Sebastian Pigott thrilled with Gemini nomination

(Erin Karpluk and Sebastian Pigott in the "Yes We Can" episode of Being Erica.) 

Sebastian Pigott wasn't sure what his agent was getting at when he phoned around 11:30 Tuesday morning and asked if anything interesting was going on.

As it turned out, something was: Sebastian was nominated for his first Gemini Award for his role as Kai Booker on Season 2 of Being Erica (the good news is that Kai is back for Season 3!).

"I was, like, more excited than I thought I would be," Sebastian told me Tuesday afternoon. "I've always prided myself on not thinking about that sort of stuff. I'm not going to lie: I was pretty much over the moon."

When I talked to him, he was at the LCBO buying a few beers to celebrate with an old grade school friend and was planning to have dinner with his acting teacher.

Sebastian's nomination is for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series. He's up against Cle Bennett in The Line, Genadijs Dolganovs in The Bridge (another show Sebastian has guested on), and Sergio Di Zio and Mark Taylor from Flashpoint.

He's nominated in particular for two episodes: "Yes We Can," the one in which he and Erica (Erin Karpluk) played hooky from their real lives for a day; and "The Unkindest Cut," in which Erica visited Kai in his alternate reality as a rock star and learned why he was running from his therapy.

"Yes We Can" is the episode in which Sebastian, as Kai, performed "Alien Like You," the song that Sebastian wrote in real life with his brother Oliver. You may recall that both Sebastian and Oliver were finalists in the last season of Canadian Idol.

The brothers are still making music: they recently travelled to Alberta to do a show with fellow Idol finalist Earl Stevenson. And Sebastian is continuing to act - besides shooting new episodes of Erica, he spent a month in Sudbury making a movie called High Chicago - and has written a screenplay for a movie called The Two Deaths of Henry Baker, in which he's to co-star with Aaron Poole.

But back to the Gemini nomination. If there's one downside, it's that Erin Karpluk wasn't nominated, which "was a bit of a farce," Sebastian said, and that the show didn't make the Best Drama nominee list.

But fellow Erica actors Reagan Pasternak (Julianne) and Michael Riley (Dr. Tom) did get nominations. And Riley, whom Sebastian said he loves to watch at work because of his intense focus, is also nominated for a guest role on Flashpoint.

You've heard the cliche about it being an honour just to be nominated, but it seems it's true.

"A lot of times, you feel like you're working in a vacuum," Sebastian said. "All of your tendency is to be skeptical when people say good things about you. This tells you you're doing something right ... It's nice to get ... a pat on the back from the industry."

The awards don't get handed out until November. 

"I'm gonna take my brother," Sebastian said. "I'm trying to convince him to wear a dress and go as my date. Wouldn't that be great? I think it would be great publicity."

You can find out more about Being Erica here and visit the Pigott Brothers' website here.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Two more go home (spoiler alert)

(The top 20 do Bollywood on So You Think You Can Dance Canada in a CTV photo.) 

Any reality show on which contestants get eliminated usually involves schadenfreude on the part of the viewers: I've cheered when certain Survivor competitors got their torches snuffed, for instance, or been relieved when a particularly pitchy American Idol contestant got the boot.

But there is not one person on this season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada that I have wanted to see sent home, so there's no glee to be had every Tuesday when two dancers get the chop.

That being said, the choices made both by judges and viewers sometimes surprise me. Last week, it was Hani Abaza. This week, I can't fathom why Bree Wasylenko and Edgar Gilbert-Reyes were in the bottom three couples again.

Their JaeBlaze dancehall routine was one of the highlights of the performance show for me, both when I saw it live Saturday night and again when it aired Monday.

That Jera Wolfe and Kirsten Wicklund, and Claudia Primeau and Yonni Fournier were in the bottom wasn't as surprising: both couples took some flak from guest judge Mia Michaels for their paso doble and foxtrot routines, respectively. I could see that having some sway with voters.

Finally, I was surprised that the judges chose contemporary dancer Bree of Toronto and salsa dancer Yonni of Montreal as the two to send home.

This is one instance where I wish our Canadian show was more like its U.S. SYTYCD counterpart, since Nigel Lythgoe would often expound on why a dancer was being eliminated.

Jean Marc Genereux and Tre Armstrong didn't explain the judges' choices on Tuesday night.

To my admittedly non-dance-expert eyes, Bree's solo was the best of all the girls'. Kirsten's was pretty with lovely lines, but I thought Claudia's lacked energy (I realize ballroom dancers can be at a disadvantage since it's almost an oxymoron for them to solo).

I really enjoyed Yonni's solo for its energy and its cheekiness; Jera's was gorgeous, but Edgar's didn't blow me away. So bearing in mind what I said earlier about not wanting anyone to go home, if forced to pick, Claudia and Edgar would have been my choices.

"I'm going to miss being here," said a tearful Bree. "This has been an amazing experience for the time that I was on it. There's nothing like it...

"Just enjoy it because it could be over any second," she told the other dancers.

