Mary Murphy (choreographer)
Encyclopedia
Mary Ann Murphy is a ballroom dance
champion, accredited dance judge, and a judge and choreographer on the Fox
dance competition-reality show So You Think You Can Dance
.
in an Irish family. She graduated from Northwest High School
in Canal Fulton, Ohio
.
with a degree in physical education and a minor in modern dance
, Murphy moved to Washington, D.C.
to begin her career. She answered a newspaper advertisement for studio instructor trainees. She became an instructor after only one week, and the studio owner invited her to attend the United States Ballroom Championships in New York City
, which was the event that influenced her to commit to a career in ballroom dancing.
Murphy moved to California and searched for a dance partner while working as an instructor. During the U.K. Open Championships in England, she met Manfred Sigletz and a dancing partnership was formed. The two began to compete and eventually became the 1990 and 1991 Austrian National Champions. Despite their success, the constant travel and Murphy's domestic commitments took their toll. Murphy had opened the Champion Ballroom Academy
in San Diego in 1990 and found it difficult splitting herself between these two obligations.
For the next five years she went on to build a list of accomplishments with partners based in California, earning titles at the Southwest Regional Dance Tournament, the Saint Louis Star Ball, and the International Grand Ball. With partner Bill Milner, Murphy made the U.S. Open Standard final in an unprecedented six months. Finally, in 1996, she and partner Jim Desmond made the final of the U.S. Open American Smooth and won the U.S. Open American Nine Dance
. She retired from competition and shifted her focus toward her dance academy.
She acted as a dance double for Julia Roberts
in the movie Something to Talk About
and appeared in Dance With Me
, starring Vanessa L. Williams
.
She currently runs her dance studio and organizes a Los Angeles dance competition, the Hollywood Dancesport Championships. She frequently serves as a judge in several competitions, including the U.S. National Ballroom Championships.
began in 2005. In 2006, for season 2
, she made noticeably more appearances at the judging table than the other choreographers. In 2007, just prior to season 3
, it was reported in TV Guide
that Murphy would be a permanent judge, a position previously only enjoyed by Nigel Lythgoe
.
In 2008, Murphy made guest appearances on international versions of So You Think You Can Dance, including So You Think You Can Dance Australia
, So You Think You Can Dance Canada
and So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia.
She has become noted for regularly holding up her hands and screaming enthusiastically as a form of praise, along with giggling constantly during performances she enjoys. Also, Murphy is noted for introducing unique forms of praise, which include calling dancers "Hot Tamales" or issuing them tickets on her "Hot Tamale Train".
In 2008, Murphy reprised her role as judge on season 4
with fellow regular, Nigel Lythgoe, and on the season finale, performed a surprise samba with Dmitry Chaplin
.
Murphy continued as a weekly permanent judge on season 5
and season 6
.
For season 7
, it was announced that Mia Michaels
would replace Murphy as permanent judge. And although absent most of the season, Murphy made an appearance with a seat at the judging table for Vegas Week as well as the final episode. In 2011, she returned to replace Mia Michaels as a permanent judge for season 8
.
ballroom dance show Burn the Floor. She was partnered with Vaidas Skimelis.
Murphy returned to the touring cast of Burn the Floor in September and October 2010, with performances in San Jose and San Diego, once again partnered with Vaidas Skimelis.
, she said she was finally speaking out so that other victims could learn how she endured, but escaped, domestic violence. Her first husband denies physically or mentally abusing her.
In 2008, Murphy divorced amicably with her third husband, Phillip Gott, who remains an employee of her ballroom dance academy. On May 28, 2011, Murphy announced that she made amends with her second husband in his final days battling cancer. On July 22, 2011, Murphy stated in her online blog "As we said goodbye to the contestants, I’m also saying goodbye to my ex husband today, as cancer has taken another special person from my life. Even though our marriage did not work out, we became good friends. I will miss him and I will always love him."
In 2011, during the announcements of Murphy's return as a permanent judge for season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, it was revealed that she had undergone treatment for thyroid cancer
. Although there was a possibility that she would never be able to speak again, she is now cancer-free with vocal cords intact.
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
champion, accredited dance judge, and a judge and choreographer on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
dance competition-reality show So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
.
Biography
Mary Murphy is a former U.S. champion ballroom dancer and current TV personality. She was born in Lancaster, OhioLancaster, Ohio
Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...
in an Irish family. She graduated from Northwest High School
Northwest High School (Canal Fulton, Ohio)
Northwest High School is a public high school in Lawrence Township, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Northwest Local Schools district. Northwest's sports teams are nicknamed the Indians and are in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference until June 30, 2011...
in Canal Fulton, Ohio
Canal Fulton, Ohio
Canal Fulton is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 5,479 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Career
After graduating from Ohio UniversityOhio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
with a degree in physical education and a minor in modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, Murphy moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to begin her career. She answered a newspaper advertisement for studio instructor trainees. She became an instructor after only one week, and the studio owner invited her to attend the United States Ballroom Championships in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which was the event that influenced her to commit to a career in ballroom dancing.
