From Star Search to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Stephen "tWitch" Boss was a rare
talent and outgoing presence on television for nearly two decades.
Despite lots of stories about how tWitch got his name, claiming it was because he
never sat still as a kid, Boss himself told AL.com in 2013 that he gave himself the name,
after a car he owned that "would accelerate on its own sometimes." According to him,
he would come up with a lot of his choreography while he was on the road to different performances
and teaching dance around the state of Alabama, where he grew up. Boss told the outlet:
"I was about 20 years old ... when I first started dancing, going places and teaching dance."
Before garnering a coveted spot on the star-making show So You Think You Can Dance,
Stephen "tWitch" Boss competed in — and nearly won — two other dance-related talent
competitions. Early in his dance career, tWitch competed on the ubiquitous celebrity-magnet
talent show Star Search. Rebooted from the original Ed McMahon juggernaut in 2003,
Star Search came back on the air to CBS with host Arsenio Hall. It only lasted a year,
but in that time tWitch not only made it on, but he was also the runner-up.
Also in 2003, tWitch competed on MTV's The Wade Robson Project,
where dancers would battle against each other for a grand prize of $100,000, making it to
the semifinals. Boss clearly remained a fan of the legendary dancer and choreographer, as he
performed at least two solos to Robson's music during his time on So You Think You Can Dance.
In that same interview, Boss revealed that if he hadn't made
it onto So You Think You Can Dance, he would've joined the Navy, saying,
"[E]verything I'm experiencing now is because of the show."
It's not easy to get on So You Think You Can Dance. First, there are auditions in cities
around the country for anyone and everyone who thinks they can dance. A panel of judges,
generally made up of executive producer Nigel Lythgoe and a selection of acclaimed industry
professionals, oversee the process. They either give the contestant a pass straight
on to the next round in Las Vegas, or they ask performers to come back
later that day for some structured choreography for a second chance.
Las Vegas Week is grueling, as everyday dancers are charged with learning a routine
from a star choreographer in a different genre of dance, from hip-hop to jazz to ballroom to
contemporary. Only those who pass that entire week will be up for consideration to compete
on the live shows. Boss auditioned in Season 3 but didn't make the cut. He was undeterred,
however, and in Season 4 he came back and not only made it to the Top 20 but
was still standing in the finale, finishing second to Joshua Allen.
Since then, he returned to So You Think You Can Dance multiple times,
performing as a special guest or all-star, and was part of dozens of unforgettable routines,
one of which even caught the eye of a certain Ellen DeGeneres, leading to a new opportunity.
In 2010, Fox aired Season 7 of the popular dance competition So You Think You Can Dance. The
seventh season was the first to feature All-Stars, in which popular contestants from previous seasons
would pair with the new dancers competing for the current title. It was here that Boss,
a contestant and runner-up from Season 4, met Allison Holker, a standout talent from
Season 2. Allison was instantly attracted to Stephen, as she insisted on calling him,
and made the first move, as she told Jennifer Hudson on the latter's daytime talk show.
"You know, I was out there making all these moves and it took him a
second to see them but once he did, you know, we locked it in. We locked it in."
Boss eventually "locked it down," though, and the couple married in 2013. Since then,
their fairytale marriage has been followed by millions of fans on TikTok and Instagram,
has produced two children, and even got them a hosting gig on Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings,
showcasing mega Disney fans getting married at one of the resort's many
properties. Upon announcing her husband's death, Holker promised:
"I will always save the last dance for you."
Before his revealing role in Magic Mike XXL as a male exotic dancer in a ladies' club,
Stephen "tWitch" Boss racked up several dance credits in films over the years. It all started
in 2006 when he had a small, uncredited role as "flamboyant dancer" in Blades of Glory. Following
that, tWitch appeared as one of Mama Maybelle's dancers in the Adam Shankman musical reboot of
Hairspray. Rounding out his resumé with Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming and installments three,
four, and five of the Step Up franchise, tWitch built a steady career out of and about dance.
Even in his cameo role on the TV series Bones, he appeared as a street performer,
dancing for the passersby and hoping for a few bucks in his proffered hat.
Stephen Boss was a man meant to dance, and when he met Allison Holker they seemed to
speak in a language of dance all their own. He proposed to her through dance.
They announced their first pregnancy together through dance. They performed together on
Dancing with the Stars when Allison worked there as one of the pros. They celebrated
Allison's ninth month of pregnancy with their second baby via a motivating dance,
and they warmed the hearts of followers with family and friend dances on TikTok.
It's not often that a celebrity can reach so many people and resonate so strongly with their best
dreams and hopes for the world, but Stephen "tWitch" Boss was one of those men. He will
be missed in every community that treasured his unique combination of dance, laughter, and warmth.
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