Yonni, originally from Cuba, said being on the show was a dream come true. 

"I really enjoyed every second," he said. "I'm gonna keep dancing, I'm gonna keep getting better; you guys are going to see me again."

That's the sad stuff out of the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the opening Bollywood number danced to "Jai Ho," choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, known for his work on the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

"Thanks to all these brilliant dancers for making this choreography special and making me feel happy," Fernandes said when he took his bow, which kind of summed it up perfectly.

On next Monday's show, the top 18 perform with choreography from Stacey Tookey, Sean Cheesman, Sho-Tyme, Gustavo Vargas, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, Sabrina Matthews, Maria Torres, Benji Schwimmer and Luther Brown. Tune in at 9 p.m. on CTV.

And keep watching this space for more from Bree and Yonni. I'm scheduled to interview them Wednesday morning. 

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realyeo

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Some stars are born

To some extent, on a competition show like So You Think You Can Dance Canada, you're only as good as your last routine.

On Monday night, two couples that I suspected would make bottom three last week (they didn't) pulled nearer to the front of the pack, at least as far as the judges were concerned.   

Contemporary dancers Sebastian Mersch and Danielle Gardner got a mixed response to last week's Bollywood routine but earned effusive praise for this week's theatre piece choreographed by Sean Cheesman. And contemporary dancers Jeff Mortensen and Charlene Hart made up for last week's tepidly reviewed jive with one of those lovely, heartfelt contemporary routines that Stacey Tookey is known for. 

Stacey's routine was about a woman suffering from depression and relying on her partner to pull her through, and was based on a real letter that Stacey received (see the video at the end of the post for more from Stacey about the piece). 

Mia Michaels called it a "masterpiece that just kind of came to life" and Tre Armstrong said it gave her goosebumps.

"This is the first time that I'm seeing you guys as the brilliant dancers that you are," said Luther Brown.

The judges were also effusive in their praise of Stacey, with Jean Marc Genereux calling her "a national treasure" and Mia, with whom Stacey shared an Emmy nomination for choreography (Mia won), telling her, "You're going to have so many more. Your talent as a choreographer is just soaring."

Jean Marc also gave props to "another Canadian genius choreographer," Sean Cheesman, for the theatre routine he set on Sebastian and Danielle, to the song "No Good Deed" from Wicked. Danielle played a fortune teller trying to steal Sebastian's soul. The two of them leaped and spun and twisted around the stage like a couple of real pros.

Luther said their performance was like "Disney meets Glee" or Harry Potter, and Tre called them her favourite couple. "Musical theatre needs three elements; it needs a good story, it needs good staging and it needs great dancers to make this work. You are great dancers," Jean Marc told them.

But they certainly weren't the only ones. 

*Contemporary dancer Amanda Cleghorn and ballroom dancer Denys Drozdyuk did their ususal masterful job, with a contemporary routine by Sabrina Matthews about a girl who is terminally ill and her boyfriend's guilt. Their strength and control, their fluidity and lines, and their connection were all spot on. Mia said Denys brings a maturity to the stage that is breathtaking and is "still my Nureyev" while she told Amanda "to thank God every day you wake up for those legs." Tre said the couple was headed to the top 10, but Jean Marc went even further, telling them, "You will probably be the last two standing."

*I loved the jaeblaze dancehall routine performed by contemporary dancer Bree Wasylenko and hip-hop dancer Edgar Gilbert-Reyes. The judges praised the authentic feel, bringing the vibe of a reggae club to the SYTYCDC stage. "It just grooves and it was grounded and it was disgusting and I loved everything about it," declared Mia, while native Jamaican Luther said the performance made him proud. "We have the greatest dancers and the greatest season: Season 3, ladies and gentlemen," enthused Jean Marc.

*Authenticity was also top of mind for Luther in the Sho-Tyme hip-hop routine performed by contemporary dancers Nathalie Heath and Mackenzie Green. The pair had lots of swagger and mastered the routine's devilishly fast footwork. "Mackenzie, that's probably the most hood you've ever been in your entire life," Luther said, while praising Nathalie for a great job. "You can't even breathe right now. That's what's supposed to happen when you do hip hop." Added Tre: "Y'all just murdered it, put it in the ground, dug a hole, put the dirt on top of it and said goodnight."

*When it came to dancers outside their genres, contemporary dancer Jesse Weafer did an admirable job with the samba, with the help of partner Julia Harnett, a Latin ballroom dancer, and choreographers Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. Both Tre and Mia said Jesse could have gone bigger with his hip action but praised the overall performance. "Jesse, you finally arrived: hello," said Tre. Julia was described as a natural who stole the show.

*Ballet dancers Jera Wolfe and Kirsten Wicklund were way out of their style with a paso doble choreographed by Natalli Reznik and Francis Lafreniere, who were partners on Season 1 of SYTYCDC. It was not universally praised. Mia said it lacked strength and passion, and Luther said both dancers need "to pull the superstar out so you can take yourself to another level." But Jean Marc called it fantastic and Tre said they killed it considering they'd never done the style before, an assessment I agree with.

*Another dance that got mixed reviews, but which I think was very well done, was the foxtrot by ballroom dancer Claudia Primeau and salsa dancer Yonni Fournier, choreographed by Danny Quilliam. Yonni did a great job, considering his lack of experience in that style. Mia found the performance a disaster and a bad situation, but ballroom expert Jean Marc disagreed. While the steps were slow and set to Lady Gaga's "Telephone," which Jean Marc said was unusual and could throw people off, "for me this was a great situation." 

*I was impressed by the way contemporary dancer Janick Arseneau attacked a krump routine with hip-hop dancer Shavar Blackwood, choreographed by Lil' C. There were some issues. The routine didn't hit as hard as it could, and Janick and Shavar got out of synch a few times. Tre said Shavar's upper body didn't move as much as it needed to, and Luther said the pair needed "some kind of power drink." "It felt a little light for me from both of you," Mia said.

*Speaking of light, the show ended with a jazz routine from Blake McGrath about a lifeguard chasing a girl on a California beach set to Katy Perry's "California Girls." Contemporary dancer Jonathan Arsenault and lyrical-jazz dancer Kloe Schultz were generally praised for handling Blake's precise technique, particularly Kloe, who Jean Marc said was dancing on a bad ankle. But Mia said Jonathan's dancing was "a little juvenile" and Kloe's "a little cheerleading" although she said the piece was fun and "delivered rainbows on the stage." To be honest, it didn't grab me. 

So with another week of performances done, it remains to be seen which two dancers go home on Tuesday night. The results show airs on CTV at 8:30 p.m. and I'll have the recap here.

(The photo of Jeff and Charlene performing is courtesy of CTV.)

Below are two videos I shot at the performance show taping. I must acknowledge two boo-boos. Stacey's answer to my last question got cut off when my memory card ran out. And I forgot that Francis and Natalli had choreographed a routine in Season 2. My bad.

Dancing With the Stars cast announced

(Most of the cast of Season 11 of Dancing With the Stars, with co-hosts Brooke Burke and Tom Bergeron in an ABC photo by Craig Sjodin.)

So are you surprised? Me neither.

The only name I hadn't heard yet in the Dancing With the Stars cast revealed by ABC on Monday night was Kyle Massey, a star of the Disney shows Cory in the House and That's So Raven. Every other name had been leaked in the days leading up to the announcement.

So here's the official list:

Singer Michael Bolton

Singer and actress Brandy

Comedian Margaret Cho

NBA champ, actor and producer Rick Fox

Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey 

Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff

Brady Bunch actress Florence Henderson

Actor Kyle Massey

Teen mom Bristol Palin

Audrina Patridge, star of The Hills

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino of Jersey Shore

Quarterback Kurt Warner

The show premieres Sept. 20 on ABC and CTV. And I will be watching and blogging. C'mon, how could I not with The Situation in the cast? 

Bachelor Pad: Secrets, insults and lies (spoiler alert)

(Jesse B. and Peyton share a date in an airplane hangar on Bachelor Pad in an ABC photo by Rick Rowell.) 

You think Bachelor Pad is about winning money? Ha! Monday night, finding love or a reasonable facsimile thereof was the key to staying in the game. 

(At least until next Monday, when three of the seven women remaining will be sent home, almost evening up the sexes in the house and potentially tearing the couples asunder.)

Despite all the talk about the need to break up the couples in the mansion, the most powerful ones - Kovacs and Elizabeth, and Tenley and Kiptyn - were still standing after the rose ceremony.

So were secret couple Natalie and Dave and almost couple Jesse B. and Peyton, who got short-circuited after a date in which Jesse belched, put his finger up Peyton's nose and swilled champagne mixed with vodka. Hot? Not so much.

Two of the  women without paramours were on the chopping block: Krisily and Gwen. For the women, it was between voting out Kovacs and Wes, and for a while it looked like the anti-couple forces would hold sway with a majority of the women agreeing that Kovacs should go. But then Krisily stopped using her head and let herself get sucked in by Dave, who assured her he wouldn't vote her off.

Still swooning over the previous week's kissing contest and thinking she had a shot at a little somethin'-somethin' with Dave, Krisily decided to help him out and switched her ballot from Kovacs to Wes. 

But her fate was sealed when Kiptyn refused to join Kovacs and Dave in voting for Gwen. "Gwen hasn't done me wrong at all. Gwen's been her sweet self through this whole thing," Kiptyn protested. 

"If you want Krisily gone, we'll vote for Krisily," said Kovacs after a last-ditch attempt to get Kiptyn to vote for Gwen went nowhere.

So Krisily was gone and so was Wes. 

"I'm just angry," Krisily told the turncoats after the rose ceremony. "I was told one thing and voted a certain way because of it.... No one could be honest with me and I don't respect that, not a bit."

On the limo ride of shame, she fumed that, "I can't remember the last time someone looked in my face and lied. I do hold a grudge and I feel like what David did tonight was unacceptable."

Wes took his ousting in stride, telling the other guys, "I had a hell of time, thanks."

