# So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series) season 6

So You Think You Can Dance, also known as SYTYCD, is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season six premiered on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host. Season six is the show's only season to air during the fall season, immediately following the summer airing of season five. Live shows began airing October 26 and the season finale aired on December 16. Russell Ferguson, the first krump contestant to make it to the Las Vegas auditions, won the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" in first place and the $250,000 prize. Also in the finale were Jakob Karr in second place, Kathryn McCormick in third place, Ellenore Scott in fourth place, Ashleigh Di Lello in fifth place and Ryan Di Lello in sixth place.
This season is also noteworthy for featuring Ariana DeBose who, despite being amongst the first contestants eliminated, would later go on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Anita in the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story.

## Auditions
### Locations

Open auditions for this season somewhat overlapped season 5. These auditions for season 6 were held in the following cities after season 5's Las Vegas week, but before season 5's finals started:
| Audition | City | Date | Judges |
| Colonial Theatre | Boston, Massachusetts | May 28, 2009 | Nigel, Mary, Tyce Diorio |
| Woodruff Arts Center | Atlanta, Georgia | June 1, 2009 | Nigel, Mary, Lil' C |
| The Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, California | June 12, 2009 | Nigel, Mary, Adam Shankman |
| New Orleans Morial Convention Center | New Orleans, Louisiana | June 19, 2009 | Adam Shankman, Mary, Lil C |
| Phoenix Convention Center | Phoenix, Arizona | June 26, 2009 | Nigel, Mary, Mia Michaels |
| Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center | Salt Lake City, Utah | July 24, 2009 | Nigel, Mary, Mia Michaels |
^1 Lythgoe was accepting an honorary degree from the University of Bedfordshire; therefore, two guest judges were present.

## Las Vegas week

Judges: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Debbie Allen
The Las Vegas callbacks were held at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. 152 contestants were invited to participate in the callback auditions. This number was cut to 38 contestants, before the announcement of the season's top 20 contestants. Las Vegas week included the following rounds, with cuts made after each:
| Contestant(s) | Task/style | Music | Choreographer(s) |
| All (individual) | Solo | Music chosen by contestant | The contestant |
| All | Hip-Hop | "Girls on the Dance Floor"—Far East Movement | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo |
| All | Cha-Cha | "Disturbia (Jody den Broeder remix)"—Rihanna | Louis van Amstel Anya Garnis (assisting) |
| All | Jazz | "Green Light"—John Legend | Laurie Ann Gibson |
| All (in groups) | Group choreography | CD with track picked from a hat | The group |
| All | Contemporary | "Walking on Air"—Kerli | Mia Michaels |
| Female contestants | Broadway | "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" from Sweet Charity | Tyce Diorio |
| Male contestants | Broadway | "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"—Billy Joel | Tyce Diorio |
| All (individual) | Solo | Music chosen by contestant | The contestant |

## Top 20 Contestants
### Female Contestants

| Contestant | Age | Home Town | Dance Style | Elimination date | Placement |
| Kathryn McCormick | 18 | Augusta, Georgia | Contemporary | December 16, 2009 | 3rd Place |
| Ellenore Scott | 18 | San Diego, California | Jazz | December 16, 2009 | 4th Place |
| Ashleigh Di Lello | 26 | Orem, Utah | Latin Ballroom | December 16, 2009 | 5th Place |
| Mollee Gray | 18 | Orem, Utah | Jazz | December 9, 2009 | Top 8 |
| Noelle Marsh | 18 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Contemporary | December 2, 2009 | Top 10 |
| Karen Hauer | 27 | Holmdel, New Jersey (originally from Venezuela) | Latin Ballroom | November 25, 2009 | Top 12 |
| Channing Cooke | 18 | Haverhill, Massachusetts | Contemporary | November 18, 2009 | Top 14 |
| Pauline Mata | 19 | Malibu, California (originally from Philippines) | Jazz | November 11, 2009 | Top 16 |
| Bianca Revels | 20 | Detroit, Michigan | Tap | November 3, 2009 | Top 18 |
| Ariana DeBose | 18 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Contemporary | October 27, 2009 | Top 20 |

