'So You Think You Can Dance' crowns champion
By DERRIK J. LANG, Associated Press
Aug 11, 2011 11:06 PM CDT
In this image released by Fox, judges from left, Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Lil' C, from the dance competition series "So You Think You Can dance," are shown on Aug. 4, 2011 in Los Angeles. The winner will be revealed on Thursday, Aug. 11. (AP Photo/Fox, Adam Rose)   (Associated Press)

Melanie Moore easily clinched the grand prize on "So You Think You Can Dance."

Viewer votes overwhelmingly awarded the pixie-haired 19-year-old college student from Marietta, Ga., the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" and the $250,000 cash prize. Moore bested fierce runner-up Sasha Mallory, 23, of Bakersfield, Calif., and powerful third-place finisher Marko Germar, 22, of Los Angeles.

"Thank you," Moore told viewers while weeping under a confetti storm during the Fox dancing contest's finale Thursday.

Moore picked up an impressive 47 percent of viewer votes, according to host Cat Deeley. The spirited contemporary dancer was long considered the eighth season's front-runner, dominating the competition by mastering artful contemporary routines set to tunes such as Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Ingrid Michaelson's "Turn to Stone."

The show's judges never put Moore at the bottom of the pack.

For the first half of the final rounds, Moore was teamed with Germar. The duo impressed as dancing statues and grabbed attention with a smooch during a hip-hop routine.

Moore later wowed the panel on her own when she was paired with various veteran dancers during the second part of the finals.

"I would push myself to the front of the line to work with you," director Kenny Ortega told her Wednesday.

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