On his limo ride, he reflected on the unfulfilled quest to get rid of the couples and the fact others in the house wanted to party and hoot and holler. 

(Earlier in the show, Wes mooned over the eliminated Gia, who he said could have been "the right person" for him. His anger with Dave for keeping Elizabeth instead of Gia led to some tense moments, with Dave calling Wes a jackass.)

"I bet you Krisily voted for me to go home because she thought David and Kovacs and Kiptyn had her back," Wes told the camera. A very good bet indeed.

This episode, the fourth, had more than the usual share of waterworks.

The challenge involved questionnaires that all the contestants had to fill out. Then, in a page borrowed from Survivor's book, they had to guess what the majority of the house answered to certain questions, with a point awarded for each right answer.

First question: Who do most of you believe is going to win? Answer: Kiptyn.

Next: Who is your biggest enemy? Answer: Krisily.

Then a nasty one: Who is the most shallow? Answer: Elizabeth.

Who is the dumbest? Gwen.

By then, Tenley had accumulated the requisite four points, winning the competition for the women. Elizabeth and Gwen stewed while the men played on.

Who do you secretly have a crush on? With more women than men answering, it was Dave.

Who will be a bridesmaid but never a bride? Answer: Natalie. Ouch.

Who's the biggest jerk? Wes.

And the final tiebreaker question, between Jesse B. and Jesse Kovacs: Who has the worst boob job? The answer was Elizabeth.

Even though Kovacs knew the answer was going to be Elizabeth, he wrote down Krisily, handing victory to Jesse B.

But the damage was done. Elizabeth retreated to a closet to cry. Natalie chose a shower to air her hurt.

Natalie confessed to Gwen that not getting married was her biggest fear. She was especially hurt that Dave, her secret lover, had written her name down, she told the camera. "It just is, like, hard to see someone that I like put my name up as someone who would never get married."

Natalie vowed not to be flirty anymore and to stop pushing guys away.

Elizabeth fared better a) because her guy didn't dis her boob job and b) he came to comfort her in the closet.

"You're not shallow," Kovacs told her. "Probably a lot of the girls here are jealous of you."

He told the camera Elizabeth's state was an eye opener for him. "I knew 100 per cent I truly care about this girl. I never want to see her in this situation." In fact, Kovacs said he didn't even care about winning the $250,000 anymore. Big words from someone who was cringing at his girlfriend's PDAs in past episodes for fear they would put a target on his back.

Next, it was date time for the winners of the challenge. And there was a surprise: group dates were out, one-on-one dates were in.

It was no surprise, however, that Tenley chose Kiptyn for her date and Jesse B. took Peyton on his.

For Tenley and Kiptyn there was a limo ride, a helicopter ride over the ocean, a ziplining excursion and champagne dinner on a secluded beach on Catalina Island, then a stay in a fantasy suite.

Freed of the constraints of the game, Kiptyn was happy to show his affection for Tenley, including a first kiss that Tenley described as sweet and romantic and perfect. 

There were lots more kisses and Kiptyn accepted a rose from Tenley along with an intention to keep exploring their relationship.

"I haven't been with a man since Jake (Bachelor Jake Pavelka) broke my heart so I'm ready to open up my heart again," Tenley said just before the door to the fantasy suite bedroom closed.

It was back to the subterfuge of trying not to look like a couple when they returned to the house the next day, as if anyone was fooled.

For Jesse and Peyton, meanwhile, no pretending was necessary.

Their date started well enough, with a limo ride to an airfield, where they got to go up in a biplane, followed by dinner for two in an airplane hangar. They drank champagne and talked, and Peyton told the camera she was looking forward to some romance.

"He's a gorgeous guy. It's easy to have that instant attraction to him."

And then he burped really loudly, and reached over and stuck a finger in her nostril, and poured vodka into his champagne. "I hope you throw up tonight," Peyton told him. Luckily for her, Jesse had already given her the rose well before the date went off the rails.

And then the kiss of death: "I think maybe we should pass up the fantasy suite tonight," Peyton told Jesse. The date ended with a chaste hug and the two returned to the mansion.

So the couples are still in charge for now, but expect a shakeup next week with three women going home. You can watch Bachelor Pad Monday at 8 p.m. on Citytv and catch the recap here.

Canada Sings! On your mark, get set ....

(We're pretty sure your workplace glee club won't look exactly like Cory Monteith, Amber Riley and Lea Michele from Glee, in this Fox photo by Michael Yarish.)

If you've got a workplace full of Finns and Rachels, or maybe Mercedes and Kurts, now's your chance to audition for Canada Sings! That's the new Global TV reality show, in which officemates form glee clubs and compete against other work teams.

Virtual auditions opened Monday and run until Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m., at www.GlobalTV.com.

Go to the site and click on the Canada Sings! link and you can download an application form and the audition song list.

Global says producers will scour the country for on-the-job talent, travelling to two workplaces a week. The office glee clubs will have a few days to audition, rehearse and perform in front of a live studio audience, with the winning club chosen by a celebrity panel of judges and awarded a donation to the charity of their choice.

