From his earliest days as a budding dancer, Stephen “tWitch” Boss proved himself to be a natural born entertainer who “lighted up every room he walked in with his infectious energy and over-the-top enthusiasm” – eventually propelling him into the bright lights of Hollywood star.
His energetic personality and passion for movement earned him the nickname that would eventually become synonymous with his star persona — and The Ellen Show audiences screamed 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 climb up the notoriously slippery celebrity ladder.
tWitch and his wife Alison Holker are pictured at Disneyland in a promotional shot for their unscripted show, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings. The couple were married for nine years before he died on Tuesday
In 2014, tWitch became the in-house DJ for Ellen DeGeneres’ show before becoming the daytime talk show’s co-executive producer in 2020
The real beginning of the prolific artist’s rise to fame came when he took second place in 2008’s So You Think You Can Dance, opening the door to many opportunities in the entertainment industry
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, the social media star stormed onto the stage with the same dynamism that he demonstrated when dancing – a passion that began as a young child who couldn’t stop moving and loved to host performances at his childhood home.
Those early skills were no more than the basis of a silly nickname, but they eventually laid the foundation for an impressive career that went from talk shows to reality series and eventually social media superstardom.
Before his untimely death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday, tWitch has become an acclaimed entertainer over the past decade through his high-spirited dance videos and various roles on reality television, social media and films.
Twitch’s rise to fame: How the normal Alabama kid with a love of dancing rose to fame after appearing on So You Think You Can Dance? in 2008
A native of Alabama, he studied dance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career.
As a teenager, he earned the nickname Twitch thanks to his interest in the dance style known as “popping” — which consists of a series of jerky moments that reminded his peers of someone “twitching.”
“I was always spinning and kept moving,” he previously told Kam Williams, adding to the nickname, “I don’t mind at all. It is part of my being, it has become part of my personality.”
People soon started referring to him as Twitch, and he explained that his car – a Toyota Paseo – had previously christened the same nickname, so the nickname was very special to him.
“A lot of my dance knowledge and a lot of my dance thoughts happened in this car,” he explained.
In 2003, he made his foray into the reality television world when he appeared on MTV’s The Way Robson Project, where he placed third. He then worked on the revival of Star Search, where he finished second.
Earlier 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 small roles as an uncredited “flamboyant dancer” in the film Blades of Glory and as a backup dancer in the flick Hairspray.
However, his big break came in 2008 when he starred in the third season of So You Think You Can Dance? and took second place.
tWitch’s continued success: The star spent years teaching dance classes to others before landing a gig as a DJ on The Ellen Show in 2014
tWitch (far left) has had roles in a number of dance films including Magic Mike XXL and several of the Step Up sequels
Following Twitch’s success on So You Think You Can Dance? He spent a number of years teaching dance at the South County Classical Ballet School alongside fellow finalist Katee Shean.
He’s also made a few appearances on the show over the years as an All-Star Dancer, appearing on Dancing With the Stars in 2013.
In 2014, tWitch had another big break when he became the resident DJ for Ellen’s long-running daytime talk show.
He worked on the series until its conclusion in 2022 — and was even named co-executive producer in 2020. He also teamed up with the talk show host for the spinoff Ellen’s Game of Games.
In 2022, Twitch was named permanent judge for So You Think You Can Dance
Additionally, tWitch’s acting career continued to flourish. In 2010, he starred as Jason Hardlerson in the third film in the Step Up franchise – Step Up 3D.
He then 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 appeared on shows like Modern Family and Famous in Love. His most recent film, Hip Hop Nutcracker, was released on November 25th.
He also launched his own clothing line called Twitch Clothing and in 2017 he co-hosted Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings with his wife Alison Holker.
The show featured couples planning Disney weddings. It lasted three seasons before ending in April 2020.
Before his death, Twitch served as a judge on the seventeenth season of So You Think You Can Dance?.
Twitch Personal Life: He married professional dancer Alison Holker in 2013 and they had two children together
Boss is survived by his wife and their three children, Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.
In 2013, Twitch married fellow professional dancer and Dancing With the Stars alumna Alison, 34.
The couple each welcomed son Maddox, now six, and daughter Zaia, now three, over the years. Twitch also adopted Alison’s daughter Weslie, 14, from a previous relationship.
Fans got a closer look at his personal life during the pandemic when he and Alison started posting fun-loving dance videos together – and he soon became a social media star.
He often showed off his epic moves and bright personality through the videos shared on his Instagram and TikTok – where he amassed more than 3.4 million followers and 4.9 followers, respectively.
The couple told US Weekly in 2020 that they started sharing the videos to “find the silver lining” during the lockdown.
“We can see really working together when we really don’t have a choice to go anywhere, you know, and that’s where all of that comes in,” tWitch explained.
Just days before his death, tWitch and Alison celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary with touching tributes on social media.
The family man and his wife and children often appeared together on the red carpet
“It’s our 9th anniversary! I couldn’t be more grateful to celebrate this perfect magical day,” Allison gushed.
“Saying yes to @sir_twitch_alot was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life!
“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 guidance with love and light was 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.”