Way back in January while attending the premiere party for TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, the TV Addict also had the opportunity to talk to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE judges Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty.
One problem, this TV Addict has never seen the show. Which is exactly what I confessed to Mary and Dan at the start of interview.
Now I probably shouldn’t admit this since I’m interviewing you, but I’ve never really watched SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Mary Murphy: Next! [Laughs]. Basically it’s like AMERICAN IDOL but we’re looking for talented dancers.
Yeah I’ve seen clips and ‘talented’ is somewhat of an understatement.
Mary Murphy: I certainly couldn’t do what they do!
Is there at all a rivalry between SYTYCD and that other hit dance show?
Mary Murphy: There’s no resentment at all. In fact my feeling is the more dancers the merrier. The success of both SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and DANCING WITH THE STARS is great for our industry as a whole.
Dan Karaty: Our show’s a different show, targeted towards a different demographic. DANCING WITH THE STARS is strictly ballroom were as we offer up all styles of dance. On our show, if you’re strictly hip hop you’re going to have to do ballroom and vice-versa.
Hailing from Toronto, I know Canada is really excited to be getting our own version of SYTYD airing soon on CTV.
Dan Karaty: SYTYD is all over the world. Canada, Israel, Australia. But aside from that, I know a lot of people this season came from other countries just to audition for our show. Iceland, Russia, they come to us!
Does it ever get tiresome sitting through so many auditions?
Dan Karaty: It’s funny, because in the paper today Simon Cowell was actually saying how he dreads auditions. I think they’re kind of rough and certainly long, but all the mediocre dancers make it that much better when you get someone either really good or really bad. The extremes tend to wake you up.
Mary Murphy: We see A LOT of mediocre dancers. But the crazies make it worth the while. And sometimes we see someone really great, a genius, a dancer having the biggest moment of their life — One that we may never see from them again. And at that point, it’s really so exciting to watch and it sets up up for another four hours of auditions. But if they go six hours…. well, I’ll lose it! [laughs]
What’s advice do you have for this year’s hopefuls?
Mary Murphy: Well they better have trained all year and cross trained in different styles. Because you never really know what’s going to happen during the season. There are always going to be surprises.
Dan Karaty: Bring something unique to the table because there are so many great dancers. What’s going to set you apart? Is it a a look, different move that you can do that no one else can do?
Don’t miss the excitement as SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE airs its two-hour premiere tonight on FOX at 8PM. [7PM on CTV in Canada] 
