So You Think You Can Dance: What Happened To The Former Cast Members?

The following article contains references to suicide and sexual assault.

The reality competition series "So You Think You Can Dance" premiered on Fox in 2005. Every summer, the show features a crop of fresh talent showcasing their skills in various styles of dance, vying for the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" and a cash prize. Unlike "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent," "SYTYCD's" champs don't typically walk away with a gig like a record deal or a headlining act in Vegas, but they do gain valuable exposure to a national audience week after week.

"I am always blown away by the sheer level of raw talent on this show," Fox's president of alternative entertainment Rob Wade told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. "These are real people — unknown stars in their own right. And each week, they tell compelling, emotional stories through their craft," he added. A number of former contestants have returned to the multiple Emmy award-winning series as choreographers, guest judges, and mentors, per Us Magazine.

Naturally, many of the show's stars have excelled in the dance world, but the individuals featured here have done more than that. This list includes a few Broadway stars, an Emmy-winning choreographer, an Oscar winner, a TV star, and a Disney Channel darling. In an interview with Naluda Magazine, Season 7 finalist Kent Boyd said the reality series gave him exactly what he needed. "SYTYCD started my career and gave me the confidence to follow my dreams of being an entertainer."

Stephen "tWitch" Boss was the runner-up on Season 4 of "So You Think You Can Dance." He later returned as a mentor, then a judge in 2022, before his death by suicide, per Us Magazine. In a 2014 interview with Collider, the Montgomery, Alabama native described the reality competition as "life-changing." "Every life choice and everything that I've done, from then on out, happened at that crossroads." Boss met his future wife, Allison Holker, on "SYTYCD," and they shared three children, per People.

In 2014, Boss joined "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" as a DJ, later becoming a co-host, staying with the series through its final episode in 2022, per The U.S. Sun. Appearing on Today, Boss opened up about saying goodbye to the show the comedian hosted for 19 years: "It was so emotional to see the bond and the connection she has created with people that really love her. It's something that was so special."

The following year, the "Step Up: All In" actor landed another big-screen role, playing Malik, an exotic dancer who becomes Channing Tatum's rival in "Magic Mike XXL." Boss, who waxed his body on TV for the role, told PopSugar it wasn't something he would recommend. "The experience was incredibly painful, but the results were smooth," he said. In an emotional tribute, DeGeneres remembered her longtime friend and sidekick. "I'm heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart," she tweeted.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Allison Holker was a contestant on Season 2 of "SYTYCD," per Us Magazine. In 2013, Holker and Boss were married in a "rustic chic" ceremony at "So You Think You Can Dance" producer Nigel Lythgoe's winery in Paso Robles, California, per People. After the wedding, the former dancer for Earth, Wind & Fire worked as a choreographer on "Dancing with the Stars" before joining the ABC reality competition in 2015 (via The Things). In 2017, the duo began a stint co-hosting Freeform's "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings."

In an interview with MSN, Holker explained the couple had "literally never gone on a date. "We never really had a real conversation because I was so shy to talk to him because I had a crush. But we shared a dance at a party and we've been together ever since." In 2021, the dancer signed on to host HGTV's "Design Star: Next Gen," an interior design competition series. "It has been an absolute dream come true," Holker told Digital Journal.

"Being the host of this show has been something I have been manifesting into the world for as long as I can remember," she added. As for the love of her life (and frequent TikTok dance partner), the Emmy-nominated choreographer captioned a photo of herself and her late husband on Instagram, "My ONE and ONLY. Oh, how my heart aches. We miss you so much."

Ariana DeBose is the biggest breakout star from "So You Think You Can Dance." She made her way to Broadway after the show, appearing in "Pippin" and "Hamilton." In 2018, the actor received a Tony nomination for her performance as the "Queen of Disco" in "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical." During her run on the show, she agreed to audition for Steven Spielberg's 2021 film "West Side Story," with one caveat — no cold reading.

