Tara-Jean Popowich may have won So You Think You Can Dance Canada last night, but the three runners-up definitely didn't lose. Over the course of the competition, Vincent Desjardins, Jayme Rae Dailey and Everett Smith all proved themselves to be talented, versatile dancers, and even though none of them won the $100,000 prize, they each plan to keep dancing as long as they can.


Vincent Desjardins
Trois Rivieres, Que.

Congratulations on taking second place!
Thank you! I'm very happy.

Are you at all disappointed you didn't win?
No! Not at all! I'm really happy for TJ.

Tara-Jean was sure you were going to win.
I was sure she would win. She worked really hard and I think she did an amazing job with all her choreography, so that was my feeling.

What was going through your mind last night?
I don't know, for real. I didn't notice that it was the final before we went on the stage for the last time for the results. I was really excited about the show yesterday; I was so calm. No stress or anything. It was the last time we would be on the stage, so I was really excited and I think, at the end, I was happy for everyone. I think we all did a great job and it was an amazing Top 4. I was happy for anyone to win and I think we're all friends at this point. I'm really happy with what happened.

Are you keeping the car you won?
Oh, yes, for sure! I love my new car and it's great for me.

What was the most important thing that you learned during the show?
The most important thing is that I grew a lot in my dance and in maturity. To be on the stage, I had more self-confidence. It was the best thing I learned; I learned a lot about dancing, but for me, it’' all about being confident and not to beat myself down.

What was the hardest part of the competition?
The hardest part - well, everything is hard because we're always in a big stress. But Wednesdays were really hard, because that's the cut day. You never know what's going to happen and when you find out who goes home, it's really hard. When Kim and Daniel and Nicolas went home, it was hard because they’re all my friends and I knew them before the show. It's kind of hard because every time someone goes home, it's one less friend. Wednesdays were the hardest part of the week and the show.

When you first auditioned, how far did you think you were going to get?
At the beginning, I tried to audition and I was like, "Oh, I will audition just for fun and we'll see what happens!" I wanted to get to the Top 20 but I didn't mind if there was something else. I had no expectations and when they said to me that I would be in the Top 20, I was really happy. For me, it was the only thing I wanted. It's really hard to go really far in a competition, so just to make the Top 10 was really amazing, and to finish second is just amazing. It's so much more than I was expecting. I was thrilled. I'm still in shock.

Which routines do you want to take on tour?
It means a lot to do my contemporary with TJ, because the feeling, the character, the dance, it's so great. It was such great choreography. And I would love to do my Pasodoble with Melanie; I think it's amazing choreography. I felt really privileged to be the one who did it. Those are the two I'd really love to do.

What was your most difficult routine?
I think it was the krump that Lil C choreographed. It's really out of my style and it was really hard just to have the swagger – is that the word? – but the groove and the feeling and the new technique were so hard, so for me, that was the hardest.

Which elimination surprised you the most?
The first one, with Taylor and Tatiana. They're really amazing dancers and it's sad because we didn't see a lot of things about them because they only did one style. It was really hard to see them go. Taylor, I don't really know him, but Tatiana, I know everything that she can do and she deserved to go lot further in the competition. It was the most surprising cut.

How has your body dealt with the competition? I know you weren't as bad as Tara-Jean, but how is your back doing?
I hurt my back at the end but I was more sore than anything else. I was really lucky – knock on wood – because there was a lot of injury and I was very lucky. I have nothing. It's sore, but it's nothing really big.

What's next for you, other than the tour?
After the tour, I would love to have my own dance studio; it's one of my dreams. But I would love to travel before and, I don't know, find out the most that I can do. I just want to do dance and be able to live as a dancer. So I think that's what I'm going to do next.


Jayme Rae Dailey
Montreal, Que.

Were you upset you didn't win the competition?
Oh, no, no. I couldn't be any happier, actually – I made it to the end, to the last show, so that's a big accomplishment.

When you started, how far did you think you were going to get?
Oh, my gosh, I can't even tell. I was scared the first week! You never know what to expect and when you go into the first week, I was like, "Oh, I hope I don't go home! I want to stay here and I want to learn more choreography!" I can't believe that after all that, I made it to the end.