“We’re looking for dynamic everyday people with extraordinary talent,” John Brunton, the show's executive producer, said in a new release.

 

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Shelaina and Hani's exit interview

Their time on So You Think You Can Dance Canada was short, you can't say it wasn't eventful.   

Shelaina Anderson, 19, a contemporary dancer from Edmonton, knew she was leaving before Tuesday's show because of the foot injury she sustained in rehearsal. It was more of a shock for her partner, Hani Abaza, 26, of Ottawa, a modern contemporary dancer.

Still, both were grateful during an exit interview on Wednesday to have been chosen for the show's top 22.

"For me, it was everything I wanted and more," said Shelaina. "Just getting to do the photo shoot and doing the makeovers and stuff, I was star-struck, really, and just being able to work with the judges and meet all the dancers and build those friendships: even just getting this far was phenomenal."

There was inevitable disappointment she didn't get to step even once on the SYTYCDC stage. And both she and Hani had been looking forward to working with some of the top choreographers on the show's team.

But Shelaina's journey ended with a stumble and a cracking sound on the second day of rehearsals.

She and Hani were practising a jazz duet choreographed by Season 1 winner Nico Archambault and his partner Wynn Holmes.

"I fell over onto the side of my foot when we were coming out of a lift and I ended up, you could hear it crack and it fractured," said Shelaina, describing her fifth metatarsal bone.   

"The lift kind of went wrong," said Hani. "We kind of went up and then her head hit my face, and I crumbled and then I grabbed her, but she landed on the side of her foot."

"I got up and I guess I didn't want to stop the rehearsal," said Shelaina. "We were two hours into it and I just wanted to keep going, so I got up and tried to walk on it right away, and it was bad right from the start, swelled right up and turned purple. It's not really pretty right now."

But the drama didn't end there. No one knew whether Shelaina would still dance until the next day, "dry block" day, when a doctor diagnosed her injury in the morning. Duets were being rehearsed that afternoon and that's when Season 2 winner Tara-Jean Popowich was brought in to take Shelaina's place.

Hani had "15 minutes in a room to learn it with her (Tara-Jean) and then we rehearsed it onstage and then the next day we performed it."

That makes it all the more remarkable, in my books, that the routine looked so good on Monday night and that much more of a shame that Hani had to go home on Tuesday.

"It was a little bit of a letdown for me, for sure," said Hani, who also auditioned in Season 1 of SYTYCDC and for the U.S. show, where he made top 60 one year. "I've been lucky and fortunate enough to work with a lot of other amazing choreographers ... I've been professionally dancing for the past five years ...

"I really wanted to do ballroom (on the show), that was something I've never done in my life so I was excited to do that, but things happen for a reason."

Hani has worked with Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Sonya Tayeh, Luther Brown, Montreal choreographer Noemie Lafrance (who choreographed Feist's "1, 2, 3, 4" video), Mandy Moore and Marguerite Derricks among others, but he was looking forward to working with Blake McGrath, Stacey Tookey and Sho-Tyme "and all of those people."

Still, "the fact that I got to dance onstage on national television in my country is the most honestly humbling and nice experience. And I'm happy about the performance, you know what I mean? It's not like I got the quickstep ... I actually had something close to my genre and I got to dance with last year's winner and the year before's winner choreographed it."

"You're going out on a high, you know?" said Shelaina.

She was flying home to Edmonton Wednesday and getting another MRI and more x-rays of her foot. She expected to be off it for six weeks, but she's going back to university and will teach at a local dance studio.

Hani was planning to stay in Toronto for a couple of weeks to teach some classes and take some auditions, then he'll fly to L.A. and "get back into the grind."

But he's not done with So You Think You Can Dance Canada just yet. He said he'd love to come back and choreograph on the show and would be sending the producers a DVD in about a month.

And both he and Shelaina will be watching and rooting for the remaining dancers. 

"They're all so deserving of being here," Shelaina said. "They're amazing dancers, but more importantly they're amazing people, too."

Hani and Shelaina also talked about how exciting it was to work with Nico and Wynn. Here's the video:

There's lots more dancing to come on SYTYCDC. You can watch the top 20 perform Monday at 9 on CTV. And catch the recap here.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realyeo

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: An injury take its toll (spoiler alert)

You didn't have to be a fortune teller to know that Shelaina Anderson's time on So You Think You Can Dance Canada was done.

What we heard on Monday was that she risked breaking a bone in her foot if she kept dancing after injuring herself in rehearsal last week. Another day wasn't going to make a difference in that prognosis.   

"This one pulls my heartstrings, baby girl, because I've been rooting for you since the start of this season," said judge Tre Armstrong. "Both you and your doctors have decided you can't dance, you just can't dance due to your injury."

There were hugs from host Leah Miller and calls of encouragement from her fellow dancers.

"This whole thing has been absolutely amazing," Shelaina said. "Even though I was injured, I still felt like I was really a part of it. I just want to say thank you for doing that for me."

