Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy is one of the judges and a choreographer on the Watch So You Think You Can Dance Online along with Nigel Lythgoe. Mary was born Mary Ann Murphy on March 9, 1958 in Lancaster, [[]]Ohio. Mary Murphy has a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education with a minor in modern dance from Ohio University. She originally wanted to be a specialist in physical education for children with disabilities.

After graduation she moved to Washington, DC and started working at a dance studio. The owner of the dance studio invited her to attend the United States Ballroom Championships in New York City. It was after watching that performance that she decided to pursue a career in ballroom dancing and began serious training in that genre.

Her search for a partner led her to move to San Diego, California. While attending the UK Open Championships in Blackpool, England she met Manfred Siglitz who became the dance partner she had been searching for. Throughout the early 1990's, Mary and Manfred won many championships worldwide. At the same time, Mary opened her own dance studio, Champion Ballroom Academy in San Diego.

Mary Murphy and Manfred Siglitz partnership did not last beyond a few years but this did not stop Mary. She went on to win many other competitions with various partners inlcuding Bill Milner and Jim Desmond.

Since her retirement from competitive dance, she has remained active with instructing in her studio, acting, choreographing and as a judge.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2052793/bio

Murphy began her career as a competitive ballroom dancer. In 1995, she appeared as a dancing double for Julia Roberts in the film Something to Talk About. Murphy won the 1996 U.S. Open American Nine Dance competition and was a finalist in the U.S. National Ballroom and U.S. National Standard competitions. In 1998, she appeared in Dance With Me with Vanessa Williams. She joined So You Think You Can Dance in 2005, where she has served as a judge and choreographer.

• 1995: Something to Talk About
• 1998: Dance with Me
• 2005-2010: So You Think You Can Dance
• 2008: Killer Movie

On the 2008 fund raising show Idol Gives Back, Murphy threatened to scream until people donated money to the charities the show was supporting.

"I love being here at the studio every day - the studio is my life, it's so much a part of me - the building of this and making the studio grow. I can't imagine doing anything else."—Mary MurphyOfficial Site: Mary Murphy Bio

"People love dancing, so when they're sitting there at home watching it, a lot of them are just living through the people that can dance. They always wished they could be a dancer. Some had dreams when they were a kid of being a dancer...and it's so inspiring for a lot of people to be able to see something like that."—Mary MurphyFOX: So You Think You Can Dance Cast