Joshua Allen was the fourth dancer to be crowned the winner of So You Think You Can Dance before his death at age 36.
“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,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2008 after his season 4 victory. “I didn’t want to audition for the show not knowing anything. Dallas was [early in the audition process], and after I made it to Vegas — there were months before we actually went — I took as many classes as I could.”
He added, “I really wasn’t that technically trained. I would just try to take classes in the summer, and when it was school time I would take class, run track, play football. I would always just train in the summer. So it was never hard training. … I knew what it was, I knew what to do, but I wasn’t trained in it.”
At the time, Allen had lofty ambitions to continue pursuing dance, as well as trying to act and sing. TMZ reported his death in October 2025 after he was struck and killed by a train.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the former SYTYCD champion in the wake of his death:
Joshua Allen Won Season 4 of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
Allen competed on the 2008 season of the Fox dance show as a hip-hop dancer. He was 18 at the time. Allen eventually won the title of America’s Favorite Dancer over runner-up Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died in 2022 at the age of 40.
“To my brother: it’s hard for me to even write this message without breaking down, devastated would be an understatement,” Allen wrote via Instagram about Boss’ death. “I’ve been trying to find the right words for days now and nothing seems to fit right in order to express the pain of losing you! NO WORDS will ever be enough to explain the LOVE I have for you Stephen.”
Allen added, “You’re such a genuine and caring person ALWAYS showed love to anyone that came in contact with you. I remember when we 1st met in Vegas for SYTYCD and we were sitting on the stairs getting ready to audition chatting about how nervous but hungry we were to get on the show and change the game. I knew from the beginning you’d do that. You’ve inspired me from day one as well as so many others around the world. YOU DID IT BRO YOU DID IT!!! YOU MADE YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD AND INTO PEOPLES HEARTS IVEVER!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MAN.”
Joshua Allen Was Close With Other ‘So You Think Can Dance’ Alums
“We all keep in contact,” Allen said in a July 2013 YouTube interview with Macy Jenkins. “[We all] have monthly dinners and we all get up together, and just chill if it’s just going out to dinner or going to a theme park. Sometimes we work together during conventions, so we’re split apart but we’re never gone from each other. We always come back and reunite.”
He continued, “We’ve always made promises when we got off the show, like, ‘We’re always going to keep staying in contact with each other.”
Joshua Allen Kept Performing After ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
Allen’s acting credits included Freak Dance, Step Up 3D, the 2011 remake of Footloose, an episode of American Horror Story and Undateable. Allen was also a fixture at national dance conventions, teaching routines and lessons to young attendees.
Joshua Allen Celebrated His Birthday 7 Months Before His Death
Allen turned 36 on March 15, 2025.
“Grateful to see another year….Cheers to another trip around the ☀️ Thank you GOD!! 👶🏾🎂🎉🎁🤴🏾,” he wrote via Instagram. “To everyone who called, texted, Voicemail with your support and love I SEE you — know that it’s very much appreciated 💯❤️🔐.”
When Did Joshua Allen Die?
A family member confirmed Allen’s death to TMZ on October 1, 2025.
“He didn’t always do things the way that everybody thought he should, but that’s why he was a winner,” Allen’s friend Emmanuel Hurd told TMZ, calling the late dancer a “very honest, real person.”
The outlet later reported that Allen was struck and killed by a train.