Much to her chagrin, the famed director himself made that request. "He asked me if I would read, and I just said, 'Nope. No, sir,'" DeBose told Willie Geist on Sunday Today. Fortunately, Spielberg invited her back. "And I said, 'I'd be honored,'" she added. In 2022, DeBose won an Academy Award for best actress in a supporting role for her performance as Anita, making history as the first openly queer woman of color to receive the award. In her acceptance speech, the actor referenced lyrics from the film, declaring, "There is indeed a place for us."

In Ryan Murphy's movie musical "The Prom," DeBose plays Alyssa, a closeted high school student. "When I auditioned, I thought a lot about how we identify with our communities and how Alyssa would manifest through me," she told Elle. DeBose found herself right at home in Apple TV+'s musical parody series, "Schmigadoon!" According to Indiewire, her turn as Miss Emma, the town's tap-dancing school teacher, made "the show really sing."

After being named "America's Favorite Dancer" on Season 11 of "So You Think You Can Dance," Ricky Ubeda found success on the Great White Way, per Broadway World. As part of his prize, he won a role in a 2014 production of "On the Town." In an interview with Broadway Direct, Ubeda said making his Broadway debut in the musical was "the most incredible thing. It was my first time away on my own, and my cast welcomed me and showed me how great theater is," adding that he "fell so hard for musical theater."

In 2018, Ubeda starred as the magical Mr. Mistoffelees in the first Broadway revival of "Cats," an extremely demanding show. "It's a hard knock life doing a show this physical eight times a week (five-show weekends every weekend) and on a rake," the actor told Broadway Box. "We really have to put our trust in warming up, cooling down, and getting into PT as much as we can." In 2021, Ubeda made his big-screen debut playing Flaco, a member of the Sharks in "West Side Story."

After his win on "SYTYCD," the "Fosse/Verdon" actor spoke to Logo TV about the experience he described as "pretty crazy." "I had a lot of expectations going into it, just it was going to be great, and it was going to be fun, and I was going to learn so much," he said. "And they all got shattered in the best way possible."

Jeanine Mason is "SYTYCD's" youngest champion, winning the title in Season 5 when she was just 18, per CinemaBlend. "I never thought I'd make it onto the show, and I never thought that I would win," she told The Wrap in 2017. Mason had a recurring role as a dancer named Cosette on ABC Family's "Bunheads." On Season 14 of Grey's Anatomy, she played Dr. Sam Bello, a surgical intern. "Sam is a brilliant, promising intern, and she is trying to thrive professionally alongside her addiction, which is Andrew DeLuca," Mason said.

Mason noted that her storyline reveals her past relationship with her new colleague, played by Giacomo Gianniotti. The actor starred in The CW's "Roswell, New Mexico" for four seasons, playing Liz Ortecho, a biomedical researcher who returns to her hometown to discover her teenage crush is an alien. "I love Liz. She's such an intelligent woman. She's a scientist. She's insatiably curious and so capable," Mason said in a 2019 interview with Collider. "It excites me to think about where her progress and her brain power can take her." 

In Debbie Allen's Netflix musical, "Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square," Mason plays another dancer. Felicity Sorensen is described as "a hopeless romantic." "To be in a position where I was chasing Christine Baranski around and getting a talking to from Dolly Parton was just more than a girl could ever dream of," Mason said.

Dmitry Chaplin is one of the world's most renowned ballroom dancers and choreographers, per IMDb. After competing in Season 2 of "SYTYCD," he returned to the show as a choreographer, earning an Emmy nomination in 2009. Chaplin then spent three seasons as a pro on "Dancing With The Stars." In an interview with The Sioux City Journal, the Russian-born heartthrob said he never imagined any of this. "Television was never in my plans," he insists. "Competition was my life."

In 2013, Chaplin began transitioning into acting roles, starting with a guest-starring role on "Bones," playing a cocky ballroom dancer whose partner was murdered. The dancer also played Vladimir, a ballroom instructor, in an episode of ABC Family's "Baby Daddy," and a Chechen rebel in Sharon Stone's TNT series "Agent X." 

