Leon “Kida” Burns of Elk Grove made global headlines Monday night when the judges of popular reality show “So You Think You Can Dance” crowned him the season 13 winner.
The 14-year-old wowed audiences this summer with his hip-hop skills, which he has been honing in classes and competitions throughout Sacramento and the Bay Area since he was just a tyke. He got his beginnings with the Elk Grove-based Family First Dance Crew, made up of him and three of his siblings, who are also hip-hop dancers.
This spring, he tried out for “So You Think You Can Dance” as a solo performer. This season marked the first time the show was open to young dancers under its new title, “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation.” The show featured dancers ages 8 to 13, often pairing them with adult dancers from seasons past.
“I just felt like it was my time to shine, for all the kids who were never going to be able to be on the show,” Burns said by telephone from Los Angeles, where he had just finished recording the show. “Us kids can do anything that adults can. I really wanted to go for it and show what I could do.”
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