Just a few days after the Season 4 So You Think You Can Dance Canada premier, fans all over the country are geared up to embark on this year’s journey to find Canada’s next favourite dancer. Following a number of young hopefuls during the ups and downs of a difficult on air dancing competition, the new season and its judges promise to be bigger and better than any season prior. As judge Tré Armstrong reveals, viewers will be treated to sexy dancing and a lot of talent as early on as the first three minutes of the season.
“I’m anxious and nervous and excited and overwhelmed at the same time to see the show tonight,” Armstrong told andPOP on Monday, a mere few hours before the premier. “[It’s the] best season yet for sure.”
However, it’s definitely not all fun and games for the contestants. As every other season, this time around each competitor who the judges are unconvinced should proceed to Finals Week in Toronto must come face to face with their worst nightmare – a little thing called “Blake Boot Camp.”
“It’s definitely the first moment where their eyes really kind of start to bulge out of their heads and say wow, okay, I didn’t know how hard this is going to be,” says Armstrong’s co-judge and choreographer, Blake McGrath. “We do that to prepare them for the shows. It’s a really gruelling process.” The experience, which McGrath titles interesting, fun, and crazy, definitely takes its toll on the contestants’ nerves. “I think people throw up this year, actually,” the judge reveals.
Summer Rush is an amazing concert hosted by Toronto’s Z103.5 at Canada’s Wonderland. This year didn’t disappoint with an awesome lineup that included JLS, Jay Sean, Girlicious, Faber Drive and Blake McGrath. One thing we noticed at the concert was the lack of security among some of the artists. We explored this topic and also found out some moves to protect yourself against screaming fans.
Almost every major broadcaster in the U.S. has it’s own reality dance show. ABC airs “Dancing with the Stars,” MTV has “America’s Best Dance Crew,” FOX shows “So You Think You Can Dance” and Paula Abdul is the star of an upcoming CBS reality dance show.
But it’s not just a mere coincidence. The reason is simple: audiences are craving them. “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” is proof of this north of the boarder. Premiering in 2008, the Canadian reality show became an instant hit. The following year it ended season two with 11 per cent more viewers and an average audience of 1.43 million viewers.
“So You Think You Can Dance Canada has discovered some amazing talent over the past two seasons,” said CTV’s Susanne Boyce. “Show alumni are performing with Janet Jackson, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Ke$ha, and Adam Lambert, among others, making a statement about Canadian dance around the world.”
The third season kicked off Sunday at 9 p.m. EST. Performer and choreographer Blake McGrath — who’s a judge on the show — thinks this will be their biggest season yet. “I think it’s gonna be a stronger season for sure all around, from the choreography to the contestants,” he shared. “I’m really excited for it.”
For dancers hoping to make it onto the show, McGrath says the first step is training. Having confidence is a close second.
The reality show kicks off with Toronto auditions. Fans can catch weekly highlights and behind the scenes footage on demand at CTV.ca.
Keep track of the season three audition episodes with the list below:
· Sunday, August 15 at 9 p.m. ET (two hour premiere) – Toronto Auditions
· Monday, August 16 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Calgary and Halifax Auditions
· Tuesday, August 17 at 8 p.m. ET (one hour) – Vancouver Auditions
· Wednesday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Montreal Auditions
· Thursday, August 19 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Finals Week
· Sunday, August 22 at 9 p.m. ET (one hour) – Top 20 Reveal