Speaking to South Florida Gay News in 2015, Chaplin said he was dipping his toes in the water. "I always try to express myself in one way or another and after guest starring on "Bones," "Baby Daddy" and "Manhattan Love Story," I realized that I enjoy being an actor as much as I enjoy dancing!" he said. In 2015, Chaplin was back on stage, touring the nation in "Ballroom with a Twist," with his "DWTS" colleague Chelsie Hightower. The dancer, who started taking lessons at age 13, pointed out another reason he's making the shift. "Another big plus about acting is that it has an incredible longevity, and I can't say the same thing about dancing."

Mollee Gray was a finalist on the sixth season of "SYTYCD," but she was already a Disney Channel dancer. In 2013, the "High School Musical" alum played bubbly, happy-go-lucky Giggles in 2013's "Teen Beach Movie," a role she reprised in the 2015 sequel. In an interview with Hollywood Life, Gray said playing the character wasn't much of a stretch. "I see a lot of myself in her. I think I'm a girl who loves to have fun," she revealed." I never really get in a bad mood or frustrated unless there's confrontation."

In the 2019 film "The Reliant," the actor plays a teenager desperately trying to save her younger siblings. "Sophie is a faith-driven, proud realist who cares so deeply for her family and the word of God," Gray explained to Fansided. She plays Chelsea Bilson, a woman who becomes the target of a clandestine stalker in 2018's "A Night To Regret. "But the California native has no regrets about taking the part. "I admire Chelsea. She is strong, intelligent, and a survivor," Gray told Cliché Magazine. "Who wouldn't want to play such a powerful role!?" 

Looking back at her start in showbiz, the actor said it was "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega who helped launch her career by getting her an agent. "Even though I had done previous work as a dancer, that was the moment that I knew I was good enough to do this for the rest of my life."

Travis Wall, Season 2's runner-up, has received ten consecutive Emmy nominations for his choreography on "SYTYCD," winning two awards. He founded the contemporary dance company "Shaping Sound," which spawned Oxygen's short-lived reality series, "All The Right Moves." In an interview with Glaad, Wall said he hoped the show, which follows four men starting their own dance troupe, would inspire people. "I hope that they're inspired not only by our dancing but to see how hard we work — the challenges that arise as we start this dance company," he said. 

Wall first received national attention in a Dr. Pepper commercial when he was just nine years old. At 13, he made his Broadway debut in a revival of "The Music Man." Then, he ripped a tendon and couldn't dance for months. "I lost everything that I had, and the minute I got back to physical therapy, I realized how much I wanted to dance," Hall recalled to HuffPost. "And I knew that's what I was supposed to do."

In 2019, Wall choreographed an original Off-Broadway musical called "The Wrong Man." "Dance is narrative," he told Playbill. "It always feels like I'm speaking or I'm creating a conversation when you watch a piece of mine." In 2021, the dancer found himself under fire. He was axed from a tour with the Break the Floor dance company. This came after a former student leveled sexual misconduct accusations against him. He has denied the allegations, per The Advocate. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

After her stint on Season 10 of "So You Think You Can Dance," Hayley Erbert landed in the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" in Season 21, per The Things. In 2015, the Kansas native sparked up a romance with fellow cast member Derek Hough, per People, and she's been tearing up the dance floor with him for years. Erbert performed with her now-fiancé and his sister Julianne twice for their "Move Live on Tour."

In 2020, the couple teamed up on ABC's "Disney's Family Singalong." Performing to a rocking, glitzy, big-band version of "Jingle Bells," they cemented their status as one of the hottest dancing duos in the business. The following year, Erbert joined the "Hairspray Live" actor in Las Vegas for his "Derek Hough: No Limit" residency. In 2022, the pair partnered yet again on a campaign for Express, doing what they do best to promote the fashion brand. "Being a dancer, it's all about expression, expressing yourself and also giving you that confidence," she said. "Something I always say is that confidence isn't something that you have. Confidence is something that you do." 

