| So You Think You Can Dance Canada | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Simon Fuller Nigel Lythgoe |
| Directed by | Don Weiner Al Manson |
| Presented by | Leah Miller |
| Judges | Jean-Marc Généreux Tré Armstrong |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 92 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Sandra Faire Trisa Dayot |
| Running time | Varies |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | CTV MuchMusic CTV 2 |
| Release | September 11, 2008 – September 11, 2011 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
So You Think You Can Dance Canada is a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.
Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the country, looking for the top dancers in Canada. Competitors of all genres and styles tried to impress the judges in the hopes of making the Top 20, which gave them the opportunity to perform on national television.
During each week's performance show, couples competed for the votes of the viewing public; the three couples receiving the fewest votes are forced to "dance for their lives" during the results show in an attempt to prove to the judges that they deserve to stay. Following this, the judges eliminated one man and one woman from the competition — for the first five weeks, the judges themselves chose who stays and who goes, but starting in Top 10 week, the voters alone decided which dancers continued on in the competition. Ultimately, one dancer prevailed. During the season finale, this person was crowned "Canada's Favourite Dancer", and received a prize of CDN $100,000 and a new car. In Seasons 2 and 3, the runner-up also received a new car.
The show was hosted by former ETalk correspondent and MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller. The judging panel featured two permanent judges, Jean-Marc Généreux and Tré Armstrong, and usually two rotating guest judge spots. Over the years, guest judges have included Karen Kain and Rex Harrington from the National Ballet of Canada, High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, well-known Broadway choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty, who are both veteran judges on the US version of the show.
During its run, the show featured many well-known Canadian choreographers, including Luther Brown, Blake McGrath, Stacey Tookey, Sean Cheesman, Melissa Williams, Sabrina Matthews and Paul Becker. In addition, many choreographers from the US version of the show have also done work for So You Think You Can Dance Canada including Mia Michaels, Mandy Moore, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, Benji Schwimmer, Lil' C and Tyce Diorio. As in the American edition, the show's choreographers may also sometimes act as guest judges.
The show has also been noted for being one of the first SYTYCD shows in the world to introduce some international dance styles, including African jazz, Jamaican dancehall and India's Bollywood into the competition.[1]
On September 13, 2011, two days after the fourth-season finale, CTV announced that it was not renewing So You Think You Can Dance Canada.[2] In its announcement, the network noted that Season 4 was the lowest rated season to date, having lost 31% of its viewership since its initial season. However, it is difficult to compare ratings across seasons, as the first three installments aired in the fall, while the fourth aired in the summer - which traditionally has lower viewership across the board.
Season 4 still garnered over one million viewers and was the networks number 2 Canadian entertainment series and number 1 in the 18-34 demographic.[3]
- ^ "A dance show as diverse as Canada". Toronto Star, August 23, 2010.
- ^ "CTV axes 'Hiccups,' 'Dan for Mayor,' 'So You Think You Can Dance Canada'". The Canadian Press. September 13, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ "Producer fires back on Dance Canada departure". Retrieved January 14, 2013.