Dance Style	Elimination date	Placement
Benji Schwimmer	22	San Diego, California	Swing	August 16, 2006	Winner
Travis Wall	18	Quantico, Virginia	Contemporary	August 16, 2006	Runner Up
Ivan Koumaev	18	Seattle, Washington (originally from Russia)	Hip Hop	August 3, 2006	Top 6
Ryan Rankine	20	Brooklyn, New York	Ballet	July 27, 2006	Top 8
Dmitry Chaplin	23	Rostov-on-Don, Russia	Latin Ballroom	July 20, 2006	Top 10
Musa Cooper	28	Camden, New Jersey	Hip Hop	July 13, 2006	Top 12
Jaymz Tuaileva	20	Orem, Utah	Jazz	July 6, 2006	Top 14
Benjamin “Ben” Susak	19	Phoenix, Arizona	Contemporary	June 29, 2006	Top 16
Jason Williams	20	Wilmington, North Carolina	Hip Hop	June 22, 2006	Top 18
Stanislav Savich	22	Brooklyn, New York	Ballroom	June 15, 2006	Top 20

Finals

Elimination chart

The song played after each female contestant's elimination was "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall, whilst that played after each male contestant's elimination was "It's the End of the Road" by Matt Goss.

Legend

Female	Male	Bottom 3 couples	Bottom 4 contestants

Week:	6/15	6/22	6/29	7/6	7/13	7/20	7/27	8/3	8/17
Contestant	Result
Benji Schwimmer									Winner
Travis Wall					Btm 3		Btm 4		Runner-Up
Donyelle Jones									3rd Place
Heidi Groskreutz		Btm 3		Btm 3					4th Place
Ivan Koumaev	Btm 3			Btm 3				Elim
Natalie Fotopoulos					Btm 3	Btm 4	Btm 4
Ryan Rankine		Btm 3		Btm 3		Btm 4	Elim
Allison Holker	Btm 3			Btm 3
Dmitry Chaplin		Btm 3	Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Martha Nichols					Btm 3
Musa Cooper					Elim
Ashlee Nino			Btm 3
Jaymz Tuaileva	Btm 3		Btm 3	Elim
Jessica Fernandez	Btm 3		Btm 3
Ben Susak			Elim
Aleksandra Wodja		Btm 3
Jason Williams		Elim
Joy Spears
Stanislav Savich	Elim
Erin Ellis

Performance nights

Week 1 (June 14, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty

• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Hip-Hop	"2 Much Booty (In Da Pants)"—Soundmaster T	Shane Sparks	Safe
Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev	Salsa	"El Temblor"—La Palabra	Alex Da Silva	Bottom 3
Aleksandra Wojda Jason Williams	Contemporary	"Unwritten"—Natasha Bedingfield	Tyce Diorio	Safe
Jessica Fernandez Jaymz Tuaileva	70s Disco	"Disco Inferno"—The Trammps	Doriana Sanchez	Bottom 3
Erin Ellis Stanislav Savich	Paso Doble	"Malaguena"—Manhattan Pops Orchestra	Ron Montez	Both eliminated
Joy Spears Dmitry Chaplin	Hip-Hop	"Hit the Floor"—Twista (ft. Pitbull)	Shane Sparks	Safe
Heidi Groskreutz Ryan Rankine	Viennese Waltz	"Caribbean Blue"—Enya	Ron Montez	Safe
Ashlee Nino Ben Susak	80s Disco	"Flashdance... What a Feeling"—Irene Cara	Doriana Sanchez	Safe
Martha Nichols Travis Wall	Broadway	"Steam Heat"—The Pointer Sisters	Tyce Diorio	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos Musa Cooper	Mambo	"Nina"—Joe Cuba Sextet	Alex Da Silva	Safe

Week 2 (June 21, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Shane Sparks and Mia Michaels