Murphy moved to California and searched for a dance partner while working as an instructor. During the U.K. Open Championships in England, she met Manfred Sigletz and a dancing partnership was formed. The two began to compete and eventually became the 1990 and 1991 Austrian National Champions. Despite their success, the constant travel and Murphy's domestic commitments took their toll. Murphy had opened the Champion Ballroom Academy
Champion Ballroom Academy
The Champion Ballroom Academy is a dance studio in San Diego, California. The studio's main specialties are social partner-dancing, competitive ballroom dance The Champion Ballroom Academy (founded April 1990) is a dance studio in San Diego, California. The studio's main specialties are social...
in San Diego in 1990 and found it difficult splitting herself between these two obligations.
For the next five years she went on to build a list of accomplishments with partners based in California, earning titles at the Southwest Regional Dance Tournament, the Saint Louis Star Ball, and the International Grand Ball. With partner Bill Milner, Murphy made the U.S. Open Standard final in an unprecedented six months. Finally, in 1996, she and partner Jim Desmond made the final of the U.S. Open American Smooth and won the U.S. Open American Nine Dance
U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional 9-Dance)
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
. She retired from competition and shifted her focus toward her dance academy.
She acted as a dance double for Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
in the movie Something to Talk About
Something to Talk About (film)
Something to Talk About is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, from a screenplay written by Callie Khouri. It stars Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid as an estranged couple, Kyra Sedgwick as Roberts's sister, and Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands as their parents. The...
and appeared in Dance With Me
Dance with Me (film)
Dance with Me is a 1998 drama film on love and dance directed by Randa Haines and starring Vanessa L. Williams and Puerto Rican singer Chayanne.-Plot:...
, starring Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
.
She currently runs her dance studio and organizes a Los Angeles dance competition, the Hollywood Dancesport Championships. She frequently serves as a judge in several competitions, including the U.S. National Ballroom Championships.
So You Think You Can Dance
Murphy was part of the original guest judge and choreographer pool when season 1So You Think You Can Dance (Season 1)
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 one premiered on July 20, 2005 with Lauren Sánchez as host, Nigel Lythgoe as the main judge, and Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty, Mia...
began in 2005. In 2006, for season 2
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 2)
The second season of So You Think You Can Dance premiered May 25, 2006, with new host Cat Deeley.On August 16, Benji Schwimmer was announced as the winner of season 2 and received the grand prize of $100,000, a new hybrid SUV, and a one year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, A New...
, she made noticeably more appearances at the judging table than the other choreographers. In 2007, just prior to season 3
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 3)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. Season three premiered May 24, 2007....
, it was reported in TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
that Murphy would be a permanent judge, a position previously only enjoyed by Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
.
In 2008, Murphy made guest appearances on international versions of So You Think You Can Dance, including So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia was an Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance. The show is hosted by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, with Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe acting as the judges....
, So You Think You Can Dance Canada
So You Think You Can Dance Canada
So You Think You Can Dance Canada was a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the...
and So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia.
She has become noted for regularly holding up her hands and screaming enthusiastically as a form of praise, along with giggling constantly during performances she enjoys. Also, Murphy is noted for introducing unique forms of praise, which include calling dancers "Hot Tamales" or issuing them tickets on her "Hot Tamale Train".
In 2008, Murphy reprised her role as judge on season 4
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
with fellow regular, Nigel Lythgoe, and on the season finale, performed a surprise samba with Dmitry Chaplin
Dmitry Chaplin
Dmitry Chaplin is an Russian dancer and an Emmy Nominated choreographer, best known for being a Top 10 finalist on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance . He was famous for constantly performing shirtless, with one solo routine having him rip off his shirt.-Biography:Chaplin was born in...
.
Murphy continued as a weekly permanent judge on season 5
So You Think You Can Dance (season 5)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season five premiered on May 21, 2009, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
and season 6
So You Think You Can Dance (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...
.
For season 7
So You Think You Can Dance (season 7)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season seven premiered on May 27, 2010...
, it was announced that Mia Michaels
Mia Michaels
Mia Michaels is an American choreographer best known for her judging and contemporary choreography on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance . She has worked with musical artists such as Celine Dion, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, and Prince...
would replace Murphy as permanent judge. And although absent most of the season, Murphy made an appearance with a seat at the judging table for Vegas Week as well as the final episode. In 2011, she returned to replace Mia Michaels as a permanent judge for season 8
So You Think You Can Dance (season 8)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. The show's eighth season premiered on May 26, 2011. It features the return of Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe as permanent judges and Cat Deeley as host. Also returning is the...
.
