World Of Dance - General Discussion

[GaT]

4 hours ago, hula-la said:

I think it was the attention paid to the one member who has selective mutism. I feel the edit that's coming is that somehow she's going to be "cured" of it through the power of dance/this show, and it makes me feel cringy when I watch their performances.

2 hours ago, hnygrl said:

And I'll admit freely that the little one w/selective mutism has stolen my heart. 

Since I FF through everything but the performances & scores, I have no idea what you're talking about. WTH is selective mutism?

[hula-la]

8 minutes ago, GaT said:

Since I FF through everything but the performances & scores, I have no idea what you're talking about. WTH is selective mutism?

From Wikipedia:  Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is normally capable of speech cannot speak in specific situations or to specific people. Selective mutism usually co-exists with shyness or social anxiety.

 I don't mean to belittle the condition at all. I've just become wary of the inspiration porn out there.

[seltzer3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHRUV5UHDjE

Okay the front camera angle is so much better.  So annoyed with the weird camera angle shots, with the reaction judge shot.  We missed a lot of good parts.

[saber5055]

16 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Great hair and costumes though. 

That reminds me: I hate those gigantic mops of hair that flail their way through a routine, beating the partner to death with blows to his face, all while attached to some unseen female.

On that note, I really appreciate JLo coming out with different hair styles, including lots of pulled-back hair or bun hair. I get irked by every woman today having hair parted in the middle with lanky skanky extensions to make it even longer, lankier and skankier. That JLo can rock all types of professional hairstyles makes me happy. Contestants on The Bachelor need to take note.

That aside, I enjoyed most of the Upper Division dances. Then Poppin' John came out and I was in tears by the end of his performance, then had a big sob attack for about five minutes after he was done. I don't know what that means, but man, he got to me big time. I would have scored him no lower than 98.

Most of the Junior Team routines looked too much the same to me, and I got bored so only gave them passing glances while I did other things.

The only other shallow note I have to add is that Derek looked pretty good in those pants he was wearing while mentoring. Hey, hey, HEYYYY!

[Iseut]

I don't remember being that impressed with the Dancetown Divas before, but their Vogue routine was just so FUN! Great combo of choreography and presentation. I'm glad they made it through.

I get tired of the contemporary couples and their constant "This is about, uh, how relationships are hard and stuff, so we are going to represent that very uniquely by tossing each other through the air and pushing each other away angstily and wrenching at each other's arms pleadingly and storming off dancily." That said, I thought that the couple who did dance like that (Brenna and Derion? Their names are escaping me) did a very good job of it!  They had some physical tension, movements, and holds that were less common even though the overall theme of their dance was something we've seen a million times before.  

Poppin' John continues to surprise and impress. I love that he keeps adapting and updating his "old school" style. That routine was amazing. 

[realdancemom]

23 hours ago, Iseut said:

I don't remember being that impressed with the Dancetown Divas before, but their Vogue routine was just so FUN! Great combo of choreography and presentation. I'm glad they made it through.

I get tired of the contemporary couples and their constant "This is about, uh, how relationships are hard and stuff, so we are going to represent that very uniquely by tossing each other through the air and pushing each other away angstily and wrenching at each other's arms pleadingly and storming off dancily." That said, I thought that the couple who did dance like that (Brenna and Derion? Their names are escaping me) did a very good job of it!  They had some physical tension, movements, and holds that were less common even though the overall theme of their dance was something we've seen a million times before.  

Poppin' John continues to surprise and impress. I love that he keeps adapting and updating his "old school" style. That routine was amazing. 

Can't comment on Dancetown Divas yet since I haven't watched the juniors perform.  I did like them during the Redemption round last week.

The contemporary couple that you're talking about, I think you have the guy's name right even though I'm not sure about the spelling.  Anyway, I originally did not like them at all.  In the first round, the guy seemed really arrogant, e.g. if you can name the move we don't put it in our dances.  I also didn't like them because it just seemed all about strength and lifts.  The second round was also like that except for the first few moves.  I really liked their routine this time because they did show some artistry/emotion and dance.

