Katee Shean

LOS ANGELES — Katee Taira Shean is among the top 20 finalists on the Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance,” which will have a two-hour episode on Wednesday, June 11, at 8 p.m.

Hosted by Cat Deeley, the show features dancers skilled in everything from the street styles of hip-hop, krumping and popping to ballroom styles like salsa, quickstep and jive.

Last season, after Sabra Johnson was named America’s favorite dancer, the top 10 dancers embarked on a cross-country, 50-city performance tour.

In the fourth season, producers again traveled across the country in search of dancers who represent the rhythm of America. Those who sparked the judges’ interest during auditions were invited to call-backs, where they worked with top choreographers. During the call-back week, the judges chose the top 20 who will continue in the competition.

In the performance round, the 20 finalists dance for the audience’s votes, and each week the bottom six contestants are given a chance to perform solo routines to encourage viewers to keep them on the show. Then the judges decide which dancers stay in the competition and which two are eliminated.

Once the series is down to the top 10 finalists, it’s up to the audience to decide who remains in the competition. Following the performance shows, viewers can vote for their favorite couples.

Shean, who is Japanese on her mother’s side, was born and raised in San Jose. She is a graduate of Pioneer High School and has completed her sophomore year at Chapman University in Orange, where she is a double major in dance and leadership/organizational studies.

She started dancing at the age of 4 and has traveled to Texas, New York and Costa Rica to take part in dance competitions. The highlight of her dance career was winning the Beach Blanket Babylon Scholarship for the Arts in 2006. Since then, she has continued to perform at her college and in the Southern California area.

She auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” in Los Angeles and was one of 200 dancers selected out of thousands to advance to the next level of competition held in Las Vegas. After a week of grueling competition, 20 dancers remained, 10 men and 10 women.

Also in the top 20 is Mark Kenneth Ioane Kanemura, 24, a contemporary dancer born and raised in Honolulu. He trained with 24-7 Dance Force in Honolulu and danced at Tokyo Disney. He also directed and choreographed performances on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Kanemura says his ethnicities include Samoan, Japanese, Irish, English, Spanish, Ukrainian, Scottish, English and Portuguese.

For more information on the show, visit www.fox.com/dance/.