Headline  7/8/06

JESSICA FERNANDEZ AND JAYMZ TUAILEVA ARE ELIMINATED ON "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE"; TOP 6 COUPLES WILL COMPETE ON THE NEXT PERFORMANCE SHOW WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, ON FOX

The Pussycat Dolls to Perform on the Results Show Thursday, July 13

The second season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE waltzed past the competition this week, with performances by the Top 7 couples on Wednesday and a special performance by Ne-Yo last night. On Wednesday, in head to head competition in the 9p half hour, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE showed a substantial advantage over both the premiere of CBS’ “Rock Star: Supernova” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

Compared to its average last summer, the Wed/Thu average of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE shows impressive gains, including +22% among Adults 18-49; +21% among Adults 18-34; +13% among Teens; and +19% in Total Viewers.

The three couples who received the fewest votes after Wednesday's performance show were Heidi Groskreutz and Ryan Rankine; Jessica Fernandez and Jaymz Tuaileva; and Allison Holker and Ivan Koumaev. After each of the six dancers performed a solo routine, the judges eliminated Fernandez and Tuaileva, as individuals, from the competition, ending their quest to become America’s favorite dancer. Fernandez, 18, is a ballet/multiple dance specialist from Pembroke Pines, FL; and Tuaileva, 20, is a jazz/hip-hop/ballroom specialist from Orem, UT.

The competition revs up on television's hottest show when the remaining 6 couples (Dmitry Chaplin and Ashlee Nino; Musa Cooper and Natalie Fotopoulos; Ivan Koumaev and Allison Holker; Ryan Rankine and Heidi Groskreutz; Benji Schwimmer and Donyelle Jones; and Travis Wall and Martha Nichols) compete on the next performance show Wednesday, July 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The following night, The Pussycat Dolls will perform, and the judges will send two more dancers home on the live results show Thursday, July 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

The Pussycat Dolls were born in a tiny dance studio in the Los Angeles garage of actress Christina Applegate, with whom Robin Antin, the creator of the singing-and-dancing ensemble, was rooming in the early ‘90s. The Pussycat Dolls, who have had many members in their evolving lineup since debuting in 1995, began performing at the Sunset Strip’s renowned Viper Room and were the Thursday-night opening act for six years.

A turning point came in 2000 when No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera attended a show and joined the PCD on stage. In 2002, needing a bigger venue, The Pussycat Dolls moved to The Roxy, where they sold out two shows a week for seven weeks. Their double-platinum debut album “PCD” (A&M Records), released in September 2005, has catapulted the Dolls to global pop stardom. The album’s four singles (“Don’t Cha,” “Stickwitu,” “Beep” and “Buttons”) have been international hits, propelling the album’s sales to almost 4 million copies around the world. Today, there is a Pussycat Dolls line of makeup from Stila, and The Pussycat Dolls Lounge opened in April 2005 inside Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, featuring a varying roster of performers.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and comes from 19 Entertainment Ltd. and dick clark productions. It is executive-produced by Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe and Allen Shapiro.

-FOX-