### Male Contestants

| Contestant | Age | Home Town | Dance Style | Elimination date | Placement |
| Russell Ferguson | 19 | Boston, Massachusetts | Krump | December 16, 2009 | Winner |
| Jakob Karr | 18 → 19 | Orlando, Florida | Contemporary | December 16, 2009 | Runner Up |
| Ryan Di Lello | 28 | Orem, Utah | Latin Ballroom | December 16, 2009 | 6th Place |
| Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | 28 | Miami, Florida | Breakdance | December 9, 2009 | Top 8 |
| Nathan Trasoras | 18 | Fresno, California | Contemporary | December 2, 2009 | Top 10 |
| Victor Smalley | 21 | Miami, Florida | Contemporary | November 25, 2009 | Top 12 |
| Kevin Hunte | 23 | Brooklyn, New York | Hip Hop | November 18, 2009 | Top 14 |
| Peter Sabasino | 22 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Tap | November 11, 2009 | Top 16 |
| Phillip Attmore | 25 | Pasadena, California | Tap | November 3, 2009 | Top 18 |
| Brandon Dumlao | 21 | Sacramento, California | Hip Hop | October 27, 2009 | Top 20 |
^2 Dumlao replaced original Top 20 dancer Billy Bell, who had to withdraw from the competition due to illness.

## Finals
### Elimination chart

The elimination song for the women playing during the montage was "Never Say Never" by The Fray. The elimination song for the men playing during the montage was "Where It Ends" by 16 Frames.
| Result show date: | 10/27 | 11/03 | 11/11 | 11/18 | 11/25 | 12/02 | 12/09 | 12/16 |
| Contestant | Results | Results | Results | Results | Results | Results | Results | Results |
| Russell Ferguson | Btm 4 | | | | | | | Winner |
| Jakob Karr | | | | | | | | Runner-Up |
| Kathryn McCormick | | | | | | Btm 4 | | 3rd place |
| Ellenore Scott | | | Btm 3 | | Btm 3 | | Btm 4 | 4th place |
| Ashleigh Di Lello | | | | | | | Injury | 5th place |
| Ryan Di Lello | | | Btm 3 | | Btm 3 | Btm 4 | Btm 4 | 6th place |
| Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | | | | | | | Elim | |
| Mollee Gray | | | | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | | Elim | |
| Nathan Trasoras | | | | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Elim | | |
| Noelle Marsh | Injury | Btm 4 | | | | Elim | | |
| Victor Smalley | | Btm 4 | | Btm 3 | Elim | | | |
| Karen Hauer | | | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Elim | | | |
| Kevin Hunte | | | Btm 3 | Elim | | | | |
| Channing Cooke | | | | Elim | | | | |
| Peter Sabasino | | | Elim | | | | | |
| Pauline Mata | Btm 4 | | Elim | | | | | |
| Phillip Attmore | | Elim | | | | | | |
| Bianca Revels | | Elim | | | | | | |
| Brandon Dumlao | Elim | | | | | | | |
| Ariana DeBose | Elim | | | | | | | |
^3 The show was unable to schedule full performance and results shows for the first two weeks due to conflicts with the World Series. ^4 These female contestants were barred from performing their routines. See below for more information.

### Performance nights

Due to network conflicts with the World Series, the show was unable to schedule a separate results show for the first two weeks. As a result, no public voting was held on those occasions; after the couples' performances, the judges alone selected four dancers to perform solos, and subsequently eliminated two.
The standard format of a performance show followed by voting, with a results show the following night, resumed for the third week of competition.

#### Week 1 (October 26, 2009)
##### "Meet the Top 20"

* Performances:
| Contestants | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) |
| Top 20 | Jazz | "Comanche"—The Revels | Wade Robson Amanda Robson (co-conceived) |
| Russell Ferguson Kevin Hunte Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Hip-Hop | "Beggin' (District 78 mix)"—Madcon | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo |
| Channing Cooke Ariana DeBose Jakob Karr Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "Crying"—k.d. lang | Tyce Diorio |
| Phillip Attmore Bianca Revels Peter Sabasino | Tap | "Take the "A" Train"—Ella Fitzgerald | Derick K. Grant |
| Mollee Gray Pauline Mata Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "On a Cloud"—Platinum Pied Pipers | Sonya Tayeh |
| Kathryn McCormick Noelle Marsh Billy Bell Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Viva La Vida"—Coldplay | Mandy Moore |
| Karen Hauer Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello | Samba | "Everything I Can't Have"—Robin Thicke | Jason Gilkison |