And though this is the end of the season for Shelaina, it's not necessarily the end of her So You Think You Can Dance Canada journey, with Leah urging her to come back next year.

For Hani Abaza, however, the first male dancer eliminated this season, it is the end of this road.

Judge Jean Marc Genereux didn't explain why Hani was sent home over Edgar Gilbert-Reyes and Jesse Weafer, but he did say the decision wasn't unanimous.

It obviously didn't sit well with Leah. "Ever since I saw you audition in Season 1, I knew you were a star and I think you're leaving too early," she said.

Frankly, so do I. I thought Hani was terrific in the jazz routine he danced with Season 2 champ Tara-Jean Popowich on Monday night. But since votes at this stage are by couple and since it was inevitable Hani's regular partner Shelaina would be bottom three, I suppose his presence there couldn't be helped.

The other two couples who hit bottom surprised me. 

Edgar and Bree Wasylenko did a great job in their hip-hop routine, particularly Bree. And what was not to like about Jesse and Julia Harnett's new disco number?

Sad though Shelaina's exit is, I'm glad Bree and Julia will be around next week. I thought both their solos were smashing. Julia dazzled with her fast footwork and hot outfit. And Bree's routine was beautifully danced and had a wistful quality to it.

Hani was upbeat after his ouster. "It's been a pleasure to dance on this stage," he said. "The fact we even get to dance on television and dance is even that important right now is an amazing thing.

"I'm going to be out there dancing all the time," he added. "YouTube me."

Since Canadian results shows are only half an hour long, there were no extra performances needed for filler.

But we were treated to an opening group number choreographed by Bill T. Jones and trust me when I say that's a big deal.

Jones is the Tony Award-winning choreographer behind Fela! and Spring Awakening on Broadway. The SYTYCDC routine he choreographed to the number "Zombie" from Fela! was intricate and interesting and precise. Sad to say I didn't PVR the show so I couldn't watch it again Tuesday night.

There was some good news from Jones, though. "We're very lucky, Bill, because next year you'll be bringing Fela! to Canada and we can't wait for that," Leah said.

"And we can't wait either," said Jones.

You can see the remaining 20 dancers perform again Monday at 9 p.m. on CTV when guest judge Mia Michaels will join Jean Marc, Tre and Luther Brown. I'll be watching and recapping here.

Tell me what you thought of this week's bottom three. And don't forget you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realyeo

(The photo of Shelaina and Leah is courtesy of CTV.)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Off to a good start for all but one (spoiler alert)

There were a couple more surprises to be had on Monday's So You Think You Can Dance Canada, the first performance show for the top 22 (Sunday's surprise was that two dancers were added to the usual top 20).   

One was the sad news that Shelaina Anderson, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Edmonton, had been sidelined by an injury before even stepping foot on the SYTYCDC stage. In fact, the injury is to her foot: a crack in the fifth metatarsal bone that could become a break if she keeps dancing on it.

There was no word Monday on whether Shelaina can continue in the competition, although it certainly sounded like she's out for the duration. An update was promised on Tuesday's episode.

Her absence from the stage (she sat in the audience with her mother) led to the second, more welcome surprise: an appearance by Season 2 winner Tara-Jean Popowich.

Tara-Jean partnered contemporary dancer Hani Abaza in what I think was my favourite routine of the evening: a jazz piece choreographed by Season 1 winner Nico Archambault and partner Wynn Holmes.

The routine (which Nico and Wynn told me grew from the song they used, Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is") was about a couple in the first blush of romance about to consummate their relationship.

The choreography was lovely and expressive, and it was beautifully and convincingly danced by Tara-Jean and Hani (seen in a CTV photo). If I hadn't known that Tara-Jean is dating Season 2 runner-up Vincent Desjardins (who was in the audience) I could have believed she and Hani were a real couple.

The judges, after expressing their sympathies to the tearful Shelaina, congratulated Hani for doing such a great job of partnering a SYTYCDC all-star, especially with the added stress of learning the routine with two partners. 

"You're major. You're top 10, sweetie," Tre Armstrong told Hani.

There was other fine dancing to be seen on Monday's show. My other favourite routines included the Viennese waltz performed by contemporary dancers Nathalie Heath and Mackenzie Green; the salsa by salsa dancer Yonni Fournier and ballroom dancer Claudia Primeau; the tango by contemporary dancer Amanda Cleghorn and contemporary ballroom dancer Denys Drozdyuk; the Afro-jazz piece by hip hopper Shavar Blackwood and contemporary dancer Janick Arseneau; and the hip hop by contemporary dancer Bree Wasylenko and hip hop dancer Edgar Gilbert-Reyes. 

Bree, in particular, did an excellent job, hitting jaeblaze's fast choreography hard and clean, and bringing lots of sex appeal to what host Leah Miller called "those dirty little positions."

Guest judge Mary Murphy called the Toronto dancer "the biggest surprise for me tonight in the whole show ... you're like a bonfire, you're like a volcanic explosion out there. I think this girl is in serious need of some transportation. 

