Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with Kathryn McCormick the top placing female dancer from season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance. Over the course of season 6 Kathryn went from virtual unknown to rising star on the power of her technique and performances. By the time the finale rolled around, Kathryn had claimed Nigel and much of America's heart. The head judge showered her with compliments, telling her she was "my favorite girl for weeks."

Just before hopping on a plane to head home for the holidays, Kathryn chatted with me about her favorite routines of the season, which routine she would have chosen to be danced again for the finale, and the moments that made her time on So You Think You Can Dance "the most incredible journey."

You must be exhausted after the journey you've been through.

"Yeah! I'm exhausted. I'm still so excited. I'm tired. I'm sad, it's a lot."

What was your favorite memory or moment of your journey?

"That's a hard question. I would say there were so many moments on stage and in rehearsal, but some of my best moments have definitely just been with the people outside of it. And just conversations that I've had with them and just the relationships I've made. And so those are definitely some of the best moments and the most memorable. I can't pick one moment because this has been the most incredible journey all around.

But each time I got on the stage it felt more and more comfortable and I think that I grew to love dance more and more, even just through the show. I started to perform like I had never performed before, just because I felt so comfortable, like it was my home. Every time I stepped on the stage, I felt like I could do anything and it didn't matter who was watching. Because it was just about me and that person or me by myself and it was just a moment that I was trying to share with the world. I'm sorry, I can't pick just one moment."

That's okay, that answer was way better than a single moment. You had so many memorable routines that you were part of this season, did you have a a favorite?

"I don't really have an absolute favorite routine. I can tell you my favorite from each genre.

In ballroom, I would definitely say that it cha cha was my favorite, with Ryan. It felt so natural and good and he's an amazing partner so it was a really hard routine but he helped me through it. And I felt so comfortable, obviously I felt like I could perform and enjoy every second of it because I trusted him. So that one really was amazing for me.

For contemporary, definitely the Desmond Richardson one I just did with Jakob felt amazing. He is such a strong partner and person and I just felt a really good connection with him. So that one felt really free. But also "Two Steps Away" with Legacy, just because that was really special as it was his first contemporary piece ever. I was really blessed to be a part of that journey for him. And it was really hard for us because he had never partnered and we didn't know what we were doing. But we made it work. And just the story line of fear and how you want to break way from it, but at the same time it's your comfort. I felt like that was kind of my story moving out here. And so it was personally perfect for me.

As for hip hop, the one I just did with Russell, "Transformers" was so much fun."

If you'd gotten to choose any routine to see again during the finale, what would you have chosen?

"Wow. That's a hard one too.  There were so many amazing, amazing pieces. I think that the piece that Ashleigh and Ryan just did, their contemporary. That was really special just to see. Just that that's not their genre at all, it's really special that they got to experience that together because the trust that they have for each other was so real. And it's like even if they didn't know what they were doing, they didn't care because they trusted each other so much. And they are in that position together and I think that was just really special and really real and honest. So I would love to watch that again, because it was really special in my heart knowing them personally."

What's Next for you?

"I'm about to go home for Christmas for about two weeks and then I'll be back out here, because I live in Burbank now. I'll be back out here and auditioning and back in ballet classes and training some more. And who knows exactly what I'm going to do next. I just know I want to keep performing and auditioning and just seeing what comes my way and maybe possibly taking acting and singing lessons too. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do and I need to process that a little bit when I'm home and just think about what my goals are. But I definitely want to keep performing and dancing and training and just being better at everything I possibly can."

What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home for the holidays?

"The first thing I am probably going to do is give my little brother a huge huge hug, because I missed him so much. So much. So I'll probably hang out with him for a little bit, drop my bags, and jump on him."