PAULA ABDUL AND JASON DERULO JOIN NIGEL LYTHGOE AT THE “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE” JUDGES’ TABLE

World-renowned choreographer, performer, singer and songwriter Paula Abdul and singer/songwriter/dancer Jason Derulo will join Nigel Lythgoe at the judges’ table, alongside returning host Cat Deeley, for the 12^th season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. The upcoming season will feature a new twist in the competition: stage dancers vs. street dancers.

“With the new and exciting format comes a new and exciting panel of judges,” said executive producer and judge Lythgoe. “I’m delighted that Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo will be joining me at the judges’ table this season on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Paula is an incredible artist and she brings the perfect combination of expertise and heart to the panel. Jason’s insight, humor and creativity will add a new perspective to the panel that we haven’t had before.”

“I have dedicated a large part of my career as a choreographer to discovering and mentoring some of the most iconic artists and performers from all over the world,” said Abdul.  “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has a long-standing history of launching brilliant careers for young choreographers and dancers in the industry. It’s going to be a true honor and pleasure joining this panel with Jason and Nigel, and I’m looking forward to an exciting new season!”

“I am truly excited, and eagerly look forward to joining the cast of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE,” added Derulo. “It is one of the most respected and longest-tenured shows on network television, and I hope to be a part of new growth and continued success.”

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns this summer on FOX. Auditions for the new season start in New York, NY (Saturday, Jan. 24); Dallas, TX (Saturday, Feb. 14); Detroit, MI; (Sunday, Feb. 22); Memphis, TN (Sunday, March 8); and Los Angeles, CA (Sunday, March 15).

Auditioners traveling to cities for the open calls should make arrangements to stay for at least two days following their initial audition (three days for Memphis) in the event of a callback.

Dancers either must be U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents of the U.S. or possess current legal Employment Authorization Cards enabling them to seek employment freely in the U.S. (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions. Check www.fox.com/dance for full eligibility rules.

Throughout the auditions, the dancers who advance will be placed into two teams – the STAGE dancers, featuring those trained in styles such as contemporary, ballet, jazz or tap; and the

STREET dancers, hopefuls skilled in hip-hop, animation or breaking.  As the auditions continue, the judges, along with each team’s All-Star Mentor, will eliminate dancers until only the Top 20 – 10 Street Dancers and 10 Stage Dancers – remain. When the competition goes “live,” the Top

20 will be challenged weekly to perform a variety of styles, working with world-renowned choreographers. One dancer from each genre will be eliminated each week leading up to the Season Finale. Who will win…a dancer from the stage or the street? Find out when SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns in summer 2015.

Paula Abdul is a groundbreaking choreographer, dancer, songwriter, performer, designer, actor and businesswoman. She is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Grammy Award winner, three-time American Music Award winner, a seven-time MTV Video Award winner and multi-Platinum recording artist who has been entertaining her fans for over 25 years. Abdul was a resident judge for eight seasons on AMERICAN IDOL and the first season on THE X FACTOR. Most recently, she was the lead judge on the Australian hit dance competition series, “So You Think You Can Dance Australia.” Her work as choreographer includes her Emmy Award-winning contributions to “The Tracey Ullmann Show” and “The 17^th Annual American Music Awards.” She also has choreographed for Duran Duran, ZZ Top, the Jackson family, George Michael, Luther Vandross, INXS, Heart and Prince. In films, she served as choreographer for Patrick Dempsey in “Can’t Buy Me Love,” she transformed Val Kilmer into the iconic Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” she choreographed the memorable African wedding dance scene with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in “Coming to America” and was the choreographer for Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Running Man.” Abdul has sold more than 60 million records worldwide, and has the third longest-charting album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the longest-charting album ever with her debut album “Forever Your Girl.”

Five years in from making his debut in pop music, Jason Derulo has sold more than 45 million records worldwide and amassed almost 1.5 billion views on his YouTube Channel. “Wiggle,” featuring Snoop Dogg, is his eighth song to reach the Top 10 on the Top 40 format and his ninth Platinum-selling single. Derulo’s ubiquitous hit “Talk Dirty,” featuring 2 Chainz, was his most successful track to date, having sold more than six million singles worldwide with a music video that has garnered almost 250 million views on YouTube. His fifth single from the “Talk Dirty” album, “Trumpets,” is his fifth Platinum song off of the album, putting him in an elite category of hit-making artists to accomplish the feat. The Miami native’s career started when he was 16 years old and began writing songs for artists including Lil Wayne, Pitbull, Diddy, Sean Kingston, Cassie and Danity Kane. He was the TEEN CHOICE Awards 2014 “Choice Single Male” winner and also received two additional nominations, including “Choice Summer Song” and “Choice Summer Music Star: Male.” His video for “Talk Dirty” also earned him two additional nominations at the MTV Music Video Awards for “Best Pop Video” and “Best Choreography.”

Over the course of its 11 seasons, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has received 44 Emmy Award nominations and garnered 13 Emmy Award wins, including Outstanding Choreography for Mia Michaels (2011, 2010 and 2007); Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo (2014 and 2011); Tyce Diorio (2009); and Wade Robson (2008 and 2007). The hit series also received awards in the category of Outstanding Costumes in 2014, 2010 and in 2009, as well as awards in Outstanding Lighting Design in 2011 and 2012. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE recently celebrated seven Emmy Award nominations, including repeat nods in the categories of Outstanding Reality
– Competition Series and Outstanding Host for Reality or Reality – Competition Series (for Cat Deeley). The series won a TEEN CHOICE Award in 2012 for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming, a Critics’ Choice Television Award in 2012 for the category of Best Reality Series – Competition, and Deeley won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Reality Show Host in 2012.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and dick clark productions. The series is executive-produced by Fuller; Lythgoe; Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions; Barry Adelman, Executive Vice President of dick clark productions; James Breen; and Jeff Thacker.

Visit the official SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE site at fox.com/dance to view exclusive videos and photos. “Like” SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE on Facebook at facebook.com/SoYouThinkYouCanDance. Follow the series on Twitter @DANCEonFOX and join the discussion using #sytycd and #stagevsstreet. Follow host Cat Deeley at @catdeeley, and follow the judges Nigel Lythgoe @dizzyfeet, Paula Abdul @PaulaAbdul and Jason Derulo @JasonDerulo.