I’ve been fascinated with the interaction of dancers between Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance for a while now. Not only do I have a website that covers So You Think You Can Dance, but my regular readers might remember my previous post that contained a video of Nigel Lythgoe talking about Chelsie Hightower possibly being on Dancing with the Stars. My favorite line from Nigel in that video was when he said, “these kids have to work, so yeah I’m ok with her being on Dancing with the Stars.”

Well, it looks like Nigel Lythgoe (producer of So You Think You Can Dance) wasn’t just saying that off hand. Now Chelsie Hightower and Dmitry Chaplin were both announced as part of the latest Dancing with the Stars professionals. You can check out what I’ve written about Chelsie on So You Think You Can Dance and of course Dmitry on So You Think You Can Dance.

Funny thing is I remember them both very well. Dmitry Chaplin was most well known for taking his shirt off. Cat Deeley (host of So You Think You Can Dance) always liked to point out his either lack of shirt or wide open shirt. I have a feeling that Dancing with the Stars will make the most of that feature as well. However, Dmitry has actually been back on So You Think You Can Dance (including the Canadian version I believe) as a choreographer. So, Dmitry knows how to choreograph as well as he knows how to dance. Dmitry and Jewel will make a fantastic looking pair that will be stunningly beautiful to watch with amazing lines.

Chelsie Hightower on the other hand was a really odd character on So You Think You Can Dance. No one can argue that she was stunningly beautiful with some of the most distinct moves I’ve seen on the dance floor. When she was on the dance floor she was incredible to watch. However, back stage she was quite a bit of a tom boy and if I remember right she loved to burp all the time. I might have to go back and watch the video to make sure, but I’m pretty confident it was her. I believe her partner described her as one of the guys backstage and then this sexy fireball on stage (definitely not an exact quote, but you get the idea). Chelsie and Ty Murray will be an interesting partnership. Ty better hope that Chelsie’s fame from So You Think You Can Dance helps him get some votes, because I’m not sure many rodeo fans are going to be on the phones voting for him.

I’m very excited to see Chelsie and Dmitry on Dancing with the Stars. They are great additions to the show. Alongside Lacey Schwimmer, So You Think You Can Dance ballroom dancers are taking over as the professionals on Dancing with the Stars. Makes sense that the producers would want to do this. So You Think You Can Dance contestants bring their own base of fans with them and that can’t do anything but help Dancing with the Stars be that much bigger.

I just heard them say that Lacey will be performing with her brother Benji on tomorrow’s Dancing with the Stars results show. That will be really cool. I always love watching Benji perform. Here’s a little video look at Lacey and Benji dancing together a few years back in Reno:

(Lacey joins about half way into the video)

I love watching Benji and his sister dance, but I wish Dancing with the Stars would have invited Benji and his cousin Heidi (also of So You Think You Can Dance fame) to perform on the show instead of Lacey. Benji and Heidi were just meant to dance together. If you don’t believe me, then check out Benji and Heidi’s Black Mambo performance on So You Think You Can Dance or even Benji and Heidi’s US Open Swing Dance Championship dance. Now that’s what I call dancing.

Tonight’s episode of Dancing with the Stars had Brooke & Derek dancing a Samba to the song Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club des Belugas. I found it really interesting that Brooke and Derek did a samba to the same song that Lacey Schwimmer and Danny did a samba to on So You Think You Can Dance (choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin - Could you imagine him on DWTS?). Take a look at Lacey and Danny’s samba and tell me if you like it better or worse than Derek and Brooke’s samba.

I’m a little bit torn on which I like better. I think I’ll personally give the edge to Brooke and Derek, because they are the much prettier couple in my book.

This is a little late, but today I came across the Wade Robson routine he danced and choreographed on Dancing with the Stars. Pretty interesting stuff. I’m amazed that Wade was allowed to work on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. I guess So You Think You Can Dance will need to get better contracts in the future.