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So You Think You Can Dance alum Serge Onik dead at 33, fans mourn 'tremendous loss'

Serge Onik, Ukrainian dancer and choreographer best known for competing on Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance has died at 33

Serge Onik, the Ukrainian-born dancer has died at the age of 33 on August 24. Onik's death was confirmed by Movement Talent Agency, the firm that represented the popular dancer. Onik is perhaps best known for his appearance in Season 11 of 'So You Think You Can Dance', where he was eliminated in week 4. The sudden and shocking death has taken social media by surprise, with fans mourning his loss with heartfelt tributes. 

Onik joins a long list of celebrities who have passed away this year, some doing what they love. In mid-June, stuntman Alex Harvill crashed and died during a practice run to break his own world record. Then on August 13, Bay Area star MC Zumbi died due to "unknown causes". Days later, Sonny Chiba, the actor well known for his roles in 'Kill Bill' and 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' died due to complications from Covid-19. 

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An exact cause for Onik's death has not been released. Jim Keith, president of the Movement Talent Agency told Entertainment Weekly, "He was an amazing dancer with a huge heart and he touched the lives of everyone who met him. He will be truly missed. This is a sad day for us at the agency and for the dance community as a whole." He did not provide more detail. Born in Kharkov, Ukraine, Onik moved to the US with his family when he was just 3. He then trained in ballroom dancing, before rising to fame with SYTYCD. 

Since then, Onik has gone on to appear in Kirstie Alley's '100 Days of Dance' web series and campaign, as well as several TV shows. He had roles in 'Agent Carter', 'Bones', and 'Jane the Virgin'. His latest appearance was in the film 'In the Heights'. When he wasn't busy acting, Onik taught classes at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Friends and fans all gathered on social media to celebrate Onik, with personal stories of how he touched their lives.

'Such a beautiful soul'

One Twitter user said, "Serge Onik was always such a nice person to chat with & incredibly talented. My heart goes out to his family, friends & dance colleagues. RIP ". "I can’t stop crying. RIP my beloved friend and talented choreographer Serge Onik. The world has lost an incredible life. Thank Serge for everything. May your soul rest in piece," one person tweeted.

One user shared a screenshot of a chat with Onik and said, "We may have lived states apart, but we always checked up on each other." Another tweeted, "Gonna miss this sweet sweet man. Was lucky enough to meet him a few times and witness his beauty on and off the dance floor. Such a beautiful soul. Rest in the sweetest peace my friend @sergeonik to everyone who knew him, I send my condolences." Another shocked friend of the talented choreographer wrote: "Just heard the news about @sergeonik
. what a sweet, beautiful, insanely talented human. always kind to me and everyone around him. god what a tremendous loss."

Fellow dancer Cynthia Thornton tweeted, "This is going to hurt forever! RIP Serge Onik! Such a privilege to dance with you and learn from you!" Another shocked person said, "What?! I met Serge years ago and he made you feel like you were instantly his friend. My thoughts are with his brother, parents and family."

Others have posted tributes to Onik on Instagram, while some have also mourned him on Facebook. Onik had an incredibly popular social media presence, with over 17k followers on Instagram and 8,000 on Twitter. While he was less active on Twitter, his Instagram was frequently filled with travel and dance photos.