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."

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."

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."

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."

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).

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."

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."