Welcome to Pure So You Think You Can Dance Canada

CTV reports:

One of Jean Marc Genereux’s dreams came true on December 8th as he joined the 12,000 torchbearers and carried the Olympic flame in his home province of Quebec.

“When you do anything at the level that these athletes do it, you need to have that fire within you. The flame I got to carry represents that fire,” he says.

“I love that I was part of this human chain,” Jean Marc enthuses. “I just love the Olympics! It is so wonderful to push the physical body and celebrate the achievements of people regardless of anything other than their skills.”

CTV posted all the details for audtions for Season 3 of SYTYCD Canada

Hopefuls from across the country will audition to see if they can follow in the footsteps of Canada’s two Favourite Dancers — Tara-Jean Popowich from Lethbridge, Alta. and Nico Archambault from Montreal, Que.

And on the judging panel for the first stop on So You Think You Can Dance Canada cross-country auditions are:

And as always, Blake McGrath will be choreographing for Blake Bootcamp. Toronto Auditions happened yesterday and more are coming up.

Montreal, Que.
Saturday, November 28
Palais des Congres, Viger Hall
201 Avenue Viger Ouest

Vancouver, B.C.
Saturday, December 5
The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
777 Homer Street
Registration starts at 8 a.m.

East Coast City
Venue and date to be announced.

Calgary, Alta.
Venue and date to be announced.

There are rules and forms and information you must read before you go here

I will try to pop by the Vancouver Auditions and get some clips for the site

It feels like this season flew by.

I apologize for my lack of posts and power rankings last week but I was unable to post, despite having watched and taken notes for a post – I just didn’t get time. I can say I was shocked Melanie Mah went home, as she was a fave from day one for me and I was not surprised Emmanuel went home, as I felt he had gone as far as he could and should have gone home the week previously instead of Cody.

That being said – let’s focus on our Top 4 – - – wow!

There is so much chatter from the judges that the girls are the stars and that a female will win it, I can’t help but wonder if this is suggestive from the judges to try and make it a female since Nico won last year…. maybe I am just a conspiracy theorist…. but I think the men are equally talented as the women and it will be a tough season finale to watch.

I loved seeing the 4 dance together, then the 2 males and 2 females. Plus couples dances and solo’s made an action-packed evening.

We had some awesome judges (yes I am biased-ly in love with Blake McGrath & his blue jacket!)

Leah looked less “wind-tunnelled” (yes, that is as close to a compliment as she gets…. she is too young to have a face that looks it’s had plastic surgery)

Top 4
Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith.
Cabaret

Sexy, Hot, Loved the entire thing to bits!

Top 2 Men
Show-Tyme
Hip Hop

This was so fast, I really enjoyed it, I thought Everett picked it up better, perhaps from his tap skills?

Tara-Jean & Everett
Sean Cheeseman
Jazz

This was so moving, it made me love these two most of the top 4… powerful, emotional, despite a tumble…Best / Fave Routine of the Night

Top 2 Women
Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith.
Mambo

This was good, Jayme Rae outshone Tara-Jean (in my opinion) but the “salt & pepper spice” comment by Blake and the mini-lap-dances from the girls to the judges was cute & fun.

Jayme Rae & Vincent
Stacey Tookey
Contemporary

This was an awesome routine also – my 2nd fave of the night I think… though at Top 4 they are all amazing aren’t they?

Tara-Jean & Vincent
Maria Torres
Hustle

Her dress was stunning and they moved so well together, it was entertaining and awesome

Jayme Rae & Everett
Kelly Lannan & Eric Caty
Samba

Everett is such a showman and Jayme Rae has such an appeal – I just love watching these 2 dance. Look at this photo – what an ending!!!

Solo’s

Jayme Rae – She became a fave early on and has remained strong. I find her entertaining and alluring and I think people will vote for her. If she wins, Canada will have voted well.

Tara-Jean – Pretty and quiet, she never stood out for me, I often predicted she’d go home but she is still here and she always shows us why. Her solo was full of flips and jumps that impressed me.

Vincent – His solo’s are always amazing. Although I wasn’t a huge fan in the start and even thought he’d go home earlier on, he seems like an easy win based on his following.

Everett – His tapping just captivates me. He is the underdog in my opinion, but if he won it I’d be happily pleased. He is like the Evan of SYTYCD last season in my books.

My Picks

I’d like to see Everett or Jayme Rae take it… but I feel like Vincent or tara-Jean might. I know I am copping out of predictions… I jsut think they are all so wonderful.

[Photo Source]

Top 6 already??  Seriously?  I don’t know how it happened.

Mary Murphy as guest judge- this should be interesting, at least it will give the judges some more energy while doing the judging.

Vincent/Tara Jean
Salsa

This piece was great.  I think that Tara Jean was the star of that piece, but that might be because she was wearing very little and managed to land some amazing lifts.  On the other hand- Vincent was terrific as well.  I love the idea that Salsa can be updated and young while still holding its technical merits.

Everett/Melanie
Jazz/Rock

I was totally underwhelmed by this piece.  It felt forced and awkward the whole way through.  The music was loud and annoying.   They are so much better than this piece showed them to be.  And that lift over the head- I think that might have been the most awkward, un-attracted and un-stable lift I’ve seen on this program.  People won’t remember this piece.

Emanuel/Jayme Rae
Quickstep

It’s either going to be magical or horrific.  There is no middle ground in the Quickstep.  This just wasn’t good enough- the Quickstep has to have a fluidity to it and they both were quite stiff and uncomfortable looking.  As Mary said- the open work was fun to watch, but those steps and choreography weren’t Quickstep moves.  I don’t believe that axels are usually seen in a Quickstep.  I hope that Emanuel does better in the next piece- because he might be in trouble based on that piece.

It seems to me that the judges in Canada are much more leniant than the judges on the American version of the show.  I wonder why that is because if Nigel was reviewing that piece he wouldn’t have had nice things to say like Jean-Marc did.

Vincent/Tara Jean
Contemporary

This piece is why people dance.  It was as full of emotion and connection as it was with movement.  Neither Vincent or Tara Jean out-danced one another.  It was all about the moment.  No special lights, no elaborate costumes were necessary.  They put it all on the stage with such courage and beauty.  I’m amazed.

Everett/Melanie
Hiphop

It’s difficult to go from such a tender piece to a hard hitting hiphop however this piece was well executed.  The connected pieces were well done, and they pulled off the dirty-ness that was needed to bring the steps to life.  It was fun and totally convincing.

Emanuel/Jayme Rae
JazzFunk

I liked this piece- but I’m always nervous about a piece that was too many props involved.  I think that Jayme Rae out-danced Emanuel this time.  I keep getting distracted by Emanuel’s facial expressions but maybe it’s just me.  It was really really sexy, but I guess I just didn’t really believe it.

The opening routein by Tyce Diorio was awesome. I am a little upset with the camera men I felt like I was missing a lot of awesome moves because they were zoomed in on certain people.

Also, Next Tuesday Mia Michaels is choreographing the group routine….. exciting! I did my Power Rankings this week but was off quite a bit. Here are Tonight’s Results.

Girls

Jayme Rae – Safe (As I predicted)
Kim – Not Safe (Not as I predicted)
Tara-Jean – Safe (Not as I predicted)
Melanie – Not Safe (Not as I predicted)

Boys

Cody – Not Safe (As I predicted)
Vincent – Safe (As I predicted)
Emanuel – Safe (Not as I predicted)
Everett – Not Safe (Not as I predicted)

I was way off with predictions this week.

