The second round of Qualifiers auditions took place this week, and you’re probably struggling just as hard as we are to pick a favorite. Even the callbacks are stunners.
The Rise
This Upper Division hip hop group comes to World of Dance from Gilbert, Arizona with a lot of enthusiasm and a willingness to push themselves to their limits. The judges were impressed by the cleanliness of their performance and their attention to detail, despite the group’s missed final trick. JLo gave them a yes to push them toward the Duels, but Ne-Yo and Derek both wanted to see these dancers in a callback before they make a decision.
Oxygen
This group labels their style as a fusion of contemporary and hip hop, and their blending of fluid and staccato movements showcased their talent in both genres. Their synchronized arm movements were definitely the star of their performance and led to the judges giving this group from the Netherlands three “hard” yeses.
Indigenous Enterprise
Indigenous Enterprise comes from Phoenix, Arizona, but you might know them from their work collaborating with The Black Eyed Peas artist Taboo which they won a VMA for. They brought traditional Native American powwow dance to World of Dance. Unfortunately, the received three nos and won’t be moving on to the Duels round, but they brought an important aspect of dance culture to the show that the last three seasons have definitely been lacking.
James and Harris
These best friends exude joy and maybe a little bit of nervousness, but their contemporary performance still intrigued the judges. James and Harris showed that they have talent even though there were missed opportunities in their choreography. Derek wanted to see them for a callback, but Ne-Yo and JLo both said yes, pushing them into the next round.
305
Some of the faces in this Miami Latin ballroom group were familiar to JLo. They are from a studio that JLo worked with to find dancers for her Super Bowl performance. They were fast and fun, but the judges thought there were a lot more opportunities for them to do even more exciting moves. All three judges chose to give 305 a callback.
Luca and Alessandra
Latin ballroom couple Luca and Alessandra’s talent, they say, comes from being Italian. They came all the way from Sicily, Italy to perform for the judges, and when they did, they showed off their chemistry, their dance, and their storytelling skills in a dramatic ballroom routine. Ne-Yo was struck by “the power it takes to ooze like that.” All three judges gave this couple a yes.
UPeepz
You might remember that VPeepz were the Junior Team Division champions from Season 3. Well, the “adult version” (AKA their coaches) came to compete this season. UPeepz brought the hip hop skills they’ve used to train VPeepz to the competition. The judges loved it, but wanted to see new, more creative choreography from them. With a yeses from Derek and JLo (Ne-Yo wanted a callback), they’re off to the Duels.
Styles and Emma
Can we watch these two dance forever? This ballet duo from Rochester, NY is the first act to give JLo “goosies” this season with their gorgeous extensions and movements. You can’t pick just one of them to watch! We’re not surprised Styles and Emma received three enthusiastic yeses.
