Photo by: Trae Patton - NBC
NBC’s World of Dance returns tonight with a two-hour episode. The series is shifting its time slot to 8/7 c, and will see the return of the top performers from the season premiere as they compete to win the million dollar prize. Find out which qualifiers are set to perform tonight.
Performers who have advanced to the qualifier round include Derion & Madison, Lauren Yakima, Funkanometry and Jonathan y Jorge. Funkanometry, made up of hip hop dancers Carlow Rush and Jacksun Fryer, wowed the judges with their unique chemistry.
“You guys are characters,” said Derek Hough. “Honestly, that really helps.” Jennifer Lopez was similarly impressed, adding: “You gave us comedy, you gave us really good dancing. You killed that routine.” Scores of 87 from Lopez and Hough, and 88 from Ne-Yo meant that Funkanometry’s average score was 87.3, just over the 85 needed to advance.
Funkanometry & Jonathan y Jorge Will Be Returning to the Stage
Jonathan y Jorge took the audience by storm with their impressive salsa moves. “I don’t know if people know this, but in the dance world, when you’re doing partnership dancing, we no longer say the ‘male part’ and the ‘female part,’ we say the follower and the leader,” Hough said while praising the duo. Lopez was more critical of the execution of their salsa moves, observing that “the transitions between were not as strong, and the actual salsa flavor and moves for me wasn’t there.” Nevertheless, Jonathan y Jorge advanced. They scored 87 from Lopez, 89 from Hough, and 90 from Ne-Yo, giving them an average score of 88.7.
Another upper act to be accepted by the judges is Poppin’ John aka John Austin. The performer made a splash in his World of Dance debut, and stood out due to his relatively older age, 34, and the fact that he is a solo dancer. Lopez pointed out that he likely faces an uphill battle this season, but was nonetheless impressed with his moves. Ne-Yo was similarly enthused. “It was poppin’ 101,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s as competitive.” Hough and Lopez gave Poppin’ John an 86, while Ne-Yo gave him an 84, giving him an average score of 85.3.
Contestants Must Get an Average Score of 85 to Advance to the Next Round
Four junior acts have also been accepted to the next round, including Ellie & Ava, Julian & Charlize and Lauren Yakima, and the aforementioned Funkanometry. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Lopez spoke about the show’s impact and why this season is shaping up to be the best one yet.
“When I see these people, I’m, like, really blown away. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, like, these people are amazing.’ I’ve never seen anything like it,” she explained. “Every year it gets better and better because I think they realize the level of quality that they have to be to be on the show. So they’re like, ‘We have to be better than last year, or else we’re not going to get through.’ And it’s true.”