The Quebec troupe The Cast reaches the semi-final of the show Canada’s Got Talent. The 31 dancers from the District.Mao dance school in Lévis became the fourth Quebec artists to sound the Golden Buzzer.
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Judges Lilly Singh, Kardinal Offishall and Trish Stratus, on the recommendation of Howie Mandel, joined their hands on Tuesday evening to simultaneously press the “Golden Button”.
“At the end of the performance, I was out of breath and the adrenaline was at its peak. We saw the judges gather and there was a moment of suspense with nervousness and excitement. I can’t describe how I felt when they pressed the golden button. It was exceptional. It will mark me forever”, launched Imanie Roy, one of the 31 dancers and dancers, during a telephone interview.
The Cast will participate in the semi-finals which will take place on May 2 and 9 on Citytv. We’ll see them in action on May 9. It was about a first participation for a troop of District.Mao in Canada’s Got Talent.
This choreography, where we see young dancers aged 16 to 21 personify older people who do hip-hop dance, was created during the pandemic.
“We created and rehearsed this choreography in parks. We wondered, with the pandemic, when the dancers could return to the stage. We had the idea of a theme which is that of this troupe of dancers who find themselves on the boards 50 years later, ”said Marie-Odile Haince-LeBel, who, with Caroline Lemieux, signs the choreographies.
The 31 dancers made their debut at a very young age at the District.Mao dance school. Imanie Roy, 18, was four years old.
“This choreography is the fruit of several months of work. We hoped that people would like it and that we would be satisfied. The judges liked it so much that they pressed the golden button. We couldn’t have hoped for better. Especially since when we created this choreography, we didn’t even know if we were going to return to a stage one day with such a large audience. It’s very rewarding,” she said.
Performance having been recorded last January, Roy watched the show on Tuesday, with the other dancers of The Cast and 300 people at the Cage aux Sports in Lévis.
“It was a super hard secret to keep,” she confessed.
The Cast will reveal a new number in the next stage leading up to the finale which will be presented live on May 16. There will be a new concept, a new look and new music.
Marie-Odile Haince-LeBel and Caroline Lemieux were backstage during the performance of their protégés.
“We are usually in the room, but here, for the first time, we were backstage. Our work was done, and the number, at that moment, was in the hands of the dancers. It’s a moment that is always a little stressful,” noted Marie-Odile Haince-LeBel.
Photo courtesy of District.Mao
The choreographer believes that the experience acquired over the years and various TV competitions is a plus.
“We have more and more experience, as choreographers, for this kind of show. We have a good idea of what the judges appreciate, although anything, of course, can happen in a competition,” she said.
The members of The Cast have become the fourth Quebec artists to sound the Golden Buzzer. The impersonator, comedian and noisemaker Geneviève Côté and the dance troupe Conversion are the other Quebecers to have sounded the Golden Buzzer. They did it on March 28 and Jeanick Fournier had done the same during the very first season. The big winner of Canada’s Got Talent will win $150,000.