Solos

Kim – Sexy, hot, hard hitting
Melanie – Pretty, passionate, full
Cody – cute, quirky, fun
Everett – Pure talent, entertaining

Good-Bye

Kim & Cody

Final Thoughts

If you had asked me a couple weeks ago I would not be upset if Kim went home but I was really starting to like her and so it was sad to see her leave. Cody I adore but I knew he wouldn’t make it to the end. I am plesantly surprised Melanie is still here, she was my favourite from day one. Final 6 … this will only get more difficult!

Judges Corner

I never say this…. but Leah Miller looked nice tonight

Jayme Rae & Everett perform the Mambo choreographed by Gustavo Vargas

Tara-Jean & Vincent perform the Rumba choreographed by Eric Caty

Kim & Cody perform Hip Hop choreographed by Luther Brown

Melanie & Emanuel perform Contemporary choreographed by Sabrina Matthews

Tara-Jean & Vincent perform Krump choreographed by Lil C

Kim & Cody perform the Smooth Waltz choreographed by Pierre Allaire

Melanie & Emanuel perform Disco choreographed by Melissa Williams

What a night. I can honestly say we have an unbelievable Top 8. And Mia is right, our Top 4 girls are the best i have seen!!!

Last week I predicted who would go home, however it is getting so difficult. I can say who I feel should be in the bottom or who I think Canada will vote for.

Mia Michaels (with a new shaved head), Dan Karaty, Tre Armstrong and Jean-Marc Genereux were judges and we had Nico Archambault debut as a SYTYCD choreographer. It was indeed a special night.

Although during rehearsals there were multiple injuries with Everett suffering from a bleeding nose from a few kicks in the face to Emmanuel’s sprained ankle (and his fingers are still bandaged) but the show must go on – and it did – and it was spectacular!

Top 4 Guys Dance
Jazz with Melissa Williams
“Beggin” – Jersey Boyz

They were not at all in unison, a boy band they are NOT! I did enjoy the solo bits with spins and kicks as well as the overall routine. Vincent stood out for me.

Top 4 Girls Dance
Burlesque in my opinion with Sean Cheeseman
“Dr. Feelgood” – Aretha Franklin

This was sexy, hot and amazing. The girls were in sync, each had a chance to shine and the choreography was super seductive. Jayme Rae stood out *slightly* for me but overall the all shone like the superstars they are.

Couples

Vincent & Tara-Jean

1. Rumba with Eric Caty
“Hero” – Enrique Iglesias

Maybe it’s the song but I teared up, I was covered in goosebumps and I enjoyed every moment of this amazing routine. The kiss at the end was hot and Mia Michaels was correct, the end bit was very Karma Sutra. I just loved it, Tara-Jean was sexy and Vincent was powerful and I adored every second of this routine.

2. Krump with Lil’ C
“Chea-Chea-Chea” – Tha J Squad

Neither hit it very hard but it was a good effort. Tara-Jean seems to me to be the weakest link of the 4 girls, though even saying that feels wrong because they are all so amazing. Vincent delivered though it was not overly “krumpy” for me.

Tara-Jean
“Farewell” – Rosie Thomas

Passionate, Emotional, Pretty. But not sure if her overall effort will get her to next week.

Vincent
“U Can’t Touch This” – MC Hammer

Unique song choice for his genre of dance but he delivered. It was hot, sexy and most importantly ENTERTAINING!

Kim & Cody

1. Hip Hop with Luther Brown
“Humpin’ Around” – Bobby Brown

I loved this routine. Mia Michaels called it “dope” and I concur. It was hard, it was hyped, it was a throw back to old school hip hop and they nailed it. Both of them were in their genre and showed they could rock it out.

2. Smooth Waltz with Pierre Allaire
“What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong

This fell flat. It was cute and quirky, I was shocked to see Kim not being sexy… but it was not entertaining and as the judges pointed out it showed poor technique and didn’t deliver.

Kim
“Jerk it” -Thunderhiest

Back to the sexy where she belongs this was an amazing routine. I especially loved the gliding across the floor on her back and the abrupt sudden movements… hot!

