Although he didn’t win, Shale Wagman gained a lot from his experience on Canada’s Got Talent.

“I got a lot of exposure and had so much fun, even though I didn’t win,” the 12-year-old ballet dancer from Vaughan, Ont., said. “I met so many great people, and I am excited for what’s going to happen next.”

 Scott Moore, president of broadcasting for Rogers Media, said he was surprised Wagman didn’t win.

“I first saw Shale at the Toronto auditions and I was captivated by him. Here is a young man, unlike a lot of his friends, taking the road less travelled – getting up on stage and showcasing his talent with such pride,” Moore said.

Sagkeeng’s Finest, a trio of First Nation dancers from Manitoba, were the winners at the show’s finale, which aired May 14.

The underdogs rose to the occasion. Their hearts came across to Canada, and they were voted most-improved act throughout the competition.

“They never thought they would make it through the auditions, let alone take the whole thing,” said the host of the show, Dina Pugliese.

She added, “It’s the X factor. All 12 acts were phenomenal. It was a matter of who resonated to Canadians that would motivate them to vote and what was that extra something about their story or performance that night that would make somebody pick up the phone or log on to the website and vote.”

Wagman, meanwhile, will continue competing. His summer plans include a national dance competition in Florida.

 “I’m going to sleepover camp, and of course I will be dancing all the time,” he said.

“We are going to see a lot more of Shale Wagman,” Stephan Moccio a judge of Canada’s Got Talent, said.