OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, September 11, 2009 · 34 Volunteer, feel great! Make a difference in people's lives. www.ymcaofoakville.com LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?: Blake McGrath, judge and choreographer from So You Think You Can Dance Canada visits Annex Dance Academy for a two hour session with their competitive dancers attending the Dance Extreme summer camp at the studio. TV dance judge ww. w illebeaver comes to town oakv .com By Radhika Panjwani METROLAND MEDIA PEEL GROUP Two dozen star-struck girls mimicked Blake McGrath's every move when he stopped by their dance studio recently. After all, for aspiring dancers, McGrath, a renowned contemporary dancer/choreographer from Meadowvale, is living proof that the craft can lead to a life of fame and celebrity. The air was charged inside Annex Dance Academy, located near Dundas Street West and Winston Churchill Boulevard, as McGrath, 25, was invited to coach and coax the young dancers -- aged 10-16 -- to perform a highvoltage hip hop routine. McGrath, who started dancing when he was five years old, achieved fame in 2004 when he finished in the top 10 on the hit reality television show, So You Think You Can Dance. He said what began as a hobby quickly came to consume his life. "As soon as I knew I could do this (dance) as a career, I knew I was going to do it," McGrath said. "I was so driven. Nobody else could tell me different." Last year, after touring the world performing with Janet Jackson, McGrath was offered the chance to be a guest judge/choreographer on the Canadian version of So You Think You Can Dance. He's part of the show again this season, in the same capacity. McGrath doesn't mince words when critiquing the performers. "Sugar-coating gets you nowhere," he said. "Honesty will open their eyes and push them further." McGrath is also preparing to launch a "really hot dance pop" album, Time To Move. It's scheduled for release next year.