Poppin' John surprised me and he was really great.  I'm sad that All Ready didn't make it since they're different.  But I did like their routine better last time.  It was funny and didn't like this one as much.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rehearsal: Poppin John

Front row: VPeepz

Backstage to main stage: Derion & Madison

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E9: Cut 2

Quote

In the Cut round two, the acts face the deepest and most intense cut of the season with judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and NE-YO. The top six acts from each division remain but only the top three highest-scoring acts from each division will move on to the Divisional Final and be one step closer to winning a grand prize of $1 million. This week, Jennifer Lopez mentors the Junior Division and NE-YO mentors the Upper Team Division.

Original air date: 4/21/19

[HappyDancex2]

They weren’t necessarily rewarded for it but I liked The Kings variety tonight.  Agreed it started a little formation-y but it’s nice to see them go a little different.  The Korean group is pretty awesome....how much material do they have?  Hope they don’t use everything up.

I didn’t think they should have added in the comment before the final scores of the Korean group of one of the girls professing that she thought they deserved to go to the finals.  Yikes.  Take it up with Unity LA because no you didn’t...and being a female group doesn’t entitle you to a spot.  And if it was dubbed in completely based on something else then shame on the show.

[jewel21]

Was  it just me, or was there one couple who made the top three but only like a minute of their dance was shown? I was just starting to get into it and suddenly they were being judged. It was really confusing. I wish I could recall their names. In any case, I thought it was weird. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper teams:

Exiles (90+90+91=90.3)
I liked their bright yellow costume (although at the beginning of the routine, I saw the black straps on the front and thought, "Are they all wearing backpacks?"). Their routine was fine but at this point in the competition, my judging criteria is simple: is this a performance worth $1 million?

The Kings (96+99+98=97.7)
This wasn't my favorite routine by The Kings, but I still enjoyed it. Loved the Transformer part which was a cool visual effect.

Unity LA (93+93+94=93.3)
Canes are not the type of prop I like seeing in dance, but I guess they did add a different visual element. My issue is that with straight props like canes, you really have to make sure that everyone is at the exact same angle and level or it ends up looking sloppy. This routine was fine but not amazing.

Fuego Dance Crew (90+89+89=89.3)
I enjoyed this routine but I feel like it would have scored better on ABDC. They had some really cool moments but these ADHD judges want the entire routine to be tricks and wow moments.

Radiance (94+92+92=92.7)
Great, a typical contemporary competition routine. The two things I liked best about this performance were the red costumes and the rotating X formation. Other than than that, I was bored and waiting for it to end.

The Heima (100+95+98=97.7)
This is another one of my favorite groups this season so I always love seeing what they're going to do. It was not my favorite performance from them, but I still liked it. They have so much personality and I liked the pictures and shapes they create.

Junior division:

Funkanometry (93+93+88=91.3)
I really liked that they had a concept and a story that they used for the whole routine. They had some really cool moments in the choreography.

Lauren Yakima (91+91+93=91.7)
I liked that she incorporated a lot more dance into this routine (as opposed to nonstop tricks) but I knew that it would end up hurting her scores because the judges want nonstop tricks.

Moving 4ward (90+91+90=90.3)
Using a big prop like a table can be difficult, especially with four dancers (as opposed to two dancers like "Sweet Dreams" on SYTYCD), but they did fairly well with it. I thought they lost some steam about halfway through. Nitpick during the assisted cartwheels, one of the dancers in maroon had bent knees and sloppy (meaning not pointed or flexed) feet. You are dancers so I expect better than that.

Julian and Charlize (94+94+91=93)
I liked the beginning of the routine but I started losnig interest partway through. They started coming back near the end but I felt like it wasn't quite as strong as the beginning. On a shallow note, I liked that Charlize had a white shirt underneath her crop top. I'm not a prude by any means but I am tired of so many dance routines featuring girls in bra tops and booty shorts. I appreciate seeing a female dancer who doesn't feel the need to wear that kind of costume.

Kayla Mak (93+94+94=93.7)
I like Kayla but I didn't think this was her best routine, which is an issue of choreography, not an issue with her dance or performance skills. I think she has much greater ballet skills than what we were shown in this routine. As much as I like her, I think that she went through to the next round because the show knows that if the next round is all hip hop and contemporary, people wil be bored.

Ellie and Ava (95+95+96=95.3)
This was another contemporary routine. They performed it well, but yawn. What makes me mad is that the hip hop groups often get the criticism "we didn't see anything new/innovative" but the contemporary routines rarely get that criticism, despite the fact that contemporary routines often have the same steps and tricks.

[GaT]

10 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ellie and Ava (95+95+96=95.3)
This was another contemporary routine. They performed it well, but yawn. What makes me mad is that the hip hop groups often get the criticism "we didn't see anything new/innovative" but the contemporary routines rarely get that criticism, despite the fact that contemporary routines often have the same steps and tricks.

This is one of the reasons I stopped watching "So You Think You Can Dance", I was just sick to death of all the contemporary dances, they all look exactly the same to me. It's also why I'm so disappointed in Kayla Mak , we could be watching a classically trained ballerina, instead we're stuck with her version of "contemporary ballet". How many HMVs do I need to see?

[HappyDancex2]

The contemporary routines are boring to me because at this stage there isn't much for them to do except for....wait for it....tell that elusive story.   When they fall short then you get a lot of stretching and formations that of course we've seen before because quite frankly there is only so much you can do in that format.

Prime example is the God is a Woman routine had the perfect blend of choreo, song choice, message and execution.  If they could they would just do that routine over and over....much like a figure skater trains a long program for years for the Olympics.  It strikes a chord, it works, it has difficulty for the judges and appeal for the masses.

Then they pick the shootings in their state....they are overwrought with emotion that they can't contain...the dancing and choreo suffers.  Was it horrible?  No.   But without the perfect balance it's going to be hard to beat the Kings or Heima who are launching themselves physically 20 feet off the ground.

Also interesting is that unlike DWTS, the judges and audience are obviously not hearing the prepackages.   So they don't know the stories ahead of time, just the mentor judge.

That being said Unity LA has the best chance to contempo group their way to victory.....they are strong dancers who have mature choreo.  I wouldn't bet money on it but at least I can see some version of contemporary being competitive with the formation heavy Kings and Heima.  I don't even call them hip hop.

[saber5055]

On 4/22/2019 at 2:18 PM, GaT said:

I was just sick to death of all the contemporary dances, they all look exactly the same to me. It's also why I'm so disappointed in Kayla Mak , we could be watching a classically trained ballerina, instead we're stuck with her version of "contemporary ballet". How many HMVs do I need to see?

If one took a drink every time we saw a HMV ... there aren't ANY other moves in contemporary? And the HMV is always the same leg. What's up with that.

I didn't like Kayla Mak's routine at all. And now I'm wondering if the cuts to judges are so viewers don't see sloppy moves. At one point, Kayla Mak was getting up from the floor as UN-gracefully as I do, and I'm no dancer. Camera cut to judges before she actually stood back up. Then she scored highest. No way that should have happened.

22 hours ago, HappyDancex2 said:

Also interesting is that unlike DWTS, the judges and audience are obviously not hearing the prepackages.   So they don't know the stories ahead of time, just the mentor judge.

Maybe the audience doesn't, but my bet is on judges knowing everything, including how each dancer/group is going to score, well before each show is taped/aired. I'd also bet they've seen the pre-package for each, so they can approve it before airing. Heck, they might even write/script them for the contestants.

[toodywoody]

The two girls who dance by themselves are insanely beautiful and their moves just draw you in.

[HappyDancex2]

I really liked Jennifer Lopez’s iridescent plastic ostrich feather looking dress.  All her stuff is too short but at least this one had personality hahahahaha.  I wonder if the world would end if she came out in some ratty sweats and looked comfortable.

[marykat71702]

I wish Funkenometry had stayed purely for their entertainment value-they made me smile and laugh during their routine, which I appreciated.

Fuego Dance Crew was cocky, arrogant, and annoying. I'm glad they're gone.

Radiance-"We deserve to be in the top 3". No, no you don't. I feel like the judges gave you high scores purely based on the emotional factor of the piece. I would much rather have had Exiles stay over you. As I mentioned before, I prefer good routines that are fun and entertain me, not sad, depressing ones.

[zenithwit]

So the Kings clearly have a thing for the Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.  This is the second one of his songs that they have done (with their Duels "Malhari" performance being the first one).

However, I don't think this performance was as successful as their prior appearances.  One of the things that made their Duels performance so strong was how well they blended the Bollywood style with the more hip hop/street styles.  Whereas their performance from this week was more 90% street and 10% Bollywood.  Which is a shame because their source material for this week was so rich (I think in the end they only referenced one or two of the moves from the song).

