By Margaret McGurk
The Cincinnati Enquirer

When Lindsay Lohan takes the stage for a musical number opening tonight's broadcast of the MTV Music Awards, local dance fans may recognize a couple of old friends.

Dancing along with Lohan will be former Aiken High School students Shane Sparks and Christopher Tyler, both now Los Angeles-based professionals.

Sparks, who worked on the hip-hop dance movie You Got Served, , choreographed tonight's performance.

"There were like 2,100 guys that auditioned," said Tyler. "Since we grew up together, (Sparks) just said ... 'You're in. You and me, just like we did in Cincinnati.' "

In the '80s, Tyler said, "We grew up dancing together since we were 11- or 12-years-old. We danced in all the local talent shows. We had our own group, called Cold Crush. We were like the most famous group in Cincinnati."

To spot the two on stage tonight, check their looks. "Looking at the TV, I'm on the right side," said Tyler. "I'm the only guy with hair out wild and crazy, a big old Afro. I have a sleeve I cut off my T-shirt pulled over my head, so my hair's just sticking up out of the top."

Sparks, dressed in a white shirt and black hat, "is right in front, right next to Lindsay," he said.

The dancers on stage also include Marques Houston and Omarion, now pursuing an acting career after his rap group B2K recently called it quits.

As for what the performances is like, Tyler promised it showcases some of the same over-the-top stunts that made the movie a favorite among street dancers.

E-mail mmcgurk@enquirer.com