News has come out that one of the winners of So You Think You Can Dance has passed away. The deceased’s family announced what happened in a statement. The series alum was 36 years old at the time of their passing.
News Was Shared By The Dancer’s Family, As They Asked For ‘Privacy & Prayers’
So You Think You Can Dance is a dance competition show on Fox that has been running since 2005. Recently, the show wrapped up its 18th season back in May 2024.
Something of a sister series to American Idol, the show has also seen a number of international versions. Recently, news has come out of a tragedy concerning the American version of the show.
According to TMZ, Joshua Allen recently passed away at the age of 36. As fans may remember, he served as the winner of the dance show’s fourth season. The Texas native originally auditioned for the show in Dallas.
A family member spoke to the outlet about the news. Reportedly, Allen died on September 30, but did not share how he passed. At this time, the family asked fans for “privacy and prayers.”
A Friend Of The So You Think You Can Dance Winner Also Spoke About What They Were Like
Allen won on So You Think You Can Dance back in 2008. At the time, the runner-up was the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss. The two were said to have become good friends since their time on the show.
Emmanuel Hurd, a friend of Allen’s in the dance community, shared that he was shocked by the death. He shared that Allen was a “a very honest, real person” who was very open about his own flaws. He continued, “He didn’t always do things the way that everybody thought he should, but that’s why he was a winner.”
After his win, Allen spoke with Entertainment Weekly, talking about his previous training as a dancer. He shared, “I took a few modern dance classes, ballet classes, because I felt that to be a better dancer I would have to take different classes, and, you know, expand my horizons in the art of dance.” However, he admitted that he wasn’t “technically trained,” usually taking classes during breaks from school. He also showed an interest in other forms of athletics, from running track to playing football.
At the time, Allen also shared interest in becoming a recording artist and eventually own a record label. He also shared the desire to choreograph and own a studio and company.
Allen also came into some legal trouble back in 2016. At the time, as reported by Deadline, he got a year in jail plus probation over a charge of domestic violence in Los Angeles.
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.