For anyone that is curious, here is the Bollywood song that the Kings used as inspiration this week:    https://youtu.be/sIooFGRBZJY

[HappyDancex2]

20 hours ago, saber5055 said:

If one took a drink every time we saw a HMV ... there aren't ANY other moves in contemporary? And the HMV is always the same leg. What's up with that.

I never noticed which leg led....that's weird... I'm going to have to watch for that now and then never be able to unsee it for the rest of my life LOL!!!

HMV is always going to be the go to move to show flexibility although on this show we've seen some cool leg behind the body shapes at weird angles.  But overall it's hard to get how.....difficult the contemporary routines are when pitted against each other.  

[Iseut]

12 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

Radiance-"We deserve to be in the top 3". No, no you don't. 

Yeah, I understand it must suck and be stressful to sit and wait, and I'm sure the producers encourage them to trash talk, but that was not a good look for Radiance. The Heima, The Kings, and Unity LA have been consistently amazing and on top, while Radiance has been...fine. Their negative comments while the Heima was performing were not cute (or accurate) and seemed rude and unprofessional. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper teams:

Spoiler

Exiles (90+90+91=90.3)

The Kings (96+99+98=97.7)

Unity LA (93+93+94=93.3)

Fuego Dance Crew (90+89+89=89.3)

Radiance (94+92+92=92.7)

The Heima (100+95+98=97.7)

Junior division:
 

Spoiler

Funkanometry (93+93+88=91.3)

Lauren Yakima (91+91+93=91.7)

Moving 4ward (90+91+90=90.3)

Julian and Charlize (94+94+91=93)

Kayla Mak (93+94+94=93.7)

Ellie and Ava (95+95+96=95.3)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rehearsal: Ellie & Ava

Front row: LA Unity

Backstage to main stage: Kayla Mak

[realdancemom]

On 4/24/2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyDancex2 said:

I never noticed which leg led....that's weird... I'm going to have to watch for that now and then never be able to unsee it for the rest of my life LOL!!!

HMV is always going to be the go to move to show flexibility although on this show we've seen some cool leg behind the body shapes at weird angles.  But overall it's hard to get how.....difficult the contemporary routines are when pitted against each other.  

It's usually the right leg on this show and SYTYCD.  A lot of contemporary dancers also are better turners and leapers when they use their right leg.  So one of the things that I watch if I was basing on technical skill is whether a dancer is strong on both their left and right sides.

Radiance's routine last week was better.  Actually, for all the adult groups, their routines were better last week.  So with this week's routine, Radiance did not deserve to be in the top three.  The top three last week were the ones that made it this week.  That's what I predicted would happen.  I was wrong last week when I predicted that the other groups were a toss-up but I said Lauren Yakima would make it.  She was wobbly this week when she was so solid the previous weeks.

[realdancemom]

I also think that Radiance was hoping that JLo would get goosies from their story.  It was manipulative and I'm glad it backfired.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S3.E10: Divisional Final

Quote

In the Divisional Final the top three acts from each division (12 acts total) will compete for a spot in the World Final. The judges will score each act's performance based on their artistry, precision, and athleticism. The top scoring act from each division will be one step closer to winning the $1 million. Freestyle hip-hop dancer and entertainer tWitch serves as guest mentor for the Upper Team Division while Jennifer mentors the Junior Team Division, Derek mentors the Junior Division, and NE-YO mentors the Upper Division.

Original air date: 4/28/19

[Frisky Wig]

Someone fill me in on what HMV stands for? I know it’s the leg extension with the right leg and I get tired of seeing it over and over and over...

They seriously didn’t reveal the wildcard!? What??

[Psychobunny]

Must every contestant have to have a sob story? Why can’t they just dance. I call BS on the girl with selective mutism suddenly speaking to the one girl on camera. I have a patient with selective mutism and it just seems too convenient for her to first talk to JLo and then this. Anyway, I have been rooting for the Kings since the first show. They are fun to watch and they don’t bore me. I can’t speak to the technical aspects but I do know what I would pay to watch. 

[GaT]

3 hours ago, Frisky Wig said:

Someone fill me in on what HMV stands for? I know it’s the leg extension with the right leg and I get tired of seeing it over and over and over...

They seriously didn’t reveal the wildcard!? What??

