It’s an all-too-familiar tale: the young bright-eyed girl from the small town gets a chance to pursue her dreams in the big city. For So You Think You Can Dance Canada contestant Tara-Jean Popowich it’s a fairy tale come to life.

The 20-year-old dancer has been dancing since before most of us learned to walk, so it’s no surprise that the self-described over-achiever has made the top 16 in Canada’s favourite televised dance competition.

Popowich is from Lethbridge, Alberta and has been living in Vancouver since 2006, where she’s a teacher at Vancouver’s Harbour Dance Centre. Accordingly, she has fans from both Lethbridge and Vancouver cheering her on.

The modest dancer giggles on the phone from Toronto, gleefully talking about all the support she’s received so far. “I wish I could reply to everyone because I really appreciate it and it’s just the best feeling. I can’t even put it into words.”

The giggles fade away when talk of elimination day comes up. “I’m all nerves on elimination day,” she says. The soft-spoken Popowich gets a little louder when chatting about the emotional rollercoaster ride of eliminations, even joking that her relentless desire to constantly practice the routine must get on the nerves of her partner, Everett Smith of Glen Morris, Ontario. “I go through the dance a thousand times; I only listen to the song that we’ll be dancing to. I live and breathe the number that we are performing.”

She’s doing her best to find her way in a competition that doesn’t leave much room for errors. The energy is intense and the competition is steep, but being able to depend on her dance partner has really helped Popowich stay on top of her dancing. Despite the ultimate goal of winning the competition as a solo dancer, Popowich explains that relying on her partner and trusting him is an integral part of making it to the next show.

Speaking fondly of he partner she says, “Everett and I hang out a lot. We’re always talking and getting to know each other, but most importantly we’re very honest with each other which is making our relationship work.”

Her journey so far hasn’t been without its share of struggles. Popowich who comes from a contemporary, jazz, and ballet background has choreographed much of her own dancing in the past. Learning to take on someone else’s routine has been challenging, but the experience has made her stronger and given her a new found passion for a different genre of dancing.

“I did struggle a little, because you want to make it feel good for your body, but it has to be what the choreographer wants,” she explains. “But it has given me huge respect for all other styles of dancing.” She suggests that more dancers should consider stepping out of their comfort zone and trying new styles of dance.

It’s obvious that the young dancer has her sights set high and isn’t afraid to dance her ass off in order to get there.

“I love it”, she says enthusiastically. “After I finish and my body breaks down, I want to open my own dance company and have my own dancers. There is no way I’ll ever get out of the dance world.” With 17 years already under her belt, it’s easy to believe in this young and humble dancer’s dream—hell, it’s already been a fairytale.