Music Man and High School Musical Youth Compete on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance"

By Ernio Hernandez
26 Jul 2006

As the competition heats up on FOX's second season of "So You Think You Can Dance," musical fans make have already taken note of two of the young contestants hoofing for the win.

Created by "American Idol" executive Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe (the latter also appears as a judge), the show follows its singing competition predecessor as dancers from across the country audition, move on to a round where their skills are tested in a variety of styles (from hip-hop to ballroom and many more) with the audience calling in to vote for their favorites.

Among the remaining eight dancers in the competition are Travis Wall and Allison Holker, both 18-year-olds, who are no strangers to dancing on the stage.

Wall made his Broadway debut in the 2000 revival of Meredith Willson's The Music Man as a River City resident and understudied for the role of Winthrop Paroo. The Virginia Beach, VA, native performed in the style of Broadway to the classic The Pajama Game song "Steam Heat" in the first week of voting.

Holker — who is from Orem, Utah — appeared on the Disney Channel's popular original movie "High School Musical." The young star played one of the Cheerleader Dancers. Holker delighted audiences recently performing in the choreography style of Broadway to Liza Minnelli's rendition of "Bye Bye Blackbird."

The winner of "So You Think You Can Dance" will take home a prize of $100,000 along with a new car and a one-year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, "A New Day," at Caesar's Palace.

"So You Think You Can Dance" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays nights on FOX through Aug. 16. For more information, visit www.fox.com/dance.