Who is Stephen Boss? DJ tWitch’s rise from So You Think You Can Dance to Ellen DeGeneres

From his earliest days as a budding dancer, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss proved himself a born artist, ‘lighting up every room he walked into’ with his infectious energy and inordinate enthusiasm, ultimately propelling him into the bright lights of stardom on Hollywood.

Her dynamic personality and passion for movement earned her the nickname that would eventually become synonymous with her stellar persona, with audiences on The Ellen Show screaming it at the top of their lungs for years.

tWitch’s tragic death by suicide at the age of 40 this week marked a shocking and very sudden end to what had been a powerful and positive ascent up the infamously slippery celebrity ladder.

In 2014, tWitch became the in-house DJ for the Ellen DeGeneres show before becoming co-executive producer of the daytime talk show in 2020.

The real beginning of the prolific artist’s rise to fame occurred when he took second place in So You Think You Can Dance in 2008, opening the door to many opportunities in the entertainment industry.

The social media star, who was born in Montgomery, Alabama, burst onto the scene with the same dynamism he displayed in his dancing, a passion that began as a toddler who couldn’t stop moving and loved to perform in your family home.

Those early skills started out as nothing more than the basis for a goofy nickname, but would eventually create the foundation for an impressive career that went from talk shows to reality series and eventually to social media stardom.

Before her untimely death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday, tWitch became a celebrated entertainer over the past decade through her bouncy dance videos and various roles on reality shows, social media and movies.

tWitch’s rise to fame: how the normal kid from Alabama who loves to dance found fame after appearing on So you think you can dance? in 2008

The Alabama native studied dance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career.

It was as a teenager that she earned the nickname tWitch, thanks to her interest in the style of dance known as ‘popping’, which consists of a series of jerky moments that her peers felt reminded them of someone ‘shaking’.

“I was always spinning and staying in motion,” he previously said. kam williams, adding the nickname, ‘I don’t care at all. It is part of my being, it has become part of my person.

People soon began referring to him as tWitch, explaining that he had previously called his car, a Toyota Paseo, by the same nickname, so the nickname was very special to him.

“A lot of my knowledge of dance and a lot of my thinking about dance took place in that car,” she explained.

In 2003, he made his foray into the world of reality television when he appeared on MTV’s The Way Robson Project, where he came in third place. She then had a stint on the revival of Star Search, during which, she was a finalist.

Early in his career, he also helped choreograph dances for various artists, including South Korean pop star Seven and K-pop band Big Bang.

He then branched out into acting, landing a small role as an uncredited “fancy dancer” in the film Blades of Glory, as well as a background dancer in the film Hairspray.

But her breakthrough came in 2008, when she competed on the third season of So You Think You Can Dance? and she came in second.

tWitch’s continued success: The star spent years teaching others dance, before landing a gig as a DJ on The Ellen Show in 2014.

tWitch (far left) had roles in several dance-focused films, including Magic Mike XXL, and several of the Step Up sequels.

After tWitch’s success in So You Think You Can Dance? She spent a few years teaching dance alongside fellow finalist Katee Shean at the South County Classical Ballet School.

He’s also made a few appearances on the show as an All Star dancer over the years and performed on Dancing With the Stars in 2013.

In 2014, tWitch got another big break when he became the in-house DJ for Ellen’s long-running daytime talk show.

He worked on the series until its conclusion in 2022, and in 2020, he was even named a co-executive producer. He also teamed up with the talk show host for the spin-off Ellen’s Game of Games.

In 2022, tWitch became a permanent judge for So You Think You Can Dance.

Furthermore, tWitch’s acting career continued to flourish. In 2010, he played Jason Hardlerson in the third film in the Step Up franchise: Step Up 3D.

He later appeared in 2012’s Step Up Revolution and 2014’s Step Up: All In. He also starred in the 2015 film Magic Mike XXL and made guest appearances on shows like Modern Family and Famous in Love. Her most recent film, Hip hop Nutcracker, was released on November 25.

He also launched his own clothing line called Twitch clothing and became the host of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings in 2017, along with his wife, Alison Holker.

The show featured couples planning Disney-themed weddings. It continued for three seasons, before ending in April 2020.

Before her passing, tWitch served as a judge on the seventeenth season of So You Think You Can Dance?

tWitch’s personal life: He married fellow professional dancer Alison Holker in 2013 and together they welcomed two children.

Boss is survived by his wife and three children, Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.

In 2013, tWitch married fellow professional dancer and Dancing With the Stars alumnus Alison, 34.

The couple welcomed son Maddox, now six, and daughter Zaia, now three, respectively, over the years. tWitch also adopted Alison’s daughter Weslie, 14, from a previous relationship.

Fans got a closer look at his home life during the pandemic, when he and Alison began posting hilarious dance videos together, and he soon rose to social media stardom.

She often showed off her epic moves and bright personality through the videos, which were shared on Instagram and TikTok, where she amassed more than 3.4 million followers and 4.9 followers, respectively.

the couple said US Weekly in 2020 that they began sharing the videos in an attempt to “find the silver lining” during lockdown.

“We get to see how we really work together when we don’t really have a choice to go anywhere, you know, and that’s where all of that comes into play,” tWitch explained.

Just days before her passing, tWitch and Alison celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary with touching tributes to each other on social media.

The family man, his wife and children frequently appeared together on the red carpet.

‘It’s our ninth anniversary! I couldn’t be more grateful to celebrate this perfect magical day,” Allison said.

‘Saying YES to @sir_twitch_alot has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

‘I feel so blessed and loved! I love you baby and I will never take you or OUR love for granted! I LOVE YOU.’

And in a tribute to her late husband after his death, Alison wrote: ‘Stephen lit up every room he walked into.

“He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light meant everything to him.

“He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt.”