So You Think You Can Dance Canada

Seasons

In 2007, CTV announced it would produce a Canadian version of the American dance competition show. The first season’s tryouts were held in five cities from April to June 2008. MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller was named host, with Jean-Marc Généreux and Tré Armstrong as regular judges; Luther Brown and Blake McGrath took turns as the third judge. The season started on September 11, 2008, and ended on December 7, 2008, with Montreal contemporary dancer Nico Archambault winning, Calgary ballet dancer Allie Bertram finishing second, Calgary hip hop dancer Miles Faber third, and Toronto Latin dancer Natalli Reznik fourth. Archambault took home $100,000 and a 2009 Mercedes-Benz. For season two, auditions ran from April to May 2009 in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saint John, Toronto, and Montreal. Miller, Généreux, and Armstrong all returned, and the season premiered on August 11, 2009. The finale on October 25, 2009, crowned Lethbridge contemporary dancer Tara-Jean Popowich the winner, with Trois-Rivières ballroom dancer Vincent Desjardins as runner-up, Montreal jazz dancer Jayme-Rae Dailey third, and Glen Morris tap dancer Everett Smith fourth. Popowich and Desjardins each received a Mazda 3 Sport, and Popowich also got $100,000. She is the first female winner from any version of the show who never landed in the bottom three or four during her season. In season four, the finale had six contestants, but only the top three placings were announced.