• Guest dancer(s): SickStep Crew (now Quest Crew): "Canned Heat"—Jamiroquai (Breakdance)
• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Martha Nichols Travis Wall	Krump	"Clap Back"—Ja Rule	Lil' C	Safe
Jessica Fernandez Jaymz Tuaileva	Foxtrot	"Why Don't You Do Right?"—Sinéad O'Connor (incorrectly listed as "Sinead O'Conner")	Mary Murphy	Safe
Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"Touch It"—Busta Rhymes	Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley	Safe
Joy Spears Dmitry Chaplin	Samba	"Mas Que Nada"—Sérgio Mendes feat. The Black Eyed Peas	Mark Weiss	Joy Spears eliminated
Natalie Fotopoulos Musa Cooper	Contemporary	"Closer"—Goapele	Tovaris Wilson	Safe
Heidi Groskreutz Ryan Rankine	Pop	"Walk Away"—Kelly Clarkson	Tovaris Wilson	Bottom 3
Ashlee Nino Ben Susak	American Jive	"Great Balls of Fire"—Jerry Lee Lewis	Mary Murphy	Safe
Aleksandra Wojda Jason Williams	Hip-Hop	"Wrath of Kane"—Big Daddy Kane	Olisa Thompson Cicely Bradley	Jason Williams eliminated
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Cha-cha	"Cuchi-Cuchi"—Los Amigos Invisibles	Mark Weiss	Safe

Week 3 (June 28, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Olisa Thompson and Cicely Bradley

• Guest dancer(s): Hop, Swing and a Jump: "Traffic Jam"—Bill Elliott (Lindy Hop)
• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Ashlee Nino Ben Susak	Hip-Hop	"Caught Up"—Usher	Todd Sams	Ben Susak eliminated
Heidi Groskreutz Ryan Rankine	Cuban Rumba	"Rumba del Solar"—Angelo Rodriguez	Alex Da Silva	Safe
Aleksandra Wojda Dmitry Chaplin	Waltz	"If I Were a Painting"—Kenny Rogers	Heather Smith	Aleksandra Wojda eliminated
Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev	Argentine Tango	"Libertango"—bond	Alex Da Silva	Safe
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Pop-Jazz	"Put the Needle on It"—Dannii Minogue	Brian Friedman	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos Musa Cooper	Quickstep	"Zoot Suit Riot"—Cherry Poppin' Daddies	Heather Smith	Safe
Jessica Fernandez Jaymz Tuaileva	Contemporary	"Let Go"—Frou Frou	Brian Friedman	Bottom 3
Martha Nichols Travis Wall	Hip-Hop	"Just Fine"—Chris Brown	Todd Sams	Safe

Week 4 (July 5, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty

• Guest dancer(s): Lil' C and the Neph Squad: "Spaz Meter"—The J-Squad (Krump)
• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Heidi Groskreutz Ryan Rankine	Hip-Hop	"Give It All You Got"—Afro-Rican	Shane Sparks	Bottom 3
Martha Nichols Travis Wall	Salsa	"Tanga"—Machito and His Afro-Cubans	Ron Montez	Safe
Ashlee Nino Dmitry Chaplin	Contemporary	"Dance, Dance"—Fall Out Boy	Brian Friedman	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos Musa Cooper	Disco	"Hot Stuff"—Donna Summer	Doriana Sanchez	Safe
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Viennese Waltz	"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"—Bryan Adams	Toni Redpath Michael Mead	Safe
Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev	West Coast Swing	"Don't Happen No More"—Pat Benatar	Ron Montez	Bottom 3
Jessica Fernandez Jaymz Tuaileva	Hip-Hop	"I Can Make You Dance"—Zapp	Shane Sparks	Both eliminated

Week 5 (July 12, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Brian Friedman

• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Musa Cooper Natalie Fotopoulos	Hip-Hop	"Promiscuous"—Nelly Furtado (ft. Timbaland)	Dan Karaty	Musa Cooper eliminated
Ryan Rankine Heidi Groskreutz	Cha-cha	"Sex Bomb"—Tom Jones	Jean-Marc Généreux	Safe
Ivan Koumaev Allison Holker	Contemporary	"Why"—Annie Lennox	Tyce Diorio	Safe
Dmitry Chaplin Ashlee Nino	Pop	"Let Me"—Rihanna	Dan Karaty	Ashlee Nino eliminated
Travis Wall Martha Nichols	Foxtrot	"Witchcraft"—Steve Tyrell	Jean-Marc Généreux	Bottom 3
Benji Schwimmer Donyelle Jones	Broadway	"You Can't Stop The Beat" from Hairspray	Tyce Diorio	Safe

Week 6 (July 19, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Olisa Thompson, Cicely Bradley and Jean-Marc Généreux

• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Martha Nichols Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"Me & U"—Cassie	Shane Sparks	Martha Nichols eliminated
	Smooth Waltz	"Sandy's Song"—Dolly Parton	Toni Redpath Michael Mead
Heidi Groskreutz Travis Wall	Paso Doble	"The Plaza of Execution" from The Mask of Zorro	Mary Murphy	Safe
	Contemporary	"Calling You"—Celine Dion	Mia Michaels
Allison Holker Ryan Rankine	Contemporary	"Ethna"—Klement Bonelli	Mia Michaels	Ryan Rankine in bottom 4
	Broadway	"Bye Bye Blackbird"—Liza Minnelli	Tyce Diorio
Donyelle Jones Dmitry Chaplin	Lindy Hop	"Sing, Sing, Sing"-Benny Goodman	Nick Williams Kristen Sorci	Dmitry Chaplin eliminated
	Samba	"Hey Mama"—The Black Eyed Peas	Mary Murphy (Artem Chigvintsev assisting)
Natalie Fotopoulos Benji Schwimmer	Jazz	"Wonderful"—India.Arie	Tyce Diorio	Natalie Fotopoulos in bottom 4
	Hip-Hop	"She's Freaky"—Pitbull	Shane Sparks

• Top 10 contestant's solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Donyelle Jones	Hip-Hop	"Git It"—Bun B feat. Ying Yang Twins	Safe
Dmitry Chaplin	Samba	"Pump It"—Black Eyed Peas	Eliminated
Martha Nichols	Jazz	"What You Waiting For?"—Gwen Stefani	Eliminated
Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"This Luv"—Donell Jones	Safe
Heidi Groskreutz	Samba	"Dum Diddly"—Black Eyed Peas	Safe
Travis Wall	Contemporary	"Belief"—Gavin DeGraw	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos	Contemporary	"Lamentation"—Leah Andreone	Bottom 4
Benji Schwimmer	West Coast Swing	"Land of a Thousand Dances"—Wilson Pickett	Safe
Allison Holker	Contemporary	"We Belong"—Pat Benatar	Safe
Ryan Rankine	Jazz	"Canned Heat"—Jamiroquai	Bottom 4

Week 7 (July 26, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty

• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Donyelle Jones Travis Wall	Hip-Hop	"London Bridge"—Fergie	Shane Sparks	Travis Wall in bottom 4
	Quickstep	"Dancin' Fool"—Barry Manilow	Glenn Weiss
Allison Holker Ivan Koumaev	Argentine Tango	"La Cumparsita"—Orquestra Escuela de Tango	Alex Da Silva	Allison Holker eliminated
	Hip-Hop	"Sexy Love"—Ne-Yo	Shane Sparks
Natalie Fotopoulos Ryan Rankine	Disco	"Turn the Beat Around"—Vicki Sue Robinson	Doriana Sanchez	Natalie Fotopoulos in bottom 4 Ryan Rankine eliminated
	Contemporary	"I Will Get There"—Boyz II Men	Tyce Diorio
Heidi Groskreutz Benji Schwimmer	Broadway	"Fake Your Way to the Top" from Dreamgirls	Tyce Diorio	Safe
	Mambo	"Black Mambo"—Angel and the Mambokats	Alex Da Silva