What was going through your mind last night?
I think last night was kind of a blur. I think most of it was just telling myself that no matter what happened, I was still happy that I got to do this. If I got there, it was because of everyone who supported me. I was really happy to be there.

The results weren't announced until the last few minutes of the two-hour finale. Were you impatient for the end of the show to arrive?
I think I was just trying to savour the rest of the show as much as possible. I was thinking of my choreography and making sure I had fun for the last time I got to do my routines.

Which routines do you want to take on tour?
There are a couple. There were a couple I was hoping to do with Daniel, but he's not in the Top 10, so that was sad for me.

The Afro-jazz routine you two did together was amazing.
I know! Oh, and we didn't even get to do it at the finale. I wished we could have done that. It was a really great number. But on the tour, I hope I'll get to redo my mambo because it was fun; also, my jazz funk that [Season 1 winner] Nico choreographed for me and Everett, that one I really liked. A lot of numbers I'd like to redo. That was a good week, though.

Which was the hardest routine?
I would say the jazz funk with Blake because there were so many props in it and I was so afraid I would drop something or step on something. I would say that one.

How has your body reacted to the competition?
My body's been good, actually. Since the beginning, I haven't been one of the most injured people. But about three days ago, my ribs on my right side started hurting me a lot, but besides that, everything else is fine.

Are you going to rest until tour rehearsals start?
Yeah, I think that would be the smart thing to do. But as much as I say that, I'm probably going to end up going home and doing something every two seconds because I want to see all my friends and family. Everyone tells me to sit still, but I just can't.

Tara-Jean said she was completely shocked that she won the show. Did you predict that she'd win?
I wasn't surprised she won! I was very happy; she deserved it. I think it was anyone's game, though. Everyone's different in their own way and I think nobody could predict who it would be, but when we found out it was her, it was perfect. It worked. She deserved it a lot and she'd been going through a lot of pain her with her ribs, and she was a fighter and we were really happy for me.

Which elimination surprised you the most?
Every elimination was really hard because everyone was really good and every week was a big shocker, but I would say Daniel was a big one for me because he was my partner and I think he did really well every week. He went out there and was amazing, and when he got cut, I was like, "No! Daniel!" That was a sad one for me.

You were heartbroken backstage after his elimination.
I was, really. That was hard for me because I liked him a lot.

Was it good to see him again at last night's finale?
Yes! And to be able to do my dance hall routine with him! When I saw the list of the routines we were going to do and dance hall was on there, I was like, "That's it; I'm the happiest person!"

Is there anyone else in the competition you think deserved to go further?
Kim. She's amazing at everything she does. She's versatile. She'll go out there and portray any character you give her, and she does it full-out every time. She puts in 100 per cent every time and she'll make sure she has that special connection with her partner, no matter who it is. She's amazing.

What was the most important thing you've learned in the past three months?
I've learned that I need to trust myself more and have more confidence in myself. It's not easy when you're there; it's stressful and you're put under a lot of pressure. You kind of start doubting yourself sometimes, but I learned that I shouldn't and that I should own up to what I do. I still haven't accomplished that fully, but I'm getting there.

What's next for you?
Besides the tour, I think I want to travel a lot and take classes and just get better. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a lot of work and dance for people and get really good contracts, but I don't know; we'll see. I'm just really excited. This is a dream to have done this and it's opened a lot of doors, so hopefully, I'll be able to do a lot of work.


Everett Smith
Glen Morris, Ont.

How are you doing?
I'm doing quite well.

Were you unhappy that you didn't win last night?
To be quite honest, no. Being a tap dancer, making it from Top 20 to Top 4, that's quite an achievement all on its own.

How far did you think you would get?
I had no idea, to be quite honest. I was happy with Top 20, and then I set the goal of Top 10 because I wanted to go on tour. Everything after that was just gravy. They gave me another week to show my passion for dance and what I love to do and to be exposed to so many choreographers.

Did you think Tara-Jean was going to win?
Close to the end, I had a feeling. She definitely shines on stage. She's a very energetic little girl.

To say the least.
Yeah! No kidding! She deserves it. She loves what she does, just like the rest of us, and she really put her blood, sweat and tears on that stage.