##### Performance show

* Top 20 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Channing Cooke Phillip Attmore | Jive | "Rockin' Robin"—The Jackson 5 | Jason Gilkison | Safe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Broadway | "Hit Me With a Hot Note (And Watch Me Bounce)" from Sophisticated Ladies | Tyce Diorio | Safe |
| Ariana DeBose Peter Sabasino | Hip-Hop | "Black and Gold"—Sam Sparro | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | DeBose Eliminated |
| Melanie LaPatin Russell Ferguson | Foxtrot | "Vagabond Shoes"—Vic Damone | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Ferguson in bottom 4 |
| Bianca Revels Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Wasted Time"—Me'shell Ndegeocello | Travis Wall | Safe |
| Karen Hauer Kevin Hunt | Cha-Cha | "Push It" from Glee | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Contemporary Jazz | "Arcadia"—Apparat | Sonya Tayeh | Safe |
| Brandon Dumlao Pauline Mata | Smooth Waltz | "You Light Up My Life"—Whitney Houston | Jason Gilkison | Mata in bottom 4 Dumlao eliminated |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Hip-Hop | "On & On"—Missy Elliott | Dave Scott | Safe |
| Mollee Grey Nathan Trasoras | Disco | "Turn the Beat Around" (Pablo's 12" Remix)—Gloria Estefan | Doriana Sanchez | Safe |
^5 Noelle Marsh did not perform on the show due to injury. She would become Ferguson's partner in Week 2.
* Bottom 4 contestant's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Ariana DeBose | Contemporary | "Darkest Hour"—Charlotte Martin | Eliminated |
| Russell Ferguson | Krump | "Give the Drummer Sum"—Black Milk | Safe |
| Pauline Mata | Jazz | "Magalenha"—Sérgio Mendes | Safe |
| Brandon Dumlao | Hip-Hop | "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"—John Mayer | Eliminated |
* Eliminated:
** Ariana DeBose
** Brandon Dumlao
* New Pairs:
** Pauline Mata and Peter Sabasino

#### Week 2 (November 3, 2009)

* Top 18 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | Hip-Hop | "Move Shake Drop Remix"—DJ Laz, Flo Rida and Casley | Jamal Sims | Marsh in bottom 4 |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Viennese Waltz | "At Last"—Etta James | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Safe |
| Bianca Revels Victor Smalley | Broadway | "Maybe God Is Tryin' To Tell You Something" from The Color Purple | Tyce Diorio | Revels eliminated Smalley in bottom 4 |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Bollywood | "Azeem O Shaan Shahenshah" from Jodhaa Akbar | Nakul Dev Mahajan | Safe |
| Channing Cooke Phillip Attmore | Samba | "Maracatu Funk"—The Samba Squad | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Attmore eliminated |
| Karen Hauer Kevin Hunte | Hip-Hop | "Ice Cream Paint Job"—Dorrough | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Contemporary | "2 Steps Away"—Patti LaBelle | Stacey Tookey | Safe |
| Pauline Mata Peter Sabasino | Jazz | "Little Green Bag"—George Baker Selection | Wade Robson | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Argentine Tango | "Violentango"—Ástor Piazzolla | Miriam Larici Leonardo Barrionuevo | Safe |
* Bottom 4 contestant's solos:
| Dancer | Style | Music | Result |
| Noelle Marsh | Contemporary | "For a Reason"—Zhané | Safe |
| Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Narvas" from The Matrix: Revolutions | Safe |
| Bianca Revels | Tap | "Tootsee Roll"—69 Boyz | Eliminated |
| Phillip Attmore | Tap | "Almost Like Being in Love"—Nat King Cole | Eliminated |
* Eliminated:
** Bianca Revels
** Phillip Atmore
* New pairs:
** Channing Cooke and Victor Smalley

#### Week 3 (November 10, 2009)

* Top 16 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Karen Hauer Kevin Hunte | Hustle | "Come To Me"—France Joli | Maria Torres | Bottom 3 |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Jazz | "Relax"—Frankie Goes to Hollywood | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Pauline Mata Peter Sabasino | Quickstep | "Hey Baby! (Shake Those Hula Hips)"—Big Kahuna & The Copa Cat Pack | JT Thomas Tomas Mielnicki | Both eliminated |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Broadway | "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)"—Swingin' Fireballs | Andy Blankenbuehler | Safe |
| Channing Cooke Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Be Be Your Love" (Live at KRCW)—Rachael Yamagata | Stacey Tookey | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Hip-Hop (Krump) | "Lost Boiz Anthem"—Tha J-Squad | Lil' C | Bottom 3 |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Salsa | "Quimbara"—Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco | Gustavo Vargas | Safe |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | African Jazz | "Frog Dance"—Mickey Hart and Planet Drum | Sean Cheesman | Safe |

