It’s been a crazy season of “So You Think You Can Dance.” We saw the show try out an all-new format, with the dancers competing in practical challenges instead of performing on the stage. We saw our top 10 not only dancing together but living together for the first time ever. We saw new judges and new guest choreographers. And, of course, we saw a whole bunch of amazing dancing.
But even with all the twists and turns, it wouldn’t be “So You Think You Can Dance” if a winner wasn’t crowned in the end. So which of our final three was named “America’s Best Dancer”? We’ve got the answer for you here—plus all the best moments of last night’s episode.
ICYMI, we finally reached the finale of “SYTYCD.” And with this season’s all-new format, it was up to longtime host Cat Deeley to tell us what this week’s competition would look like. She explained that each of our finalists would have two chances to dance, first, in a duet with an eliminated member of the top 10; second, in a solo performance. But the catch? One member of the top 3 would be eliminated after the duet round, leaving only two dancers to compete for the crown. Whew. The competition is on, folks.
In rehearsals, we started with Madison Rouge Alvarado, who teamed up with former competitor Braylon Browner. The two were joined by choreographers Tucker Barkley and Kayla Radomski to put together a performance showcasing Madison’s strengths—a jazz-funk routine. Madison was still struggling a little with pain in her hip, but said, “I’m not going to let my hip affect me in any way. I cannot give less than 100, especially on show day. Trust that.”
On show day, Madison and Braylon gave it their all. The judges were impressed and told Madison that she was the season’s most consistent dancer. But they also had concerns, asking whether or not the routine was competitive enough for Madison to stay in the competition.
Up next, we stopped by rehearsal with Anthony Curley, who was joined by Mariyah Hawkins for his routine. The two had the chance to work with Diana Matos and “SYTYCD” Season 2 alum Ivan Koumaev on choreography, and they got straight to work on a Western-inspired performance.
Following rehearsals, we had the chance to see Anthony and Mariyah in performance. The judges gave them plenty of praise, and judge Allison Holker told Anthony, “You’re a true dance warrior. You’re ready to get hired right now.”
Finally, we joined rehearsals with Dakayla Wilson, who teamed up with Easton Magliarditi, who we just saw eliminated in last week’s episode. The pair had the chance to work with Talia Favia, who choreographed for them a classic contemporary routine.
Finally, it was time for Dakayla and Easton to perform. They received their fair share of well-deserved praise from the judges, along with the third standing ovation of the night. Judge JoJo Siwa told Dakayla, “I am so insanely proud of you,” and all of us at home went “Awwww.”
It’s safe to say every member of our final three rocked their final performances. But in order to move on to the next round, we had to say goodbye to one. And so the judges announced that Madison was taking third place, with—you guessed it—dancers and showmancers Anthony and Dakayla moving on to the final round. “Never before on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ has a couple gone head to head for the title,” said Cat.
Anthony went first with his final performance, telling the audience “I can’t believe I’m competing against the love of my life right now.” TBH, we feel like we might have missed something. But Anthony didn’t miss a step in his final routine, performing an emotional solo set to “Better Alone,” by Aaryan Shah.
After Anthony, we saw Dakayla take the stage for her solo, set to “A Palé,” by Rosalía. And it’s safe to say Dakayla’s routine packed a punch. This girl was in it to win it, folks. Dakayla said, “I did not think I was going to be competing against my boyfriend, but, secretly, I would love to win.”
Finally, it was time for results. And in the end, it was…Anthony! Cat told the finalists that it was “the closest result in the show’s history,” and Anthony was named the Season 18 champion. And with that, the “SYTYCD” crown is passed to another generation.
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