Cody
“Missin’ You” – Tre Songz

The problem with Cody is that his hip hop is smooth and natural and looks to come so easy. I think that can be mistaken for lack of effort or passion. I believe he HAS the passion and drive and effort, but he is just so talented his solo’s appear relaxed. I hope this doesn’t land him in the bottom

Emanuel & Melanie

1. Contemporary (Ballet parts) with Sabrina Matthews
“The Scientist” – Coldplay

What great lines. It was a beautiful routine though I felt the pairing was a bit off. The judges really emphasized how well Melanie did while playing hard ball with Emmanuel. He was injured, he did miss rehersals, he did fairly well all things considered, but also he is a fan favourite mainly because of his background with skating and his familiarity.

2. Disco with Melissa Williams
“Hush Hush” -Pussycat Dolls

I enjoyed the routine. I feel like Melanie has been in the bottom when she shouldn’t have been before and fear that will occur again. Emmanuel I feel has been in the top when he shouldn’t have been and wonder how Canada will vote this week given he was injured.

Melanie
“Innocence” – Bjork

I loved this solo. The song choice was so perfect for her movements. She really delivered passion and talent and showcased why she should stick around.

Emanuel
“Mad World” – Adam Lambert

He always looks to glide on ice. I wanted to see more. I worried about his ankle. I feel it is tough to judge or rank someone who is injured. I don’ tknow if people will vote for him based on previous weeks and loving him already or even as sympathy for his injury or if he will finally go home. We shall see tomorrow.

Jayme Rae & Everett

1. Mamba with Gustavo Varagas
“En Berransvilla Me Quedo” – Joe Arroyo

Jayme Rae’s hips were flying and she was sexy as hell even as her costume was falling apart. The kicks, spins, dips and that end flip… wow! Entertaining and amazing. Yes Jayme Rae outshone Everett but that is how it should be and Mia Michaels was correct – HOT A LICIOUS!

2. Jazz Funk with Nico Archambault & Wynn Holmes
“Sexy Chick” – David Guetta (feat. Akon)

If Nico’s choreo can’t keep these two out of the bottom 2 I don’t know what can… Nico’s debut as a choreo on the show was AMAZING… I loved it as much as I love him !!! Everett was the perfect geek and Jayme Rae sexy as sexy can be. The story was cute, the moves were amazing it was a well-crafted routine from idea to performance….

Jayme Rae
“gettin’ in the Way” -Jill Scott

Every movement was precise and amazing. I think she should be safe based on her paired routines and solo. She has become quite the superstar.

Everett
“Stand By Me” -Ben E King

This guy is entertaining. He makes tap fun again. I can’t keep my eyes off him when he moves and that is a good thing. I think he should be safe.

Power Rankings

Girls

1. Kim
2. Jayme Rae
3. Melanie
4. Tara-Jean

Boys

1. Vincent
2. Everett
3. Cody
4. Emanuel

I predict Tara-Jean and Emanuel go Home (Though I kind of sadly think it may be Cody and not Emanuel, I would probably cry if that was true though)

Do you agree? Disagree? Why?

We will see Tomorrow Night

And Then there were 8….

From this point on it will be even more difficult to say good-bye but at least we know they will all be on SYTYCDC Tour this winter

While my Power Rankings were not spot on – I did predict the most important part – - – who was going home

The opening dance routine by Stacey Tookey was pretty incredible and [maybe I am biased] but Melanie, Cody & Jayme Rae really stood out for me in the routine. The pairing was awesomely choreographed, though the group was not in sync and some were obviously stronger than others.

Leah Miller was annoying as ever though I enjoyed watching her fumble her words a bit and I could see that the hair in her eyes was annoying her but she was trying not to have to move it out of the way, thus blocking her face for a millisecond on screen.

