Donnyelle Denise Jones, 1979 – 2025

Actress and dancer Donnyelle Denise Jones, 46, died of cancer on Dec. 2. Jones appeared in the films Be Cool and Spirited, and choreographed for The Wayne Brady Show and Missy Elliott’s “Pass That Dutch” video. She was also a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance (she came in third, in season 2). Jones was also seen in America's Best Dance Crew, and taught dance. Her dance partner Benji Schwimmer posted that “There are many times in the arts, in the dance world, where it's competitive, and it's a grind, and there's sometimes negative emotions that could cloud the pure joy that dance can radiate within all of us. And Donyelle was never a victim of that.”