Home » Arts & Life » Western student thinks she can dance

Western student thinks she can dance

Most university students spend their days attending classes, working on labs and doing readings — diligently working towards whatever they aspire to one day become. It is rare to have the opportunity to stop everything and be given the chance to have your goals within arms’ reach. For Western student Melanie Mah, that is her reality.
So You Think You Can Dance Canada held auditions for its second season this past spring. They took place across the country, with stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saint John, Toronto and Montréal. More than 2,500 people auditioned but only the top dancers were selected to come to Toronto and compete.
Mah, a 19-year-old Western science undergraduate, auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance Canada during the May 18 Toronto stop and blew the judges away. She has since stood out in the competition and has made it all the way to the top 10 dancers.
The competition is demanding as the dancers select a new dance style, learn a new routine, rehearse for two days and then perform each week. The bottom three couples, based on viewers’ votes, have to perform a solo routine and hope they are strong enough to stay in the competition.
“It has been physically and mentally draining,” Mah admits. “But I am having the time of my life.”
Dance has been more than just a hobby for Mah — it is her passion. At the age of five she started ballet lessons, which then led to classes in jazz, hip-hop and competitions by age 13. Now she is competing for $100,000, a 2010 Mazda 3 Sport and the title of “Canada’s Favourite Dancer.”

ARE YOU CHECKIN’ ME OUT? Western’s own Melanie Mah impresses the judges on the So You Think You Can Dance Canada stage with partner Cody Bonnell.

Mah is partnered with Cody Bonnell, 19-year-old Unionville native.
“I can’t believe what is happening right now,” Mah said. “It is an amazing feeling and I am so happy and so excited.”
Mah and Bonnell made a name from themselves early in the competition. Their dance skills have been put to the test in a wide range of dance styles from contemporary to mambo and they have yet to disappoint.
Canadian ballerina Karen Kain was the guest judge last week and described Mah as “a chameleon” as she has “the impeccable ability to change dance styles.”
As the competition gets more intense, Melanie’s ability as a dancer continues to astonish the judges and audience.
“Melanie, you are one of the most beautiful contemporary dancers up there,” praised Rex Harrington of the National Ballet of Canada after last week’s performance. “You show your inner soul and that’s what it’s all about.”
When asked what her favorite dance routine has been so far, Mah raved about last week’s routine to Keri Hilson’s “Turnin’ Me On.”
“I really loved the hip-hop Luther Brown did for Cody and I,” she said. “I got really cool extensions and I loved the piece and the song.”
This week the top 10 will be narrowed down to the top eight, and tensions are high.
“I try not to look at it like a competition because that’s when I get stressed out. I try to remind myself that I am here because it is an amazing opportunity,” Mah said. “I have had no expectations for the competition. I am taking it one day at a time.”
Mah’s incredible style and versatility as a dancer will be sure to take her far in the competition, and this once in a lifetime opportunity will remain with Mah forever.
“I will definitely take away everything I have learned dance-wise, from the choreographers and the other dancers I have met,” she said. “I have learned a lot about myself and how to deal with the stress and all the different emotions — it is definitely something that will come in handy in the future.”
Mah is grateful to everyone who has voted for her throughout the competition and who has believed and pushed her along the journey.
To show your support for fellow Western student Melanie Mah, tune into So You Think You Can Dance Canada, which airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m on CTV.

Follow the Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.