Blake McGrath, who I adore, was there again and I have to say, as much as I love his bod – I do not dig the open shirt…. it’s a bit sloppy looking…

Leah’s introduction of Jean-Marc as the French Canadian Fabio made me literally laugh out loud!

Anyways, enough with my rants… here is what happened.

Girls

Amy – not safe (as I predicted)
Kim – safe
Tara-Jean – safe
Melanie – not safe (I disagree!)
Jayme Rae safe

Boys

Everett – safe (good!)
Cody – not safe (shocked me a bit)
Vincent – safe
Austin – not safe (as I predicted)
Emanuel – safe (Canada loves him!)

Solo’s

Amy- was fine but I knew she would be going home.

Melanie- was [if its possible] even more passionate and gave me goosebumps!

Cody- was more of a jazzy hip hop that i really enjoyed. The kid has charisma!

Austin – was amazing! I sensed he’d go home after being in the bottom before, I really think he cockiness in auditions gave him a bad rep early and he just couldn’t get in the votes, but he was AMAZING! I loved that he changed it up and tried something new. It wasn’t so floaty free, airy fairy… it was hard and fun and it was a great send-off.

Good-Bye

Amy & Austin went home, as I predicted

So my power rankings started off strong then faded with my predictions for Bottom 3 couples usually only being 1/3 accurate, though my predictions for who goes home have been pretty close throughout.

Tre, Jean-Marc, Luther and Blake were judges and we saw lot’s of familiar choreographers as well as some past contestents Natali Reznik and Francis Lafreniere who guest choreographed.

This Week things changed. Top 10 means new couples each week and solo’s from all for individual votes. I am going to talk briefly about the couples routines then go into power rankings by individual.

First of All – Couples Dances

This is in order of performance not ranking:

Vincent & Melanie
Pasa Doble with Natalie Resnik & Francis Lafreniere
“Conquest” – White Stripes

This was agressive and entertaining. Melanie showcased legs I didn’t know she had and that flip into Vincent’s arms was awesome.

Cody & Amy
Contemporary with Stacey Tookey
“Come Home” – One Republic

There was a lot of partnering and overall it was pretty and quite fluid. Cody out performed Amy and as the judges noted, she should have stood out given it is her area of dance!

Emanuel & Tara-Jean
Samba with Tony & Melanie
“Samba Vocalizado” -Luciano Perrone

This was fantastic. I really liked that Emanuel took the character on so well and they both shook their booties like there was no tomorrow. I was so scared my heart jumped when Emanuel charged at TJ to jump as she did a back bend… wow!

Everett & Kim
Jazz with Sean Cheeseman
“St. James Infirmary Blues” —The White Stripes

This was creepy and fun. I loved the use of the table and how Kim was “dead” it was really entertaining. I wasn’t a fan of Kim neccessarily and all of a sudden all the judges are soo ga-ga over her… but I am starting to see it more.

Jayme Rae & Austin
Hip Hop with ShoTyme
“Da Rockwilder” —Method Man & Redman

I think she hit harder than he did. Austin is such a beautiful fluid dancer I think this hard-hitting hip hop was a challenge for him. It was fun to watch though.

Power Rankings

Girls

Melanie
“The Fame” – Lady Gaga
This girl has energy, she almost had too much tonight if you ask me, but she was all over the place and performed well overall. I hope she is safe.

Jayme Rae
“Make me Over” – Keyshia Cole
This was fun, sexy, only she can pull off those silver spandex! I see so much passion and versatility in her. I worry she will be lower than my ranking, I love her but I feel like Canada doesn’t as much.

Tara-Jean
“Relief” – Chris Garneau
She has passion and she is quirky and fun. I like dhow she was flowing so beautifully then would have sudden jerky movements. The juxtaposition of her movements fit well to the music and I loved her shoulder movements.

Kim
“Kiss from a rose” – Seal
It didn’t stand out to me as anything spectacular. She was wearing a bikini top that I thought would fall off. I’d put her in the bottom though i don’t know if Canada will.