#### Week 4 (November 17, 2009)

* Top 14 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Lyrical Hip-Hop | "Whatcha Say"—Jason Derülo | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe |
| Karen Hauer Kevin Hunte | Broadway | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity | Spencer Liff | Hunte eliminated |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | Foxtrot | "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)"—Michael Bublé and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings | Edward Simon | Safe |
| Channing Cooke Victor Smalley | Jazz | "Blackbird"—Bobby McFerrin | Tyce Diorio | Cooke eliminated |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Paso Doble | "Pursuit" from Cirque du Soleil | Tony Meredith | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Contemporary | "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"—Stars | Travis Wall | Safe |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Pop-Jazz | "Bad Romance"—Lady Gaga | Laurie Ann Gibson | Bottom 3 |

#### Week 5 (November 24, 2009)

* Top 12 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Lindy Hop | "I've Got To Be a Rug Cutter"—The Boilermaker Jazz Band | Carla Heiney | Bottom 3 |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Broadway | "Razzle Dazzle" from Chicago | Spencer Liff | Bottom 3 |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Jazz | "So Deep"—Hot Chip | Sonya Tayeh | Safe |
| Kathryn McCormick Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Viennese Waltz | "Your Guardian Angel"—The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau | Safe |
| Karen Hauer Victor Smalley | Tango | "Montserrat"—Orquesta del Plata | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Both eliminated |
| Karen Hauer Victor Smalley | Hip-Hop | "Moving Mountains"—Usher | Laurie Ann Gibson | Both eliminated |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Hip-Hop | "Ring-a-Ling"—The Black Eyed Peas | Jamal Sims | Bottom 3 |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Can-Can | "Cancan Suite" —Offenbach/Ponchielli | Tyce DiOrio | Bottom 3 |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | Samba | "Hips Don't Lie"—Shakira | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Safe |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | Contemporary | "A Case of You"—Diana Krall | Tyce DiOrio | Safe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Lyrical Jazz | "Time Flies"—Lykke Li | Sonya Tayeh | Safe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Cha-Cha | "Cha Cha Heels" (Ralphi Rosario Radio Edit)— Rosabel feat. Jeanie Tracy | Jean-Marc Généreux France Mousseau | Safe |

#### Week 6 (December 1, 2009)

* Top 10 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Noelle Marsh Ryan Di Lello | Hip-Hop | "Give It to Me Right"—Melanie Fiona | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Marsh eliminated Di Lello in bottom 4 |
| Noelle Marsh Ryan Di Lello | Smooth Waltz | "Jeux d'Eau"—Cirque du Soleil | JT Thomas Tomas Mielnicki | Marsh eliminated Di Lello in bottom 4 |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Contemporary | "Poison"—The Prodigy | Garry Stewart | Safe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Hip-Hop | "Slow Down"—Bobby Valentino | Dave Scott | Safe |
| Kathryn McCormick Nathan Trasoras | Broadway | "Choreography"—Danny Kaye | Spencer Liff | McCormick in bottom 4 Trasoras eliminated |
| Kathryn McCormick Nathan Trasoras | Rumba | "Walk On By"—Aretha Franklin | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | McCormick in bottom 4 Trasoras eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott Jakob Karr | Quickstep | "Four Brothers"—The Manhattan Transfer | Tony Meredith Melanie LaPatin | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott Jakob Karr | Contemporary | "Tore My Heart"—OONA and Dave Tweedie | Sonya Tayeh | Safe |
| Mollee Gray Russell Ferguson | Lyrical Jazz | "It Must Have Been Love"—Roxette | Mandy Moore | Safe |
| Mollee Gray Russell Ferguson | Jive | "Land of 1000 Dances"—Jimmy Barnes | Anya Garnis Pasha Kovalev | Safe |
* Top 10 contestant's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Mollee Gray | Jazz | "Rock the Beat"—LMFAO | Safe |
| Russell Ferguson | Krump | "Outros"—Black Milk | Safe |
| Noelle Marsh | Contemporary | "Every Time It Rains"—Charlotte Martin | Eliminated |
| Ryan Di Lello | Paso Doble | "Rock You Like a Hurricane"—Scorpions | Bottom 4 |
| Kathryn McCormick | Contemporary | "Beautiful"—Bethany Dillon | Bottom 4 |
| Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "Golden Train"—Justin Nozuka | Eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "Beatbox Harmonica"—Yuri Lane | Safe |
| Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Breakdancing | "No Air"—Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown | Safe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello | Samba | "Batucada Por Favor"—Bob Azzam | Safe |
| Jakob Karr | Contemporary | "Always Midnight" (Acoustic)—Pat Monahan | Safe |

