Lauren Gottlieb: SYTYCD launched her Bollywood journey via ABCD
Synopsis
When So You Think You Can Dance aired globally in 2007, an 18-year-old from Arizona named Lauren Gottlieb had no idea she was dancing her way into Bollywood. As the show officially ends after 18 seasons, Gottlieb's tribute reveals how a single global broadcast moment led to ABCD, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and a career that still turns heads on flights.
Key Takeaways
Lauren Gottlieb paid tribute to So You Think You Can Dance as the show officially ended after 18 seasons .
She competed in Season 3 in 2007 as an 18-year-old from Arizona and returned for multiple All-Star seasons.
Filmmaker Remo D'Souza discovered her through SYTYCD's global broadcast and cast her in ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013) .
She was a runner-up on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 6 and later judged Season 8 of the same show.
Her most recent appearance is in the 2025 film Single Salma , starring alongside Huma Qureshi , Sunny Singh , and Shreyas Talpade .
Actress-dancer Lauren Gottlieb has credited So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) for launching her global career, saying the American dance competition series — which has officially concluded after 18 seasons — was the direct reason she was cast in Bollywood. Gottlieb, who competed in Season 3 of the show in 2007, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram as the show signed off after nearly two decades on air.
How SYTYCD Led to Bollywood
In her Instagram post, Gottlieb revealed that it was the show's global broadcast reach that brought her to the attention of choreographer and filmmaker Remo D'Souza. "Because SYTYCD aired globally, Remo D'Souza saw me and cast me for ABCD. A global journey was born because of DANCE," she wrote. Gottlieb made her Hindi cinema debut in 2013 with ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, one of the most celebrated dance films in Bollywood history.
She described herself as "just an 18 year old girl from Arizona" when she first stepped onto the SYTYCD stage, and noted that she was fortunate enough to return for multiple All-Star seasons as well.
The Cultural Impact She Still Feels
Gottlieb shared a telling anecdote about the show's enduring legacy, recounting that just two days before her post, a flight attendant recognised her from SYTYCD. "That's cultural impact if I've ever seen it!!" she wrote. She reflected on the show's power to transcend language and borders, adding: "Dance reaches straight to the heart. And that's exactly what this show did for so many people around the world."
She also extended her gratitude to the entire cast, crew, choreographers, judges, parents, and fans who made the show what it was, calling it "the end of an era."
Lauren Gottlieb's Career in India
Following her Bollywood debut, Gottlieb became a familiar face on Indian television. She finished as a runner-up on Season 6 of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, partnering with choreographer Punit Pathak, and later returned as a judge on the show's eighth season. In 2016, she expanded her footprint with a Punjabi film debut in Ambarsariya.
Most recently, she appeared in the 2025 film Single Salma, alongside Huma Qureshi, Sunny Singh, and Shreyas Talpade.
About So You Think You Can Dance
SYTYCD first premiered in 2005 and ran for 18 seasons, becoming one of the most influential dance competition shows in television history. Its global broadcast reach made it a launchpad for dancers across the world — Gottlieb's own career trajectory being one of the most prominent international examples of its reach.
With SYTYCD now off the air, its alumni community — from Broadway to Bollywood — stands as a testament to the show's outsized cultural footprint, one that clearly still resonates nearly two decades after it first aired.
Point of View
Clean example of global media reach creating cross-cultural careers before the algorithm era — a TV broadcast in the US becoming a casting call in Mumbai. What's worth noting is that SYTYCD's closure comes as reality dance formats struggle for relevance against short-form video platforms that now serve the same discovery function. The irony is that the show's biggest international success stories, like Gottlieb's, may actually be more visible today than they were at broadcast — precisely because social media has given alumni a platform to retell the origin story. Bollywood's dance-film genre, which ABCD helped define, owes more to American television than it typically acknowledges.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Lauren Gottlieb pay tribute to So You Think You Can Dance?
Lauren Gottlieb shared an Instagram tribute because SYTYCD officially ended after 18 seasons. She credited the show for changing her life and directly leading to her Bollywood debut in ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013).
How did SYTYCD lead Lauren Gottlieb to Bollywood?
Because SYTYCD aired globally, filmmaker Remo D'Souza watched her performance and cast her in ABCD: Any Body Can Dance. Gottlieb herself described it as a global journey born entirely because of dance.
Which season of SYTYCD did Lauren Gottlieb compete in?
Lauren Gottlieb competed in Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2007, when she was 18 years old. She also returned for multiple All-Star seasons later.
What has Lauren Gottlieb done in India after ABCD?
After her 2013 Bollywood debut, Gottlieb was a runner-up on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 6 with partner Punit Pathak, judged Season 8 of the same show, made her Punjabi film debut in Ambarsariya (2016), and appeared in Single Salma in 2025.
When did So You Think You Can Dance first premiere and how long did it run?
So You Think You Can Dance first premiered in 2005 and ran for 18 seasons before officially concluding. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential dance competition shows in television history.
