Danny Tidwell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danny Tidwell
Born	Daniel Arnold Tidwell (1984-08-01)August 1, 1984 Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Died	March 6, 2020(2020-03-06) (aged 35) Georgia
Spouse(s)	David Benaym (m. 2014)
Dances	Contemporary, Ballet
Relatives	Travis Wall (brother)

Daniel Arnold Tidwell (born August 1, 1984 – died March 6, 2020) was a talented American dancer and actor. He became well-known after finishing as the runner-up on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance in 2007.

Danny started dancing when he was young. He first focused on jazz dance, but later switched to ballet. He studied at the Kirov Academy of Ballet when he was fifteen. Danny danced with famous groups like the American Ballet Theatre. He also performed dances created by top choreographers such as Debbie Allen and Mia Michaels. His brother, Travis Wall, was also a runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance. Danny was the Artistic Director for movmnt Magazine. He was also a soloist dancer with the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo. Danny Tidwell sadly passed away on March 6, 2020, after being in a car accident.

Danny Tidwell's Amazing Dance Journey

Early Life and First Steps in Dance

Danny Tidwell was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in nearby Virginia Beach. His early childhood had some challenges. Danny began dancing at age eight in a program for kids who needed extra support. A local dance teacher, Vicky Cooke, noticed his talent. She saw him trying hard to stretch and reach his toes.

After the program ended, Cooke told Denise Wall about Danny. Both women decided to let him join Denise Wall's Dance Energy studio for free. Over the next few years, Denise Wall took a special interest in Danny. By the time he was ten, he called her "Mom." He also called her sons, including Travis Wall, his brothers. Denise learned that Danny often walked many miles home after dance class. He also had little adult supervision. Sometimes, he wasn't even registered in school for months. He lived with his biological mother and two sisters until he was ten. Then, he moved in with Denise Wall. She officially became his guardian when he was twelve years old.

Training and Big Competitions

When he first started ballet, Danny said, "I hated ballet and would skip every chance I got." He was more interested in jazz dance. He liked the flips, turns, and ways to express himself. But his main drive was competition. This helped him prepare for his future dance career. He told Dance Magazine, "I was a competition kid. We used to do competitions every other weekend."

In his early teens, Danny met many amazing young dancers. One of his favorites was Rasta Thomas. This inspired Danny to take his dancing to a new level. He set a goal to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. At fifteen, he received a scholarship to study there. He called this time "the best and the worst experience" of his life. He began high-level classical ballet training. He first wanted to improve his jazz dance. But he soon found that ballet was very challenging. This was perfect for him, as he always needed a challenge. He switched his focus to ballet, which was a late start for ballet dancers.

While he did very well in dance, the Kirov school was demanding and made him feel alone. As summer came, he prepared for the Shanghai International Ballet Competition. He won a silver medal there (no gold was given that year). But the stress from Kirov was too much. He left the school after the competition.

After leaving Kirov, Danny got to perform lead roles in two shows by Debbie Allen. These included Dreams and Pearl. He performed them at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He even performed in front of President George W. Bush. He also spent two months at the School of American Ballet. There, he found the teachers and students unfriendly. In 2002, Danny sent his audition tape to the important USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC). He was invited to compete and won a silver medal. This win helped launch his career.

Becoming a Professional Dancer

Anna-Marie Holmes, who hosted the USA IBC, shared Danny's audition tape. She gave it to Kevin McKenzie, the artistic director of the famous American Ballet Theatre (ABT). After watching it, McKenzie offered Danny a spot in the ABT Studio Company. This is their apprentice group. Just two months later, Danny joined the Studio Company without an audition. Soon after, in May 2003, he was promoted to their corps de ballet. This happened just before ABT's 2003 season began.

He performed many classical ballet pieces. Even though he was a corps member, he got soloist roles. These included Le Spectre de la Rose and a peasant pas de deux from Giselle. Danny was part of ABT's 2003 Swan Lake show. This show was later shown on TV and released on DVD. Despite his success, he started to feel that being in a company was too strict. Danny left ABT in 2004. This surprised many people in the dance world.

For the next two years, Danny tried different things. He performed modern dances by choreographers like William Forsythe. In 2005, Dance Magazine named him one of their "25 to Watch." He also appeared on the cover of the magazine. He was a guest principal dancer in Ballet Lubbock's Nutcracker in December 2005. That August, Danny taught at a summer dance program in Bermuda. He also taught at JUMP and other schools across the country.

