2 Louisiana dancers waltz into 'So You Think You Can Dance's' top 12; watch them tonight

Louisiana has two contestants in the top 12 of this season's "So You Think You Can Dance," and almost had a third.

Unfortunately, the third time wasn't the charm for hopeful Matthew Deloch, an Ascension Parish native who was eliminated from the FOX reality dancing competition series' 17th season last week. Deloch had previously competed on the show in 2017 and 2019.

"I have been pushed to my limit," an exhausted looking Deloch was heard saying before getting the news he wouldn't be part of this season's top 12.

That leaves Ralyn Johnson, of Walker, and Hammond native Viriginia Crouse, who now lives in Slidell, to continue representing the state in the contest.

The series returns at 8 p.m. Wednesday, when the dancers move to the studio rounds.

In the 'Girls Night Out" episode, "Dancers compete in pairs and in the style of the female partner; the audience and expert judges vote on their favorite male dancer and favorite female dancer; the bottom two dancers go home," according to the episode synopsis.

Here's what we know so far about the Louisiana hopefuls:

Virginia Crouse

"I am very proud of myself for how far I have come. I just pushed through all those nerves, everything that was thrown at me, and I really have the intention of showing the judges that I am strong enough to be here," Crouse, 21, said last week before learning she'd be staying in the competion. "It's just my time to show the world who Virginia is."

Crouse, a high school graduate, was homeschooled, which afforded more time for dance practice.
Whenever she was a young girl she loved the Barbie movie “Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses” and always dreamed of performing on stage.
Her parents waited until she was 8½ to place her "into a true dance class" and at 10, "truly knew" dance was her ultimate passion.
She's trained in many styles of dance but has concentrated on ballet, contemporary, lyrical and jazz.
Crouse has dreamed of auditioning for "So You Think You Can Dance" since she began watching the show at age 5. "It was a tradition in my household to sit, watch, and vote for the dancers each week," Crouse said.
Crouse is inspired by many incredible dancers, including Melanie Moore from Season 8 of "SYTYCD," and her dance students. "Seeing young dancers grow with confidence and movement makes me realize just how precious dance is and how it can bring a whole room of strangers together."
She described her experience on the show thus far as "nothing short of amazing. … I am soaking up every moment of this incredible journey."
Her past dance contests include Kids Artistic revue dance competition, In10sity dance competition, Dance Makers Inc., The Streetz Dance competition, Rainbow dance competition, The Movement dance competition. She was Dancer of the Year at Rainbow dance competition, title winner at Kids Artistic Revue, and In10sity senior national champion, all in 2019.

Ralyn Johnson

"The judges' round went really good for me. JoJo (Siwa) did say that I wasn't as powerful as she wanted me to be," Johnson commented during last week's episode. "If it's a no, I would be disappointed just because I gave my all, and they didn't see that."

18-year-old Johnson grew up in Walker and is a graduate of Walker High High School.
She was introduced to dancing when she was 5 because her mom didn’t want her to play basketball.
She has formal training in all dance styles except ballroom.
Johnson's mom encouraged her to try out for the show because she wanted to boost her daughter's confidence.
Ponchatoula dancer and LSU graduate Britley Wells is one of her inspirations.
She calls the show a fun experience, given the opportunity to meet new people, choreographers and dancers.
Her past dance competitions include KAR Nationals, Dupree Nationals, Tremaine, Starbound Nationals, Elite Dance Cup Nationals, and Heat.