If you are a fan of reality television chances are that you have heard of the hit show on Fox by the name of “So You Think You can Dance”. If you are a fan of “American Idol” then this show just might also be of appeal to you. It is much like the wildly popular Fox hit, American Idol only the focus is on dance rather than vocal talents.

Much like American Idol, So You Think You can Dance has an audition process by which the wheat is separated from the chaff so to speak. The first two episodes of the season are essentially clips from the audition process showing some of the hits and misses that have been encountered throughout the process of whittling down the numbers. It should come as no huge surprise that Simon from American Idol is also one of the creators for this show which is popular in its own right though not reaching anywhere near the wild success that American Idol has experienced.

This show will use dancers with a wide range of background. From street performers to those that have previously held titles for their dancing skills, they begin on an even and level playing field and are eliminated as the competition intensifies and crowd expectations rise. The prize for winning on this series is $100,000 cash, a dancing role in the Las Vegas show of Celine Dion and a Hybrid SUV of their very own (I do applaud the efforts of the producers to make greener choices in this matter by the way).

The show is actually quite interesting on a level that American Idol doesn’t manage to capture. For one, it involves the pairing up of talent that hasn’t worked together previously for the purpose of dance while competing against one another. Secondly, they lowest scoring couple is allowed the opportunity for one member to redeem himself or herself by performing solo for the judges. Obviously this makes for some interesting situations along the way. Yet another interesting fact about this show is that it throws the competitors into forms of dance that they are not likely to be familiar with against other performers who may very well be familiar and comfortable with the style of dance in question.

All in all, when it comes to dance, the television show So You Think You can Dance is doing a great deal to educate its watchers about various styles of dance that they may have never otherwise encountered. If you have always wanted to learn a little more about the many styles of dance and to see others as they learn the ropes to some degree, then this is definitely a show you won’t want to miss.

I should also take this opportunity to point out that shows such as Dancing with the Stars on ABC also provides an excellent venue for education and entertainment when it comes to dance. In this series celebrities are actually paired with professional ballroom dancers and put through a ballroom ‘boot camp’ of sorts in order to learn the fine art of ballroom dancing then put through the wringer with judges and voters alike. In truth, any exposure to the wonderful art of dance is a good thing for many who are overcoming their preconceived ideas about dance.