Did you watch the first episode of "World of Dance" on NBC? If you are a fan of "So You Think You Can Dance" or "America's Best Dance Crew" or just enjoy watching dance videos on YouTube, you will dig this show. It basically smooshes together all three formats into a nearly perfect dance competition show.
You can (for now) watch all of episode one on NBC.com.
Here's my mini-review of all the performances:
- Super Cr3w:This b-boy crew has great dynamics and incredible precision, which is ridiculously hard to do in that style. Interesting music choice, showing an artistic, lyrical side that you don't typically see in b-boy routines. They were overly reliant on Neguin, and very trick focused, which is a common issue with b-boy performances. Still, they are very strong competitors and entertainers.
- Kinjas: They killed it, of course. No one has tighter group choreo. And they bring such drama to their presentation. Their style is not one that naturally works well for a mass audience, since it relies on precise micro-movements and gestures. That doesn't normally translate well for a lay audience. But the camera loved them, even their tiny hand gestures!
- Clogger Dudes: I really like clogging, but they had to go. Not nearly difficult enough or entertaining enough.
- D'Angelo and Amanda: This young dance couple were very talented and entertaining. A bit too trick focused, which is understandable. But beautifully done.
- Diana Pombo: Had me tearing up almost immediately. Such beautiful lines and expression. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of her.
- Les Twins: At one point I thought that Les Twins were the best urban dancers in the world. But I have to say I'm getting a little sick of them. They do have such weird, quirky energy and rapport with each other. But I always feel like I am watching them from the outside, and not being invited in, if that makes sense. And I'm not sure they have the warmth or charisma to win this type of competition.
- Keone & Mari: I heart them so much, it's not even funny. This actually isn't a favorite piece of theirs, but it was a smart choice for the show. Nice adjustments to make it more telegenic. I hope they win the whole damn thing.
BTW, here's the original, viral version of Keone and Mari doing "Happy", for comparison.
What did you think of World of Dance episode 1? Are you excited about the show? Like the format?