Jennifer Lopez’s World of Dance, Season 1, Week ONE – LIVE Blog
Okay, folks, here we go!! The first episode of World of Dance. Let’s hope it doesn’t disappoint. If you have followed PureDWTS for a few years, you know we have series that we do every week for that show; if you have ideas for series for this show, please let us know in the comments and we’ll consider them. Of course, we need to see the format of the show first. 😉
Love the photo in this tweet – be sure to use that hashtag A LOT tonight during the show. 😉
Watch. Tweet. Trend. Live tweet with us tonight using #WorldofDance! ✨ pic.twitter.com/TsUYZSQ1lJ
— World of Dance (@NBCWorldofDance) May 30, 2017
Why does America’s got Talent always make me cry??
Okay, here we go!!
Okay, there are four rounds: The Qualifiers, the Duels, The Cut and the divisional final. Then in the world final the three division finalists will go head to head.
Wow, this is a lot more complicated than other dance shows – but I think this is good considering the prize and the talent. This is the sort of scoring we always wanted from DWTS.
I suspect that the choreo on this show will shut out DWTS starting next year – for the foreseeable future?
Ya’ll, we are doing profiles of the contestants as possible – if you want to add info to these profiles, just comment. We need all the help we can get.
Super Crew is up first. From Las Vegas. Okay that fan move was cool as hell. Agree with JLo asking “What am I watching.” Pretty cool, but I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t my favorite style.
They were very good. Agree with NeYo that they made it look so easy. Maybe that’s why it was harder for me.
The scoring is….very interesting. I dig it. It takes everything into account, so if your execution is great but your choreographer isn’t all that, you don’t necessarily get left out in the cold.
I love the explanation of the scoring.
Yay!! D’Angelo and Amanda!! We bloggers are ballroom watchers, so we’re going to be a bit more excited. Love the package for these two. They’re all grown up!
Whoo. Started a bit slow but seriously started to kick ass. Was worried for a minute but that was excellent! Great tricks! Fairly advanced even compared to what I’ve seen DWTS pros do.
Okay, Les Twins are too cute. Just sayin’. And they’re silly too, which I appreciate. Don’t take themselves too seriously.
Unfortunately I wasn’t that impressed with their dancing until at the end. I mean, it was good, but I wasn’t wowed. But dang they are so cute!
Not seeing what the judges are seeing here. They were good, but not that much better than those who came before them. :::shrug::: Ah well, different strokes and all that.
CLOGGING!?! Awesome. Love Jenna giving it a shot with them. Myrtle Beach? Okay. NXT LVL is their name, clogging is their game. It looks like tap to me and for that reason I love it. I love the sync. Pretty cool.
Why is it clogging and not tap?? Anyone? Anyone? I think I agree with JLo and NeYo more than Derek. But Derek is a tapper so he might lean more that way. Then again, he only gave them an 80. Our first cut of the night.
Keone and Mari are up next. Love the dude’s hat. Okay, I LOVED that. That was charming…but what that a jive? Or jazz?? Either way, I loved it. Tremendous. 85 is good – I personally liked it better than Les Twins who had a much higher score.
KinJaz – starting kinda scary. 🙂 Wow. Super cool. The synchronicity was amazing.
Diana Pombo – I believe we’ve done a profile on her. This girl is amazing.
The dancing was reflecting the music beautifully. I feel like the is right up Derek’s street.
“Miss JLo” – love it. Love the shot of the Diana’s mom wrapped around Jenna. Good score – I love this girl.
The Qualifiers continue next week! We’ll be here. Hope you will be too. 🙂
Yayy! Let’s do this!
Loved supercrew! They were on America’s best dance crew I think. Definately one way to start the show 🙂
The scoring sounds really intensive and well rounded. It’s great to see JLo using her power and celebrity to bring a show that celebrates dance to the general public. I can’t wait to see Derek judging ballroom couples!
Vin I knew that I had heard the name Super Crew before!
Just checked….they won season 2 of abdc. I didn’t watch that season but they were on the latest season which was like an all star thing. Knew they looked familiar.
Deangelo and Amanda….great as usual but I am not exactly a fan either of that routine. It was kinda meh to me but a hell of a lot better than their last dance from the last time I saw them on tv so that’s a plus.
D’Angelo and Amanda have certainly picked up the pace from last time I saw them. Some great tricks. I do think they will have to step it up to get past some of the other styles.
I liked the routine from D’Angelo and Amanda! I especially loved the song since Derek used it in his Paso with Bethany Mota in S19!! And boy can Derek move them hips! WOWZA!
I thought wow! Val couldn’t choreograph something THAT good! Well done!
Derek’s intense face while watching D’Angelo and Amanda’s routine was hilarious and great!
It was smart to come out with an intense, fast paso for their first dance. I would have preferred a bit more nuance, but you can’t deny that it made a very positive first impression.
