The SYTYCD Final Four: Adechike, Lauren, Robert and Kent
So You Think You Can Dance Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Judge Nigel Lythgoe has been talking about “National Dance Day” for weeks now and today, July 31st, is the day! To talk about the beginnings of the idea and how he has spread the word, Lythgoe talked to journalists earlier in the week and yours truly was on the call to ask the first questions.
Jim Halterman: I know we’ve been hearing a lot about the National Dance Day on the show the last couple of weeks. Can you talk about the genesis of it, where the idea came from and how you guys took off with it?
Nigel Lythgoe: I think the realization of how So You Think You Can Dance has opened up an entire community that was extremely quiet, the dance community, that suddenly came alive with programs like So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Best Dance Crew, and Dancing With The Stars, and I read one morning about the obesity problem and I thought listen, this is an absolutely perfect way to try and combat obesity is to get people dancing. It helps me … the world of dance and it helps them get fit at the same time.
Lythgoe with Mia Michaels, Adam Shankman and host Cat Deeley
So I just mused with the idea and I tweeted it, “Hey, we’re going to have a Dance Day.” I never dreamt that it would take off as much as it has done. Obviously withthe benefit of using the television program, it’s grown, but it’s really important to note that this isn’t about So You Think You Can Dance really and it’s not about FOX television. It’s about an entire country realizing how much they enjoy dance and then using that and using the power of dance in order to help with sort of a fitness regime, which then links into the First Lady’s idea of “Let’s move.” So it all came together.
JH: Outside of the show, how have you guys been spreading the word?
NL: I’ve been tweeting it. I know that it’s on the Dizzy Feet Foundation Web site. Again, it fits in with us. We’ve got a scholarship program and an outreach program we’re involved with in Los Angeles and New Orleans, with dance programs in both of those cities.
Question: You have been promoting this day [but] what has been the response you’ve gotten from fellow celebrities or people in Hollywood?
NL: I’ve not really spoken too much to people in Hollywood. I know that a number of dance groups like The Groovaloos and … Quest, the JabbaWockeeZ are all doing things in their areas. I think there’s a big thing going on in Vegas with all of the dancers there. But I don’t really have a lot of time to talk to people in Hollywood. But it’s gone much better than that, because we posted a viral campaign with Napoleon and Tabitha, who choreographed a routine. It was our, Dizzy Feet contributions, idea for Dance Day. What we’re doing now is getting stuff back in from Indonesia, and that … has turned in … the world, you forget how small the world is nowadays with the Internet, and people are sending in their videos from all over the world.
Question: This is great timing, as the show is getting very exciting. I just have to ask you if you’re pulling for any favorites to win So You Think You Can Dance.
NL: Not really. They’re all our favorites otherwise they wouldn’t be in the top ten …and I think people forget that because they turn around and say, “Oh, you supported them,” well, we supported them all. Now we just sit back and watch them grow and see who America likes. The top three haven’t really changed too much over the week, so I think it’s pretty obvious who’s in it to win it now.
Nigel Lythgoe is thrilled with today's NATIONAL DANCE DAY
Question: You’ve been a strong proponent of dance, so what does it mean to you personally?
NL: I started off as a dancer, so I thought the end of my dancing career sort of happened some 20, 25 years ago. I never dreamt it would come around full circle like this. It was really through this program that I realized I’d tapped into this underground movement of dance that has got such a wonderful heritage here in America, but people have almost forgotten that. Through Idol Gives Back I realized that I was taking a great deal of pleasure out of giving back, so it allowed me to tap into this and say wow, this is giving me an awful lot of power in truth, because so many people want to gain respect again for dancing. So with the medium of television and the Internet you’re very strong nowadays if you have people behind you that want to do this.
I think we’ve given an awful lot of power to guys now to dance that don’t feel bad about saying, hey, I want to dance and I enjoy dancing, because that was put down for a long time. With this, to try and get fitness back into it, what’s better, just sitting in a gym working out or actually putting music on and moving to it? Well, I think putting music on and moving to it and dancing, if you like.
So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesdays at 8/7c and Thursdays at 9/8c on Fox.
Jim Halterman spends his days interviewing the top tier of talent and creative forces in the entertainment world and then, because he's that kind of guy, he brings it all to YOU! And, because we all like free stuff, check back often for giveaways!! 
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }