Filipino-American Hannahlei Cabanilla was hailed as the winner of the 15th season of the US television show “So You Think You Can Dance”.
Cabanilla emerged as the winner after beating out three other finalists of the said show – ballroom dancer Jensen Arnold, contemporary dancer Genessy Castillo, and hip hop dancer Slavik Pustovoytov.
Cabanilla and Arnold remained as the last two dancers standing with the closest difference in total votes in the show’s 13-year history.
At the end of the show which was aired on September 10 (US time), the Fil-Am dancer was announced as the winner.
Because of her win, Cabanilla will be taking home a cash prize worth $250,000 (approx. P13.4 million). She will also be featured in a magazine cover and in Fox’s adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, Rent, which will be broadcasted live on January 27, 2019.
Cabanilla is an 18-year-old contemporary dancer who was born and raised in Anaheim Hills. She started dancing at the age of two and is currently studying at Claire Trevor School of the Arts wherein she is majoring in Dance.
One of the show’s judges, Fil-Am Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens, earlier praised Cabanilla for her contemporary dance routine to George Michael’s “They Won’t Go When I Go” and even called her called as her “fellow Filipino girl”.
Series creator and regular judge Nigel Lythgoe also tagged Cabanilla as the season’s “warrior princess”.