Didn’t like the dance style of the first group but my back was hurting just watching the tricks. Second couple was good technically- nice to see ballroom.
Wow! Love the scoring category breakdown.
Don’t know who the last two guys are (walked the dog and by the time I got back up they were just starting) but not that impressed by them. Just not memorable to me
I’m with you Heidi. I wasn’t that impressed with Los Twins. Just didn’t grab me. at first it looked like they were having a seizure.
Les Twins are really fun and quite nice to look at. ?
I thought the one twin with longer hair had a more fluid and serpentine style than the other. Also better muscle control.
Twins not my cup of tea, at all. Sorry guys.
Loved the cloggers and the two after them but honestly I don’t see that duo being much competition. They are good but not something I’d really watch again. The guy reminded me of Bruno mars for some reason though
I loved Keone and Mari!! And I thought…ANOTHER song that Derek/Julianne used for a routine! Move Live 2014! LOL. Wonder if those two groups KNEW that when they chose the music for their routine?
The clogging routine seemed super short and lacking in the wow factor. I hate to say that ya gotta have a gimmick, but when you’re dancing on a competition dance show, you have to have several moments that really standout and I didn’t get that from them.
The married couple were charming.
The kinjaz were on abdc too! Wasn’t really a fan of them then to be honest becuase I found them to be a bit dull compared to the others but on this show their style stands out big time and it works perfectly. I wish I could explain that better but it makes sense if you look at what they were up against energy wise on abdc lol. They were the calmer ones then lol.
I loved the Ninja guys. To have such subtle moves timed so perfectly with such a large crew is impressive.
I loved Les Twins, but I have a bit more of a soft sport for hip-hop dance styles. For me, what made it memorable was that it was kind of a lyrical hip-hop but to the beat. Think of a slower version of animation that tells a story. That doesn’t always happen.
One thing I’m noticing, especially after seeing Keone and Mari, some of these performers are going for a little more variety, such as that urban jazz(?) routine.
I’d imagine some of them know they can breeze through the 1st round and are simply going for something they can execute without much risk.
Now Diana Pombo was EXCELLENT!!! Word to VC….THAT was a contemporary!!
Diana is amazing. Like wowza what a force of nature. She definately is one to watch out for. As of right now I think she is the one to beat in her group.
And the cloggers — I think what separates clogging from tap is how they use the rhythms. I’m not sure about how clogging counts the beats, but I don’t think they use as many syncopated rhythms as tappers do and fewer sort of artistic tricks, if that makes sense.
I think the footwork is slightly different, too, and not quite as intricate.
Wow! The show went so fast. I’m so glad it’s just an hour. My faves so far: Super Crew, Kinjas, and Diana Pombo! I can’t wait for more next week.
Loved Diana. She’s obviously had some serious ballet background. Lovely lines, extension, and performance!
Really enjoyed this first show!
asked my buddy who is a huge jabz fan (jabowokez) and he sent me this link. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-KbhuZIwK10 . enjoy 🙂
Diana Pombo was amazing. This show is fantastic. Can’t wait to see more.
Sometimes it seems like competition contemporary is all overwrought, flailing, throw myself to the floor wailing, which Diana’s routine had, but it also had musicality, flexibility and passion. She’s definitely a diamond that deserves a platinum setting.
Overall, I really liked the first episode. It gave us a lot dance with great variety and compelling dancers.
Loved it! I love the way the judges are judging. I hope we get more of Jenna as the season progresses, because I’m loving seeing her with the performers backstage.
I missed the first part of the premier! Dang internet! But I liked what I saw very much. Haven’t seen Super Crew and Amanda & D’Angelo. Will look up their dances later.
Things that I loved:
1) Different dance styles
2) Clear criteria for judging/scoring
3) Rapport among the judges
Princess H, I have the same question. Why is it clogging and not tap? I can’t tell the difference. Will do research on this to educate me more, haha.
And about Diana. She wowed me with her beautiful lines and passion. Hope her next dance has better choreography to show off her full potential.
I wanted to send this to the mods becuase from the reaction everyone had to kinjaz I think you guys might like it. This was their best received routine on abdc. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h2UDHFnEvJc .
Clogging is danced more on the heel of the foot and taping more on the toes of the foot.
Also, clogging is more upright in the body than taping’s slightly hunched over, more improv style.
Taping is more rhythmic and individual, clogging is more social and group oriented.
Wow, Susan2! Was just about to find something on the topic, but it’s all here, thanks to you. All I have to do now is look for videos of clogging.
Mz V, the show felt really, really short. But I guess it’s smart of NBC to keep it that way. Leaves the audience wanting more, I think. Also, I like that it’s taped. We get less fillers, more on dancing and the dancers.
