It Takes Two: tWitch and Allison's Love Story

Dance Spirit: So how did this all start?

tWitch:
It happened at the end of “SYTYCD” Season 7. She says she made the first move.

I was completely oblivious to it. I’m really thickheaded.

Allison:
I didn’t just make one move—I made, like, 10 moves and he wasn’t seeing them, so I had to put myself out there even more. From the first week of “SYTYCD” as All-Stars, I thought he was the cutest guy ever. His personality was so fun.

DS: It’s surprising you two hadn’t met before.

tWitch:
Well, let’s bring it back to Season 2. Our good friend [and Season 2 contestant] Ivan Koumaev had a party and invited a bunch of us. We met there for the first time, but Allison doesn’t remember at all! Meanwhile, I had blond hair and piercings, so I’m not sure how you’d forget me, but that’s neither here nor there. We met again during Season 7, but didn’t say a word to each other the whole season. So that’s why I had no idea, because she wouldn’t talk to me and I thought she wasn’t interested. She did catch me checking her out in the hallway once…

Allison:
Like, bad. He did a triple take and Ade [Obayomi] called him out on it.

tWitch:
So she knew the interest was there on my part.

Allison:
The whole rest of the season, I would be like, “Heyyyy,” and brush up against him. We’d be in rehearsal, and I’d be grabbing his butt and trying to touch his arms. I’d say, “You missed a few 8-counts. Let me teach you.” He wasn’t feeling me at all.

tWitch:
In my defense, it was a dance rehearsal where all of the girls in the piece had to hold my arms and move with me.

Allison:
Outside of rehearsals, we avoided each other. Both of us are very social and were friends with all the other All-Stars. The whole season, he was legitimately the only person I didn’t speak to. We’d be sitting in a room together and it would be this awkward moment like, “Okay, I’ll just stretch right now or read a book” instead of saying hi.

DS: So what was the turning point for you two?

Allison:
The All-Stars went to the Step Up 3D premiere, but Stephen went separately because he was in the movie. I looked down the red carpet and saw him standing there in this nice gray suit and glasses—he looked so hot. When he walked up to say hi, I got embarrassed and hid behind Ade! Then, at the party, I met his mother and brother and even danced with him a little bit. I was geeking out. That was the first night we were out together at the same place. So I finally made my move, and he asked for my number.

tWitch:
I did get the number…but I didn’t call.

Allison:
So then I got his number and texted that I was proud of him and that he looked great that night.

DS: So how is it even a debate who made the first move? Seems pretty clear that it was Allison!

tWitch:
Here’s the thing: If I say hello and she doesn’t even respond…there were lots of those moments! I didn’t know how to read her. Plus, I’m terrible at those things. There will never be a day where I’m like, “Yeah, that girl was feelin’ me.”

Allison:
I was nervous! So, anyway, when the Season 7 wrap party came, I knew it was the last night I would see him. I was like, “Geez, I guess I have to be stronger about my moves.” I hadn’t planned on going because I’m a mom and don’t really go out and party. But when he texted to see if I was going, I was ready and in the car! I showed up and people were trying to say hi, but I was on a mission to find this guy. I saw him at the other end of the room, and he pointed and did this little “come here” motion. We went upstairs and danced for three hours straight.

tWitch:
We danced the entire night, and we’ve been together ever since.

DS: Let’s talk about both of you being in the dance industry. Does it affect your relationship?

Allison:
We’ve worked a lot of the same jobs, but we’re in completely different styles. So even though he knows and has worked with all of my friends and vice versa, we don’t cross paths that often unless we choose to. There are choreography and teaching jobs where people say they’d love to have both of us, but it’s up to us if we want to put ourselves in that position.

tWitch:
It’s nice to have common ground to connect on, but it’s also nice to have the dichotomy of two different genres. We’re very close-knit, but we still have our own things.

Allison:
In my past relationships, it’s always been really tricky. People will say they’re cool with me traveling or doing jobs, but really, if someone doesn’t understand that lifestyle, it can cause bitterness. Being with someone who travels just as much as

I do and understands my work hours and that I have a daughter—and that I have to balance all of that—means we don’t have the problems most couples in our industry do.

DS: How much do you travel?

tWitch:
We travel every single weekend for conventions—we leave on Fridays and come back on Sundays.

Allison:
The first year, we had a Skype relationship. It proved how much we were committed to each other because we’d be on different schedules and we still planned out what hour we’d speak every night. After Season 7, I went on tour with “SYTYCD” for three months, and directly after that, he went on tour with The LXD. Then I moved to Toronto to do Cobu 3D, and he went to Miami to film Step Up Revolution. In our first year of dating we were separated for nine months.

DS: So what was the glue holding you together?

tWitch:
Communication was the glue because, honestly, there was nothing else. We didn’t get to spend much time with each other. Thank God for Skype, email, picture texts, any form of communication. The LXD tour was international, so when I couldn’t call, I would write pages and pages of emails.

