So You Think You... know him?  Well, here's some special insights.

Since he won the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" on "So You Think You Can Dance" in front of an estimated 11 million viewers, Benji Schwimmer has been a whirlwind of activity.  From working with Paula Abdul to judging on SYTYCD Canada, to winning back-to-back US OPEN Showcase Titles with Kellese Key, to teaching at the dance studios of his parents, Buddy (5678 Dance Studio) and Laurie (Planet Dance), to producing his own movie, Benji has been B-U-S-Y.  After three years, it's time we checked in on him.  Here's the scoop right from Benji himself...
 

USASN: You just won back-to-back US Open Showcase Titles for the second time last Thanksgiving Weekend.  You did it first with Heidi in 2001-2002 and now with Kellese Key in 2008-2009.  Share your thoughts with us on that amazing accomplishment.
BENJI: It's been such a great lesson to be able to look back and see the reasons why I continue to compete. I remember very specifically every year I've competed as an adult at the US Open. Each year represented something special and unique...

2001 was definitely my proving that I could hang with the Big Dogs - since I was actually only 17 when I competed that year. I wanted it so badly I could taste it and nothing was going to stand in my way... haha.

2002 was a year of my having had a surgery very close to the actual "Open" so I was not only focused on my semi-retirement from the art/sport due to serving my [Mormon] Mission, but also on topping what I had done with Heidi the previous year - on a recovering knee. I didn't want people thinking it was a fluke. I had very little time to heal and choreograph, let alone rehearse for that one, and it would be my last chance, possibly, considering I didn't know where my life would take me after Oaxaca [Mexico].

2005 was definitely another moment of proving I still had what I had. The tough part is that people start to build an unreal, almost legendary expectation of how great our prior routines were - and Heidi and I felt that going into that year. So instead, we went a new route and started to focus on being a bit more "loose" in our movement. Less lines and more soulful tripling for our normal standards. I think it showed a bit more maturity in our dance that year and it was awesome to be "Welcomed Back" after two years of absence.  With Heidi having been living abroad to pursue other dreams, and I having just gotten off tour after being on SYTYCD, I was at a place in my life where I felt it wasn't accepted for me to be competing on the WC Swing circuit. I felt that my being on a dance TV show would make the crowd/judges opinions be swayed either for my benefit - or completely the opposite direction. I feared if I didn't do a good job in competition, I would still be rewarded for it because of my pseudo-celeb status (which I loathed). Also, I was very worried that maybe some judges would have found it rude for me to compete after doing SYTYCD and that they would be even harsher as critics and judges.

2006 and 2007 US Opens were my most depressing Opens because I wasn't on the floor, I knew I still had something to offer to the community and I didn't have my Heidi anymore. After being a bit down in the earlier part of 2008 because of my not dancing on the circuit, I swallowed my pride and finally thought, "The hell with it!" and realized I didn't care so much for the Perfect Record or how much I would be scrutinized for competing.  I just wanted to be on that floor again!!! So I called up the ONE girl who, ever since I saw her compete for the first time with her husband, Brent Key, I wanted to dance with. Kellese and her entire family were behind it. We prepared and competed at the USA Grand Nationals, which was my first time as an adult competing there. Kellese had already won the USAGN with nearly every legendary male dancer in the past decade and I felt an almost insurmountable amount of pressure to step up to the legends of the dance as best as I could. That USAGN was the prelude to my and Kellese's first US Open together.

2008 Open was just an awesome experience. We tried finding the perfect blend of "Brent and Kellese" meets "Benji and Heidi". We used an instrumental piece that was FAST - and we prayed people would love it. After we finished the last beat of the song, I remember thinking to myself that it doesn't matter what place we get - I just danced with my childhood dance idol and we nailed our routine!

