So You Think You Can Dance Canada

[Paquita]

I must guiltily admit that I've been watching SYTYCD Canada (although, in my defense, mainly because of Allie Betram, a 17 year old ballet dancer from Calgary who has trained at the Boston Ballet School). The show concluded a few weeks ago, and she was the runner-up (apparently that is the farthest that any ballet dancer has gone on any of the SYTYCD shows -- they're in several countries now). She looked vaguely familiar, and as I was reading Dance International today, I realized where I saw her before -- she was a bronze medalist at this year's Genee IBC held in Toronto! She even danced one of her Genee solos (Sleeping Beauty prologue fairy) on the show. Just thought I would post in case anyone else missed that connection. Incidentally, this year's gold medalist from the Genee competition also appeared on television, in "Australia's Got Talent".

[carbro]

Thanks for the news, Paquita, and congrats to Ms. Betram!

She got as far as Season 2 (?) USA runner-up Danny Tidwell, ex-ABT, although he called himself contemporary, rather than ballet (true, as he had already left ABT for Complexions, but some of us were still hoping he would return to classical.) I hope Betram's post-SYTYCD career stays on track.

[dirac]

No need for a 'guilty' admission, Paquita. Many of us are also 'guilty.'

[mom2]

We had a conversation over the course of the event over on the sister site, Ballet Talk for dancers...so, a few of us also watched!

mom2

[EricMontreal22]

I really miss the show--yeah the format is cheesy but where else do you get to see so many different kinds of dance on broadcast tv? I actually only tuned into the Canadian show because I had been friends and danced with one of the choreographers, Paul Becker as a kid and teenager--and was surprised at how hooked I became.

Alexandra was one of my favorites in the end, so it'll be interesting to see where her career goes.