So You Think You Can Dance Backstage Scoop: What Really Happened to New Champ Russell?

Season-six contestants give us their take on this year's winner, and what's up next

By Megan Masters Dec 17, 2009 5:30 AMTags

Don't you worry your pretty little heads, So You Think You Can Dancers: Season-six champ Russell Ferguson will live to krump another day!

Amid injury and so-called dance style limitations, a humbled Russell had this to say: "Everything is so perfect right now, I couldn't ask for anything more."

Mere minutes before we chatted with the winner backstage, Russell took a tumble during the live broadcast, and was sidelined for the remainder of the finale. "I went to jump back up onstage during my three-man piece, and I came down on my leg wrong. It got really numb and swollen and felt like something had gotten sprained," the Beantown boogier told us.

Even worse than the pain was the fact he didn't get the chance to perform his final routines onstage. "It hurt, but I was fine enough to walk, so I thought I could dance. After they tested me backstage, they told me I couldn't dance. That was the worst feeling, because my family came all the way from Boston."

So what's next for the crowned champ? What does the rest of the cast have to say about Russell's win—including judge Mary Murphy, who was all about third-place finisher Kathryn McCormick?

Russell is prepping for a return to his New England hometown, and after spending a teensy bit of his winnings on some new wheels, he's going to give something back. "That's all it's about, getting around the community and seeing how you can help," he shared. And that's not all. As Russell put it: "I'm going big." In fact, he plans to have "one of the most diverse companies in the world."

Kelsey McNeal/FOX

And if anyone believes that he can do it, it's got to be the little lady who appears to be Russell's biggest fan. "He deserves it so much. He's such a special person, and we have a connection unlike anything," second runner-up Kathryn told us in all her adorableness. "He's amazing, and I'm really glad he got it."

Even Kathryn's No. 1 supporter, Miss Mary Murphy, is happy with the outcome. "I couldn't be happier with Russell's win tonight—there you go, there's the Rudy story. But this is not going to be the end of Kathryn's dance career, she's exquisite," mused the hot tamale.

Don't worry about Jakob Karr's second-place finish, either. "Dancers will look at Jakob and go, 'Wow, what a brilliant dancer,' because he is, but America will look at the charismatic performer like Russell is and think, 'Wow, I can do that,' " said SYTYCD mastermind Nigel Lythgoe. "He won by doing other styles...and is just wonderful."

Adam Shankman seconds that emotion. "I loved the results, and I'm going to be perfectly honest: Mia Michaels and I kinda called it in Vegas," the choreographer/producer/all around fabulous guy told us. "Russell was so good in all different styles." Even Jakob was A-OK with America's decision: "Russell's done an amazing job, and we've seen him grow so much."

In other backstage news, Ryan and Ashleigh Di Lello looked more in love than ever following their Tuesday night contemporary piece, while fourth-place finisher Ellenore Scott told us a little secret.

We found out she has some choreography dreams (maybe the next Mia Michaels, perhaps?), so Nigel, this one's for you. "I want to be a choreographer! I hope that the show would bring me back as a choreographer one day...but I'm not saying anything," she teased. (Don't worry, Ellenore, we just said it for you.)

And so another SYTYCD season has come and gone—did the right dancer win? Were you Team Jakob, or happy that a krumper took the cake? Let us know in the comments below.

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Take a look back at So You Think You Can Dance: Season Six right here.