2009 has been a very difficult year in my life with many random health issues that have put me into surgery - as well as being in a coma for a week. To top it off, my Idol of all idols, Michael Jackson had passed away - and also one of our own, Jason Colacino. These tragedies once again made me want to dance, albeit my prior health issues and the demands of my work. I think this time around, Kellese and I went into the competition wanting to achieve something more important than a first place prize.  We wanted to give a dance that would make Jason and Michael proud. We danced to an acoustic version of "Billy Jean" and "Workin' Day and Night", the latter song being one of my favorite performances danced by Jason at the 2000 US Open. Navy blue was the color he wore in that dance, thus the basis of our "Michael Jackson meets Westie-inspired costumes" was navy. It was such an awesome feeling to not walk on the floor for a title but to give an honoring of people who have and will continue to inspire us.

The 2009 US OPEN may have been my favorite US Open in terms of the enjoyment that I felt in competing there. However much more I continue to compete, I have learned a very valuable lesson in having the right kind of purpose behind going on the floor. I can honestly say that I used to go out and take aim for somebody or some prize. That motivation has left me these last few years and I'm happy to say I'm better because of it.
 
USASN: What countries have you traveled to for teaching, performing or judging since you won SYTYCD?
BENJI:  Since having been a contestant on SYTYCD, I've pretty much been nearly everywhere that dance and TV are watched. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that sleeping in a sleeping bag in the middle of downtown LA in order to be the first in line for auditions would have me globetrotting some six months later. Totally awesome!
 

USASN: What special performances have you made in Hollywood, on TV or on Stage in the past few years?
BENJI: I've done quite a bit of performances on various dance TV shows and for a few headlining artists such as American Idol, SYTYCD worldwide, Dancing With The Stars, Christina Aguilera, Paula Abdul, Gloria Estefan, The Brady Bunch Reunion, etc. Honestly, those performances have been great fun, but the best moments in performance that I've had were for the charities that I've gotten to dance with. From Broadway charities, to D.E.M.A.N.D., to "Idol Gives Back", to Aids, to arts foundations, to cancer research, to a number of other causes - it has all been just truthfully humbling and it validates all the many hours I've put into my craft - and has helped me realize that what I do is not completely selfish.
 
USASN: What's the latest with your lifelong dance partner and cousin, Heidi Groskreutz?  Will you two ever compete again?
BENJI: Heid Hoe just moved back to Southern California with her husband, Donnie Burns. I'm really excited to have her so close to home. Who knows what the future holds for her and me.
 
USASN: You must be proud of sister, Lacey, as a regular on Dancing with the Stars?  Any plans to compete or work on choreographic projects with her in the near future?
BENJI: I am SUPER proud of my sister for the young professional she is turning out to be. She currently is working on an album which she and I will be choreographing and conceptualizing the music videos for when they come out. We also are working on a internet-based talk show that's currently in the works, along with a movie on the way.
 
USASN: Do you ever run into or talk with any of your former SYTYCD colleagues?  How's Donyelle?
BENJI: I do from time to time. SYTYCD was a lot like high school. A Big Family. Some of us got along, some of us didn't. Some of us hooked up and had romance, some only wanted that to happen. We shared something very unique and beautiful that very few could ever understand completely, and we have all flown the nest in our separate directions. I love them all. Especially Donyelle. I probably see her the most out of the dancers from my season. Donyelle and I recently co-choreographed a "West Coast Swing meets Hip-Hop" number for SYTYCD Canada. She's now engaged and doing wonderfully! She's as beautiful as ever and is interested in getting into WC Swing!!!!
 
USASN: Are you back competing in-earnest on the Swing Circuit,or just occasionally?
BENJI: One thing I've learned for myself is that I need to constantly be nourishing myself in ALL aspects of life. One of the things I need is change and variation in my schedule so I continue to look at dance as my Art and Passion, rather than a business. Too many people close to me in almost all genres of dance have become SO commercialized that I don't see the Love of dance that they once had. Sure, success is great, but if it defeats that love then to me it's not necessarily worth it. I like to diversify my schedule with whatever I am doing in dance, be it WC Swing, Jazz or choreography, and performing along with competing. So basically, you'll see me a bit more in the community, but I follow no circuit. It's just out of love.
 