#### Week 7 (December 8, 2009)

* Top 8 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
| Kathryn McCormick Ryan Di Lello | Disco | "Last Dance" (Samantha Ronson remix)—Donna Summer | Doriana Sanchez | Di Lello in bottom 4 |
| Kathryn McCormick Ryan Di Lello | Cha-Cha | "Put Your Hands On Me"—Joss Stone | Jason Gilkison | Di Lello in bottom 4 |
| Mollee Gray Jakob Karr | Viennese Waltz | "Ordinary Day"—Vanessa Carlton | Jason Gilkison | Gray eliminated |
| Mollee Gray Jakob Karr | Broadway | "Easy Street" (Samantha Ronson remix) from Annie | Joey Dowling | Gray eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Contemporary | "Machine Gun"—Portishead | Travis Wall | Scott in bottom 4 Perez eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Hip-Hop | "People Are Strange" (District 78 remix)—The Doors | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Scott in bottom 4 Perez eliminated |
| Russell Ferguson Rachel/Alysha | Hip-Hop | "Too Much Booty 2" (Bobby J Remix)—Soundmaster T & Jah-Rista feat. Korveil | Shane Sparks | Safe |
| Russell Ferguson Rachel/Alysha | Bollywood | "Spirit of Rangeela" from Rangeela | Nakul Dev Mahajan | Safe |
* Top 8 contestant's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Jakob Karr | Contemporary | "When You Say My Name"—Mario Spinetti | Safe |
| Mollee Gray | Jazz | "Heartburn"—Alicia Keys | Eliminated |
| Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Breakdance | "Fancy Footwork"—Chromeo | Eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "I Got the Feelin'"—James Brown | Bottom 4 |
| Russell Ferguson | Krump | "Holiday Buckness"—J-Squad | Safe |
| Kathryn McCormick | Contemporary | "Shadowfeet"—Brooke Fraser | Safe |
| Ryan Di Lello | Cha-Cha | "Din Da Da"—Kevin Aviance | Bottom 4 |
^6 Ashleigh Di Lello was paired with Russell Ferguson, but dislocated her shoulder during rehearsal of their Bollywood number and was barred from performing by doctors. As a result, she did not perform a solo and Ferguson danced their two numbers with the choreographers' assistants, Alysha Shroff. Voting for Di Lello was still opened; viewers were urged to consider her previous performances and rehearsal footage in making their choice in voting for her.

#### Week 8 (December 15, 2009)

* Top 6 Couple dances:
| Couple | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) |
| Kathryn McCormick Ryan Di Lello | Samba | "Magalenha"—Sérgio Mendes | Jason Gilkison |
| Ellenore Scott Jakob Karr | Broadway | "I Gotcha" from Fosse | Tyce Diorio |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Russell Ferguson | Lyrical Jazz | "Angel Standing By"—Jewel | Sonya Tayeh |
| Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello | Jazz | "Kontact Me"—Boyz Noise | Garry Stewart |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Jakob Karr | Foxtrot | "Let the Good Times Roll"—Chuck Brown & Eva Cassidy | Jean-Marc Généreux |
| Ellenore Scott Russell Ferguson | Paso Doble | "Village Attack" from Blood Diamond | Jason Gilkison |
| Kathryn McCormick Jakob Karr | Contemporary Ballet | "At This Moment"—Michael Bublé | Dwight Rhoden Desmond Richardson |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello | Contemporary | "I'm There Too"—Michelle Featherstone | Travis Wall |
| Kathryn McCormick Russell Ferguson | Hip-Hop | "I Can Transform Ya"—Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne and Swizz Beats | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo |

