This season they have a new audition process (where everyone comes to LA) and a new stage (with a 120-camera Bullet-Time camera set up).



The first episode was great!... and tied the ratings of the Season 15 premiere.

If you missed the show, they are putting almost all of the audition on their YouTube Channel.

Here are two standout auditions from the first episode (06/043/2019):

Dezi Saenz Performs To "Thinking"


Sarah "Smac" McCreanor Performs To "Boogie Wonderland"

They've definitely changed the look of the show and I wonder if that's been influenced by NBC's "World of Dance", which is a flashier, more expensive-looking show. Rather than the more threadbare look of dancers showing up at an audition hall that they've used for so many years, the opening episode looked more like a "performance" episode. I'm also hoping the changes include getting rid of the bad and/or "joke" auditions. We'll see... but the first episode was great.

Its true that the format of the show now is almost completely different from when the show began but being someone who has watched every season I think the current version is just as compelling if you like watching these kinds of shows.

Every year Im amazed that there is always at least one or two routines that blow me away and make me want to rewatch them on my DVR for weeks afterward. This year's was incredible job Ray Leeper did with INXS' Need You Tonight which gave me a completely different perspective of the couple who danced it.

I love seeing the old choreographers who have been with the show since the beginning come back along with the old dancers who we watched a decade ago when they first tried out on the show. And of course seeing Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe every season with Cat Deeley is like visiting with old friends.

I'm glad they finally got rid of the celebrity judge spots which were basically just catering to their egos with none of the celebs offering anything of value to the dancers. Its great to see the show acknowledge their own rich trough of talent making Dominick a judge and having a professional choreographer added to the panel also gives the show the credibility it lacked in the past.

I hope this show gets to continue on for another 10 years. It's got heart and it offers young dancers another path to reach their goals in one of the most competitive fields. It doesn't seem like anyone watches as nearly as much as they did in the early years but if you've got nothing else better to watch tomorrow night, try the finale of this season. The finale show usually serves as a greatest hits of the best routines of the season and you get to see some great young dancers performing at their peak. You could do worse!

I've watched this show every season except when they had the kids on. Love that each year the dancers just get better and better. The routines are amazing, and that INXS one was on rewind here also. I actually really enjoyed the complete top ten and even bought a ticket to see the tour. I'm hoping for Bailey to win but would honestly be okay with any of the final four.

I've been watching since the beginning, and miss the days when Fox paid it more regard and gave Nigel Lythgoe room for ten couples in the "live" shows. I felt like I had more time to build a rooting interest in the dancers. As it is tonight, we'll be getting "encore" presentations selected from three or four episodes instead of ten. I also miss the earlier bench of choreographers and what they brought to the show. That being said, I'm rooting for Bailey, but they're all talented.