The dance community is mourning one of their own.
Joshua Allen, winner of season four of So You Think You Can Dance, has died, his family confirmed to TMZ Oct. 1. He was 36.
Allen’s family declined to confirm a cause of death for the late dancer and choreographer, though they requested “privacy and prayers,” amid the difficult time.
E! News has reached out to Allen’s family regarding his death but has not yet heard back.
Allen’s frequent collaborator Emmanuel Hurd expressed shock in his former colleague’s death, noting he was “a very honest, real person.”
“He didn't always do things the way that everybody thought he should,” the creative director explained to TMZ. “But that's why he was a winner.”
The late 36-year-old made a name for himself on the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance, a Fox dancing competition series that solidified other stars like Alison Holker, Tate McRae and the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss as household names. Boss, who died in 2022, had a friendly rivalry with Allen, as they both competed on the same season of the series.
“We were really happy for each other,” Allen told Entertainment Weekly of working with Boss during their appearances on the series. “We were two of the closest people there.”
Following his win in 2008, Allen expressed hope to work with Ludacris and Michael Jackson and went on to star in Step Up 3D and Footloose (2011). In 2016, Allen was charged with domestic violence in Los Angeles for assaulting his then-girlfriend. He pleaded no contest, and a year later, he was sentenced to a year in county jail for the crime.
On social media, Allen often reflected on his time on So You Think You Can Dance, as well as his time attending dance competitions around the country. His last post before his death was a tribute to Malcolm Jamal-Warner, who died in July.
As he wrote alongside a photo of himself with The Cosby Show alum, “Fly high King.”