"She definitely has a ticket on the Hot Tamale Train!"

Jean Marc Genereux put Bree and Edgar on his VID or Very Insane Dancer list, an honour he also accorded to Amanda and Denys for their Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin-choreographed routine. 

Amanda, who had never done a tango before, was praised for her power and control and her "killer legs." Mary called Denys "the perfect little Casanova" while Blake McGrath declared him "the definition of a male dancer because you're strong, masculine and passionate."

Here's a rundown on the other routines:

*Yonni and Claudia did a sexy salsa choreographed by Tony and Melanie. Blake said Claudia was "probably the sexiest woman we've ever had on our show," while Luther praised Yonni for his "extra fresh Cuban street swag," Tre called him "a sexy Antonio Banderas" and Jean Marc dubbed him "the salsa gangster." Yonni tossed his shirt, which Amanda tore as part of the routine, into the crowd. 

*Contemporary ballet dancer Kirsten Wicklund and ballet and break dancer Jera Wolfe did a nice job with a Mandy Moore contemporary routine about a man remembering his lost love (Mandy's first time working on the Canadian show). Mary said it had "beautiful lines, beautiful technique and beautiful quality of movement."

*Contemporary jazz dancer Charlene Hart and contemporary dancer Jeff Mortensen did a jive choreographed by Season 1 finalist Danny Arbour. One of the lifts was flubbed and they didn't push to the limits of their energy, but the judges deemed it a cute routine and Charlene and Jeff "the care bears of the competition."

*Contemporary dancers Danielle Gardner and Sebastian Mersch did a charming Bollywood routine choreographed by Longinus Fernandes (Slumdog Millionaire). Mary didn't love it, although she said Sebastian's quirkiness works for him, and Jean Marc said they could have been sharper, but the other judges commended them for a really good job.

*Contemporary dancers Kloe Schultz and Jonathan Arsenault did a Sho-Tyme hip-hop routine. They won mostly praise - Mary called them "two little pitbulls out there attacking that thing" - with an admonishment to Jonathan to hit a bit harder (I thought he did quite well).

*Latin ballroom dancer Julia Harnett and contemporary dancer Jesse Weafer got to introduce a brand new genre to the SYTYCD stage. Called "new disco" and inspired by Lady Gaga's dancing, choreographer Melissa Williams explained that it incorporates "wacking," hip hop, jazz and clubbing. Jesse looked cool popping out of a giant disco ball and Julia was sexy in a shimmery, translucent dress. "I think you guys rocked the disco ball," Mary said.

*Contemporary dancer Janick and hip hopper Shavar had to make like wild animals in a fabulous Sean Cheesman Afro-jazz routine full of fast, high-energy steps, fluid movement and challenging lifts. The judges praised them for their execution, particularly Janick.

*Contemporary dancers Nathalie and Mackenzie did a lovely job with a Viennese waltz choreographed by Pierre Allaire. The flow, the footwork and the chemistry were all top-notch with just a small criticism from ballroom expert Jean Marc about their frame. "You guys looked like you stepped out of a dream tonight," Mary said.

All in all, it was a great start to Season 3, but the dream ends for one girl and one guy on Tuesday. Tune in at 8:30 p.m. on CTV to find out who goes home and catch the recap here.

And because you've read all the way to the bottom, here's a clip of Mary Murphy telling me about her Hot Tamale Train:

Bachelor Pad: Kiss the girls and make them cry (spoiler alert)

(Peyton and Jesse B. share a kiss on Monday's Bachelor Pad in an ABC photo by Rick Rowell.) 

It's only episode three of Bachelor Pad and the hookups are multiplying.

And what would an episode be without some tears? The only shock in this case was that they didn't come from Tenley.

If I had to pick a theme for Monday's show, it would be inconstancy.

On the one hand, we had Natalie and Jesse B., unable to keep their lips and hands off each other in the first show. Now Natalie's hooked up (secretly, shhhhh) with her old friend Dave after they shared a fantasy suite during one group date, and Jesse got together with Peyton after they shared a suite on another.

Then there's Gia, who on the one hand weepily pulled herself out of the kissing competition for fear the little pecks she was giving the guys were a betrayal of her boyfriend back home, and on the other had no problem snuggling up on a bed with Wes and making googly eyes at him.

And then there were Kiptyn and Kovacs, trying to pretend they didn't have entanglements with Tenley and Elizabeth in order to score a rose from Peyton.

But let's go back to the beginning. It began after the previous rose ceremony with Gia sniping at Nikki over Nikki's decision to vote for Craig instead of Kiptyn, thus messing up Gia's master plan, and with Kovacs bragging about the power that he, Dave and Kiptyn hold in the game.

The next day's challenge was a kissing competition. Guys had to kiss the girls, who were blindfolded, and then the women would pick the best kisser using a number system, and then the girls would do the same.

Most of the guys and a few of the girls went in for the kill, particularly Natalie and Elizabeth, but Tenley put her best lips forward too (with Nat and Elizabeth, it was more like best tongue).

