After a triumphant Season 4 finale this past weekend, Canada’s dancers will no longer face the music on national TV. The Star has learned that So You Think You Can Dance Canada has been cancelled.

“I can confirm that So You Think You Can Dance Canada has not been renewed for a fifth season,” said Scott Henderson, vice-president, communications, Bell Media.

The company released the following statement about the decision: “The producers of So You Think You Can Dance Canada created four seasons of groundbreaking, high-quality television, delivering on a creative level everything you could ask for as broadcaster, and ending on a creative high note.

“After four seasons and 92 episodes, CTV has decided to pursue other program strategies. This decision was made after careful consideration, including viewership and economic factors. We remain extremely proud of the legacy of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, including raising the profile of dance in this country.”

The show remained strong in the ratings this summer, averaging just over a million viewers a week, making it one of the highest rated Canadian-made programs on the air.

However sources said the numbers for Sunday’s finale were almost 30 per cent lower than last year.

Other sources said production staff had been asked to cut the series’ budget in half before the decision was made to cancel.

“This is the show I’ve loved the most and been the most passionate about,” said Sandra Faire, executive producer, when asked for comment. “I’m very sad it’s been cancelled, for me and for the whole dance community.”

A success out of the gate, the series provided a showcase for Canada’s young dance community, making stars out of winners and non-winners alike, including Nico Archambault, Tara-Jean Popowich and Denys Drozdyuk.

On Sunday, Jordan Clark, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Tottenham, Ont., was declared Canada’s favourite dancer and given $100,000 and a car.

The news was met with shock by members of the cast and crew.

“I’m really upset because this was a passion of mine, this was my life,” said Tre Armstong, one of the judges on the series.

“Canada really deserves this show still, we really want it. We still need it. The dancers across Canada still need this platform to shine. It really is such a horrible shame that it’s gone so quickly. Too quickly.

“It was the second highest rated show. I really don’t understand what happened.”

Said fellow judge Jean Marc Généreux, “I have no regrets as far as what we produced. But (I have) a lot of questions in my head about why a network like CTV, an independent network, who always said they were going to do the best, the best, the best, which is what we were and we’re no longer apparently on air.

“At the end of the day, I don’t understand why a network would do this. Our production was responsible for the entire dance industry in Canada. (The show) was about one thing: culture and dance. I’m really, really sad, but dancing just lost its platform in Canada.”

Blake McGrath, who has been both a choreographer and judge on the show, said, “SYTYCDC has changed dance in our country forever. It’s unfortunate that it has been cancelled, even with high ratings, amazing production and incredible dancers. Sad that Canada will not be blessed to watch the younger generation of dancers. I am positive they will be given their time to shine elsewhere.

“I thank CTV for hosting an amazing four years of dance and for putting Canadian dance on the map. It was a privilege for me to be a part of SYTYCDC’s journey!”

“Wow, I’m a bit stunned,” said Lee Kinoshita-Bevington, costume designer for Dance, when told of the cancellation. “The ratings are very good and we were probably thinking it was going on.”

The show had high production costs with auditions across the country and live performances. When Kinoshita-Bevington was asked if budgetary concerns were ever an issue, he said they were mentioned, but it was nothing dramatic.

“We were told to tighten it up if we could. The look of the show is very important and it’s one of the areas where they really wanted to put money into, but we were being careful, for sure. We were being very aware of what we were buying, and recycling things and making sure we utilized everything.

“As well, we wanted to give the best possible look and, this year, all areas kind of came together, I think it was the best year ever for the show, from a performance, from a look standpoint.”

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It’s not the first time CTV has cancelled one of its hit versions of an American reality series. After six seasons, the broadcaster cancelled Canadian Idol in 2008. Some speculated at the time that it was because the network was putting all its resources into SYTYCDC.

Dance wasn’t the only CTV show to get the axe this week. The network said Hiccups and Dan for Mayor, which starred Corner Gas alumni Brent Butt, Nancy Robertson and Fred Ewanuick, will not get new seasons.

With files from Debra Yeo, The Canadian Press