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24 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 8, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008 Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE Woman hopes to dance into hearts of Canadians Caroline Torti makes Top 20 on reality show By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF So you think you can dance? Caroline Torti does. Actually, she more than thinks she can dance. She knows it. This was verified when the Oakville dancer was named as one of the Top 20 finalists for the reality dance show, So You Think You Can Dance Canada. "It is exciting since we are the first Top 20 for this show and this experience is something we're all going to take with us and we will never forget," Torti said between rehearsals. "There's really no words for it. It's a whirlwind of emotions." So You Think You Can Dance is a hit show in the United States that first aired in 2005. This is the first time it has come to Canada. A panel of judges travelled across the country this summer to find the nation's best dancers, with auditions in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax. Dancers of all abilities specializing in any style between ages 18 and 29 were invited to try out. Torti, 23, went out for the Toronto auditions in June. She says she's a huge fan of the show and jumped at the opportunity to give it her all. "Ever since I saw the American version of the show, I thought it was fantastic and the whole idea of bringing so many different styles of dance to the public is amazing and such a big step for dancing," said the St. Ignatius of Loyola graduate. "When I heard it was coming to Canada, I knew I had to try out. I've been training for years in all different disciplines, so it was kind of a no-brainer." After subsequent rounds of auditions, which were captured for a national audience by cameramen, Torti was told she made it to the Top 20. Like the first audition moment, she said she's taking things one step at a time. Bollywood and more. Competitors are taught these routines by the show's two permanent judges, Tre Armstrong, a contemporary dancer and choreographer, and Jean Marc Genereux, an international ballroom champion, and a third alternating judge. Each week, the Canadian public votes for its favourite contestants. The Top 20 are whittled down, one couple per week, to 10 through voting numbers and judges' decisions. Once the Top 10 remain, the winner is determined by viewers' votes alone. Torti wouldn't reveal who she has been paired up with, saying Oakville Beaver readers will simply have to tune in tonight to find out. "I'm very happy with him," said Torti. The rehearsal and filming process for the show is gruelling, according to Torti. Rehearsals are held daily. Torti estimates she is dancing about five to six hours a day. She has put everything else in her life on hold until she is done with the show. "This is my life right now," she said. The show will air twice a week, with per- "I would be disappointed if I went home, but I'll keep dancing and moving forward." Caroline Torti Local dancer and contestant on dance show SUBMITTED PHOTO DANCING QUEEN: Caroline Torti, 23, says she is optimistic about her chances of winning So You Think You Can Dance Canada and taking home the $100,000 cash prize. "When I heard it was coming to Canada, I knew I had to try out." Caroline Torti Local dancer and contestant on dance show "There are so many talented people in Toronto, and for me, I'm taking it step by step," she said. "I would be disappointed if I went home, but I'll keep dancing and move forward. It won't be the end of the world if I have to go home." The pressures of the dance world are nothing new for Torti. The contemporary dancer took her first class at age three. She has stud- ied jazz, tap, ballet, modern, lyrical and hip hop, but contemporary is her favourite style. Torti attended McMaster University for commerce, but after her first year, she realized that she would rather dance than doing anything else. She currently works as a professional dancer, instructor and choreographer. She's also a member of Toronto-based company, The Helix Dance Project. The Top 20 dancers for So You Think You Can Dance Canada will be divided into 10 couples, who will work with top choreographers to learn a new dance routine each week from a wide variety of genres, including contemporary, hip hop, Broadway, ballroom, formances on Wednesday nights. Result shows will be held the following night. Besides the honour of being Canada's favourite dancer, the last one left standing will also take home $100,000. "If I win, I promised my friends I would take them on a trip to Mexico and get away for a week, because all my friends are dancers too, and we don't make the most money in the world and we're all struggling artists," Torti said. "I might use the rest to start a company of my own." Torti said she respects her fellow competitors, but feels she has an ace up her sleeve. "I'm really good at picking up choreography very fast, which is something I've always been good at," she said. "People I dance with tell me I could see a dance routine just once and know it, which is a little extreme, but God did give me the gift of being able to pick up choreography quickly, so that will help, especially when you have such a short amount of time to learn a piece you need to perfect." Win or lose, Torti has already made plans for life after So You Think You Can Dance Canada. She said she is hoping to travel to Los Angeles to give her career a boost. Her long-term goal is to work as a dancer for a pop musician. "I would love to do a Celine Dion show in Las Vegas or a tour with a really big artist like Justin Timberlake," she said. So You Think You Can Dance Canada airs at 8 p.m. on CTV. The first live results show airs tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. For information about the show, go online to www.ctv.ca/mini/dance2008/index.html.