This summer’s hot show, “So You Think You Can Dance” touched the lives of many people across the area, including mine.

A good friend of mine has a direct connection to the show. Her sister, Kelsi Darby, auditioned and made it to the second round in Las Vegas.

Hundreds of young dancers from across the country competed in a week-long audition filled with blood, sweat, and tears. My roommate, our friend and I gathered around the TV to watch Kelsi dance for the opportunity to receive a place in the coveted Top 20.

For those of you who have never seen the show, “So You Think You Can Dance” is basically the “American Idol” of dance shows. The host, Cat Deely, comes out and pumps up the audience for the next round of auditions. Hundreds of screaming participants take the stage as we meet a few contestants and hear their back story. The usual judges, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe, say hello to the crowd and take their seats surrounded by choreographers and guest judges.

As soon as we turned to FOX and Cat Deely’s voice graced the airwaves, that’s when we see her--Kelsi Darby! Kelsi is an 18-year-old dancer from Hermitage, PA. The fact that we’re good friends with her sister, made us feel like the biggest Kelsi Darby fans in America. Each time she appeared on screen, my apartment erupted in screams.

And boy, the camera loved Kelsi.

Not only could we see her in group practices, but we saw her up close on numerous occasions. To us, Kelsi was the star of the show! At one point, she was being interviewed, but we were screaming so loudly we didn’t hear a single word she said.

Kelsi did an amazing job. She danced her heart out up to the ballroom round, and that’s when we didn’t see her anymore. “So You Think You Can Dance” always puts together a montage of contestants who don’t make it to the next round, but we couldn’t tell if Kelsi had made it or not.

Though Kelsi didn’t make the coveted Top 20, to us, she won the whole competition. It is a huge honor to even make it to the Vegas round, let alone make it as far as she did. I can’t wait to see what’s in her future because this girl can definitely dance.

Tune in to “So You Think You Can Dance” Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX. Also, make sure to check out the Vegas episode online and count how many times you see the fabulous Kelsi Darby.