Last week on NBC’s World of Dance, the Upper Division and the Junior Team Division faced The Cut. Three acts from each of those divisions will be moving on to the Divisional Final. This week, the Upper Team Division and the Junior Division will face The Cut with help from Ne-Yo and Jenna Dewan Tatum and their guest mentors.
The Upper Team Division
First to face the cut this week was the Upper Team Division. This division received advice on their performances from Jenna and guest mentor and pop icon Paula Abdul.
The Desi Hoppers performed first. They struggled to understand the terms Paula and Jenna used as they guided them through rehearsals, but they were confident when they went on stage. The Desi Hoppers are not formally trained dancers, but they have proved throughout the competition that they can take control of the stage. This week, they did it again, and the judges were impressed with their creativity and unique formations. The judges awarded them a score of 90.7 that would set the bar for the rest of the division.
Embodiment entered this round laser focused, but Paula Abdul thought their performance needed to be cleaned up before they went on stage. Their rehearsals seemed to pay off, though. The judges were impressed by the way they worked with the music and how they developed a sense of elegance masculinity. They received an average score of 91 that pushed them into first place on the leaderboard.
When Connection took the stage, Lock n LOL had already been eliminated. If they wanted to make the cut, they would have to earn a score higher than 89 to make it onto the leaderboard. They were underdogs when they first stepped on stage, but after their performance, the judges were impressed enough to award them an average score of 91.3 and first place on the leaderboard.
During The Duels, Poreotics’ beach yoga routine fell a little flat, but this week, they took Derek’s “jelly donut” advice to heart (and incorporated it into their routine). Their clever song choice and unique new dance moves won the judges’ favor this week. They received an average score of 91.7 that pushed them into first place and sent the Desi Hoppers home.
The Ruggeds have been barely making it through each round of the competition so far. They were determined to put on a performance that was clean and innovative this round to prove that they deserved to move on to the next round. The judges were impressed with what JLo called their most complete routine yet that they awarded The Ruggeds an average score of 92.7. They took first place from the Desi Hoppers and sent Embodiment home.
The last act to compete in the Upper Team Division was S-Rank. They marched on stage splattered with paint and ready to show off. The judges felt like they brought a new level of wow to the stage and awarded them an average score of 92.3. This put them in second place on the leaderboard and sent Connection home.
Next week, Poreotics, The Ruggeds, and S-Rank will be representing the Upper Team Division in the next round.
The Junior Division
The final division to go up against The Cut was the Junior Division. The eight acts performing in this round received advice on their performances from Ne-Yo with the help of guest mentor and Spice Girl Mel B.
The first act to take the stage was the dynamic story-telling duo Josh and Taylor. For their routine, they went on a date that worked with the screens on and off the stage. The judges thought they showed off their maturity as dancers and as partners, but it didn’t seem like they were as impressed with Josh and Taylor as they have been in the past. They received a low average score of 85.3
Jonas and Ruby are another duo that knows how to use their strengths and passion to command the stage. They powerfully executed a matrix-inspired routine that had the judges raving. They received an average score of 88.3 that put them at the top of the leaderboard.
Next to face the cut were Sean and Kaycee. Sean choreographed an end-of-the-world romance for them to bring to life together. Even though they aren’t a couple, they really brought love to the stage. The judges felt like their careful awareness of each other’s movements was clean and made their routine a cut-worthy performance. The judges awarded them an average score of 92 which put them in first place and sent both Victoria Caban and Josh and Taylor home.
The Junior Division is full on incredible duos this season. Avery and Marcus have spent this season showing how powerful and dynamic ballet can be. The judges had mixed feelings about how their performance came together. Unfortunately, they received an average score of 85.3 that sent them home.
Charity and Andres were the last duo to perform this round. During The Duels, they received a perfect score, so this round definitely had them worried about how they could go beyond that. Despite some slips and falls during rehearsals, they showed strength and skill on stage. It’s no surprise that they received an average score of 92.7.
Last to perform this round was Jaxon Willard. In the previous two rounds of the competition, Jaxon has brought tears to our eyes with emotional and beautiful performances. He came to rehearsals with Ne-Yo and Mel B unprepared, but after some pep talks from his iconic mentors, he started to pull it together. He brought his new confidence to the stage for a performance that had the judges jumping out of their seats. When the scores were locked, he had an average score of 90.7 that secured him a spot in the next round.
Next week, Charity and Andres, Sean and Kaycee, and Jaxon Willard will be representing the Upper Team Division in the next round.
Next time we see these dancers, NBC’s World of Dance moves on to the next round, The Divisional Final where the remaining acts will be narrowed down yet again until only one represents each division in the final round.
