<P> The open auditions, the first stage in determining a seasons finalists, take place in 5--6 major U.S. cities each season and are typically open to anyone aged 18--30 at the time of their audition . The cities where auditions are held change from season to season but some, such as Los Angeles and New York, have featured in most seasons . During this stage, dancers perform a brief routine (typically a solo, but duet and group routines are allowed as well) before a panel of dance experts, usually headed by series creator and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe . This panel then decides on - the - spot whether the dancer demonstrated enough ability and performance value to proceed further . If the dancer exhibited exceptional ability in their performance, judges award "a ticket to Vegas" (or in more recent seasons "a ticket to the Academy"), moving them instantly one step forward in the competition . Alternatively, if judges are on the fence about the dancer, they may ask the contestant to wait until the end of that day's auditions to participate in a short test of their ability to pick up professional choreography . </P> <P> The second stage of the selection process is referred to as "the callbacks" (the round has often been held in the city of Las Vegas and also been known as "Vegas Week" for much of the show's run, but has been called Academy Week since season 13). The callbacks consist of a several - day - long process in which the remaining hopefuls are tested for overall well - rounded dance ability, stamina, creativity and their ability to perform under pressure . The dancers are put through a battery of rounds that test their ability to pick up various dance styles; these are typically some of the more well - represented genres that are later prominent in the competition phase, such as hip - hop, jazz, ballroom, and contemporary . Additionally the dancers may be asked to perform further solos in styles of their choosing and participate in a group choreography round in which small teams of contestants must display their musicality and ability to communicate professionally by choreographing a performance to a randomly selected piece of music--this challenge is notable as being the only time competitors are asked to choreograph themselves, aside from solos . The Callbacks are often collectively portrayed as one of the most exhausting and stressful stages of the competition; each successive round sees cuts in which a significant portion of the remaining dancers are eliminated from competition and dancers are given a limited amount of time to adapt to styles they are sometimes wholly unfamiliar with while being physically taxed by the rapid progression of rounds and a limited amount of rest . At the end of this process, usually less than 40 competitors remain in a pool that final contestants are chosen from . Most seasons have featured 20 top finalists for the competition portion of the show, but Season One was represented by a Top 16, Season Seven saw a Top 11, and Season Thirteen employed a Top 10 . </P> <P> Following Vegas Week--- which has, through video vignettes, made many of the dancers increasingly familiar to the audience as it observes their attempts to cope with the challenges of the week ---the judge's panel selects their finalists from the remaining dancers, breaking the good or bad news to each dancer . Since Season six, the series has also featured a showcase episode that takes place immediately before the main competition . In this episode, dancers compete for the first time on the main SYTYCD stage in Los Angeles before a live audience, dancing duet or group routines, but only in their own styles . In seasons eight through ten, the finalist announcement episode and the dancer's showcase were combined into one episode, with groups of dancers taking to the stage for the first time immediately after they are revealed . In seasons six through nine, no dancers were in danger of elimination at this point and the first round of viewer voting and judge eliminations occurred the following week . In the slightly more compact format of the more recent seasons, the dancer showcase is often the first episode to be accompanied by viewer voting and a resulting elimination . </P> <P> Following the finalist selection process, the show transitions into its regular competition phase, which lasts the rest of the season . The competition stage is typically divided into 8 weeks, generally with two contestants eliminated per week . Dancers are paired - up into male - female couples that will sometimes stay paired for half of the remaining competition if neither is eliminated . These couples perform 1--2 duets per week in randomly selected styles . These duets, as with all non-solo performances at this stage in the competition, are choreographed by professional choreographers . Prior to most duet performances, a video packet of clips of the couple preparing to perform the routine is shown; these packets are intended not only to demonstrate the couple's efforts to master the routine, but also to give glimpses of the personalities of the dancers as well as to allow the choreographer to give insight as to the thematic, narrative, and artistic intentions of the piece . Following each duet performance, the week's panel of judges gives critical feedback, often emphasizing the two key areas of technique and performance value . Duets and their accompanying video packets and critiques typically take up the majority of a competition show but may also be supplemented by solos or group numbers . Each competition show ends with a quick recap of the night's routines accompanied by voting prompts--traditionally by phone, but increasingly through online voting processes . Performance shows typically last around two hours, commercials included . </P>

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