USASN: How much time do you spend teaching at the individual dance studios of your parents, Buddy and Laurie?  How is the talent developing there?
BENJI: I visit when I can. Usually, something like once or twice a month at 5678 (Buddy) where my home base is and once every two months at Planet Dance (Laurie) - and both studios are developing nicely. I don't think I've viewed the studios as laboratories, but the "development" seems to be growing and producing future and current Champion dancers. More than anything, I love teaching in more intimate settings and these studios are the product of the people who reared me to the dancer I am today. So I wanna know what they did to me so I can continue to do it to myself and others!!!!
 
USASN: Tell us about your new projects with Paula Abdul and how that choreographic relationship came about?
BENJI:  Paula and I became friends back when I was a competitor on SYTYCD. It was Top 10 and, to my knowledge, it was the only season where we worked every day of the week without 1 single break. Paula, being a dancer, saw the poor treatment and paid for every single one of us to have a fully-paid day spa experience at Glen Ivy. Ever since then a mutual love and appreciation for one another developed. One day, out of the blue, I was at a taping of DWTS rooting for Lacey - and Paula ran into me in the hallway while she was taping American Idol. She asked me to assist her in the choreography of the top 7 (with the likes of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert)'s performance the the music of the Jackson 5. After Rolling Stone Magazine had called it the best Idol performance ever, Paula asked me to creative direct (choreograph, audition, design, costume, direction of photography, lighting, staging, etc) her Farewell performance on AI. During the process, Paula and I rehearsed at her home and the friendship continued to grow. I have since choreographed her "VH1 Divas: LIVE Performance", as well, and danced with her on both occasions. She actually surprised the heck out of Kellese and me. About 5 minutes before we performed at the US Open, she ran onto the rehearsal floor with pom-pons and gave us a cheer. It was the sweetest thing, considering how busy I know she is. Love her dearly.
 

USASN: Tell us about your new movie projects!
BENJI: Well I recently wrapped a co-starring role in the indie film "Leading Ladies". I play a flamboyantly gay ballroom dancer in middle America whose dance partner gets knocked up and I have to take over the role of daddy. Funny enough, my bro, Jordan Frisbee, plays my boyfriend in it - not to mention my lead in a West Coast Swing dancer number in the show. Be prepared to laugh - a lot. I also will take part in a dance documentary about commercial dance titled, "Move".  About a year ago I caught the quarter-life-crisis bug and decided to write a screenplay with the help of a few friends and co-produce the film along with another West Coast Swing dance legend, Ronnie Debennedetta. We are currently working on some business deals to get the film made this year. Currently, renowned actor, William H. Macy, is editing the script out of the goodness of his heart. I can't go in to many details at this time, but the film is titled "Debonair". I, along with my sister Lacey and a few other VERY big time names are all taking part in it. It's a quirky indie comedy the likes of Rushmore meets Moulan Rouge meets Juno - and the late great films of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. 
 
USASN: What other projects are you working on? What big goals do you still have?
BENJI: The aforementioned projects and my regular teaching and choreographing really do take up most of my time. I am, however, working on an album of mix musical genres and currently have about 7 songs written and 3 completely produced. Look for the first single "Maybe" sometime next year.  Crossing fingers... haha. Also, I'm creating a line of apparel for West Coast Swing and Jazz dancers. 
 
USASN: In the middle of all this, what are you doing for FUN?
BENJI: Fun? However much I hate the long hours, the excessive travel, the competitiveness, and the crazies, I still have a blast doing what I'm doing. I go to Mexico monthly with my dad and do clothing, blanket and food drives for the less fortunate. Doing things like that, and going to Church, I think I enjoy the most. Spending those few precious moments with friends and family where it's not about a title or a job or an accomplishment are really my favorite.
 
USASN: Any messages to your millions of fans out there?
BENJI: Millions? Hmm I don't know if I have that many fans but if I did, I'd send em' a HUGE hug. Much love and blessings this new year!!!!