Week 8 (August 2, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels

• Couple dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)	Result(s)
Natalie Fotopoulos Ivan Koumaev	Jive	"Route 66"—John Mayer	Ron Montez	Both eliminated
	Contemporary	"Everytime We Touch (Yanou's Candlelight Mix)"—Cascada	Tyce Diorio
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Broadway	"Le Jazz Hot"—Julie Andrews	Tyce Diorio	Safe
	Hip-Hop	"Hotline"—Ciara	Shane Sparks
Heidi Groskreutz Travis Wall	Smooth Waltz	"Flying"—Cait Agus Sean	Ron Montez	Safe
	Afro-Pop	"W'Happy Mama"—Zap Mama	Wade Robson

• Top 6 contestant's solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Travis Wall	Contemporary	"You and Me"—Lifehouse	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos	Jazz	"Ooh La La"—Goldfrapp	Eliminated
Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"It Was All In Your Mind"—Wade Robson	Eliminated
Heidi Groskreutz	Cha-cha	"I Like It"—The Blackout Allstars	Safe
Benji Schwimmer	West Coast Swing	"Reet Petite"—Jackie Wilson	Safe
Donyelle Jones	Broadway	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls	Safe

Week 9 (August 9, 2006)

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Brian Friedman

• Group dance: Top 4: "SexyBack"—Justin Timberlake (Pop; Choreographer: Wade Robson)
• Duo dances:

Couple	Style	Music	Choreographer(s)
Heidi Groskreutz Travis Wall	Disco	"Shake Your Groove Thing"—Peaches & Herb	Doriana Sanchez
Donyelle Jones Benji Schwimmer	Viennese Waltz	"I'll Be"—Edwin McCain	Jean-Marc Généreux
Travis Wall Benji Schwimmer	Hip-Hop	"Gyrate"—Da Muzicianz feat. Mr. Collipark	Shane Sparks
Donyelle Jones Heidi Groskreutz	Broadway	"Big Spender" from Sweet Charity	Tyce Diorio Lauren Gottlieb assisting
Donyelle Jones Travis Wall	Contemporary	"Georgia on My Mind"—Ray Charles	Mia Michaels
Heidi Groskreutz Benji Schwimmer	Salsa	"La Comay"—Sonora Carruseles	Alex Da Silva

Top 4 contestant's solos:

Contestant	Style	Music
Heidi Groskreutz	Cha-cha	"Rie y Llora"—Celia Cruz
Donyelle Jones	Contemporary	"Human"—Dionne Farris
Travis Wall	Contemporary	"Konstantine"—Something Corporate
Benji Schwimmer	West Coast Swing	"The House Is Rockin'"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Results shows

Week 1 (June 15, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 20: "Technologic"—Daft Punk (Pop-Jazz; Choreographer: Brian Friedman)
• Musical guest: "Promiscuous"—Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland
• Guest dancer(s): Nick Lazzarini: "Pardon Me"—Incubus (Contemporary)
• Bottom 3 couple’s solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Erin Ellis	Contemporary	"Gotta Get Thru This"—Daniel Bedingfield	Eliminated
Stanislav Savich	Cha-cha	"Shing A-Tin Tin"—Tito Puente	Eliminated
Allison Holker	Contemporary	"Wild Horses"—Natasha Bedingfield	Safe
Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"Ready"—Black Rob	Safe
Jessica Fernandez	Ballet	"Dancing"—Elisa	Safe
Jaymz Tuaileva	Jazz	"All That I've Got"—The Used	Safe

• Eliminated:
  • Erin Ellis
  • Stanislav Savich
• New Pairs:
  • None

Week 2 (June 22, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 18: "Get Up Offa That Thing"—James Brown (Funk; Choreographer: Dan Karaty)
• Musical guest: "SOS"—Rihanna
• Bottom 3 couple’s solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Joy Spears	Contemporary	"Look At Me"—Keri Noble	Eliminated
Dmitry Chaplin	Paso Doble	"Plaza of Execution"—James Horner	Safe
Heidi Groskreutz	Cha-cha	"I Like It (Radio Mix)"—Tito Nieves	Safe
Ryan Rankine	Contemporary	"Ain't No Way"—Chris Brown	Safe
Aleksandra Wojda	Contemporary	"Breathe Me"—Sia	Safe
Jason Williams	Hip-Hop	"So Sexy"—Shanice	Eliminated

