Top 10 So You Think You Can Dance Runners-Up: Where Are They Now?
#10: Kent Boyd
Kent Boyd was the runner-up in season seven, and life seems to be going pretty well for this contemporary dancer these days. Since leaving the competition, he has appeared in over ten movies and television shows, including “Glee,” the Disney Channel’s “Teen Beach Movie,” and four episodes of ABC Family’s “Bunheads.” He has also continued with his dancing career by appearing at numerous conventions and teaching dance classes. That’s not all: he became part of the team behind the clothing line, Sugar & Bruno, in 2011. More recently, Boyd is credited as Skeleton Dancer in Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” You know you’ve made it when you get to appear in a Disney movie!
#9: Melody Lacayanga
Melody Lacayanga was the very first “So You Think You Can Dance” runner-up, losing to Nick Lazzarini. And while Nick has certainly enjoyed success, it’s not like Melody has been sitting on the couch and watching time go by. She has continued to dance in troupes like Sonya Tayeh Dance Company and Mark Meismer’s Evolution. She has also appeared on “Glee” and was hired as a dancer on Miley Cyrus’ Gypsy Heart world tour in 2011. As of 2018, Lacayanga is appearing at conventions and teaching classes in jazz, lyrical, and contemporary dance in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.
#8: 'Jaja' Vaňková
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Jaja is the 2015 runner-up, losing to Gaby Diaz in season 12. Unlike many competitors, Jaja had a successful dancing career before appearing on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Her troupe, Out of Bounds, were national champions of the Czech Republic in 2010, she won the title International Dancer of the Year that same year and she was a member of “America’s Best Dance Crew’s” I.aM.mE Crew. Since appearing on the show, she has made an uncredited appearance in “Step Up: All In” and danced with Selena Gomez during her performance at the 2017 American Music Awards.
#7: Cyrus 'Glitch' Spencer
Glitch was the male runner-up of season nine, losing to Switzerland’s ballet dancer Chehon Wespi-Tschopp. As of 2015, Glitch has been dancing in various commercials and movies. He was credited as Gauge in “Step Up: All In” and appeared in an episode of the Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally.” Most recently, Glitch has appeared as himself in a documentary called “Boogaloo Shrimp Documentary,” started a YouTube channel called Dance9Cyrus, and toured with The Beast Network. (xref) The female runner-up of season nine, Tiffany Maher, has also been doing very well, appearing in VH1’s “Hit the Floor” and the 2012 film adaptation of “Rock of Ages.”
#6: Sasha Mallory
Jazz dancer Sasha Mallory was already an established talent before losing to Melanie Moore in the eighth season. In 2009, she toured with “American Idol’s” Adam Lambert, an opportunity that both established her name and helped encourage her performance on “So You Think You Can Dance.” After losing to Moore, Mallory toured the world with Madonna on her MDNA Tour, an experience she called both strenuous and fun. Yeah, we could see how touring with one of the biggest pop stars of all time could be a roller coaster! She now teaches budding dancers and is represented by Bloc, a talent scouting agency based out of Los Angeles and New York.
#5: Danny Tidwell
Danny Tidwell has been dancing since he was a child and he attended the Kirov Academy of Ballet when he was fifteen. This experience helped him reach second place in the show’s third season where he lost to Sabra Johnson. In 2009, Tidwell made his Broadway debut by appearing in “Memphis,” the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. Tidwell then moved to Oslo, Norway and became a soloist for Norway’s National Ballet, a very prestigious and respectable position. We suppose all that time in the Kirov Academy paid off!
#4: Brandon Bryant
Brandon Bryant unfortunately lost to Jeanine Mason in the show’s fifth season. Immediately after the competition, Bryant appeared in an episode of “Glee” and danced in the “Physical” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” numbers. Beginning in December 2013, Bryant danced alongside Britney Spears in her Las Vegas show “Britney: Piece of Me,” which ran at The AXIS (now the Zappos Theater) from December 2013 to December 2017. The show was seen by nearly one million people and grossed over $137 million in ticket sales, making it one of the most successful residencies in Vegas history.
#3: Jasmine Harper
Jasmine Harper has enjoyed quite the prosperous career since losing to Amy Yakima in the show’s tenth season. She has danced with many notable pop artists at a variety of events, including Taylor Swift at the VMAs, Usher on “The Voice,” Iggy Azalea at the Kid’s Choice Awards, and with Beyoncé during her iconic performance at Super Bowl 50. She also appeared in Beyoncé’s Formation music video and danced with her on her Formation world tour. She performed at the Oscars in 2015, has appeared as a two-time All Star on SYTYCD, and was credited as Darnell Dancer in Melissa McCarthy’s “The Boss.” Yeah, we think she’s doing just fine.
#2: Stephen 'tWitch' Boss
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tWitch lost to Joshua Allen in the fourth season, but we don’t think he minds. Boss has since become a “So You Think You Can Dance” legend, appearing as an All Star in seasons 7, 8, and 9 and serving as Team Captain for Team Street in season 12. He has also appeared in the movies “Step Up: All In” and “Magic Mike XXL.” But his biggest claim to fame is serving as Ellen’s DJ on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” since 2014. This killer gig has led to his job as narrator and accomplice on “Ellen’s Game of Games.” Sure, it has nothing to do with dancing, but come on, he’s basically Ellen’s sidekick!
#1: Travis Wall
Wall lost to Benji Schwimmer in the second season, but that didn’t stop him from continuing a career on the show. Wall now serves as one of the show’s primary choreographers and has received acclaim for his work. His creativity and passion have been acknowledged at the Emmy Awards, where he has been nominated six times and won twice for Outstanding Choreography. In 2012, he launched a dance company called Shaping Sound with Teddy Forance, Kyle Robinson, and Nick Lazzarini. While tWitch may have enjoyed more mainstream success since leaving the show, Travis Wall has put his dancing skills and expertise to brilliant and incredibly successful use.
