Sanford man dazzles on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Sanford's Jonathan Platero wowed the judges last week on So You Think You Can Dance. Platero and dancer partner Karla Garcia performed a cha-cha that had judge Mary Murphy howling in delight. Judge Nigel Lythgoe praised an absolutely fantastic routine, the couple's chemistry and Platero's stunning move of sliding through Garcia's legs.

Platero, 21, continues his run on So You Think You Can Dance at 8 tonight on WOFL-Channel 35. He says making the Top 20 on the Fox dance contest was incredible. It's something I've always wanted, Platero said. To get it, it's the best thing in the world. He has watched the Fox show religiously since it debuted and says it's surreal to be part of it. It's very overwhelming, says Platero, who graduated from Seminole High School in 2006. We go through so many interviews and photo shoots. Practice is so exhausting.

Platero was a world salsa finalist in 2006-07. He has had five years of training and started diversifying with jazz, ballet and hip-hop at age 18. He had been a gymnast before switching to dance. I had to quit at 15. I wasn't enjoying it anymore. I wanted to do other stuff, Platero says. Once I quit, I became a wrestler, then I veered off to into salsa. He started taking classes, but transition from gymnast to dancer was a little difficult. I had to break bad habits from gymnastics, he says. I had to loosen up quite a bit. Platero learned about auditions for the TV show while vacationing in New York. He had a contract to work in Japan, but was able to get out of it to take part in the dance contest. When he learned he had made the show, he moved to New York to gain more training. Platero's parents and four brothers live in Florida. He credited his parents, Rosa and Roberto Platero of Sanford, with inspiring him to follow his dreams. I'd love to win the show, Platero says. It's a huge challenge. Just being on the show among the Top 20, I feel like a winner.