Donyelle Jones Wilson, So You Think You Can Dance Standout, Dead At 46

Donyelle Jones, a standout of "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 2, died Tuesday after a multi-year battle with breast cancer. She was 46.

A post on her Instagram account Tuesday said that Jones, whose married name was Wilson, "transitioned" at 8:34 a.m. "A wife. A daughter. A sister. A friend. And a warrior who kicked cancer's a** every single day she was here," it read. "Her spirit never dimmed. Her heart never hardened. And even in the storm, she never lost her smile."

After appearing in various music videos and other dance projects, Jones broke out as a contestant on Season 2 of "So You Think You Can Dance," which aired on Fox in Summer 2006. She specialized in the hip-hop and jazz styles and ultimately finished in third place, behind winner Benji Schwimmer and runner-up Travis Wall.

One of Jones' most memorable routines was a Broadway number danced to "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray," alongside Schwimmer, which you can watch below: 

In 2016, Jones was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, which later progressed to Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. During her battle with the disease, she largely stopped dancing and choreographing, but she did chronicle her cancer journey on social media for several years, advocating for awareness, early detection and research.

"Right now, I have to choose absolute radical faith, because I am in the fire, y'all," Jones told her followers in a June 2025 Instagram video. "I just got some horrible news from my doctor. ... But I don't even have a tear for it right now. I am strapping in and I am choosing radical faith. I have to choose radical faith because it's the only thing that actually will make sense. Otherwise, I'll lose it. But today, I feel good."

How will you remember Jones? Drop your memories in a comment.