who won so you think you can dance 2009

Lythgoe: Best Has Never Won 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Hours before the winner in the fifth season of "So You Think You Can Dance" would be named, judge and producer Nigel Lythgoe didn't think the best dancer would necessarily win. In fact, he told reporters at the TV critics press tour in Pasadena Thursday, "I don't believe ever the best dancer has ever won." "Ever," said judge Adam Shankman. "Season one, Blake was, I think, in my opinion, the best dancer," Lythgoe said, referring to Blake McGrath who was runner up to winner Nick Lazzarini. "Mine too," said Mary Murphy. "Season two, Travis, I think was the best dancer" Lythgoe continued, referring to Travis Wall, who lost to Benji Schwimmer. "Season three, Danny Tidwell was the best dancer," he said; that was the year Sabra Johnson won. "Season four, Katee ... and Will," were best, Lythgoe said, though Katee Shean and Will Wingfield lost to Joshua Allen. "Will was the Chris Daughtry of season four," declared Shankman, possibly because he went out in the 7th week.

Jeanine Mason Wins So You Think You Can Dance

So You Think You Can Dance has crowned its fifth winner!
Jeanine Mason, 18, waltzed away with the $250,000 prize and the title of America's Favorite Dancer on Thursday night. Jeanine's win came at the end of a fabulous finale, which featured encore's of some of the judges' favorite performances from season five -- including the memorable addiction number choreographed by Mia Michaels and the touching breast cancer-themed routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio.
But the hot dance numbers weren't the only exciting part of the show. The eliminations also kept us glued to the screen.
First to go was Kayla Radomski, who said she would miss working with the choreographers the most. Next, it was Evan Kaspraz's turn to get the bad news. "This has been an absolutely amazing journey," he said. "I never thought that when I auditioned in Memphis with my brother that I would be standing here."
In the end, it came down to Brandon Bryant and Jeanine Mason. When Kat Deeley announced that Jeanine was the season five winner, the newly crowned winner was emotional. "I never thought that auditioning for the show would lead me to such amazing people," she said. When Kat asked Jeanine what she wanted to say to her mother, Jeanine replied "I don't know what it was that led you to push me mom, but thank you mom, whatever that was."

After thousands of auditions across the country and the grueling callbacks in Las Vegas, the judges of summer’s No. 1 series, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, announced Season Five’s Top 20 finalists tonight. The top girls include Randi Evans, Karla Garcia, Caitlin Kinney, Asuka Kondoh, Janette Manrara, Jeanine Mason, Kayla Radomski, Melissa Sandvig, Paris Torres and Ashley Valerio; and the top guys are Kupono Aweau, Tony Bellissimo, Brandon Bryant, Phillip Chbeeb, Jason Glover, Vitolio Jeune, Max Kapitannikov, Evan Kasprzak, Ade Obayomi and Jonathan Platero. See individual photos and bios below.

The competition truly begins Wednesday, June 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) as the Top 20 finalists dance for the judges’ praise and America’s votes on the season’s first performance show. The Top 20 are paired into 10 couples who will each work with a world-renowned choreographer to compose a dance routine representing their assigned genre. After each Wednesday performance show, the phone lines will open and the fate of these 20 finalists – one of whom will be the named America’s Favorite Dancer – will be left up to the voting fans.