### Result shows
#### Week 3 (November 11, 2009)

* Group dance: Top 16: "Warrior, Pt. 2"—Lloyd Banks (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Dave Scott)
* Guest dancers: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: "Episodes"—Ulysses Dove (Contemporary Ballet; Choreographer: Ulysses Dove)
* Bottom 3's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "Eleanor"—Alexa Woodward | Safe |
| Ryan Di Lello | Jive | "Jump with My Baby"—Big Bad Voodoo Daddy | Safe |
| Pauline Mata | Jazz | "Took the Night"—Chelley | Eliminated |
| Peter Sabasino | Tap | None | Eliminated |
| Karen Hauer | Samba | "Celia y Tito"—Celia Cruz & Tito Puente | Safe |
| Kevin Hunte | Hip-Hop | "I Question Mark"—Wade Robson | Safe |
^6 Sabasino chose to dance a cappella.
* Eliminated:
** Pauline Mata
** Peter Sabasino
* New Pairs:
** None

#### Week 4 (November 18, 2009)

* Group dance: Top 14: "Aha!"—Imogen Heap (Contemporary Jazz; Choreographer: Wade Robson, co-conceived with Amanda Robson)
* Musical guest: "According to You"—Orianthi
* Guest dancers: Nakul Dev Mahajan and NDM Bollywood Dance Productions: "Desi Girl" from Dostana (Bollywood; Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan)
* Bottom 3's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Karen Hauer | Latin | "Break on Through (To the Other Side)"—The Doors | Safe |
| Kevin Hunte | Hip-Hop | "Freeze"—T-Pain featuring Chris Brown | Eliminated |
| Channing Cooke | Contemporary | "The Face"—RyanDan | Eliminated |
| Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Baby's Romance"—Chris Garneau | Safe |
| Mollee Gray | Jazz | "Let Me Think About It (Radio Edit)"—Ida Corr vs. Fedde le Grand | Safe |
| Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "So Insane"—Discovery | Safe |
* Eliminated:
** Channing Cooke
** Kevin Hunte
* New Pairs:
** Karen Hauer and Victor Smalley

#### Week 5 (November 25, 2009)

* Group dance: Top 12: "What's a Girl Gotta Do"–Basement Jaxx feat. Paloma Faith (Pop-Jazz; Choreographer: Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo)
* Musical guest: "Give It Up To Me"–Shakira
* Guest dancer(s): Paloma Herrera: Don Quixote: Kitri's Variation (The Fan) - Ludwig Minkus (Ballet; Choreographer: Paloma Herrera)
* Bottom 3's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Karen Hauer | Cha-Cha | "She Wants to Move" - N.E.R.D. | Eliminated |
| Victor Smalley | Contemporary | "Village Attack" from Blood Diamond | Eliminated |
| Mollee Gray | Jazz | "Bulletproof"—La Roux | Safe |
| Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "Going Going Gone (Live)"—Stars | Safe |
| Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "Bottom"–Zap Mama | Safe |
| Ryan Di Lello | Samba | "Baila Baila Conmigo"—Missiego | Safe |
* Eliminated:
** Karen Hauer
** Victor Smalley
* New Pairs:
** None. Now that only 10 contestants remain, pairs are randomly assigned each week and the top 10 will be voted individually.

#### Week 6 (December 2, 2009)

* Group dance: Top 10: "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"—Billy Joel (Broadway; Choreographer: Tyce Diorio)
* Musical guest: "I Wanna Rock"—Snoop Dogg (featuring Quest Crew and The Ranger$)
* Guest dancer(s): The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers: "Yellow"—Vitamin String Quartet (Hip-Hop; Choreographer: Harry Shum, Jr., Christopher Scott, and Galen Hooks)
* Bottom 4 contestant's Solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Noelle Marsh | Contemporary | "Inside a Boy" (Son Lux Remix)—My Brightest Diamond | Eliminated |
| Ryan Di Lello | Paso Doble | "Rock You Like A Hurricane"—Scorpions | Safe |
| Kathryn McCormick | Contemporary | "Beautiful"—Bethany Dillon | Safe |
| Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "Pretty Wings"—Maxwell | Eliminated |
* Eliminated:
** Noelle Marsh
** Nathan Trasoras

