Shelaina Anderson

Age: 20
Occupation: Dancer, Dance Teacher and Undergraduate Student
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Audition City: Edmonton, AB
Place of Birth: Edmonton, AB
Nickname: Laina
Primary Style of Dance: Contemporary
Signature Dance Move: I have a very flexible back, so any sort of layback!
Favourite Song to Get Pumped Up and Ready to Perform to: “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull
Favourite Dance Movie: Shall We Dance
Couldn’t Live Without: My dog T.J.
Motto: “Live in the moment and dance from your heart”

After battling a fractured metatarsal bone last season, Shelaina Anderson bounced back feeling stronger than ever. Her dedicated work ethic and diverse dance background helped her break the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA Top 22 for the second time. “I was completely overjoyed and thankful,” says Shelaina.

Inspired by her mother’s love of dance, Shelaina and her sister followed in their mother’s dancing footsteps at the age of three. “She felt that giving us the opportunity to dance was extremely important because it teaches you work ethic and goal setting; how to meet new people and treat others with respect; and to be passionate about something,” said Shelaina.

As a multi-faceted dancer, this born and raised Alberta girl, who lives and breathes dance, is also well trained in jazz, lyrical, tap, ballet, pointe, modern, theatre, ballroom and hip-hop. However, the dance she fears performing the most is krump. “Although I have taken classes, I have never performed it before, so it would be both scary and exciting,” said Shelaina.

Shelaina travelled across North America competing in numerous competitions and working with notable choreographers including Kelly Konno, Stacey Tookey and Brian Friedman. When asked who has shaped her dance career thus far, Shelaina credits Shelley Tookey. “Shelley has been my mentor for the past six years, and has shaped me into the dancer that I am today,” she said.

Shelaina believes that in order to become SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA’s Favourite Dancer you must have the complete package of talent, performance and heart. “Viewers can expect me to always give 110% and dance from my heart. I’m going to embrace every moment on the show,” said Shelaina.