Loved the show such a nice change from DWTS. Enjoyed the format and all the different dance styles and Wow all the precision moves by the contestants, amazing. LOVED Derek as a judge, as well as JLo and Neyo. But Derek is just, well….. special!! As I said at a PDH post, is there anything Derek can’t do??.
Thank you Heidi for doing the live blog, I know you are a busy gal, much appreciated!!
To add to what Susan 2 said about the difference between tap and clogging…the shoes are very different. The way the taps are attached allow them to make different sounds. Clogging shoes make more of a jingling sound.
Loved the show! Loved Derek! Even Neyo! I don’t want to be s downer but I could do without JLo though, I’ve just never been a big fan of hers.
Dang, I’m sorry I missed it! I was in bed asleep; picked up a stomach bug and I felt like crap all day! Hope to be here next week!
Thank you, Ladies, for bringing us this forum. The first show was such a breath of fresh air! After DWTS nastiness and manipulation, I am happy to feel positive again and be able to enjoy the diversity of dance styles. I hope the competition part of the show remains fair, positively focused on advancing art, and reminds us that competitors can be gracious in both success as well as defeat.
Hope the ratings were through the roof.
Thanks Nobleze. I’m a major dance nerd.
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Wow, loved the show. I really appreciated the quality of dance and how the shows put together. I’m also thankful that the judges didn’t ramble like we see in other shows. I personally enjoy the large crews. The synchronicity with a large group is always impressive and proved that the caliber of the individual dancer is the same from the front row all the way to the back. Thanks for creating this blog for WOD!
Susan2, thanks for that. I knew there was something different with technique and such, but I wasn’t sure.
I knew it was different from tap rhythms from various stage experiences.
I actually prefer clogging to tap dancing. You can hear the music & the patterns a lot clearer than tap. One of the things that frustate me about tap is how abstract it is. To me sometimes sounds hectic & I can’t hear any music at all. Tap is more abstract & jazzy, more individual; Clogging is influenced by tap & irish dancing, it has more of a nordic vibe, with the high knees & everything, and it’s more group oriented. Cloggers always have these sick transitions that you don’t see in tap dancing, & they’re very clean, which I appreciate. The first time I ever heard of clogging was on ABDC, and I loved it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVX6611PkO0
Idolxfactor didn’t post that video. Neither did nbc on their yt page, which I find disrespectful toward that crew; why should they be treated differently from the other crews who auditioned? If their routine looked shorter it’s probably bc it was edited. I don’t expect someone like NeYo to understand or be open to learning about clogging; he seems kind of clossed minded to me…
Les Twins are legends! Their style is purely their own. You can go on yt and watch other performances of them on WOD, and dance battles. Their musicality & creativity is incredible. I love how they incorporate humor in their routines, like Fikshun also does, and how much passion they portray. They are two exemples of people that when I see them on stage I think “they were born to do that”.
The ballroom dancers were cute, but their technique could be better. D’Angelo is Ruby’s brother; she competed on sytycd last season, partnered with Paul Karmiryan. Their parents own a dance studio called Dance Town in Miami.
Supercr3w were also on ABDC, won season 2 and competed in season 8 as well. They are bboys, and very close to the Jabbawockeez. One of the members from Kinjaz, Ben Chung, used to be in Jabbawockeez.
The little girl was lovely, great performer, her face is so alive, but I didn’t love the choreo; more acrobatics than dancing to me. But I guess for her first performance she wanted to impress & show different sets of skills…
Mariel & Keone have also been around for a long time, teaching all over the world, & their style is also totally their own. Their style is urban, but they incorporate a lot of influences in their dancing. Their score should have been higher. To me they had the best choreography of the night.
Kinjaz are similar to the jabbawockeez in the sense that they dance with their faces covered so you can see them as one, and their musicality & intricate moves. I’m a huge fan of Mike Song, who also competed on ABDC season 1 with Kaba Modern.
I know a bunch of these dancers and I’m not even a dancer, just a dance fan. So I see these judges, who are dancers, who have been in the entertainment industry for a long time, and they seem to have never heard of these dancers who are big in the industry. I think Jenna might be more connected to the dance world than the others. Derek has some sytycd friends & some contemporary dancer friends, but I think he’s not as connected to the urban world. If you’re gonna be a judge u should do your homework. Just like Len should so he can learn what contemporary is & what jazz is & how to judge it properly.
Ah, but Choreo is only 20 percent of the overall score, Maina – that’s that I love about this show. It can’t be all performance and no choreo, or great choreo but no passion. Everything is graded.
Considering how fast the show moved, I think you’re making a HUGE assumption on what the judges know and don’t know. All three recognized Les Twins, and I would bet they know the others as well – but it’s a *TV SHOW* where people who DON’T know these dancers are watching. They have to ask questions so the audience is brought into the loop. Do you seriously think that Derek didn’t know D’Angelo and Amanda, in addition to some of the others? Considering all the different choreographers and dancers that Derek has worked with in the last year…bad assumptions.