“It has been the most fun I have ever had,” Orem native Alexis Warr Burton said. “It’s flown by way too fast. Honestly, every single part of it is so fun to me.”
Keaton Kermode and Alexis Warr Burton are the finalists on in Season 17 o "So You Think You Can Dance."On Wednesday, Utahn Alexis Warr Burton stands a 50-50 chance of winning $100,000 and the title of America’s Favorite Dancer on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” She is one of two finalists, which comes with no small degree of pressure.
“And then when I came of age to audition, I almost submitted — then I didn’t. I got scared. I was, like, ‘Holy crap, I don’t know if I’m ready. I’ll have to be vulnerable. I don’t think I’m good enough yet. I need to keep working.’” At that point, it appeared that the 2019 season of “SYTYCD” would be its last, leaving Warr Burton “completely heartbroken.” And when it was announced that the series would return this summer after a three-year break, “I’m, like, ‘OK no fear.’ I finally hit that submit button, and I’m so glad I did so.”This isn’t her first time dancing on national TV. Warr Burton appeared on both “World of Dance” and two different seasons of “America’s Got Talent” — but that was different, she said.
“So You Think You Can Dance” is not, however, the same show it was for the previous 16 seasons. For the first time, viewers at home have no input — there is no viewer voting of any kind. Weekly eliminations have been determined by a vote of the studio audience, which will also choose the winner on Wednesday .
In addition to the new voting procedure, there has been controversy over the judging this season. Longtime judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy are no longer part of the panel. This season began with JoJo Siwa, Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Matthew Morrison as judges, but Morrison was dropped midseason after he “failed to follow production protocols” by messaging a contestant, making her uncomfortable.