Choreography
| Season | Dancers | Style | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 So You Think You Can Dance (Season 1) 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 one premiered on July 20, 2005 with Lauren Sánchez as host, Nigel Lythgoe as the main judge, and Mary Murphy, Dan Karaty, Mia... |
Ashlé Dawson Jamile McGee |
Jive Jive (dance) In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance... |
Jim Dandy – LaVern Baker LaVern Baker LaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois... |
| Melody Lacayanga Craig DeRosa |
|||
| Kamilah Barrett Nick Lazzarini |
Tango Tango (ballroom) Ballroom Tango is a ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance.... |
Tanguedia – Prandi Sound Dance Orchestra | |
| Ashlé Dawson Blake McGrath |
Samba Samba (ballroom) Among ballroom dances, samba is a lively, rhythmical one. It is related to the traditional samba styles of Brazil, but differs from them considerably. Its music is in 2/4 or 4/4 time.-Origins:... |
Jazz Machine – Black Machine | |
| Melody Lacayanga Nick Lazzarini |
Paso Doble Pasodoble Pasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill... |
España Cañí España Cañí España Cañí is a famous instrumental Spanish piece of pasodoble music by Pascual Marquina Narro . The song was written around 1925... – Boston Pops Orchestra |
|
| 2 So You Think You Can Dance (Season 2) The second season of So You Think You Can Dance premiered May 25, 2006, with new host Cat Deeley.On August 16, Benji Schwimmer was announced as the winner of season 2 and received the grand prize of $100,000, a new hybrid SUV, and a one year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas show, A New... |
Jessica Fernandez Jaymz Tuaileva |
Foxtrot | Why Don't You Do Right? – Sinéad O'Connor Sinéad O'Connor Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U".... |
| Ashlee Nino Ben Susak |
Jive | Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The... |
|
| Top 14 | Footloose – Kenny Loggins (Soundtrack: Footloose Footloose (soundtrack) Footloose is the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 30, 1984. When it was re-released in 1998, four bonus tracks... ) |
||
| Heidi Groskreutz Travis Wall |
Paso Doble | Plaza of Execution – James Horner James Horner James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements... (Soundtrack: Zorro - The Mask of Zorro) |
|
| Donyelle Jones Dmitry Chaplin |
Samba | Hey Mama Hey Mama Hey Mama can refer to:* "Hey Mama" , a song by rapper Kanye West.* "Hey Mama" , a song by hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas.... – The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide... |
|
| Natalie Fotopoulos Dmitry Chaplin |
Magaleñha – Sérgio Mendes | ||
| 4 So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4) So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host... |
Mary Murphy Dmitry Chaplin |
Samba | Baila, Baila – Angela Via Angela Via Angela Vía is an American singer/songwriter from Texas. Initially marketed as a pop artist, Angela's catalog contains music of a variety of genres in both English and Spanish... |
Burn the Floor
From December 22, 2009, to January 10, 2010, Murphy headlined the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
ballroom dance show Burn the Floor. She was partnered with Vaidas Skimelis.
Murphy returned to the touring cast of Burn the Floor in September and October 2010, with performances in San Jose and San Diego, once again partnered with Vaidas Skimelis.
Personal life
Murphy has been married three times and revealed that during her first marriage, which lasted nine years, she was a victim of domestic abuse. In October 2010, on Larry King LiveLarry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, she said she was finally speaking out so that other victims could learn how she endured, but escaped, domestic violence. Her first husband denies physically or mentally abusing her.
In 2008, Murphy divorced amicably with her third husband, Phillip Gott, who remains an employee of her ballroom dance academy. On May 28, 2011, Murphy announced that she made amends with her second husband in his final days battling cancer. On July 22, 2011, Murphy stated in her online blog "As we said goodbye to the contestants, I’m also saying goodbye to my ex husband today, as cancer has taken another special person from my life. Even though our marriage did not work out, we became good friends. I will miss him and I will always love him."
In 2011, during the announcements of Murphy's return as a permanent judge for season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, it was revealed that she had undergone treatment for thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer
Thyroid neoplasm is a neoplasm or tumor of the thyroid. It can be a benign tumor such as thyroid adenoma, or it can be a malignant neoplasm , such as papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected...
. Although there was a possibility that she would never be able to speak again, she is now cancer-free with vocal cords intact.
Awards
- Nominee, Favorite Host/Judge, The 2009 Fox Reality Awards
- Winner, Favorite Host/Judge, The 2007 Reality Really Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007 Heritage Dance Classic
- Nominee, Favorite Judge, The 2006 Reality Really Awards
- U.S. National Professional 9-Dance ChampionU.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional 9-Dance)The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
, 1996 United States Ballroom Dance Championships - Austrian National 10-dance and Ballroom Champion, Representatives at the World Championships
External links
- Mary Murphy's Champion Ballroom Academy, San Diego, CA