| 19-year-old Joshua Allen, the hip-hop dance | | | | his strength and skill level without sacrificing the ideals |
| phenomenon who took home the winning spot on | | | | of beauty and grace: those elements that make |
| "So You Think You Can Dance, Season Four," grew | | | | dance an art, rather than a sport. |
| up dreaming big and imitating Michael Jackson. Now | | | | In addition to the $250,000 cash prize, Allen's win |
| the Fort Worth, TX native has a "So You Think You | | | | guaranteed him a featured role in the upcoming |
| Can Dance" world tour and a movie role to look | | | | Disney dance movie, Step Up 3D. And, yes, the third |
| forward to. | | | | film in the beloved Step Up franchise will, in fact, be |
| Allen was driven to work hard at his dancing from an | | | | shown in 3D: the better to show off Allen's moves. |
| early age, and he's not just a hip-hop guy. He trained | | | | Future Joshua Allens might start where he did: |
| in ballroom, salsa, and jazz dance too. On the show, | | | | imitating the great hip-hop dancers of the past. |
| Allen definitely displayed the versatility and skills he | | | | Michael Jackson does great floor work, but for really |
| learned from more "traditional" dance styles, but its | | | | acrobatic moves, check out some of the break |
| easy to see that the more contemporary urban | | | | dance videos on YouTube, and of course shows like |
| dance styles are his true love. | | | | "So You Think You Can Dance" to pick up the core |
| Allen is awesome to watch because of the | | | | moves. To be a breaker, you need to be upside |
| mind-blowing combination of natural grace and a big, | | | | down on a regular basis. Freezes are usually easier |
| powerful body. Strength and skill are definitely | | | | than spins to start with, but holding an inverted pose |
| essential for competitive urban styles like hip-hop | | | | for more than a second is a real challenge, and takes |
| dance or break dance. Power moves like freezes and | | | | plenty of practice and toned core muscles. |
| spins require poise, balance, strength, and artistry. | | | | So get to work! Joshua Allen is planning his new |
| Allen, who likes to work creative poses and | | | | career in music. What are you going to do? |
| high-power leaps into his routines, is able to show off | | | | |