Here's My Vagina

I was hoping Briar Nolet wouldn't make it to the finals, she's the Eva Igo this season & I'm sick of her.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper division:

Spoiler

Derion and Madison (92+91+93=92)

Poppin John (95+96+94=95)

Briar Nolet (96+93+97=95.3)

Junior teams:

Spoiler

The Crazy 8’s (94+93+92=93)

VPeepz (96+95+97=96)

Dancetown Divas (95+96+96=95.7)

Junior division:

Spoiler

Ellie and Ava (94+95+99=96)

Julian and Charlize (95+96+96=95.7)

Kayla Mak (94+97+95=95.3)

Upper teams:

Spoiler

The Heima (92+93+95=93.3)

Unity LA (100+96+100=98.7)

The Kings (100+99+100=99.7)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Upper division:

Derion and Madison (92+91+93=92)
This routine took way too long to get started and then it didn't really go anywhere. I liked the gradual costume reveal.

Poppin John (95+96+94=95)
This routine was a delight to watch from beginning to end. Not only was it entertaining but he had so many different techniques. He held my interest the entire time!

Briar Nolet (96+93+97=95.3)
This was a fun routine to watch. I liked that she had a concept and the giant cube was an interesting prop. I would have given the win to Poppin John though.

Junior teams:

The Crazy 8’s (94+93+92=93)
This was a typical competition routine and it was fine, but in my opinion it wasn't strong enough to win $1 million. They're all strong dancers with good technique and I like that they smile (as opposed to those horrible open mouthed bug eyed competition faces we often see, especially with the younger girls). The performance was fine. They just needed better choreography.

VPeepz (96+95+97=96)
Smart choices all around - fun concept, good song choice, clean choreography, and elements of fun/humor.

Dancetown Divas (95+96+96=95.7)
Great song choice, strong choreography, and good execution. I liked it a lot and I think this was their best performance this season, but I still thought VPeepz was better.

Junior division:

Ellie and Ava (94+95+99=96)
Great control, strength, and technique.

Julian and Charlize (95+96+96=95.7)
My issue with this pair is that when it's just two people, you have to match each other in intensity and they don't. Charlize often hits harder than Julian does and that makes it seem like they're not completely in sync. She's not a better dancer than he is because she hits harder though. Neither one of them is right or wrong. They just need to find that sweet spot where they're at the same level.

Kayla Mak (94+97+95=95.3)
Ugh, I hate these emo covers. She had some strong moments but overall I felt like the choreography would be stronger. We've seen what she's capable of and this routine didn't really showcase it well. I felt it was a bit to frantic.

Upper teams:

The Heima (92+93+95=93.3)
They definitely took a risk with this routine and unfortunately it didn't pay off because the judges like what they like. I felt the routine took a little too long to get going but once it did, they showed their trademarks well. One reason that breaking and hip hop don't always look as clean and synchronized as other styles of dance is because each person has their own style and flavor, but these guys manage to stay in unison with everything at the exact same angle.

Unity LA (100+96+100=98.7)
Great concept and clear story (bonus: I love this song!). Really clean but I wish everyone hadn't been relegated to backup dancers to the story.

The Kings (100+99+100=99.7)
As always, fun and high energy, which is what I expect from this group. I thought this would be the tightest division but it was clear from the judges' standing ovation that they were going to win.

[jennylauren123]

Hi guys. Question: What is an HMV? Thanks!

Yikes! I just found the answer upthread. (Kind of) sorry I asked...

Edited April 29, 2019 by jennylauren123

[CurlyATX]

7 hours ago, Psychobunny said:

Must every contestant have to have a sob story? Why can’t they just dance. I call BS on the girl with selective mutism suddenly speaking to the one girl on camera. I have a patient with selective mutism and it just seems too convenient for her to first talk to JLo and then this. Anyway, I have been rooting for the Kings since the first show. They are fun to watch and they don’t bore me. I can’t speak to the technical aspects but I do know what I would pay to watch. 

We haven't been watching this show since we didn't realize my husband hadn't cancelled our DirectTV subscription.  My son is a young dancer (age 8) and even he said that the Crazy8 sob story "was fake".  I wish they had said the dance was a story about how the girl got over her selective mutism.  It just seemed so fake to have her say "Hi" just at the very end.

I was happy and surprised at the ending for The Kings. I figured when Ne-Yo finally had feelings that it would impossible for anyone to compete after. 

All in all, great dancing.  I wish we could have NO backstory- I don't need to know you've got anxiety, or don't speak, or just got married.  JUST. DANCE. 

