Dance, Lythgoe Advance Same-sex Couple

There was a time when So You Think You Can Dance judge and producer Nigel Lythgoe thought a same-sex ballroom couple would probably "alienate a lot of our audience." But Lythgoe seems to have changed his position.

In last night's episode of Dance, Lythgoe was blown away by a same-sex couple who auditioned for the show, saying, "Thank you for showing me that same-sex ballroom dancing can be very strong, and very good."

The pair moved guest judge Mia Michaels to tears.

In fact, Willem de Vries and Jacob Jason wowed all three judges and were advanced to the choreography round. Tonight, audiences will see if the pair advances to the Vegas semifinals.

Lythgoe's comments in the last season of Dance -- further fueled by a Twitter update in which he said he wasn't a fan of Brokeback ballroom -- prompted a call to action from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Lythgoe apologized.

De Vries and Jason run the Baliamos dance studio in West Hollywood, catering to same-sex ballroom dance partners. They told Entertainment Weekly they wanted to audition despite what happened last season because there is "a world of same-sex dancers."

Yesterday, producers for the show announced that openly gay choreographer and director Adam Shankman had joined the cast as a permanent judge.