First gained the public's attention when he and his wife/dance partner Ashleigh Di Lello auditioned for the hit Fox show So You Think You Can Dance. He and Ashleigh became the first married couple to compete and be finalists on the show. He was active in sports, gymnastics, and martial arts growing up and began ballroom dancing when he was 8 years old. He quickly climbed the ranks as a DanceSport competitor winning junior, youth, and amateur titles locally and nationally.
