‘Just magnetic’: Friends say SYTYCD star Joshua Allen made lasting impact
Fort Worth native Joshua Allen will be remembered for his magnetic personality and the lasting impact he left on the community, according to his friends.
The 36-year-old was fatally struck by a train Sept. 30. He rose to national prominence as a 19-year-old in 2008 when he won the fourth season of the reality TV series “So You Think You Can Dance.” Allen later took on roles in commercials and appeared in the movies “Step Up 3D” and “Freak Dance” in 2010 and the remake of “Footloose” in 2011.
Christina Price-Basile, Allen’s talent agent, said on Instagram that the dancer had an unforgettable smile.
“Joshua was a true natural,” Price-Basile posted, “a dancer and actor with a gift you just can’t teach. He had so much energy, heart, and always inspired everyone around him.”
Sonya Bell met Allen at a Little League football game when he was 2 or 3 years old. The future star was jumping off the bleachers, and Bell was afraid he would get hurt.
“I told him, ‘Hey, maybe you shouldn’t do that,’” Bell said. “And he just kind of smiled at me with those dimples, crawled back up to the top of the bleachers and went to do it again. So when he went to jump off the second time, I caught him, and I just looked at him, and he just flashed this huge smile at me.”
From that day on, the two were the best of friends, Bell said. Allen would spend summers and weekends at her house, and even as a little boy, his dancing skills were evident.
Bell remembers Allen borrowing her VHS tapes of Michael Jackson and trying to emulate his moves. By the time he was 4, Allen was putting on halftime shows during the Little League games.
“Joshua was just magnetic,” Bell said. “He was one of those people that when you meet him, you just felt good about him being in your presence, and he loved back.”
Destiny, a Fort Worth dancer and performer, remembers Allen from Eastern Hills High School before he transferred to North Crowley. The teen, known as “Batman” to his friends, was always genuine and down-to-earth, she said.
Even though the two didn’t stay in touch, Destiny said she never forgot the impact Allen had on her life. His death hit her and his other friends hard.
“It was ... his spirit,” she said, “and just the light that he (brought) to people.”
Destiny recalls the excitement in the east Fort Worth community when Allen traveled to Los Angeles to participate in “So You Think You Can Dance” and came out on top.
“We didn’t have the training that a lot of people get to that level,” Destiny said. “We didn’t have the training, we didn’t have the money, and he made it work.”
North Crowley High School threw a parade for Allen after his victory, according to the Star-Telegram’s archives.
Allen met Stephen “tWitch” Boss when they were in Las Vegas for the “So You Think You Can Dance” auditions. Boss came in as runner-up in the competition, and the two dancers remained friends. When Boss died by suicide in 2022, Allen said in an Instagram post that he was beyond devastated.
“I’ve been trying to find the right words for days now and nothing seems to fit right in order to express the pain of losing you,” he posted.
After living in Los Angeles for a time, Allen moved back to the Fort Worth area and taught local children through dance workshops.
Allen’s official cause and manner of death were still pending on the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s website on Thursday. His family has established a GoFundMe to help cover his funeral expenses.
“Your generous contribution will help us provide him with the respectful and heartfelt farewell he deserves,” the fundraiser states. “We deeply appreciate your support, love, and prayers as we navigate this difficult time of loss and remembrance.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM.
