The Best ‘SYTYCD’ Contestant Music Video Cameos

Published On June 13, 2015 » By »

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12 premieres on Monday, June 1, bringing joy to fans of great dancing and great television alike, and bringing new opportunities to aspiring dancers across this great nation of ours. While SYTYCD contestants don’t necessarily go on to the kind of fame enjoyed by, say, some American Idol alumni, many SYTYCD all-stars do work steadily after the show — backing up pop megastars on tour, joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars, getting their own spin-off reality shows, working on Broadway, and even dancing at the White House with Michelle Obama.

And, of course, many SYTYCD alums get work dancing in awesome music videos. Here are my picks for the best of the bunch. Cue music!

16. Rebecca Black, “My Moment”

All-stars Robert Roldan, Kent Boyd, Adechike Torbert, Channing Cooke, and Lauren Gottlieb (who choreographed) actually make this YouTube novelty star’s “Friday” follow-up genuinely watchable. Fun, fun, fun, fun.

15. Wayne Brady, “All Naturally”

Yes, Wayne Brady made a music video, and yes, it stars Season 8 runner-up Sasha Mallory. The video unfortunately doesn’t showcase everything this dynamite girl can do, but she definitely electrifies the screen.

14. Becky G, “Can’t Stop Dancin’”

Season 9 co-winner Chehon Wespi-Tschopp plays the sexy love interest in this teen sensation’s unsurprisingly dance-filled romp, and the camera clearly loves him.

13. Madonna, “Girl Gone Wild”

Kupono Aweau starred in literally the greatest SYTYCD dance ever, “Addiction” (the Season 5 Mia Michaels routine set to Sara Bareilles’s “Gravity”). He has since gone on to be one of Madonna’s regular dancers (as has Sasha Mallory), and he shows off his addictive moves alongside Madge here.Girl Gone Wild

12. Panic! At the Disco, “Ready to Go”

Season 3’s Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval makes a cameo here as a chimney sweep, and he leaves everyone in his dust.

11. Todrick Hall, “#VX Safety Dance”

This slick and stylish safety video for Virgin America, featuring original music byAmerican Idol Season 9 contestant-turned-viral video sensation Todrick Hall, was co-choreographed by SYTYCD’s Christopher Scott and features a Dragonhouse fan favorite, Season 9 animator Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer, along with nine other of the show’s alums (including Sasha Mallory, Phillip Chbeeb, and Marko Germar). It looks like the skies have gotten a whole lot friendlier… and funkier!

10. Beyoncé , “7/11”

Season 10 runner-up Jasmine Harper may have trouble pulling focus from Bey in this enjoyably lo-fi clip, but avert your eyes from Queen B for just a moment to check out Jasmine’s also-flawless moves in “7/11’s” Y-fronted balcony dance sequences.

9. Pharrell Williams, “Happy” (24-hour version)

You’ll have to skip to the 10:52 a.m. mark in Pharrell’s “24 Hours of Happy,” but it’s worth the trouble to see Season 7 “Get Outta Your Mind” golden boy Alex Wong freestyle for two glorious, very happy minutes.

8. Christina Perri, “Jar of Hearts”

Christina got her big break in SYTYCD Season 7, when Stacey Tookey chose the song for a Billy Bell/Kathryn McCormick number. The song shot up the charts and led to Christina landing a deal with Atlantic Records. When it came time to make the “Jar of Hearts” big-budget music video, Kathryn got a role in the dance scenes, along with Season 2’s Allison Holker. Exquisite.

7. Christina Aguilera, “Candyman”

West Coast Swinger and Season 2 champ Benji Schwimmer gives a performance any dance fan can salute, in this military-themed, adorably retro clip.

6. Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off”

This is practically a So You Think You Can Dance all-star reunion! Season 5 hip-hop king Phillip Chbeeb (who also stars in “Don’t” by Taylor’s pal Ed Sheeran, also on this list), Season 5 “naughty ballerina” Melissa Sandvig, Season 6 B-boy Legacy Perez, and Season 10 co-winner Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall all shake their stuff here. Tyce Diorio did the choreography, too!

5. Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

While Brittany Cherry only made it to the top 20 of SYTYCD Season 10, she obviously came out a winner — not just sharing the spotlight in “Thinking Out Loud,” but also getting the opportunity to dance with Ed five hours a day, secretly training him for the video while she was on tour with him last year. SYTYCD Emmy-winners Tabitha & Napoleon D’umo, aka “Nappytabs,” are responsible for the lovely choreo.

4. Lady Gaga, “Judas”

Back on a Season 4 results show, an unknown diva named Stefani Germanotta performed that season’s theme song, “Just Dance,” making her network TV debut. That season also featured my personal favorite SYTYCD alum of all time, Mark Kanemura. Mark later became one of Gaga’s principal dancers. He’s appeared in her videos for “Telephone, “Alejandro,” and “Marry the Night,” but he’s most prominently featured in “Judas,” so this is the one that makes the list.

3. Ed Sheeran, “Don’t”

“Thinking Out Loud” aside, humble troubadour Ed usually prefers not to be the main focus of his music videos. But that’s fine. There’s no way Ed could have ever upstaged triple-jointed, rubber-limbed Phillip Chbeeb, who stars here.


2. Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”

This stunning tour de force, choreographed by Season 2 runner-up and Emmy nominee Travis Wall, stars Travis and his Shaping Sound dance company, which he founded with Season 1 winner Nick Lazzarini. Other featured SYTYCD dancers include Nick, Chantel Aguirre, Channing Cooke, Jaimie Goodwin, and Amy Yakima, all being amazing. Somebody give me whatever’s in their water, stat.

1. Muse, “Dead Inside”

Season 4’s brilliant Will Wingfield and Season 6’s equally brilliant Kathryn McCormick are true all-stars in this spooky, compelling, chalk-dusted epic by the over-the-top Britrockers. The moves are by SYTYCD choreographer Tessandra Chavez, but this video definitely gives off an awesomely freaky Sonya Tayeh/Mia Michaels vibe.

 

Follow Lyndsey on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Amazon, Tumblr, Vine, Spotify

This article originally ran on Yahoo Music.

Share this post

Tags

Comments are closed.