Amy
“Wanted” – Vanessa Carlton
It was pretty and cute. It didn’t stand out for me much. I predict she goes home.

Boys

Everett
“Everybody Dance” – Chic
Wow! This was entertaining. Tap is not typically that entertaining to me but he was fun and had great moves and energy. I know most may not put him in the top but he was my top solo for the men tonight…

Cody
“I need a girl” – P. Diddy
This kid can do no wrong in my book. He is so adorable and a pleasure to watch, especailly in his element. His moves were awesome and I enjoyed it. I would be surprised if he was in the bottom, though he has been before. Me and Canada disagree sometimes.

Emanuel
“Bridge” – Amon Tobin?
This guy is def. a figure skater. His foot work was stunning, his jumps and turns amazing and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought he WAS floating on an ice rink. Awesome Dance. Canada Loves him… likely safe.

Vincent
“Can you feel it” – Real2Real
Flawless, natural and upbeat. He moved his hips like no man I’ve seen and he just kills it everytime he is on stage. He was not an early fave for me but I love him now! I think he is safe.

Austin
“Always Midnight” – Pat Monahan
A beautiful solo as always (he has sure had his fair share of opportunities for solo’s this season!) He has such passion and moves so smoothly, it is hard to get ridof him after seeing his solo’s, but he has been bottom 3 before a few times and it’s crunch time. I predict he will go home.

Final Thoughts

Amy did not stand out for me amongst everyone else so I predict she will go home.

Austin has been in the bottom 3 many times and his couple performance was weak so I am predicting he will go home.

Last week my power rankings were 1/3 and as we get lower in numbersit is getting pretty difficult, they are all so good.

This week I am hoping to do better (Hey I was 3/3 two weeks ago!) here are my thought son the show… please comment with your thoughts and let’s see tomorrow who goes home.

Melanie & Cody
Jazz with Melissa Williams
“Glory Box” – Portishead

I loved the scarf, I loved them, I loved the routine, I loved the outfits, I loved the chair, I loved the make-up, I loved the story… yes I am biased, I LOVE these 2 dancers. My fave of the night.

Kim & Emanuel
Hip Hop with Luther Brown
“Respect my Conglomerate” -Busta w/ Lil’W and JedaKiss

Although there were parts not in unison, and he seemed uncomfortable much of the time, Kim really surprised me and brought it. I loved that she just “went for it” and (though not hard hitting) her tutting impressed me. Her hip shaking was sexy, she stole the routine for me.

Jayme Rae & Daniel
Contemporary with Blake McGrath
“It Must have been Love” -Kari Kimmel

This routine gave me goosebumps. I loved that it was flowy and beautiful then abrupt and hard. The juxtaposition of the movements matched the emotion of the routine. Love and Marriage turned to heartache and pain. Blake is Brilliant!

—————————————BOTTOM 3—————————————

Tara-Jean & Everett
Theatre with Sean Cheeseman
“The Joint is Jumpin” – Ain’t Misbehvin’ (1978 Original Cast)

There were some nice slides, flips and even an amazing tap solo. The part of this that caught my attention the most, however, was that CRAZY flip over near the end of the routine. My heart actually jumped and I got chills.

Vincent & Amy
Jive with Tony Meredith & Melanie LePatin
“Pony Time” -Chubby Checker

This was a high energy, fun-loving, fantastic routine. I thouroughly enjoyed it and I enjoy them – I just don’t know how to pick a bottom 3 this week.

Austin & Corynne
Salsa with Tony Meredith & Melanie LePatin
“Calle Ocho” – Pitbull

This routine was akward for me. I loved the Choreo but Corynne has these amazing legs she barely used to kick. Her hip shaking was barely there. The pairing was just uncomfortable for me. Austin brought it but it just didn’t work for me. I agree with Mia. I Think Bottom 3.

If my bottom 3 are correct i suspect that Corynne & Austin go home…. *hides*