Should Tom Cruise Follow in Katie Holmes' Dance-ing Footsteps?

Megawatt actor needs to bring his Tropic Thunder alter-ego to hit reality competition show, says judge Adam Shankman

Jennifer Lopez may be heading to the judge's table on American Idol, but her MTV dancing partner is wanted over at So You Think You Can Dance.

"I want Tom [Cruise] in there dancing as Les Grossman," SYTYCD judge Adam Shankman told us this weekend at the Dizzy Feet Foundation's National Dance Day event in downtown L.A.

So what kind of fancy footwork would he like to see Cruise's Tropic Thunder alter ego perform?

"I think hip-hop seems to be his genre," Shankman said with a smile.

As you may remember, Cruise and Lopez famously brought down the house with a booty-bumping performance to Ludacris' "Get Back" at the MTV Movie Awards in June.

And the Mission: Impossible star is no stranger to SYTYCD. His wife Katie Holmes performed a Broadway-inspired song and dance number to Judy Garland's "Get Happy" on the show's 100th episode special. Plus, host Cat Deeley and former judge Mary Murphy have both told us that they think Mr. Cruise should do a guest spot on the judging panel.

And speaking of the judges, Shankman is confident Nigel Lythgoe could handle doing double duty if he does return to American Idol as executive producer.

"I think it would be great if he went back," Shankman said. "I think the show was at its peak when he was on it."