"I'm not scared to kiss all the boys," declared Natalie. "I would make out with everyone in this house for 20 bucks."

Well, maybe not everyone. The girls were reluctant to lock lips with Jonathan the Weatherman and, despite his confidence in his abilities, he was declared a bad kisser. Elizabeth and Natalie both kissed him so hard he said he needed a moment (and a cold shower) after each encounter, but Elizabeth showed her disgust with the experience by rinsing out her mouth.

In the end, the most aggressive didn't win the men over, with Peyton and her sweet kisses getting the rose and the date. David was the winner for the guys.

"What do you want to win? Twister, a pie-eating contest or be the best kisser? Of course, you want to win this," he said.

Dave's date card came first and he whisked Krisily, Nikki and Natalie away on a private flight to Las Vegas. Nikki's inclusion was payback for not voting Kiptyn off on the previous show; Krisily's was strategic since she had been allied against the cool kids the week before; and Natalie was there for fun.

As the four of them frolicked in private by a top-optional pool, Krisily entertained fantasies of getting together with Dave, flattering herself that there'd been real chemistry in their blindfolded kiss. But Dave's designs were on Natalie, the good friend he'd "crossed that line" with in the kissing contest.

He gave her the date rose and chose to stay in the fantasy suite with her after the option was revealed in yet another card from host Chris Harrison.

"I didn't think it was possible to find love in this house, but I'm just going to follow my heart and see where it goes," he said, getting up from his makeout session with Natalie to close the bedroom door to the cameras.

On the limo ride back to the Bachelor Pad mansion, Krisily lamented that she hadn't expressed her feelings to Dave or doffed her top in the pool like Natalie did.

Meanwhile, Peyton was stirring up jealousy by taking Kiptyn and Kovacs on her date along with Jesse B.

Both Tenley and Elizabeth fretted over their honeys going with Peyton and whether they'd woo Peyton for the rose.

Tenley, who'd had her first kiss with Kiptyn during the contest, tried to mark her territory by crawling into bed with him before the date, but Kiptyn - fearing his interest in Tenley had put a target on his back - gave her the cold shoulder.

A surprisingly dry-eyed Tenley expressed embarrassment over the rejection, telling Natalie, "We're just not heading in that direction. What was I thinking?"

"If he knew you were this hurt by it, he'd probably feel so upset," said Natalie.

Wanna bet? Kiptyn was doing his best to be a Tenley-free zone on his date with Petyon, lying to her (by his own admission) and saying he wasn't looking to jump into something with Tenley.

A glum Kovacs insisted that he wanted to play the game as an individual not as Elizabeth's significant other.

But Jesse B. got the best response from Peyton, explaining to her that he'd only kissed Natalie because she'd been so welcoming (I'll say), but she was "definitely not the kind of girl I'm looking for." 

Jesse got himself a kiss and after that it was a no-brainer he got the rose.

All four returned to the mansion from the Irwindale Speedway (where they got to race cars and eat tacos, yippee), which meant that Peyton and Jesse had to awkwardly decide whether to stay in the fantasy suite with the other two guys looking on.

"I think it will be fun," said Peyton in an attempt at nonchalance while Jesse, who'd told the camera numerous times how much he wanted to stay in the fantasy suite with Peyton, looked ready to jump her bones on the spot. Before too long they were kissing and then closing the bedroom door to the meddlesome cameras.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, couldn't help gloating over Kovacs' roseless state, laughingly telling him that she couldn't promise to be consistent towards him. "Kiss my ass on the elimination days and then you're golden," she said.

The most gag-inducing part of the episode had to be Gia's flirtation with Wes. They snuggled as Wes vowed to do everything in his power to keep Gia from getting voted out.

And when he picked up his guitar and serenaded her with what sounded like a fairly pedestrian country and western love song, something about "love, it don't come easy," Gia gushed that "I just look at him and see the passion in his eyes ... He's putting his whole heart out for the world to see. That touches me and makes me very vulnerable. 

"I never heard a song where I actually listened to the lyrics and I actually related to it. I just look at this boy and I'm so excited he could write something so beautiful. He's like the modern-day Shakespeare but better and cuter."

Sorry, Gia, but for that kind of idiocy you deserve to get voted off the show. And that's what happened despite Wes's best efforts to save her, even threatening Kovacs with elimination if he didn't vote Elizabeth off.

The men split their votes, with Gia and Elizabeth tied, but Dave got the final say and chose to save Elizabeth.

On the limo ride home, Gia declared herself an emotional wreck. "If I didn't go home tonight, I would have told Wes how I felt," she said.

I'm guessing now that this episode has aired, that boyfriend she claimed to be trying so hard to be faithful to won't be around much longer, if he isn't already history.

The Weatherman also got the boot, with Elizabeth and Natalie determined to sacrifice him to keep their lovers around longer.

"I came here looking for money and maybe some love. I went home with neither, man," he said.

On next week's show (Monday at 8 p.m. on Citytv), look for tensions to boil over between Wes and Kovacs, and for lots more tears from the women. And you can read the recap here.