What happened last night after the show?
To be honest, we went to an afterparty and we got to relax with other cast members – I call the Top 20 just "cast members" – and people from production. We got to just hang out and do some photos, a little bit of press, and we had to get up really early this morning. Some of us, honestly, haven't gone to bed yet.

Are you looking forward to sleeping in now?
I am packing my room right now to go home and do that.

Of the Top 20, who do you think deserved to go further than they did?
That's a really good question! I've never been asked that one before. That's such a hard question because the Top 20, everyone was so talented and every single week was a shocker. I would definitely have to say Tatiana, who was eliminated in the first week. I've known her for years and she just got under the radar and unfortunately got clipped the first week. I think she could have done a lot more in the competition. And Kim was another big shocker. But like I said, everyone was a shock. You don't want anyone to go home. You kind of forget that it's a competition.

All the dancers seemed to get along really well.
It's not just a competition; you're developing a family. You don't want family members to leave, especially when you spend so much time together and really create strong bonds, so Wednesdays were not the happiest of days.

Are you nervous to go back into the real world?
To be honest, I don't even know what the real world is anymore! It's crazy. I'm pretty self-sufficient – I cook, I clean and I do everything myself here anyway. But it's going to be interesting walking through the mall for the first time in Kitchener or Cambridge or my hometown. It's going to be cute and interesting. But I'm looking forward to it – I can't wait to see my kids.

You have kids?!
I mean, not my kids – let me restate that: my students.

Ah.
I love to teach. I'm really excited to see my students.

You come from a very small town.
We have 1,200 people.

So it's safe to say you're now the most famous person in Glen Morris.
Something like that, yeah. I think there will be a little bit of a buzz when I go home.

Have you been recognized on the street yet, or have you even had any time to yourself?
Well, when we do solos, we have to buy our own outfits, so we go out and buy our own clothing. We know our own styles and trends and it really helps out the wardrobe department. So I got a little bit of, "Are you him? Are you that guy?" It makes it really fun.

Is it weird to have little girls screaming for you?
Yeah! It's really funny seeing how emotionally connected people get to stardom.

How do you walk the line of being grateful for their support but making them know it's not OK to stalk you?
[Laughs] You know, you just need to know where to draw the line. You have to take it with a grain of salt, to a certain degree. If you let something get to your head – I mean, that's not me. It's not something I would encourage or partake in. But you have to be thankful and remember that you're an entertainer; as a dancer, your job is to entertain. So that kind of makes you feel great, to know that you entertain.

Which routines do you want to do on the cross-Canada tour?
All of them! Yeah, I don't know. There are so many amazing routines for so many different reasons. The tap number with TJ, just because it's tap and it's the first time tap has hit the stage of So You Think You Can Dance.

Did she find it difficult to get the hang of the tap routine?
You know what? TJ and I work together famously. We're like peas and carrots. We work really hard and we both bring a professional nature to our routines and we held our heads up high and perform really well together. So any kind of trial or tribulation we had together, I'm always there to back her and she was always there for me as well.

So back to your favourite routines.
Right! Let's see... The house number, again with TJ. The geek number with Jayme Rae and the desks; I've received a lot of comments on that one. The jazz with Sean Cheesman, the last one I did with TJ, because it was our last piece together and it had the Superman push on the floor, with our feet together. Oh, there are so many great routines!

Basically, you want to take all of them on tour.
Yeah! As a short answer, you can just say "all of them."

What's next for you?
I've got some things in the works. I'm not too sure about contracts yet, but I'm going to see what comes up. I'm definitely looking forward to doing a little bit of teaching here and there. I'd love to get into doing tap gigs – anything entertaining, for that matter. I'm really on a kick to promote tap; I'm really trying to get it to come back. Unfortunately, you don't see it as much as you used to. We don't have the movies with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers anymore. Those aren't world premieres anymore; it's more of the "take it to the streets," hip-hop movies and other contemporary pieces. I'm really just trying to bring tap back to the forefront.

Do you think the So You Think You Can Dance Canada producers will let you choreograph a tap routine for next season?
I have my fingers crossed!

Have they discussed it with you yet?
No, nothing's actually come up yet whatsoever.

Bring it up to them!
I will! I will make a note of it.

Be sure to read our Q&A with So You Think You Can Dance Canada winner Tara-Jean Popowich

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