Spoilers ahead for the Season 18 premiere of So You Think You Can Dance.
So You Think You Can Dance has kicked off its 18th season, with new judges Allison Holker, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Comfort Fedoke choosing the best of the best to continue forth in the revamped dance competition. Monday’s premiere was the first episode since former contestant and Season 17 judge Stephen “tWitch” Boss died, and they rightfully paid tribute to the beloved dancer. Holker, Boss’ widow, had me in tears with her beautiful words about his legacy, and the emotions only grew when a montage of tWitch began to play.
Allison Holker — who competed on SYTYCD Season 2 and returned several times over the years as a choreographer and All-Star — joined the panel just one season after her late husband served as a judge. Holker became emotional during contestant Jin’s audition, and afterward Jin thanked the judge for continuing to be a light for the dance community and ensuring tWitch’s legacy lives on, to which Holker said:
I appreciate you saying that so much. It’s not an easy journey, for anyone. Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss was, and will forever be, an icon and a legend, because he was truly the best at what he did, but also because he brought out the best in everyone around him. And to this day, right now, for me, my children and everyone here, he’s still doing that. And how we honor him is by giving that light back. Because that’s what he would want, too.
I have been a fan of tWitch’s since the beginning — in fact, he’s the reason I started watching So You Think You Can Dance. He inspired me over the years, and I don’t belong anywhere near a dance floor. His death by suicide at age 40 was a terrible loss for his family and fans and the dance community as a whole, and Allison Holker does deserve so much credit for how she’s carried on in the aftermath.
After the judges unanimously agreed that Jin should advance to the next round, the mood was somber. Comfort Fedoke, who competed with tWitch on Season 4 and was a groomswoman in his and Allison Holker’s wedding, was clearly affected by Holker’s words, and I was in tears even before the song “Don’t Forget Me” by Dermot Kennedy started to play and an image of Stephen Boss appeared next to his wife’s face. You can see the full audition and tWitch montage below:
Allison Holker was correct in saying that Stephen Boss’ legacy lives on, but it was honestly tough to see him and know he’s no longer here. The montage showed tWitch at his So You Think You Can Dance audition getting through to the next round — the literal moment that changed his life — and that was a lot to take in, knowing how things would end.
As emotional as Allison Holker’s words and the clips of tWitch dancing on the SYTYCD stage made me, I’m so glad they honored the dancer, and it’s good to know that Stephen Boss is still and will always be a part of So You Think You Can Dance. New episodes of Season 18 air at 9 p.m. Mondays on Fox.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of self-harm, please, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.