So You Think You Can Dance Canada

The Canadian spin off to the American version of So You Think You Can Dance finally began this September with Auditions ranging from Vancouver to Calgary to Halifax, spreading right across the nation. At last, a spin off that matches the likes of the original American version, with an amazing group of Top 20 dancers.

During the first round of auditions, if you had the look, the moves, and the grace of your dance style, you went straight through to Toronto, Canada's "Vegas." If the three expert judges thought you had potential, you had one more chance to impress them in the choreography round, taught by Season One's So You Think You Can Dance Top 10 cast-off Blake McGrath, a Toronto native. If your limbs flopped around like a dead fish, you were laughed at, labelled as a "hot mess", and then sent home.

As an active competitive dancer, I know how hard the dance industry can be, and I think it's a big breakthrough to see dancers being recognized for their unique craft on television. Except, is it necessary to put the dancers through hell and back just to find Canada's favourite dancer?

At the Toronto final auditions, the Top 100 had a chance to show their colours with routines taught by the judges - Luther Brown, Jean-Marc Genereux, Tre Armstrong, and Blake McGrath. Usually these pieces include working with a partner in a variety of styles, like hip hop, ballroom, and contemporary, pushing one far outside of their comfort zone.

After this, if voted through, they must join together in groups of seven or eight to create an original routine to a select piece of music, wowing the judges with creativity and technique. The dancers must work all day and night with little time for rest, degrading their bodies and increasing the risk of injuries. If you manage to pass the group audition, it's time to dance for your life with a solo. It better be incredible because if not, you're out.

The Top 20 are picked by the judges, not the viewers, and finally all their hard work has paid off - but only for twenty dancers. Of course the experience would be life changing, but I definitely wouldn't want to work so hard just to be sent home at the last minute. Of course, it's a competition, but perhaps a little less sweat, blood and tears?

The Top 20 receive their airtime, which is an amazing opportunity for dance teachers, choreographers, or studio's to recognize the young dancers and help them get their foot in the door to an elaborate dance career. The show has many benefits - it lets one be recognized, pushes dancers to the limit, and gives dancers a chance to meet amazing people that live in the dance world.

But all good things come with the bad - excruciating circumstances, along with disappointment. What we see on television is not even the half of what really goes on - how the dancers are treated, if they get proper nourishment, and if some of the best dancers are left without airtime are questions that only someone with the inside scoop can answer. For now, the rest of Canada will watch diligently and choose the first favourite Canadian dancer.