Moments after the confetti cannons fill the air with orange and silver confetti, So You Think You Can Dance Canada’s Season 4 runner-up Melissa Mitro is in tears on stage.

But it’s not because she’s upset. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: “I’m just so happy,” she sobs.

“This means everything to me,” says the contemporary dancer from Richmond Hill, Ont., about her second place finish. “I came here because I wanted to show everyone what I can do. I didn’t think I’d ever make it this far!”

But she did, showcasing her power and versatility week after week. This dynamism was rewarded by standing ovations from the judges after every single one of her duets.

“It was insane!” she says about the accolades the judges offered her.

“Every single week you amaze us,” guest judge Stacey Tookey told her earlier in the season. This admiration was echoed by judge Blake McGrath: “You steal my heart every single time,” he said.

“I never expected it,” Melissa says about the judges’ standing ovations. “It was really a surprise every week. It was so exciting. I just came out on stage and tried my hardest, that’s all I did!”

She has won a brand new Chevrolet Cruze and when asked where she’s going to take it, she laughs and says: “I’m going to drive to Shane’s house.”

And after she and fellow Season 4 finalist Shane Simpson hang out, she’s planning on taking some downtime up at her cottage. “Then L.A.,” she says with a quiet confidence. She’s no longer crying, but smiling, beaming even. “I want to go to L.A. to dance.”

Melissa also received $10,000 from the runners-up fund created by SYTYCDC's Executive Producer Sandra Faire and husband, Ivan Fecan, who also rewarded $5,000 to the remaining four finalists.

Lindsay Leuschner

Like Melissa, 19-year-old contemporary dancer Lindsay Leuschner, from Stouffville, Ont., is also in tears on stage. “I can’t even describe what this all means to me,” she says about being a finalist. “I can’t believe it’s all over. I just don’t want to stop!”

Lindsay’s biggest accomplishment is that she learned not to hold anything back. “I feel like I grew every week, and learned to just let go. My confidence really grew as the competition went on,” she reflects.

Though she admits she’s going to miss the rest of the dancers, the judges and everyone else on SYTYCDC, she can’t wait to keep training. “I don’t want to stop. I want to put myself out there and really train and train and train. I’m going to take it all really seriously.”

Shane Simpson

Shane Simpson, a contemporary dancer from Thornhill, Ont., is also going to miss the cast. “We’re so close, such a family,” he says with a big grin. “And even though the long hours were really crazy, I’m going to miss learning routines in such a short amount of time!”

He loved this last week, gearing up for the big finale. “Having everyone back and being on the stage one last time was awesome,” he says. “I got to do my favourite dances, like the disco with Lindsay, which I loved. It was great to do everything one last time!”

Though he will miss the fast pace of the show, he admits he’s excited to sleep. “I’m going to take some sleeping time and rest my body a bit and then, I don’t know! I want to see what happens and take the opportunities as they come,” he says.

“I want to try to get my papers to work in the States and audition in L.A. or New York. Who knows what will happen!”

Christian Millette

Ballroom dancer Christian Millette, 28, from Montreal, Que., doesn’t have very much time to rest as he and his dance partner, Top 8 dancer Denitsa Ikonomova have a very important ballroom competition that starts in the last week of September.

“Now that we’re used to 10-12 hours of rehearsal a day, we can easily get ready,” Christian says with a laugh.

Though he’s all smiles now, he admits it was a tough day. “I cried this morning when I packed, and again when it was my last duet with Jordan, and then before the (Top 6) group number!” he says.

But like Melissa and Lindsay, they aren’t tears of sadness. “Everything about my time here was so amazing. We developed such an incredible friendship, even though it was a competition.

“Really, I just got to dance with my friends. It was the best.”

Matt Marr

Twenty-year-old contemporary dancer, Matt Marr from Quispamsis, N.B., says he’s in shock. “I’m a mess! I’m really happy! I just can’t believe I’m the top male and I’m just really overwhelmed!” he gushes.

The most incredible moment of his SYTYCDC journey occurred when the confetti dropped. “I realized I had accomplished all the goals I wanted to going into this show.

“I didn’t come here to win, but I came here to prove that you can do whatever you want to do no matter where you’re from.

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it,” he says.