Top 22

Hani Abaza says he experienced both “humbling relief” and “empowering excitement” upon discovering he was part of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA’s Season 3 Top 22.

Unlike most competitors this year, the Kuwaiti-born contemporary dancer did not start dancing until his late teens. “I started dancing when I turned 18. I started because my friend Lauren was a dancer and I used to go watch her take class and compete. Her dance studio used to call me their mascot because I was so into it and they finally asked me why I don’t just dance too. I started soon after!”

Hani did most of his formal training at the Greta Leeming Studio of Dance in Ottawa and finished training at Performing Dance Arts in Woodbridge, Ontario. Contemporary dance was his main focus, but Hani is also trained in hip-hop, jazz, and ballet. 

For the past two years, Hani has been living in Los Angeles where he has been pursuing a career in dance. Throughout his professional work, he has paired up with a number of notable choreographers and entertainers including, Wade Robson on the Cirque Du Soleil show ‘Believe,’ SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA’s Luther Brown in an Eva Avila music video, Jully Black on “Day Fool” music video, and Sean Desmond on the “Shiver” music video. Hani has also had the chance to perform with Canadian folk singer, Feist and international artist Adele. 

When not on stage or in the studio, Hani loves to spend his time cooking, painting, and swimming, meditating, and learning new things. People might be surprised to know he can clap with one hand and wears a necklace with a lotus flower with a saying that reads “through it all the lotus flower still blooms.” He also always paints his left pinky finger with nail polish to commemorate his best friend Lesley Sparks, who he does not see as much as he would like.