• Eliminated:
  • Joy Spears
  • Jason Williams
• New Pairs:
  • Aleksandra Wojda and Dmitry Chaplin

Week 3 (June 29, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 16: "Poison"—Bell Biv DeVoe (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Shane Sparks)
• Musical guest: "Single"—Natasha Bedingfield
• Bottom 3 couple’s solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Ashlee Nino	Popping	"She's a Bad Mama Jama"—Carl Carlton	Safe
Ben Susak	Contemporary	"Everything"—Lifehouse	Eliminated
Jessica Fernandez	Jazz	"Fever"—Michael Bublé	Safe
Jaymz Tuaileva	Jazz	"Only One"—Yellowcard	Safe
Aleksandra Wojda	Contemporary	"Insensible"—Mandalay	Eliminated
Dmitry Chaplin	Samba	"Magalenha"—Sérgio Mendes	Safe

• Eliminated:
  • Aleksandra Wojda
  • Ben Susak
• New Pairs:
  • Ashlee Nino and Dmitry Chaplin

Week 4 (July 6, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 14: "Footloose" from Footloose (Jive; Choreographer: Mary Murphy)
• Musical guest: "Sexy Love"—Ne-Yo
• Bottom 3 couples' solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Jessica Fernandez	Jazz	"Body Language"—Queen	Eliminated
Jaymz Tuaileva	Paso Doble	"The Plaza of Execution"—James Horner	Eliminated
Heidi Groskreutz	Jive	"Proud Mary"—Ike and Tina Turner	Safe
Ryan Rankine	Contemporary	"Love"—Musiq Soulchild	Safe
Allison Holker	Contemporary	"Bitter"—Me'shell Ndegeocello	Safe
Ivan Koumaev	Hip-Hop	"Let Me Love You"—Mario	Safe

• Eliminated:
  • Jessica Fernandez
  • Jaymz Tuaileva
• New Pairs:
  • None

Week 5 (July 13, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 12: "Born to be Alive"—Patrick Hernandez (Disco; Choreographer: Doriana Sanchez)
• Musical guest: "Buttons"—The Pussycat Dolls
• Bottom 3 couples' solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Ashlee Nino	Popping	"We Don't Play"—Lil Rob	Eliminated
Dmitry Chaplin	Jive	"Jailhouse Rock"—Elvis Presley	Safe
Martha Nichols	Contemporary	"Still"—Jodie Manross	Safe
Travis Wall	Contemporary	"The Blower's Daughter"—Damien Rice	Safe
Natalie Fotopoulos	Jazz	"Some Girls"—Rachel Stevens	Safe
Musa Cooper	Breakdance	"Disco Inferno"—The Trammps	Eliminated

• Eliminated:
  • Ashlee Nino
  • Musa Cooper
• New Pairs:
  • None : now that it was down to the top 10, pairs were randomly picked and viewers got to vote on individual contestants.

Top 10 contestants from So You Think You Can Dance performing a zombie dance to Róisín Murphy's "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" in Buffalo, New York

Week 6 (July 20, 2006)

• Note: This week, the contestants performed the same solo twice
• Group dance: Top 10: "Ramalama (Bang Bang)"—Róisín Murphy (Pop-Jazz; Choreographer: Wade Robson)
• Musical guest: "Gimme That"—Chris Brown
• Bottom 4 contestants:
  • Dmitry Chaplin
  • Natalie Fotopoulos
  • Martha Nichols
  • Ryan Rankine
• Eliminated:
  • Martha Nichols
  • Dmitry Chaplin

Week 7 (July 27, 2006)

