Jonathan "Legacy" Perez may have been cut on the cusp of making So You Think You Can Dance's sixth-season finale, however he made it farther than he initially thought he would.

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"Going into the competition I didn't even think I would make Top 20 -- and not thinking negatively but just logistically how everybody is technical and they're able to pick up choreography with ease," he told Reality TV World during a Thursday conference call.

"What I found out -- the thing I found about the show -- the dynamic of taking a piece and adding your own personal flavor to it was what made it that people enjoyed the contestant's pieces.  So I think that's what I had to bring to the table, dancing with my heart and my passion.  And I was surprised that I made it this far and I'm glad that I made it this far because I was able to show people that it can be done and inspire people in their lives to do whatever it is that they want to put their mind to."

The 28-year-old hip-hop dancer and b-boy from Miami, FL who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance's sixth season during Wednesday night's live results based on the "more than 8 million" home viewer votes cast immediately following Tuesday night's performance episode broadcast.

"I feel that nobody gets voted against; it's more like people have their moments where they feel like they want to vote for something," Perez explained to reporters during the conference call.

"I think they have the option too because it's a free world vote and unfortunately I was the one that was in the bottom and I'm actually excited that I left at this point in the competition."

Because of his unique b-boy style, Perez acknowledged that it was tougher for him to learn other dance styles but added he embraced the opportunity.

"I feel strongly that the b-boy community, they try to keep it very internal. It's a certain street style of living, it's a way of living.  So the adaptability factor plays a big role because we don't like to copy anybody's movement," he told reporters.

So yes, adapting to a certain style for a b-boy is virtually impossible unless you have a want and desire to do it. I hope I inspire a lot of people to do it but myself, I consider myself a dancer, not just a b-boy.  So I love dancing in general so that's why I set forth and try to make the best of this show for me."

Despite his elimination, Perez said he thinks he did a good job representing the b-boy community.

"I gained respect in the perspective of the fact that I've been a b-boy for so many years and people were inspired before by the movement that I've created for myself," he explained.

"Other b-boys that have been inspired by me because I've been breaking for quite some time -- 13, 14 years -- and just being that long, you tend to inspire the people that start dancing a little later in the game.  But those are the people that actually text me and they write to me on the Internet saying to me, 'Thank you so much, you've inspired me to take classes and become a better dancer.'  And to me that's like the ultimate because b-boys are usually very difficult to adapt and the fact that people are actually wanting to do it because they see somebody opening that doorway is very exciting for me."

Not surprisingly, Perez said his So You Think You Can Dance experience helped him become a more well-rounded dancer.

"I learned my body more than anything.  With every genre, I feel like I can apply everything to my genre," he said.  "So there wasn't a specific genre, I just felt like everything as a unit made it so that I'm able to understand dance in a better light."

In addition, Perez said he gained a greater appreciation for contemporary from the competition.

"I love contemporary because it comes from the heart and it makes it so that the movement doesn't have to be perfect, the why you do it has to be perfect," he explained. 

"I want to be able to incorporate contemporary in my breaking and choreograph one day something amazing that has not been seen by the world yet."

Now that his journey on the show has come to an end, Perez said he has sights set on career opportunities other than dance.

"I want to pursue acting for sure.  That's on my list but I want to choreograph and later on after that get into directing," he told Reality TV World. 

"I think my b-boy creativity has opened up my mind to making pieces that are going to be different and impacting.  And so I want to choreograph and get into directing."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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