A few months later, the "Nashville" alum announced on his Instagram he popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, and she said yes! In Erbert's 2018 Instagram post, the "Dancing with the Stars" alum wrote how grateful she was that dance "led [her] to the most amazing man."

Jenna Johnson is another "So You Think You Can Dance" competitor who ended up on "Dancing with the Stars." The Season 10 contestant joined the ABC series as a regular cast member in Season 23, per The U.S. Sun. That's where she met her future husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, per People. In 2018, Johnson won the mirrorball trophy, dancing with figure skating champ Adam Rippon in the "DWTS: Athletes" special season.

In an interview with Us Magazine after their win, she said, "I feel so overwhelmed, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner to win this with." In 2022, Johnson and "Dance Moms" alum Jojo Siwa made history as the first same-sex pair to compete on the show. But the dancer admitted she was apprehensive about doing it. "Now, looking back, this has been one of the most fulfilling, scary, and life-changing moments I've ever had on the show," Johnson told Good Morning America.

In 2019, Johnson and Chmerkovskiy said, "I Do." Three years later, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. In an interview with People, the "Being the Ricardos" actor opened up about her husband's reaction to the changes in her body. "Val is just so funny in this whole experience," she said. "He is obsessed with my body growing. He's just obsessed with everything. The boobs, the butt, the belly. So for him to be so sweet and positive about my body has just made me feel so beautiful."

Benji Schwimmer won the Fox dance competition in 2006. The multitalented dancer and choreographer has branched out into acting as well. In the 2010 comedy "Leading Ladies," he plays the gay best friend of two sisters wrapped up in the high-pressure world of ballroom dance competition. Schwimmer comes from a dance family. Both of his parents were professional dancers, and his sister Lacey is a former cast member on "DWTS."

When her brother was named "America's Favorite Dancer," Lacey could barely contain her excitement. "I was smack dab front and center by the stage when it happened, and all I can remember was me shaking in my boots (literally), then BOOM, his life changed in that second," the former "Entertainment Tonight" co-host recalled to Meridian Magazine. Schwimmer has choreographed pieces for "American Idol" alum Paula Abdul and figure skater Adam Rippon. In 2012, he made headlines with his startling coming out story.

In an interview with Mormon Stories (via Yahoo Entertainment), Schwimmer, who was raised in the Mormon church, revealed details about an organization within the Church that tried to get members to suppress their same-sex desires. The dancer admitted having suicidal thoughts and even considered self-castration to help control his impulses. "I thought, 'You know, here I am, bending over backward to figure out how to fit in this mold, this cookie-cutter-machinery mold that I was not made into. How do I do this?" he wondered. Schwimmer left the Mormon church soon after that.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Kent Boyd, Season 7's second favorite dancer on "SYTYCD," turned to acting roles after the show. He took on a recurring role in ABC Family's short-lived series, "Bunheads." The Ohio native played Rascal, one of the surfer dudes, in the "Teen Beach Movie" franchise. He also starred in the Disney Channel's 2016 digital series, "Free Period." Boyd says he found his way into the arts because he was an overactive kid. "I was always involved in sports, but those were seasonal," he told Pop Culturalist. "My mother couldn't handle me at a young age. She was like, 'This kid is too crazy,'" the actor added. 

Boyd has choreographed and danced for some of the world's top recording artists, including Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish. The Studio City, California resident performs with Entity, a contemporary dance company based in Los Angeles, per Flaunt Magazine. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Boyd teamed up with his Disney Channel co-star Mollee Gray and her "hersband" Jeka Jane to create PridehouseLA, the first TikTok space devoted to LGBTQ+ content.

"We wanted to be that space where everyone could be proud of who they are and what they want to showcase. We wanted to use it to create that space where everyone can feel safe," Boyd explained to Pop Culturalist. As for the reality series that kicked off his career, he told Naluda Magazine, "The experience was extremely difficult and exhausting; it felt like an intense year-long boot camp," he said. "I loved every minute of it."