• Group dance: Top 8: "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago (musical) (Broadway; Choreographer: Tyce Diorio)
• Musical guest: A medley of "Touch It", "I Love My Chick", and "In the Ghetto"—Busta Rhymes
• Bottom 4 contestant's solos:

Contestant	Style	Music	Result
Natalie Fotopoulos	Jazz	"Veins"—Charlotte Martin	Safe
Ryan Rankine	Contemporary	"Just Fine"—Chris Brown	Eliminated
Allison Holker	Jazz	"Feeling Good"—Michael Bublé	Eliminated
Travis Wall	Contemporary	"Gotta Get Thru This (Acoustic)"—Daniel Bedingfield	Safe

• Eliminated:
  • Allison Holker
  • Ryan Rankine

Week 8 (August 3, 2006)

• Group dance: "Hide and Seek"—Imogen Heap (Contemporary; Choreographer: Mia Michaels)
• Musical Guest: "Entourage"—Omarion
• Top 6 contestant's solos:
  • Natalie Fotopoulos: "I Would Die for You"—Jann Arden
  • Heidi Groskreutz: "Hey Mama"—The Black Eyed Peas
  • Donyelle Jones: "Buttons"—The Pussycat Dolls
  • Travis Wall: "Flying Without Wings (A Capella version)"—Westlife
  • Ivan Koumaev: "I Question Mark"—Wade Robson
  • Benji Schwimmer: "Brown Derby Jump"—Cherry Poppin' Daddies
• Eliminated:
  • Natalie Fotopoulos
  • Ivan Koumaev

Week 10 (Finale) (August 16, 2006)

• Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Brian Friedman, Shane Sparks, Mia Michaels, Dan Karaty
• Musical guests:
  • "Get Up"—Ciara
  • "London Bridge"—Fergie
• Special guest: Celine Dion, who appeared via videotape to congratulate the winner
• Group dances:
  • Top 20
    • "When You Gonna Give It Up To Me"—Sean Paul (ft. Keyshia Cole) (Choreographer: Shane Sparks)
    • "Ramalama (Bang Bang)"—Róisín Murphy (Choreographer: Wade Robson)
  • Top 10
    • "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago (Choreographer: Tyce Diorio)
• Grand finalists' choice: (each of the top four chose to reprise their favorite routine)
  • Benji Schwimmer: Mambo with Heidi Groskreutz ("Black Mambo"—Angel and the Mambokats)
  • Heidi Groskreutz: Contemporary with Travis Wall ("Calling You"—Celine Dion)
  • Donyelle Jones: Broadway with Benji Schwimmer ("You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray)
  • Travis Wall: Paso doble with Heidi Groskreutz ("The Plaza of Execution" from The Mask of Zorro)
• Judges' choice: (four of the judges picked their favorite routine)
  • Mary Murphy: Samba with Dmitry Chaplin and Natalie Fotopoulos ("Magalenha"—Sérgio Mendes)
  • Mia Michaels: Contemporary with Allison Holker and Ivan Koumaev ("Why"—Annie Lennox)
  • Brian Friedman: Broadway with Travis Wall and Martha Nichols ("Steam Heat"—The Pointer Sisters)
  • Dan Karaty: Hip-hop with Travis Wall and Benji Schwimmer ("Gyrate"—Da Muzicianz (ft. Mr. Collipark))
• Solos:
  • Heidi Groskreutz: "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"—Joan Jett
  • Donyelle Jones: "I'm Free"—Amber
  • Benji Schwimmer: "Never Knew"—The Rocket Summer
  • Travis Wall: "Wonderful"—Annie Lennox
• 4th Place
  • Heidi Groskreutz
• 3rd Place
  • Donyelle Jones
• Runner-Up:
  • Travis Wall
• Winner:
  • Benji Schwimmer

Live tour

In 2006^{[clarification needed]}, the top 10 contestants went on a performance tour (which is the first sytycd tour). Tickets went on sale August 12

Awards

2007 Emmy Awards

Result	Category	Recipient(s)/ Choreographer(s)	Performers	Music
Won†	Outstanding Choreography	Wade Robson	Top 10 contestants	"Ramalama (Bang Bang)"—Róisín Murphy
Won†	Outstanding Choreography	Mia Michaels	Heidi Groskreutz Travis Wall	"Calling You"—Celine Dion

^† Wade Robson and Mia Michaels were joint-winners along with Rob Marshall and John Deluca from Tony Bennett: An American Classic.

