Yes. It seems they can dance
With So You Think You Can Dance Canada in full swing, the Town Crier looks at Toronto’s contestants.
[attach]2262[/attach]Denys Drozduyk
Try asking
contestant Denys Drozduyk what separates him from the other dancers on the show and you’ll get silence.
The Ukrainian-born dancer whose expertise lies in ballroom says he can’t bring himself to answer the question when his fellow dancers are all talented in their own way.
The 25-year-old Islington Village resident has no problem, however, answering how rehearsals are going for the CTV series.
“It’s hard work,” Drozduyk says. “It’s almost like a dance camp in a way…I don’t have time to understand it’s a TV show.”
Drozduyk, who came to Canada when he was 12, said he was encouraged by his family to audition for the CTV series.
He began dancing at age four, before deciding as a teen to pursue it as a profession. He studied at the prestigious arts school Juilliard in New York City before continuing with a Masters Program in Dance Education at New York University.
“It would be nice to share my art form with the people,” he says of what he hopes to achieve on the show.
Drozduyk says the artistic side of dance, rather than just its entertainment value, needs to be promoted on the show.
The three-time winner of world championship titles in ballroom says the music involved in dance is why Drozduyk does what he does.
“When I hear the music I feel the need and the urge to express it,” he says.
[attach]2263[/attach]Shavar Blackwood
Unlike other contestants who have years of dance education and expertise under their belts, hip-hop dancer Shavar Blackwood is relatively new to the game.
The 25-year-old St. Clair Avenue and Bathurst Street dancer began dancing four years ago — a complete contrast to many of the others on the CTV series who began dancing before they hit grade 1.
“I finished high school and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career,” Blackwood says amidst rehearsals.
The dancing bug hit him when Blackwood danced in a friend’s production.
“The more workshops I took, the hungrier and hungrier I became,” he says with a laugh.
And Blackwood isn’t lacking any skills.
He particularly likes working with the myriad choreographers the show offers its contestants.
Choreographers like Mia Michaels (contemporary), Melissa Williams (contemporary) and Sho-Tyme (hip hop, popping and house) show the dancers the tricks and trades of each genre.
“It’s a lot of fun to work with a lot of different choreographers. I learn something different from each choreographer,” he says. “I love the experience. I love the fact that I’m able to connect with a lot of people.”
Whoever is crowned So You Think king or queen to take home the $100,000, Blackwood says he’ll chalk up what he’s learned on the show as a growing experience for him.
It will be a lot easier for him to get the dance gigs he wants after the series wraps up.
Blackwood, who teaches hip hop, plans on opening up his own dance company in Toronto when the series ends.
“I wanted to take my own dance career into my hands,” Blackwood says on why he even auditioned.
[attach]2264[/attach]Sebastian Mersch
Sebastian Mersch describes himself as a lanky, quirky kind of guy.
A complete contrast to the traditional notions of a male dancer: Think strapping young male, muscles bulging.
“I might not be the biggest, most masculine (contestant),” the hopeful says.
His personality and physical attributes, however, make him a perfect addition to the CTV series.
The contemporary dancer grew up in Leaside, gaining a background in musical theatre and jazz at age eight. He quit dancing to try his hand at sports, but returned to his first love when he was 13.
He attended North York arts school Cardinal Carter where he further nourished his love of performance.
Rehearsals for the CTV series have been challenging, the 21-year-old admits.
His body has been put through its paces.
“The gruelling schedule is tough. My body has never been in so much pain,” Mersch says. But, he adds, “Dance is a way for me to express myself.”
He views dancing as part of his everyday life, even walking is a form of dancing, if you view it in an artistic kind of way, Mersch says.
“It’s a way for me to express my emotions,” Mersch says.
Quirkiness and all.