#### Week 7 (December 9, 2009)

* Group dance: Top 8: "Pon de Floor" (Samantha Ronson remix)—Major Lazer feat. Vybz Kartel (Jazz; Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh)
* Musical guests:
   * "Nobody"—Wonder Girls
   * "Live Like We're Dying"—Kris Allen
* Bottom 4 contestant's solos:
| Contestant | Style | Music | Result |
| Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Breakdance | "Flashing Lights"—Vitamin String Quartet | Eliminated |
| Ellenore Scott | Jazz | "Hajnal"—Venetian Snares | Safe |
| Ryan Di Lello | Cha-Cha | "Din Da Da"—Kevin Aviance | Safe |
| Mollee Gray | Jazz | "You'll Find A Way" (Switch & Sinden Remix)—Santigold | Eliminated |

#### Week 8 (Finale) (December 16, 2009)

* Judges: Lil' C, Tyce Diorio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe
* Musical Guests:
   * "I See You"—Leona Lewis
   * "Whataya Want from Me"—Adam Lambert
   * "I Am"—Mary J. Blige
   * "Louboutins"—Jennifer Lopez
* Guest dancers The Groovaloos ("Groovaloo Street"—Rapier & Burns)
* Group dances:
| Contestants | Style | Music | Choreographer |
| Top 20 | Jazz | "Scared of Me"—Fedde le Grand featuring Mitch Crown | Kelley Abbey |
| Top 20 | Jazz | "Comanche"—The Revels | Wade Robson Amanda Robson |

##### Judges' picks

| Contestants | Style | Music | Choreographer | Chosen by |
| Russell Ferguson Kevin Hunte Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Hip-Hop | "Beggin' (District 78 mix)"—Madcon | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Lil' C |
| Ellenore Scott Jakob Karr | Contemporary | "Tore My Heart"—OONA and Dave Tweedie | Sonya Tayeh | Adam Shankman |
| Phillip Attmore Bianca Revels Peter Sabasino | Tap | "Take the "A" Train"—Ella Fitzgerald | Derick K. Grant | Nigel Lythgoe |
| Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello | Jive | "Straight to... Number One (Duck's Radio Mix)"—Touch and Go | Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello | Mary Murphy |
| Kathryn McCormick Jakob Karr | Contemporary | "At This Moment"—Michael Bublé | Dwight Rhoden Desmond Richardson | Nigel Lythgoe |
| Mollee Gray Nathan Trasoras | Bollywood | "Azeem O Shaan Shahenshah" from Jodhaa Akbar | Nakul Dev Mahajan | Tyce Diorio |
| Ellenore Scott Jonathan "Legacy" Perez | Contemporary | "Machine Gun"—Portishead | Travis Wall | Adam Shankman |
| Noelle Marsh Russell Ferguson | African Jazz | "Frog Dance"—Mickey Hart and Planet Drum | Sean Cheesman | Debbie Allen |
| Channing Cooke Ariana DeBose Jakob Karr Nathan Trasoras | Contemporary | "Crying"—k.d. lang | Tyce Diorio | Lil' C |
| Kathryn McCormick Russell Ferguson | Hip-Hop | "I Can Transform Ya"—Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne and Swizz Beats | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Mary Murphy |
| Top 20 | Jazz | "Comanche"—The Revels | Wade Robson Amanda Robson (co-conceived) | Nigel Lythgoe |
^7 As Ferguson injured himself performing in the first Judge's Pick routine, the noted subsequent routines were shown pre-recorded rather than newly performed live.
* 6th Place
** Ryan Di Lello
* 5th Place
** Ashleigh Di Lello
* 4th Place
** Ellenore Scott
* 3rd Place
** Kathryn McCormick
* Runner-up
** Jakob Karr
* Winner
** Russell Ferguson

## Promotion

As a result of the auditions for season 6 taking place concurrently with the airing of season 5, increased promotion was possible. A Deeley voice-over at the end of the fifth season's audition episodes sent viewers to the official website for more information about auditioning for the fall season. The judges' travels to various cities were also mentioned if the audition weekend followed a results show. A video segment of Ryan Kasprzak, brother of top 20 contestant Evan Kasprzak and fellow auditioner for season 5, aired during the summer's top 18 results show. It showed him auditioning for season 6 in Los Angeles and making it to the Las Vegas round. Nigel Lythgoe also mentioned him in the finale of season 5, stating that there will be "more Kasprzak in the fall." Since then, however, it was announced Kasprzak was eliminated after the ballroom round of Vegas week.

