This year’s winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada has distant ties to Castlegar.

Grandparents to the winner, 20-year-old Tara-Jean Popowich, used to own the Marlane Hotel and Twin Rivers Motel from 1972 to about 1977.

Jean Popowich, who now lives in Lethbridge, owned the hotels with her husband Al, and is Tara-Jean’s grandmother. She was at the grand finale with Tara-Jean’s mother, Sharon, in Toronto and said she’s not surprised that her granddaughter won the competition.

“She’s been dancing since she was three. First she started with tap, and then she went to ballet. After that she tried a little bit of everything,” said Popowich.

“That’s all she’s ever done. She was a very bubbly little girl and was very happy.”

That happiness translated into an unshakable passion for dance and an effervescent personality which judges were hard-pressed to overlook, Popowich said.

Throughout her youth, Tara-Jean diligently worked at her craft studying in Lethbridge, Alta. and ultimately, at the tender age of 16, headed to Vancouver to pursue her dream.

“It wasn’t easy for her. She did stay with other girls, and she kept her head on and kept going,” Popowich explained.

“The more she danced, the more she wanted to do it. She had the passion and the drive,” said Popowich.

That determination ultimately led her to employment through Harwood Dance School where she taught choreography and dance.

With plenty of experience from dancing in “just about every festival there was in Alberta”, Tara-Jean decided to try out last year for So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

“We drove up to Calgary. She didn’t make the top 20, but she was the 11th girl and she could dance if someone got hurt or something,” said Popowich.

Setting her disappointment aside, Tara-Jean gathered up her courage and tried out for this year’s competition in New Brunswick.

She wasn’t to be disappointed.

“We heard in April that she made the cut. It was very exciting that she made it.”

Throughout the competition, Popowich and Tara-Jean’s mother travelled back and forth to Toronto to watch the shows firsthand.

They were present last week when the winner was announced.

“It was absolutely amazing. We were so excited.”

Popowich admits that there were times when she wondered if Tara-Jean would ever make it in the dance world where competition is stiff and “making it” is usually not more than a dream for most.

She says she’s happy to admit that she was wrong.

“I never thought she would make it this far and she would have to take a job like anyone else. But she tried and she tried again. I guess the message is don’t give up. Tara-Jean never did.”

Now that the competition is over, the News was able to contact Tara-Jean while she was visiting her grandmother in Lethbridge.

She said that even now she finds it hard to believe that the win wasn’t just a dream.

“Every day I think about it and still find it hard to believe,” said Tara-Jean.

In fact, said Tara-Jean, throughout the entire competition her focus was on staying, not on winning.

Throughout each week I forgot it was a competition. I just wanted to stay and learn new styles. It was like that up until the end when I realized I had a 50/50 chance to win and when I won it took a couple of seconds to sink in,” said Tara-Jean.

Now that she has the win firmly under her belt, Tara-Jean said she’s immersed in interviews, catching up with friends and preparing for Rock the Red Carpet in Toronto.