Former So you think you can dance choreographer Sonya Tayeh paid tribute to her late colleague Stephen “tWitch” Boss ahead of the second anniversary of his death.
At the evening opening of the celebration Romeo + Juliet On Oct. 25, Tayeh — who works as a movement director and choreographer for Broadway productions — opened up to PEOPLE about the lasting impact of tWitch, who died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022.
“It’s not every day you meet someone who is already so transcendent,” said Tayeh, 47. “He’s an angel in our lives.”
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Stephen tWitch Boss in a photo for So You Think You Can Dance.
FOX via Getty
tWitch competed at So you think you can dance 2008, finishing his fourth season as runner-up and later returning as an All-Star. He was a judge when the series returned in 2022.
She added that the late dancer and choreographer “changed my world when I would watch him dance and it took my breath away and we had above all invigorating deep conversations about family and art and the world, and he also changed my way of thinking about movement and left an imprint on my a heart that I will never be able to articulate.”
“Even now standing here, he is someone who is above, he is someone who spread so much love and wholeness into our lives and I will never forget that,” she added.
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Following the news of tWitch’s death, Tayeh joined the chorus of his former colleagues in remembering the television personality.
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Sonya Tayeh, winner of Best Choreography for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” poses in the press room during the 74th Annual Tony Awards at the Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 2021 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty
In a statement to PEOPLE at the time, she shared, “Incredibly blessed to be in the presence of Twitch (I named him Twizzle). The gift he has given to our beloved dance community is limitless.”
“Watching him dance was like watching a miracle of craftsmanship adorn us,” she added. – He will be in our cells forever.
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Allison Holker also remembered her late husband on their second anniversary on December 13. She shared a photo of the couple posing with their children on social media and wrote: “Our angel @sir_twitch_alot watches over us and protects us.”
“You are always in our hearts and we will always love you,” she added. “We miss you Stephen. You haven’t been here for two years, but you’re always in our thoughts. We love you.”
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education