## Foreign broadcast

Unlike previous seasons, much of season 6 was not simulcast on Canadian network CTV, due to conflicts with their fall schedule. As a result, CTV's sister network 'A' aired the series from its start until the end of November, with CTV resuming with the Top 10 week on December 1. Norwegian channel TVNorge will air the show in performance and results shows, and shows all routines, as it did in season 5. In South Africa the season is set to premier in February. AXN Asia also aired this season just after the season 4 ended airing in January 2010.
Australia finally airs this season since the fifth season back in 2009 on Network Ten. This season premiered on January 15, 2011, on the new channel Eleven.

## Special performance episode

On October 26, 2009, Fox aired a special episode introducing viewers to the Top 20 contestants of season 6 dancing in their own styles. Contemporary dancer Billy Bell appeared in the special before having to withdraw due to illness.

### Changes

Besides not starting results shows until the Top 16, this will be the first season where the finale will occur at the Top 6 stage, rather than the usual Top 4. This is most likely due to the show producers and network not wishing to continue airing through the week of Christmas, due to the special performance show.

## Ratings
### U.S. Nielsen ratings

| Show | Episode | First Air Date | Rating (18–49) | Share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | Rank (timeslot) | Rank (night) |
| 1 | Audition Episode #1 | September 9, 2009 | 3.9 | 6 | 6.6 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Audition Episode #2 | September 16, 2009 | 3.6 | 6 | 5.7 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Audition Episode #3 | September 23, 2009 | 3.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 4 | 13 |
| 4 | Audition Episode #4 | September 29, 2009 | 3.0 | 5 | 5.2 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | Audition Episode #5 | September 30, 2009 | 4.1 | 7 | 6.8 | 4 | 13 (tied) |
| 6 | Audition Episode #6 | October 6, 2009 | 3.3 | 5 | 5.5 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | Las Vegas Round | October 7, 2009 | 4.0 | 7 | 6.2 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Las Vegas Round | October 14, 2009 | 4.4 | 7 | 7.2 | 3 | 9 (tied) |
| 9 | Las Vegas Round/Top 20 Chosen | October 21, 2009 | 4.3 | 7 | 6.9 | 2 (tied) | 8 (tied) |
| 10 | Meet the Top 20 | October 26, 2009 | 3.6 | 5 | 5.8 | 3 (tied) | 10 (tied) |
| 11 | Top 20 Perform | October 27, 2009 | 4.0 | 6 | 6.5 | 4 | 8 |
| 12 | Top 18 Perform | November 3, 2009 | 3.8 | 6 | 6.1 | 4 | 9 |
| 13 | Top 16 Perform | November 10, 2009 | 3.6 | 6 | 5.8 | 4 | 9 |
| 14 | 2 of 16 Voted Off | November 11, 2009 | 3.6 | 6 | 5.7 | 4 | 9 |
| 15 | Top 14 Perform | November 17, 2009 | 3.9 | 6 | 6.0 | 4 | 9 |
| 16 | 2 of 14 Voted Off | November 18, 2009 | 3.5 | 6 | 5.7 | 4 | 13 |
| 17 | Top 12 Perform | November 24, 2009 | 3.3 | 5 | 5.5 | 4 | 7 |
| 18 | 2 of 12 Voted Off | November 25, 2009 | 3.0 | 5 | 4.9 | 4 | 12 |
| 19 | Top 10 Perform | December 1, 2009 | 3.7 | 6 | 5.8 | 2 | 4 |
| 20 | 2 of 10 Voted Off | December 2, 2009 | 2.3 | 7 | 6.5 | 3 | 5 (tied) |
| 21 | Top 8 Perform | December 8, 2009 | 3.8 | 6 | 6.2 | 4 | 8 |
| 22 | 2 of 8 Voted Off | December 9, 2009 | 4.2 | 7 | 6.7 | 4 | 13 |
| 23 | Top 6 Perform | December 15, 2009 | 3.8 | 6 | 6.3 | 3 | 5 |
| 24 | Winner Announced | December 16, 2009 | 4.3 | 7 | 7.1 | 2 | 5 |