So You Think You Can Dance crowned Hannahlei Cabanilla the winner of Season 15 during Monday night's two-hour finale on Fox.

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After the challenging The Academy Round and the Top 10 dancers performing week to week with So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars, America voted Hannahlei, an 18-year-old contemporary dancer from Anaheim, CA, to be this season's winner over the runner-up, Jensen Arnold, a 20-year-old Latin ballroom dancer from Provo, UT.

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So You Think You Can Dance host, Cat Deeley, announced that Hannahlei only had a slight edge over Jensen -- who is Dancing with the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold's younger sister -- in the home-viewer voting results. 

"This has been the absolute closest vote between the first and second places we have ever had in the history of this show. These two absolutely brilliantly strong and talented women, America loves you both," Cat revealed.

Hannahlei won a cash prize of $250,000, the cover of Dance Spirit magazine, the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" and a role in the upcoming live musical RENT airing next year on Sunday, January 27 from 7-10PM ET/PT on Fox.

"This is, without a doubt, the best experience of my life. I am beyond thankful for every moment I've had on So You Think You Can Dance, and I know that it is something I will never forget. I'm happy to say that this experience is just the beginning," Hannahlei said in a statement.

Hannahlei added during the finale broadcast that the best part of competing on the show was getting to share the stage with other amazing talent and inspire people watching at home and in the audience.

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"I love dance because I get to express who I am through movement," Jensen said in a video montage that played before Cat read the final results on Monday night. "I'm so grateful that I really got to grow as a person and as a dancer. It will be kind of fun and crazy to see where dance takes me."

Genessy Castillo, an 18-year-old contemporary dancer from Jamaica, NY, finished in third place.

Season 15 marked the first time in show history three girls finished as the Top 3.

And Slavik Pustovoytov, a 19-year-old hip-hop specialist from Poltova, Ukraine, claimed fourth place. Slavik was the last man standing in the competition and was also the only hip-hop dancer to make the Top 10.

The two-hour season finale featured encore performances by contestants of the judges' favorite routines this season and included a performance by global pop sensation Now United, as well as a performance featuring the returning Top 10 finalists, choreographed by Emmy Award winner Mandy Moore.

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The season's Top 10 finalists and All-Stars Lauren Froderman and Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer will now embark on the So You Think You Can Dance LIVE! 2018 tour, which kicks off Saturday, October 13 in Atlantic City, NJ, at Ocean Resort Casino.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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