Easton Magliarditi is already one of So You Think You Can Dance‘s most promising hopefuls ahead of the competition show’s season 18 premiere on Monday night (March 4).
In a clip from the season’s first episode, shared exclusively with Billboard, the 19-year-old dancer wows the judges at his audition with his angular, aerodynamic choreography set to Teddy Swims‘ breakout hit “Lose Control.” After he successfully completes a number of passionate jumps, twists and turns, the panel — comprised of Allison Holker, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Comfort Fedoke — gives him a standing ovation.
Season 18 comes more than a year after the last installment of So You Think You Can Dance wrapped, with Alexis Warr crowned as the last winner in August 2022. That also marked the show’s final season with Stephen “tWitch” Boss as a judge before his death in December 2022. Boss’ wife, Holker, joins the panel for the first time this season.
“This is exactly why I am here and [why] I’m so excited to be a part of this season, because you’re everything I was hoping to see,” Holker tells Magliarditi after his dance.
Magliarditi’s audition song, Swims’ bluesy “Lose Control,” remains in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 this week at No. 5 after peaking at No. 2 earlier this year.
With Cat Deeley onboard as host, as well as JoJo Siwa stepping in as an additional judge for the live shows, the new season of So You Think You Can Dance premieres Monday night at 9 p.m. ET on Fox. The 20-year-old Dance Moms alum joins in place of longtime judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who resigned from the show in January amid a lawsuit by Paula Abdul accusing him of two instances of sexual assault.
“I have informed the producers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe said in a statement at the time. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”
Watch Magliarditi’s audition above.
