So You Think You Can Dance Canada Premieres September 11

From a media release:

• Put on Your Dancing Shoes! Broadcast details unveiled for hot new Canadian format of the No.1 hit series
• dance.ctv.ca features images, videos and expanded content
• Encore episodes premiere September 14 on MuchMusic

It’s time for Canada to dance! CTV announced today that the eagerly-awaited So You Think You Can Dance Canada will kick off its first season Thursday, September 11 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, with encore episodes premiering Sunday, September 14 on MuchMusic (go to ctv.ca and muchmusic.com to confirm local broadcast times). The inaugural season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada promises to celebrate and showcase a hotbed of talented Canadian dancers, trained and untrained, ready to share their passion for dance with the nation. After a cross-country search this past spring for the best dancers Canada has to offer, the two-hour series premiere takes a peek at auditions held in Toronto, where more dancers turned out to audition than any other city in North America.

The premiere announcement comes hot on the heels of the season finale of the hit American version of So You Think You Can Dance, which was the most-watched episode ever on CTV and the No.1 entertainment program of the summer with a record 1.92 million viewers. In its fourth season on CTV, the series saw its audience grow by 19%. The series has had similar success on MuchMusic, where it attracts a whole new audience. Currently the most-watched series on MuchMusic, the audience for So You Think you Can Dance grew 40% this season over last.

Hosted by MuchMusic’s Leah Miller, So You Think You Can Dance Canada boasts an esteemed panel of Canadian experts who have worked with world class entertainers, including permanent judges Tré Armstrong (dancer, choreographer and star of the MTV/Paramount dance film How She Move) and Jean Marc Genereux international ballroom champion and guest judge/choreographer on the U.S. version of So You Think You Can Dance), and alternating third judges Luther Brown (urban choreographer/Sean Combs) and Blake McGrath (choreographer, dancer and Season 1 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, DanceLife). Special guest judges Paul Becker (The Jonas Brothers), Sean Cheesman (Tina Turner) and Melissa Williams (Prince, George Michael) all serve as choreographers who also appear as judges.

Rex Harrington, artist-in-residence for The National Ballet of Canada also serves as a special guest judge. From the U.S. series, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty appear as special guest judges during the audition episodes.

“During the inaugural audition tour, the feedback from the judges and choreographers was that Canada’s crop of dancers was absolutely phenomenal,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “So You Think You Can Dance Canada has buzz, and from the talent we have seen,
these dancers are going to leave it all on the dance floor, for all of Canada to see.”

“We were amazed at the diversity of dancers we found in each of our audition cities,” said Executive 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!”

The first set of cross-country tryouts, from the very best to the downright worst, will kick off the series debut in Canada. The broadcast schedule unfolds as follows before So You Think You Can Dance Canada settles into its regular Wednesdays at 8 p.m. time-slot (all times ET; times and dates subject to change; go to ctv.ca to confirm local broadcast times):

• Thursday, September 11 at 8 p.m. ET (two hours) – Toronto Auditions
• Sunday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET (two hours) – Vancouver and Halifax Auditions 
• Wednesday, September 17 at 8 p.m. ET (two hours) – Montreal and Calgary Auditions

During the three audition episodes, So You Think You Can Dance Canada showcases dancers from across the country as they compete to impress an expert panel of judges. Select competitors are invited to “Finals Week,” where they work with some of Canada’s top choreographers. After the dancers meet in Toronto for this next stage of the competition, they test their bodies and wills to try and earn a coveted spot in the first-ever So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20. Chosen by the judging panel, a select group of dancers moves forward in the competition to perform in front of the nation. The public votes for their favourites following weekly performance episodes in which competitors are assigned partners and dance styles to perform, from hip-hop, krump and pop-and-lock to salsa, quickstep, contemporary and jive. Full broadcast details for the “Finals Week” episode as well as Top 20 live shows will be revealed at a later date.

Hoping for a shot at success, more than 2,500 aspiring dancers flocked to five Canadian audition cities earlier this year with the hopes of being invited to “Finals Week.” From there, they all strove to make the cut to be one of the Top 20. Representing dance styles, training and passion from across the country, this year’s semi-finalists represent a microcosm of Canadian culture.

Highlights from each week’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada episodes will be available on demand on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca. Encore presentations of each week’s Performance and Results Episodes also air back-to-back on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on MuchMusic beginning Sept. 21. The first two episodes of the series will air in a one-time only 5 p.m. ET time-slot on Sunday, Sept. 14. Also, for up-to-date So You Think You Can Dance Canada information, visit the series’ official website, dance.ctv.ca. There, fans can interact with their favourite dancers, judges and choreographers by browsing the image galleries, videos, forums and more.