Mary Murphy will return as judge on the hit unscripted series SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE for its 14th season, premiering this summer on FOX. The new season also will feature returning host Cat Deeley and judge Nigel Lythgoe.
“I am thrilled that Mary will return to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and I’m sure the fans will be, as well. She brings an energy and enthusiasm that’s contagious and I can’t wait for her to join me on the judging panel. I’ve got a pair of earplugs ready, and another for our third resident judge, as well,” said Lythgoe, who also is an executive producer on the series.
This season, highly-skilled dancers between the ages of 18-30 will showcase their talents in various dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation, breaking and more. The Top 10 dancers will be paired up with All-Stars who will guide them throughout the competition as they vie for America’s votes and the title of America’s Favorite Dancer.
In addition to her work on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, Mary Murphy has appeared in such films as “Dance with Me,” with Vanessa Williams; and the thriller “Killer Movie,” starring Kaley Cuoco. The long list of celebrities Murphy has coached includes Dennis Quaid, Mary Steenburgen and Donnie Wahlberg. Murphy also has worked with Julia Roberts in “Something to Talk About” and worked as her body double for a dance sequence in the film. Murphy made her Broadway debut to rave reviews in “Burn the Floor,” and beyond her career in Hollywood, serves as a judge at major ballroom competitions across the U.S., including the recent U.S. National Amateur and Professional Dancesport Championship. Murphy also offers world-class dance instruction at her San Diego-based studio, Mary Murphy’s Champion Ballroom Academy (www.championballroom.com), which opened in 1990 and is one of the top studios today. A survivor of thyroid cancer, Murphy is a dedicated supporter of the American Cancer Society. She also founded a program for injured veterans, “Soldiers Who Salsa: Healing Soldiers One Step at a Time.”