Thunder, rain and a whole world of pain.
Inspired by the death of a friend, Emmy-nominated choreographer Sonya Tayeh channeled her grief through dance. She developed a contemporary routine for Fox's So You Think You Can Dance contestant Zack Everhart, who portrayed her late friend.
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Everhart was paired with Amy Yakima, the female winner of Season 10 in 2013, and they stunningly embodied Tayeh's story -- set to Max Richter's melancholy "Europe, After the Rain."
"This is a masterpiece, without a doubt," judge Mary Murphy said. "Zack, you made me feel something. The story is real, and it's all too real for a lot of us. You brought it to life. You made something out of it."
All three judges and the audience gave the routine a standing ovation, and an overwhelmed and sweaty Everhart got misty-eyed during the judges' glowing remarks.
This is not the first time SYTYCD has addressed death. In 2007, Mia Michaels choreographed a routine based on her father's death and their imagined reunion in heaven.
SYTYCD choreographers routinely tap into their personal lives to create emotional dance numbers. Travis Wall, for example, created a memorable piece in 2010 about his mother's surgery to combat breast cancer and her subsequent recovery.
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