Are you ready for the return of SYTYCD? Well you better be because FOX brings the dance series back tonight at 8PM ET/PT for a two-hour premiere featuring auditions from Atlanta and the Bay Area.

Don’t forget that Mary Murphy has returned this season and will sit aside Nigel Lythgoe. The other judges will be rotational guests as Adam Shankman has gone MIA

I’d include some sort of video preview, but FOX only has last season’s video content on their site and even that isn’t embeddable… Nice work, FOX.

Check out a few pics from the upcoming SYTYCD 2011 audition episodes:

Sure So You Think You Can Dance is about, well, dancing, but the best performances need to have three very important elements: the right choreography, talented performers and compelling music.

Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz’s “Bench” dance wouldn’t have the same goosebumps factor without Celine Dion’s “Calling You,” and Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi’s contemporary routine to “Woman’s Work” would have been incomplete with Maxwell’s poignant song.

Too Much To Tivo compiled a list of songs that combined with the right choreography and contestants, could rank as some of the most memorable performances of the series.

A Nap and Tabs number to Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love The Way You Lie” could send a powerful message about abuse, and J. Lo’s “On The Floor,” would make for a ballroom spectacular.

Click here for the complete list of TMTT’s top music picks for SYTYCD Season 8.

So You Think You Can Dance is typically dominated by contemporary dancers, but Season 8 may see an influx of performers also from another genre — hip hop.

Producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe Tweeted that this year’s contestants will include “at least two of the best B-Boys” he has ever seen.

Lythgoe also told Pop Wrap earlier in the month: “It’s not that we’re staying away from contemporary, but we haven’t been inundated with them as in years past. There’s a lot of exciting hip hop dancers we’ve invested in, and hopefully they’ll come through for us across the season.”

SYTYCD premieres on May 26 at 8 p.m.

For more SYTYCD news click So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 at Too Much To Tivo. You can also follow TMTT on Twitter @toomuchtotivo and like us on Facebook.

FOX has just released the So You Think You Can Dance 2011 schedule with details on the first four weeks of the show. First up, of course, are the auditions for three episodes (May 26th – June 2nd) before we head to Las Vegas on June 8th and find out the Top 20 dancers the next night on the 9th.

This season will have performance shows on Wednesday nights and then results shows on Thursdays just like FOX did with American Idol this year.

May 26, 2011: Atlanta & Bay Area Auditions

June 1, 2011: New York & Salt Lake City Auditions

June 2, 2011: Los Angeles Auditions

June 8, 2011: Vegas Week

June 9, 2011: Top 20 Revealed/Meet The Top 20 Performances

June 15, 2011: First Live Performance Show

June 16, 2011: First Live Results Show

Are you ready for SYTYCD Season 8 to begin this Thursday?! Don’t forget to join us on Facebook and see what other fans of the show are saying.

Adam Shankman was missing from the newest crop of So You Think You Can Dance 2011 promotional images released by Fox this week.

It looks like Shankman will be MIA most of the season as he directs the movie version of Rock of Ages.

Of course, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe holds a permanent place on the judges panel, and as previously announced, ballroom choreographer Mary Murphy returns with her “Hot Tomale” train after taking time off last season due to an illness.

The third judge will be filled on a rotating basis by guests including Robin Antin, Lil C, Tyce Diorio, Toni Redpath and Jason Gilkison.

For more SYTYCD news click So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 at Too Much To Tivo. You can also follow TMTT on Twitter @toomuchtotivo and like us on Facebook.