Adam Shankman (pictured) will co-produce and choreograph the 82nd Academy Awards¨telecast.

Adam Shankman is a hands-on guy with a passion for dance, so it’s not surprising that he was deep in the mix for the Academy Award dancer auditions.

The producer’s first big gig was as a dancer on the Oscar telecast 20 years ago, which is why choreographing the Academy Awards (along with all his other duties) was so important to him.

Today’s auditions were for union and non-union professionals who were proficient in Contemporary style. And, under black clouds and torrential rains, guys and girls showed up ready to have their butts whipped.

Lots of familiar faces too, if you’re a So You Think You Can Dance fan.  Not only were the season six winner, Russell Ferguson and runner up Kathryn McCormick there, but also fellow season sixers, Ellenore Scott and Legacy Perez. Kayla Rodomski from season five and Travis Wall from season two were helping Shankman conduct the auditions and Katee Shean from season four was on the floor trying out for the Oscar show.

There are big changes in store for the Awards, Shankman tells HollywoodOutbreak.com. He’s tightening up the act, leaving the demanding categories to his two skilled hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin and saving celebs from humorless attempts at comedy.

Click onto video for Adam Shankman explanation as to why choreographing the Oscars is so important to him and what’s in store for the anything-but-traditional Academy Awards telecast.

Hip Hop dancers are scheduled to audition Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Center Staging in Burbank, California.  Check in at www.Oscars.org for more details on the tryouts.