Can Canada dance?

Guess we'll see when the anticipated series So You Think You Can Dance Canada debuts on CTV and MuchMusic in September.
By Marija Djukic
August 25, 2008

Based on the hit American series, So You Think You Can Dance Canada will make a two-hour debut on CTV on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 8 pm. Encore episodes will begin on MuchMusic on Sunday, Sept. 14 (time TBA). Then the show will settle into its regular 8 pm time slot on Wednesdays.

Highlights from each episode will be available on demand on the CTV video player at www.ctv.ca. Encore presentations of performance and results episodes will also air back-to-back on Sundays at 9 pm on MuchMusic beginning Sept. 21. The first two episodes of the series will air in a one-time-only 5 pm time slot on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Up-to-date information will be provided on the show’s official website www.dance.ctv.ca, where visitors will be able to interact with dancers, judges and choreographers by browsing the image galleries, videos and forums.

Hosted by MuchMusic’s Leah Miller (pictured), the series will feature a panel of Canadian expert judges, including permanent judges Tré Armstrong (dancer, choreographer and star of How She Move) and Jean Marc Genereux (international ballroom champion and guest judge/choreographer on the US version of the show).

Alternating judges are Luther Brown (choreographer for Sean Combs) and Blake McGrath (choreographer, dancer and Season 1 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, DanceLife). Special guest judges, who will also serve as contestants’ choreographers, include dancers who’ve helped create videos for the Jonas Brothers, Tina Turner, Prince and George Michael. Rex Harrington, artist-in-residence for The National Ballet of Canada, will also serve as a special guest judge.

‘We were amazed at the diversity of dancers we found in each of our audition cities,’ says exec producer Sandra Faire. ‘They inspired us with their passion for dance and their determination to become Canada’s favourite dancer. We know viewers will fall in love with them.’

More than 2,500 aspiring dancers came to five Canadian audition cities. Full broadcast details for the ‘Finals Week’ episode as well as Top 20 live shows will be revealed at a later date.