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Hailee Payne completes her run on the SYTYCD Finale, but the next chapter has only just begun!
Hailee Payne didn’t win the SYTYCD Finale. The title of America’s Favorite Dancer went to Gaby Diaz and we are truly happy for her. Thank you Gaby for sticking to your tap dancing roots when given the opportunity to perform a solo. In this day and age, when tap is not the “popular” thing to do, you did it. You proved tap is such an integral part of dance training. You probably did more for tap this year, then any other SYTYCD season! So thank you Gaby, and congratulations on a job well done and continued success throughout your career. And to all the dancers on the SYTYCD Finale, we hope all of your dance dreams come true!
But this blog is not about who took home the title. The blog is about being grateful for opportunities and seizing the moment. It’s about what defines us as an artist. Is it a title, or is it something much more than that?
Winning does not define a career.
Hailee is the most loveable runner up we have seen on television and we say that with the utmost affection and admiration. During the SYTYCD Finale, when Gaby’s name was announced as the finalist for team stage, Hailee was truly happy for her friend. She kept her composure and had the courage to stand proud in all that she had accomplished on the show! Hailee Payne taught all of us that being a runner up can be done with grace and humility and she displayed the true definition of sportsmanship. This is just one of the reasons Hailee will be so successful in the dance industry, or any industry for that matter. She is talented, fierce and focused, yet she is honest and pure and cares deeply for others. A true professional to the core. These qualities will take a person very far in life.
Performing your personal best, pushing the boundaries, enjoying the journey, and learning from the experience is what competition is about. Winning is the icing on the cake. Hailee and all of the dancers grew leaps and bounds this season, and each and every one of them should be proud. Winning does not define an artist or a career. That is up to YOU.
There are lots of runners up that have had huge success! In fact, Hailee and the rest of the gang are in very good company. Check out these amazing talents….
Travis Wall and Stephen “twitch” Boss did not win the title on SYTYCD.
Did you know that the mentors on the show, Travis Wall and Stephen “twitch” Boss never won the title of America’s Favorite Dancer on SYTYCD? In fact, Twitch was a semi finalist on The Wade Robson Project and Star Search and didn’t win those either. Yet, Twitch and Travis are the two most successful alumni on the show to date. Twitch has danced in several feature films, launched his own clothing line and is a guest DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Travis just won an Emmy for his choreography featured on SYTYCD. Not bad for two runners up.
Jennifer Hudson did not win American Idol.
Did you know Jennifer Hudson came in 7th on American Idol? Hard to believe that this Oscar and Grammy winner, top selling recording artist, and soon to be Broadway star in The Color Purple, did not win that season. She was voted off after judge Simon Cowell told her “You’re out of your depth in this competition.” Boy, was he wrong!!!
Michelle Kwan never won a Gold Medal in the Olympics.
The most decorated Figure Skater in US history won five World Championships, nine US Championships, two Olympic Medals, but never took home the Gold. Does that make her any less a champion?
Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp never won an Academy Award.
They are three of the biggest box office actors ever, with their films grossing over 20 billion dollars worldwide. Let’s repeat that. 20 BILLION DOLLARS!!! Yet not one of them has taken home that skinny, yet well defined gold man, Oscar. Cruise and Depp have been nominated three times each, and Jackson once. Yet, it’s Jackson, with film totals grossing nearly 10 billion world wide that makes him the most bankable star of all time, so says the Guinness Book of World Records.
Led Zeppelin never won a Grammy…sort of.
Led Zeppelin are considered by many as one of the most successful and innovative rock groups in music history. They’re also one of the best-selling music artists in the history of audio recording. They were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, but none of Led Zeppelin’s nine studio albums have ever won a Grammy. It wasn’t until 2014 when they released a live recording of a benefit concert that they finally won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, yet there was no new material on the album and the band had been broken up for more than thirty years. Guess 300 million records sold worldwide finally convinced Grammy voters Led Zeppelin was something special.
The path you choose is yours!
The SYTYCD Finale is complete. The winner has been chosen. But winning doesn’t define a career. The whole world is ahead of you. Many doors have opened. SYTYCD has given you a platform to showcase your talent and charm, to be adored by millions, and inspire dancers all over the country. Never give up. Always push forward. Anything is possible. And now you get to choose your own path. This is exactly where you are supposed to be. You gave it your all and you left it all on the dance floor. You are our favorite dancer, Hailee Payne. Today is just the beginning. Which door will you choose? We can’t wait to find out. Go get ‘em girl.
For upcoming Hollywood Connection Tour Dates, click here.
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