DS: How would each of you describe the other’s dance style?

tWitch:
I was a huge fan of Allison before we even started dating. She is so incredibly expressive that it goes beyond just watching her—you feel her. I’ve been brought to tears a couple times by her dancing on “SYTYCD,” specifically the “Fix You” number [with Robert Roldan during Season 7] and the “I Know It’s Over” duet with Marko [Germar] during Season 8.

Allison:
If I could describe him in one word…he’s a beast. He moves and the whole floor shakes beneath him. When you’re dancing next to him, you’re inspired to be bigger and dance your fullest. He moves every inch of his body, and it’s intriguing and fun to watch. But what makes him so strong is that he’s really sensitive. He’s a hard, aggressive dancer, but there is such a love for everyone watching him. He’s not just a krumper who’s in your face—it’s more like, “Come in with me and see my soul.”

DS: Do either of you ever get jealous when the other does a sexy duet?

tWitch:
Ballroom is hot—you have to get up close and personal and the dude has to know what he’s doing, leading a lady around, and having swag. It’s sometimes hard to come to grips with another guy making my girl look good. Jealousy is absolutely healthy, but it’s more like, “Man, I wish I could do that,” because she’s so hot.

Allison:
And he can. He’s led me around the ballroom—don’t let him fool you! He doesn’t usually do duets, but during Season 8, he and Sasha [Mallory] did this hot number and they looked so good together. I got a little insecure. Then our producer told me that on show day, they’d be kissing. I wanted to cry! But he was totally messing with me.

Allison’s daughter, Weslie, gets in on the family fun. (by Lee Cherry)

DS: Allison, at what point did tWitch meet your daughter, Weslie?

Allison:
He met her first before we were dating, at rehearsals and tapings. When we got together, I was very careful. I know now that he’s my forever, but I had to make sure of that. I didn’t allow them to really hang out until six months in, and even then it was slow and for small periods of time. Eventually it grew to where it is now—it’s like she has a second daddy. Their relationship is so beautiful, it makes me want to cry. She loves him so much, and he is such a good example of what a man should be.

tWitch:
She’s my little dude. She doesn’t like that I call her a dude, but she’s my little dude.

DS: What’s your best advice for dancers who might date a co-star?

tWitch:
Remember that your life doesn’t become your significant other’s and vice versa. Sometimes people put their own plans on the back burner, and when they realize those things may have gone awry, they begin to resent the other person.

Allison:
There might be moments of jealousy, like, “You’re working on that project or with that person, and I really wanted to do that.” The best thing to do is communicate. We talk out everything. Put it out there and say, “I’m sorry if I’m acting this way. It’s not your fault.”

DS: What’s next for you two?

Allison:
I love being onstage, but I’d prefer to be on the producing and directing side. He wants to be on the performing side, so I’d love to create a project around him that

I could direct.

tWitch:
I’ll always love dance, but

right now I’m focusing on acting. We’re both in transitional periods where we’re looking at all our options. It’s exciting because possibilities are opening up

every day.

DS: How do people react when you tell them you’re dating?

tWitch:
The funniest ones are people asking us when we’ll start having dancing children. But there have been some beautiful, heartfelt reactions from people who’ve known us for years—William Wingfield, Joshua Allen and Comfort [Fedoke]. Comfort loves us!

Allison:
Travis Wall and Teddy Forance are two of my best friends and have seen me through many ups and downs with the men in my life. When they found out I was dating Stephen, tears welled up in their eyes. They were so excited for me to have such a great man. My parents love this guy. All the people in my life really respect him, and they love what he brings to the table for me and what he brings out of me.

tWitch:
At the recent Shaping Sound show, a lot of people found out we were together and were elated.

DS: As are we!

FAST FACTS

To test how well Allison and tWitch know each other, we asked them to fill out each other’s Fast Facts questionnaires! Unsurprisingly, they passed with flying colors. See their responses below:

tWitch
(completed by Allison):

Three words that describe you:
Internal, sensitive and bundle of joy!

Who would play you in a movie?
Will Smith or Lil’ C

Favorite dancer of all time:
Wade Robson

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Turn off Allison’s alarm clock—because she always sleeps through it.

Celebrity crush:
Zoë Saldana

Dance BFFs:
Comfort Fedoke and Will Wingfield

Non-dance hobbies:
Comics, Rubik’s Cube, going to McDonald’s

Allison (completed by tWitch):

Three words that describe you:
Goofy, chatty, mom

Who would play you in a movie?
Emma Watson

Favorite dancers of all time:
Mary Ann Lamb and Teddy Forance

Something people don’t know about you:
I’m a Harry Potter fanatic!

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Let tWitch turn off the alarm clock, and then drink a diet Dr Pepper.

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
Read to Weslie.

What is the strangest thing in your dance bag?
A sorcerer’s wand.

Dance BFFs:
Ade Obayomi, Travis Wall, Teddy Forance & Courtney Galiano

Non-dance hobbies:
Sorcery, arts & crafts, skipping