Tonya Plank: The Largely Self-Taught Dancer Wins America's Collective Hearts: So You Think You Can Dance Season Finale

You never know who's going to win this competition since it's, as many of you have noted, ultimately a popularity contest. You don't know who's all voting and what criteria they're using (the young women holding up the "Marry Me, Twitch" signs made me realize he's become a bit of a heartthrob). But having said that, I really think Joshua Allen was the rightful winner this season. He has everything: the creativity innate to Hip Hop; the understated charisma; the endearing personality; the entertaining dance persona; the acting ability; the heart, soul and passion; the immense drive to improve and learn; and even, somehow, and probably most importantly, the stunning technique in spite of his little formal training. He did say in his interview that he took some dance lessons when he was young, and, since he was poor, his studio would give him classes in exchange for work, so he does have some formal training. But it's not like he went to the Kirov Academy or the School of American Ballet. Which means he ... (link)