So You Think You Can Dance Canada

Top 10 Performance

so you think you can dance, top 10, judges

Episode Recap

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Canada has it down, says Top 10 guest judge Dan Karaty

“Canada just seems to have it down, from the lighting to the costumes, to the choreography to the execution of the dancers,” guest judge Dan Karaty said during the Top 10 performance show.

And the rest of the judging panel – Jean Marc Genereux, Tré Armstrong and guest judge Karen Kain – were just as impressed.

Dancers performed solos and duets and instead of voting for their favourite couple, viewers will now be voting for their favourite individual dancers.

The dancers with the fewest votes will perform their solos on Thursday night’s live results show, and the judges will announce the two dancers with the fewest votes who will be leaving the SYTYCDC stage.

The winner, runner-up and one lucky viewer will win a Mazda2 and one lucky dancer will win the title of Canada’s Favourite Dancer and the prize of $100,000.

Season 4 audition tour

The show has been renewed for a fourth season and host Leah Miller reminded viewers the audition tour will be hitting the road in November:

Saint John, N.B.: Saturday, November 6
Toronto: Saturday, November 20
Montreal: Saturday, November 27
Edmonton: Saturday, December 4
Vancouver: Saturday, December 11

Click here for additional audition information.

Hip-hop: Amanda and Edgar

Choreographer Luther Brown created the first piece of the night for Amanda and Edgar. His concept was store mannequins coming to life. “As much as it’s rigid, I need a hip-hop flavour,” Luther said before the dancers took to the stage.

The pair started on white boxes and came to life with sharp movement and tricks. Dan was incredibly impressed. “Both of you are equally perfect,” he said.

Solo: Sebastian

Sebastian started his quirky contemporary solo by rocking out to an air guitar, and popping three red balloons as he leapt and twirled across the stage. “Very creative solo,” Leah said afterwards.

Solo: Danielle

Danielle performed the second solo of the evening costumed in black sequins. She performed an emotional and highly technical contemporary number. “They’re going crazy for you!” Leah said about the audience after she danced.

Mambo: Nathalie and Denys

Nathalie and Denys were ready to perform a club-inspired mambo choreographed by Gustavo Vargas. “The hardest thing about this mambo is the feet,” Gustavo said.

Costumed in white, Denys lifted Nathalie effortlessly in this spicy mambo and Nathalie was costumed in a fiery red bikini top.

Karen was suitably impressed by Nathalie, especially as she is a contemporary dancer.

“You have a very special talent,” Karen said to Denys, loving his charisma and alluding to his likeness to the ballet great, Baryshnikov.

Solo: Jeff

Jeff performed a Ukrainian dance in traditional embroidered costumes with low kicks, back handsprings and knee spins around the stage. “That was unreal!” Leah gushed.

Solo: Janick

In a brown sequined dress, Janick performed her contemporary solo with sharp movements and high kicks. Leah gave her a hug after her solo.

Contemporary: Charlene and Mackenzie

Contemporary dancers Charlene and Mackenzie were thrilled to be working with choreographer Stacey Tookey. The narrative behind the piece was that Mackenzie, Charlene’s best friend, arrives at the church moments before Charlene gets married to profess his undying love.

Against a backdrop of lit stained glass windows, the dance was filled with powerful lifts and intense partnering. “It was gorgeous,” Leah said as the dancers joined her in front of the judges’ desk.

“It was definitely enjoyable,” Tré said about the performance, but added: “Sometimes your extensions didn’t go all the way through your toes.

“It just felt tight,” she offered.

Solo: Edgar

In jeans and a backwards black cap, Edgar performed his hip-hop solo. The crowd screamed as he tore his shirt off and threw it into the audience. “Do you know what you’re doing to these girls?” Leah laughed after his dance.

Solo: Amanda

In sequined purple, Amanda performed flawless pirouettes and split jumps across the stage. “Stunning,” Leah said, giving Amanda a hug.

Jazz funk: Janick and Jeff

Janick and Jeff were excited to work with choreographer Blake McGrath on a steamy jazz funk piece about a “sexy lion tamer.”

Janick began the piece hanging upside down in a cage, with Jeff wielding a whip, but as the piece ended, their roles had reversed with Janick throwing Jeff in the cage.

“I love your animalistic approach and the fact that you attack everything,” Jean Marc
said to Janick. He was also impressed by Jeff’s transformation. “You’re amazing,” he said.

Solo: Mackenzie

In black jeans, Mackenzie performed a contemporary routine complete with fouettés and huge jumps that had him flying across the stage. “That was great,” Leah said.

Solo: Charlene

Charlene performed a jazzy solo in a gold sequined top and black leggings. Her routine had floor work and soaring side split jumps. Leah gave her a hug before she ran off stage.

Quickstep: Danielle and Sebastian

Danielle and Sebastian were scared when they picked quickstep as their genre as it is one of the most challenging dances on the show. “The power is in your butt,” choreographer Pierre Allaire told the dancers in rehearsal.

The routine started with Sebastian in a grey vest and Danielle in a blue sparkly dress dancing the Charleston. They galloped around the edge of the stage in this nostalgic dance.

Dan admitted he, too, was nervous when they picked quickstep, but was incredibly impressed by what he saw. “You guys totally got the style of it, fully committed to the choreography and found a way to make it unbelievably entertaining to the audience,” Dan said.

Solo: Denys

Denys performed an Irish dance-inspired solo with fast and rhythmic footwork, concluding with a ‘tour en l’air’ – a full turn in the air. “Why are you so good?” Leah smiled afterwards.

Solo: Nathalie

In a black top and coral coloured skirt, Nathalie performed a highly technical and passionate contemporary solo. “Beautiful,” Leah said and gave her a hug.

Thursday: Results night

On Thursday night, the Top 10 will return to the SYTYCDC stage with a hustle number by choreographer Maria Torres.

After the dancers with the lowest number of votes perform their solos, the judges will announce the dancers who will be leaving the stage.

Your Top 10:

Amanda Cleghorn, 19, Mississauga, Ont.
Charlene Hart, 24, Abbotsford, B.C.
Danielle Gardner, 21, Surrey, B.C.
Denys Drozdyuk, 25, Toronto
Edgar Gilbert-Reyes, 22, Calgary
Janick Arseneau, 20, Bathurst, N.B.
Jeff Mortensen, 22, Edmonton
Mackenzie Green, 20, Regina
Nathalie Heath, 23, Surrey, B.C.
Sebastian Mersch, 21, Toronto

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Top 10 Performance

Canada has it down, says Top 10 guest judge Dan Karaty

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