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Show	Episode	First Air Date	Rating (18–49)	Share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	Rank (timeslot)	Rank (night)
1	Auditions #1 & #2: New York and Chicago	May 25, 2006	6.9	12	10.7[2]	1	3
2	Auditions #3: Los Angeles	May 31, 2006	5.6	9	8.8[3]	3	6
3	Auditions #4: Chicago	June 1, 2006	6.3	10	10.0[4]	2	3
4	Las Vegas Callback #1	June 7, 2006	6.7	11	10.7[5]	1	1
5	Las Vegas Callback #2	June 8, 2006	6.3	10	10.2[6]	3	4
6	Top 20 Perform	June 14, 2006	6.6	12	9.9[7]	1	1
7	2 of 20 Voted Off Live	June 15, 2006	5.2	9	8.2[8]	4	6
8	Top 18 Perform	June 21, 2006	5.9	10	9.1[9]	1	3
9	2 of 18 Voted Off	June 22, 2006	5.7	10	9.3[10]	2	3
10	Top 16 Perform	June 28, 2006	5.8	10	8.8[11]	1	4
11	2 of 16 Voted Off	June 29, 2006	5.5	10	8.5[12]	2	3
12	Top 14 Perform	July 5, 2006	5.4	10	8.5[13][a]	1	4
13	2 of 14 Voted Off	July 6, 2006	5.4	9	8.8[14]	1	3
14	Top 12 Perform	July 12, 2006	6.0	10	9.6[15]	1	3
15	2 of 12 Voted Off Live	July 13, 2006	6.0	10	9.3[16]	2	3
16	Top 10 Perform	July 19, 2006	5.5	10	8.7[17][b]	2	3
17	2 of 10 Voted Off Live	July 20, 2006	5.5	9	8.6[18]	2	3
18	Top 8 Perform	July 26, 2006	5.8	10	9.2[19]	1 (tied)	3 (tied)
19	2 of 8 Voted Off	July 27, 2006	5.3	9	8.4[20]	2	3
20	Top 6 Perform	August 2, 2006	6.0	10	9.4[21]	1	2
21	2 of 6 Voted Off Live	August 3, 2006	5.3	9	8.4[22]	2	3
22	Top 4 Perform	August 9, 2006	6.4	10	10.1[23]	1	1
23	Finals/Winner	August 16, 2006	6.0	10	9.4[24][c]	2	2

See also

• List of So You Think You Can Dance finalists

Notes

1. Nielsen split this episode into two, so a combined average is displayed here. The first half gained 7.2 million viewers with a 4.6/9 rating/share, ranked number 1 in the timeslot and number 5 for the night. The second half, which aired at 8:30 pm, gained 9.8 million viewers with a 6.1/10 rating/share, ranked number 1 in the timeslot and number 2 for the night.
2. Nielsen split this episode into two, so a combined average is displayed here. The first half gained 7.7 million viewers with a 4.9/9 rating/share, ranked number 2 in the timeslot and number 5 for the night. The second half, which aired at 9 pm, gained 9.6 million viewers with a 6.0/10 rating/share, ranked number 1 in the timeslot and number 3 for the night.
3. Nielsen split this episode into two, so a combined average is displayed here. The first half gained 8.0 million viewers with a 5.2/9 rating/share, ranked number 2 in the timeslot and number 5 for the night. The second half, which aired at 9 pm, gained 10.7 million viewers with a 6.7/11 rating/share, ranked number 1 in the timeslot and number 2 for the night.