[Keekski]

Anybody except Briar FTW. Ugh. 

[saber5055]

12 hours ago, Psychobunny said:

I call BS on the girl with selective mutism suddenly speaking to the one girl on camera.

As one poster upthread said, she was cured through The Power Of Dance.

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I would have given the win to Poppin John though.

I was for Poppin John all the way. I thought the chick in the tight red leotard was all gymnastics and sexual moves, no dancing. I can see NeYo and Derek liking it though, who needs dance moves. Shawn Johnson or Nastia Liukin could win this show since all you seem to need is a floor routine with a box prop. And it beat the talented Poppin John. *sigh*

[hula-la]

55 minutes ago, Keekski said:

Anybody except Briar FTW. Ugh. 

Mr. Hula-la, who is definitely NOT a dancer (though has sat through many of my dance competitions and shows), was not  impressed with Briar's performance, as it felt to him more like a gymnastics floor routine. I totally agree with him. He was spot on with his critiques of most performances, except he didn't really like Poppin' John.  I guess no man is perfect.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rehearsal: Unity LA

[seltzer3]

I like Briar.  She has good musicality.  She can move sharply and and slinky based on the music.  I do blame it more on the judges.  The one dance she did more musical dancing and less tricks, they cut her.

Definitely rooted for the Kings to go through, but Unity LA did a phenomenal job.  Rewatching again the "angels" were smooth in their transitions.  One of the little things I didn't realize, is the dancers would reorient their positions every time the door would rotate.  Really amazing the amount of choreography and work that went in to that.

I'm pissed that Charlize and Julian not only lost, but the fact that their dance got montaged.  WTH world of dance?  So it was pretty obvious they didn't move on.  I felt like they didn't win, because they were already two hip hop groups moving on, and the producers probably want balance.

[hnygrl]

Ever since night one I've said it's gonna be either The Kings or VPeepz.

Still say that. One of the two is gonna win the money.

Hope it's the Kings. They rock. Seriously.

Although I did give a literal Standing O for Unity LA. That routine was FIRE!

Edited April 30, 2019 by hnygrl

[marykat71702]

Ok, here goes...

Upper Division:

Derion and Madison-I wonder what their score would have been if they had pulled off the last trick...Out of the three acts, I liked their routine best, except for the oops at the end.

Poppin' John-A very close second for me to D&M(I have to admit here that I am not a big fan of popping, so ymmv), but I would have put him first because he didn't mess up. He also seems to be a good guy, from what I've seen, and I like his personality.

Briar Nolet-Too much gymnastics, didn't really care for this routine. The song didn't seem to fit, either <shrug>.

Junior Team:

Crazy 8's-Maybe I'm cold-hearted, but I am over the selective mutism storyline. I agree with the poster above that is calling BS on it. I mean, it's been 4 years, and now you decide to talk to her? Whatever.  Also, the dancing itself seemed pretty basic compared to the other two acts.

Vpeepz-They deservedly won this division. That was a good, strong, entertaining routine.

Dancetown Divas-OK, I am female, but if I never hear the terms "girl power" or "empowerment" again, I will be a happy camper.  Don't talk about it, just do/show it, if that's your thing.  I was afraid for a second that they were going to edge out Vpeepz, and I'm glad they didn't, because to me Vpeepz had a better routine.

Junior Division:

Ellie and Ava-Pretty routine, and their synchronicity is impressive.  They were the correct winners of this division, IMO.

Julian and Charlize-Why did their routine seem really short? Technically good, but I preferred E&A over this one.

Kayla-Again, technically good, but I feel like she didn't really connect emotionally.

Upper Team:

The Heima-Not bad, but not their best, either.

Unity LA-I always kind of feel like they are actually the Zak and Ashley show, with backup dancers thrown in. I'm not sure what the judges saw, but I wasn't feeling it.

The Kings-Very impressive, but is this World of Dance, or World of Tricks? Either way, I still feel they deservedly won the division tonight.  I hope the guy that got hurt is ok.

Judge's Save: 

Of course they didn't reveal it tonight <eyeroll>. They will probably save Unity LA, but, based on total body of work(and future potential), I hope they save either Poppin' John or Derion and Madison.

[ShaNaeNae]

Major eyeroll on selective mutism.  And the girl she finally spoke to cried with no tears.

