This week, NBC’s World of Dance moved into its third round, The Semi-Finals. During this round, the dancers who made it through The Duels get their first chance to perform outside the warehouse with all of the lights and effects available on the World of Dance stage. Out of the twelve acts that survived the Duels, only four will move on to the final round, and unlike The Qualifiers and The Duels, there are no Callbacks or Redemption mini-rounds to keep dancers from going home. “If they don’t go nuts, they’re not making it through,” JLo said at the beginning of the episode, highlighting the importance of each act bringing all they had to the stage.

The Young Cast

The only group to face The Qualifiers, Callbacks, The Duels, and Redemption, The Young Cast was the first semi-finalist to compete. “You guys are like a perfect example of perseverance,” Derek said after they finished their explosive routine. JLo commented that she felt like their choreography may have had too many details leaving her unsure what to focus on, and Ne-Yo wanted to see more attention paid to musicality.

Their Score: 90.7. With Derek as their most enthusiastic judge, giving them a score of 93, The Young Cast started off at the top of the leaderboard by default.

Savannah Manzel

The youngest contestant this season, soloist Savannah Manzel faced an entire team in The Duels and found her place in the Semi-Finals. Despite the judges critique during The Duels that she needed more dance among her acrobatic stunts, Savannah took it to another level, including aerial work in her routine after only one week of practice. The judges were shocked and called her an inspiration for other young girls.

Her Score: 90.3. Coming in just below The Young Cast, Savannah took the second spot on the leaderboard.

Jeferson and Adrianita

“You cannot deny the electricity that just flowed through this whole room,” Ne-Yo said after Jefferson and Adrianita finished their Semi-Finals ballroom performance. Ne-Yo commented that he still thinks Adrianita steals the show from Jefferson on stage, but JLo saw improvement, saying that Jefferson was keeping up with Adrianita. Derek also got to meet this duo’s son who they named after him!

Their Score: 94.3. With JLo and Derek both scoring Jeferson and Adrianita high with 95 and 96 respectively, they took the first place on the leaderboard, pushing The Young Cast into second and sending Savannah Menzel home.

Grvmnt

While Grvmnt came in an executed their routine well, the judges were a little underwhelmed. Derek was disappointed by how long they stayed in a V formation, and JLo and Ne-Yo both agreed that the choreography the group was given was weak, if well-performed.

Their Score: 89.7. With the lowest score so far, Grvmnt fell behind Savannah Manzel on the leaderboard, meaning they’re out of the competition.

Kurtis Sprung

Contemporary soloist Kurtis Sprung has been quietly making his way through the competition with ease. For his Semi-Finals performance, he brought an emotional story about his relationship with his father to the stage. Ne-Yo wanted to see more lingering moments from Kurtis, but JLo disagreed, saying that the moments in motion were just as impactful as the few still ones in the piece.

His Score: 90.3 This score tied Kurtis with Savannah Manzel but put him below the top two spots in the leaderboard, so he is out of the competition.

Géométrie Variable

Throughout the competition, the judges have worried that Géométrie Variable’s style might be so unique that it holds them back, but when they took the stage for the Semi-Finals, they proved that they continue to make their geometric style new and exciting with each new performance by adding prop work with their ties and an umbrella. “You went chill, you went swag, and you went flawless,” Derek said after their performance.

Their Score: 94. With all three judges scoring this group high, they managed to take second place only 0.3 points behind Jefferson and Adrianita and send The Young Cast home.

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.