TORONTO — Canadian Alex Wong says he’ll consider returning for a third season of So You Think You Can Dance after being forced to withdraw from the reality TV show with a lacerated Achilles tendon.
The Edmonton native — the sole Canuck contender on this edition of the American dancing competition — was injured during a rehearsal and had to quit the show for a second time. He made the Top 20 in the show’s fifth season but had to leave when the Miami City Ballet refused to let him out of his contract as principal soloist.
In a conference call Friday, he was asked whether he might attempt a comeback next season.
“Yeah, it’s definitely something I look forward to,” Wong said.
“I feel like I haven’t finished my journey, you know? I feel like there’s so much more to learn. I was learning so much every single day.”
Wong sounded glum as he discussed his latest setback, which stopped the 23-year-old cold during a season in which he was considered a front-runner; he had been wowing the judges and audience with his versatility.
He was tearful when he departed from the show and, days later, he said he wasn’t feeling much better.
“I’m not in too much physical pain but my heart really hurts,” he said. “Emotionally, I’m in a lot of pain.”
Wong is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles. After that, he said he planned on returning to Surrey, B.C., to recover.
“My family is there, and it’s kind of the best place for me to just hang out while I have nothing to do for the moment,” he said.
And he’s not sure exactly how long that moment will last.
While So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe said on TV that Wong would require three months to heal, Wong wasn’t willing to hazard a guess on a timeframe for his recovery.
“Sooner than later, hopefully,” he said.
The injury occurred while he was rehearsing a Bollywood-inspired routine on Tuesday. It was not only the last rehearsal but near the end of piece when it happened.
“I landed — I didn’t even land funny — I just landed,” he recalled.
“I thought I stepped on something. I heard a crack. I thought the floor buckled or something, and when I looked down, the floor was flat, so it did not buckle. And you know, I was kind of shocked. And I stopped.”
He turned his gaze toward his foot. His Achilles, he said, looked like “it was split in half.”
“I was so frustrated. I sat there, and I just thought to myself: ‘You better not be hurt. This better not take you out.’ Cause I’ve worked so hard and I’ve given up so much to be here.
“It was just really, really hard. I was very, very, very frustrated and you know, I still am. But you know, looking back at my journey, I’m very grateful just to be here in the first place.”
Wong has been invited back for next season, and while he expressed interest in returning to the show several times, when pressed further, he conceded that he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do once healed.
“’So You Think You Can Dance’ takes out so much from your life, you know, I had to start from Vegas, and then you don’t know if you’re going to be picked to be in the Top 20. And you kind of have to give up everything before you even know, right? So it’s going to be a tough decision,” he said.
“I really do want to return because I feel like I haven’t finished my journey, but I really have to give (it) some thought.”