Nigel Lythgoe confirms Mia Michaels left SYTYCD; she “is always welcome to return”

Mia Michaels’ all-caps Twitter postings announcing her resignation from So You Think You Can Dance were not the work of a hacker nor a joke: She is leaving the show, but she could come back.

Nigel Lythgoe released a statement that starts off by giving himself and the show credit for making her famous, basically:

“We are thrilled to have given a talent such as Mia Michaels a platform to create Emmy Award-winning choreography. During the auditions this season she has helped choose the best, most diverse top 20 we have ever had. She knows that she is always welcome to return later this season or next. She’s chosen to move on to new challenges and we will continue to support her and wish her all the best.”

That she’s welcome to come back suggests there’s no animosity, but there’s still no explanation why she’s leaving. The easiest explanation is Adam Shankman’s elevation to judge, but still: She’s an Emmy-winner on a show where she’s pretty well-received—although not by everyone. As my friend Victor Balta of Comcast.net wrote, “Nice pieces, but kinda full of herself.”