Also in 2005, Danny helped create Moving Still. This was a live show combined with a photography and fashion book. Moving Still led to the creation of movmnt magazine in June 2006. This magazine focused on fashion, dance, new music artists, and social issues. Danny co-founded it and was the magazine's Artistic Advisor. He later appeared on the cover in Spring 2008 with fellow SYTYCD contestant Sabra Johnson.

In 2006, Danny joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet for a season. He performed in the opening ceremonies of the USA IBC that summer. He left Complexions after a year. During this time, Danny often returned home to Virginia Beach. He would teach at his mother's studio to feel "rejuvenated." While still dancing, Danny's career was losing focus. His mother worried he was losing his love for dance. This changed in late 2006. They went to see Danny's brother, Travis, perform on the So You Think You Can Dance tour. Travis had placed second the season before. He was a big part of the touring show. Danny's mother remembered, "At Madison Square Garden, Danny looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, 'I want to do that. My brother's up there on that stage, dancing and living, and I want to do that.'" The next season, he auditioned for the show in New York City.

His Time on So You Think You Can Dance

The Competition Begins

In June 2007, Danny was asked to go straight to the Las Vegas callbacks. This was based on his New York City audition. However, some judges, like contemporary dance choreographer Mia Michaels, thought Danny seemed a bit overconfident. Hip hop choreographer Shane Sparks even said Danny acted like he was "God's gift to the world." This idea came up often during the show. Danny found his reputation as a great dancer clashed with his quiet way of acting. Sparks later changed his mind and said Danny could "be one of the greats."

Danny was chosen as one of the top twenty dancers. He was paired with ballroom dancer, Anya Garnis. They were a favorite of the judges early on. Guest-judge Debbie Allen said, "I can't imagine you all not being at the very end of the competition." The couple first ended up in the bottom three after a hip-hop dance. This was on the third show. The next night, Danny performed a contemporary solo to stay in the competition. He did well and moved on.

On the next show, the couple danced a contemporary routine. But they were again in the bottom three. However, Danny had another successful solo. He moved on again. Once in the top twelve, Danny and Anya performed a Foxtrot. After being in the bottom three for the third time, Anya had to leave the competition. Danny made it into the top ten. This earned him a spot on the 2007 So You Think You Can Dance Tour. He was then partnered with Lacey Schwimmer, Sara Von Gillern, and Lauren Gottlieb. He was never "in danger" again. He eventually made it to the final four contestants. This placed him in the finale.

Reaching the Finale

During the finale, Danny performed a solo to "We are the Champions". It was sung by Gavin DeGraw. This performance received huge praise. It was the only one that got a standing ovation from the judges. Nigel Lythgoe said that "every young man watching this show should aspire to be as good as you." The next night, Danny finished the competition as the runner-up. Sabra Johnson was the winner.

Reflecting on the season, Danny said, "I have all kinds of dance styles now, connections to choreographers and music options." He also concluded, "I found that I love to dance again." The tour began on September 21, 2007, and ended on November 30. It had fifty shows. The tour stopped in Danny's hometown of Hampton Roads on October 16, 2007.

Performance review

Note: Pink results mean he was one of the bottom three dancers.

After SYTYCD

Danny Tidwell appeared on the February 2008 cover of movmnt magazine. He was with Sabra Johnson for an article about "Keep It Real." This was the magazine's non-profit group.

Danny, along with other So You Think You Can Dance finalists, performed. This was during American Idol's charity event, Idol Gives Back, in April 2008. Nigel Lythgoe produced both shows at the time. Danny was a guest teacher on the 2007-2008 JUMP tour. In September 2009, Danny made his Broadway debut. He was a cast member in the musical Memphis. In April 2010, he performed on Dancing with the Stars. He danced with New York City Ballet principal, Tiler Peck. The dance was choreographed by Travis Wall. Starting in September 2010, Danny lived in Oslo, Norway. He was hired as a soloist for Norway's National Ballet.

Personal Life and Legacy

Danny Tidwell married journalist David Benaym in May 2014.

Danny Tidwell passed away on March 6, 2020. This was due to injuries from a car accident in Georgia.

Awards and Special Recognitions

• Silver Medal, Shanghai International Ballet Competition (2001)
• National Outstanding Male Dancer, New York City Dance Alliance (2002)
• Men's Junior Silver Medal, USA International Ballet Competition (2002)
• Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" (2005)

See also

• List of dancers