Allen’s family have told TMZ that they are asking fans for ‘privacy and prayers’ in the wake of his death.
His friend and fellow choreographer Emmanuel Hurd said he was shocked by the loss to the dance community, describing Allen as ‘a very honest, real person’.
He won So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 (Picture: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
Prior to his win, Allen had never received technical dance training (Picture: Chris Ryan/Corbis via Getty Images)
‘He didn’t always do things the way that everybody thought he should, but that’s why he was a winner,’ Hurd told the publication.
Before competing on So You Think You Can Dance, Allen said he had taken modern dance and ballet classes, but had received no formal training.
Once he made it through several auditions for the show, he said he signed up for all the dance classes he could to expand his knowledge.
As for how he wanted to spend the show prize money, he told Entertainment Weekly: ‘I want to save [the $250,000 prize] and have it grow. I’m going to move out to L.A., of course, and follow my career.’
Allen went on to earn a number of TV credits after his win (Picture: Chris Ryan/Corbis via Getty Images)
In 2011, the Texas native was cast as a dancer for the remake of the movie musical Footloose.
He went on to earn a number of TV show credits for his acting, including spots on NBC’s Community, FX’s American Horror Story and Step Up 3.
In 2017, Allen was sentenced to a year in county jail after pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge against his ex-girlfriend, Deadline reported at the time.
He was required to serve five years of probation, following the jail sentence, and a year of domestic violence counselling.
Anthony Joshua agrees to fight Russian monster who wrestles bears in comeback bout Sports Joshua’s next opponent could be a man who grapples with bears for a laugh (Picture: Getty/arslanbek_mahmudov) Anthony Joshua’s return fight next year could be up against Arslanbek Makhmudov – the towering Russian who trains for his fights by wrestling bears and taking sledgehammer shots to the gut. Joshua has not…
Phantom of the Opera star Ben Lewis dies aged 46 after bowel cancer diagnosis Entertainment West End performer Ben Lewis has died aged 46 (Pictures: Todd Woodbridge/ Instagram, Dan Wooller/Shutterstock) West End star Ben Lewis, who was best known for starring in The Phantom of the Opera, has died aged 46. The Australian actor’s death was announced overnight by his friend and TV host Todd…
Risky Business and The Breakfast Club actor Ron Dean dies aged 87 Entertainment Actor Ron Dean has died aged 87 (Picture: Universal Pictures) Ron Dean, best known for appearing in films including Risky Business and The Breakfast Club has died aged 87. The news of the actor’s death was announced by his partner, Maggie Neff. ‘He passed at exactly 4pm, after his beloved…
Moody Blues singer John Lodge dies ‘unexpectedly’ aged 82 Entertainment John Lodge of the Moody Blues has died aged 82 (Picture: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images) John Lodge, the singer and bassist from legendary rock group the Moody Blues, has died aged 82. His family confirmed the news, announcing he was ‘suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us’. Moody Blues formed in Birmingham…
If you think Kemi Badenoch’s Tories are finished – I’ve got bad news News None of the sparkle and shine of Badenoch’s newfound confidence excuses her last eleven months as leader (Picture: Bruce Adams/Daily Mail) Earlier this afternoon, I walked out of Kemi Badenoch’s speech at the Conservative party conference and, on its own terms, there’s no doubt it was a win, an effective,…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.