Lynnwood man competes on TV dance show

Casey Askew played a lot of sports as a child.

You can see it in the athleticism of his contemporary dance style.

Askew, 19, of Lynnwood, is among this summer’s top 20 contestants on Fox TV’s 11th season of “So You Think You Can Dance.” The show airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Between rehearsals last week, Askew took a few minutes to talk on the phone.

The Meadowdale High School graduate began dancing at age 8, studying first at the former Camille’s Dance Edge studio in Lynnwood.

“I think having played sports as a kid actually helped me in my dance career,” Askew said. “Strength training is definitely part of it.”

By the time he was in high school, Askew was flying to Los Angeles each weekend to study dance.

“It was really hard to fly out on Friday evenings and fly back early on Mondays with just enough time to make it to class,” Askew said. “I did a lot of homework on those plane rides and I missed out on a lot of things that most people enjoy about high school.”

But the effort was important, Askew said.

The stint on Fox this summer isn’t his first TV show. Askew appeared previously on a Disney channel dance competition as well.

Askew said he has an ability to physically connect to music in a way that some other dancers do not. He is trained in hip hop, ballet, jazz, lyrical and ballroom dance.

“For ‘So You think You Can Dance’ I think you have to be adept or excel in all styles of dance,” Askew said.

Askew said he was pleased to be selected for the show and to be in the top 20 dancers this season.

“During the audition, I wasn’t sure I had done enough to prove my ability,” he said. “So I was shocked and really happy to be a part of it.”

Askew credits his family.

“This is all because of the support of my family and their enthusiasm,” he said. “They have supported me for so many years.”

His parents are Lisa and Dale Askew of Lynnwood. His brother Jeff is a student at Washington State University.

This past Wednesday on “So You Think You Can Dance” Askew was paired with fellow contemporary dancer Emily James, 21, of Rhode Island.

Choreographed by Travis Wall, their routine was set to the John Legend song “All of Me.” It drew praise from judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe as well as guest judge Jason Derulo.

This week, one woman and one man will be eliminated from the dance competition.

“Keep watching,” Askew said. “I hope everyone back home will keep watching.”

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.

To see a video of the dance routine of Casey Askew and Emily James on this past Wednesday’s episode of “So You Think You Can Dance,” click below:

This season’s winner of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” will get cash and something else — a possible Broadway role.

The show announced that the Season 11 winner will get a shot at a small role in a revival of “On the Town.”

The show’s Broadway tie-in also will include “On the Town” choreographer Joshua Bergasse planning a performance of “New York, New York” featuring the Top 20 finalists on July 9.

Associated Press

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.