Three things that have changed this season that I don't like:

A) The sob stories.  They are have them.  Stop it.

B) These "funny" judge moments .  Bromance between Neyo and Derek.  Jennifer the queen. Besties always.  

C) Going back to the duals, the constant fake antagonizing and baiting each other.  The forced move to say "in yo face!" during each dance.  

[hnygrl]

Dear Jlo:

Please, for the love of sweet baby Jesus....STOP TRYING TO MAKE GOOSIES HAPPEN!

[Rahul]

I call BS on this selective mutism storyline. We don't need a sob story for every performer/group--this is what happens when producers try and force that angle.

I was very disappointed The Exiles didn't make it farther, but I am now rooting for The Kings to take it all.

Briar Nolet should not have won her division. She is very talented, but what she presented was a gymnastics floor routine. 

Was not impressed as everyone else seems to be with Unity LA. I hope the wild card goes to Poppin' John, who was robbed.

[Zuleikha]

So a little rant: there is no conflict between acrobatics and dance. When you dance acrobatic moves, they become dance. Briar Nolet danced her acrobatics. Her transitions were smooth; her set up was basically invisible; and all of the movement was connected to the music.

She also had a lot of jazz movement as well. 

Everyone was so good at this point. I would have gone with Dancetown Divas or VPeepz, but VPeepz was amazing. Unity LA and The Kings were also so hard to choose between. 

The Heima are really good, but they seem like a lead dancer and back up dancers rather than a group. They're very good back up dancers, and I love the lead dancer, but it's a little weird in a group category.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Front row: Briar Nolet

Backstage to main stage: Poppin John

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

S3.E11: World Final

Quote

In the season three finale of World of Dance, the top act from each division and a wild card (5 acts total) will take the stage for the last time in the World Final with judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, NE-YO, and host Scott Evans. Competing for the title of Best in the World, the judges will score their performances based on their artistry, precision and athleticism. The top overall scoring act will be crowned the World of Dance season three champion and win the grand prize of $1 million. The World Final will also feature show stopping performances by Derek Hough with Season 2's Charity & Andres and Michael Dameski and NE-YO featuring season one's Ian Eastwood and season two's Sean & Kaycee. Last season's champions, The Lab also return to perform a very special tribute to Jennifer Lopez.

Derek Hough, Michael Dameski, and Charity & Andres:

Original air date: 5/5/19

Edited May 4, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[hula-la]

13 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

SEASON FINALE!

S3.E11: World Final

Derek Hough, Michael Dameski, and Charity & Andres:

Original air date: 5/5/19

I love that Ne-Yo still “heeeyyy”d his was through this performance. 

[jewel21]

I'm so happy The Kings won! Their routine was great. I really enjoyed the two sister's routine as well but I definitely think The Kings deserved the win. 

[HappyDancex2]

On 5/1/2019 at 8:03 PM, hnygrl said:

Dear Jlo:

Please, for the love of sweet baby Jesus....STOP TRYING TO MAKE GOOSIES HAPPEN!

There are a lot of foreign acts.  I hate that she’s teaching them a word that generally means something else....as in giving someone a goosey LOL.

I just caught this episode so I think all of the good routines were a week or 2 back.  These last 4 acts were no contest against the Kings.  I definitely want to see Poppin John, the Heima.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Finalists perform together:

Ellie and Ava (94+95+96=95)

Briar Nolet (92+92+94=92.7)

VPeepz (94+91+96=93.7)

The Kings (100+100+100=100)

Unity LA (95+94+98=95.7)

NE-YO, Sean & Kaycee, and Ian Eastwood:

The Lab:

Edited May 6, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

To me, it was obvious that the Kings would win, not necessarily because they're the best dancers (even though they ARE great dancers) but because once again they made smart choices with their choreography. Skill wise, any of the final acts could have won because they are all good dancers with clean technique and a bag full of tricks, but the Kings showcased those things the best this week. Ellie and Ava were the only other act that came close.

Unity LA was another Zak and Ashley plus their backup dancers routine and honestly, nothing in that routine wowed me. It was a nice piece but nothing impressive. Briar Nolet had much better routines in the first two rounds. I want to appreciate that she took a risk in choosing this week's concept, but this routine just didn't do it for me. I love VPeepz but this was definitely not their strongest routine either.

I really wish we could have had the Haima and Poppin John in the finale instead of Unity LA and Briar.