After weeks and weeks of brutal competition, the award for the best in the world is handed out on World of Dance, and we’re all here for it. When the final three — Les Twins, Eva Igo and Swing Latino — go head to head in the finale, there are some tense moments, but the right entertainer goes home with the million dollar prize.
The three finalists have to dance twice in the World Finals, and their scores will be averaged in comparison to the other two teams.
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Round 1
Les Twins
The brother duo is first up, seemingly recovered fully from the previous round’s injury. Jennifer offers a little bit of counsel to the brothers and gives them some real talk. She warns, “Nobody wants to hear about the ankle. That’s what it means to be in this business. Nobody cares if [you’re] sick.” Jennifer gets to pick their first song for them; however, their second performance is up to them.
They enter the stage for their first dance in matching red leather suits, and their routine is immaculately clean from the first beat. They are confined to a small, round podium, and the tighter space creates an unusual illusion. Their choreography is still dynamic, but it really picks up when they start making wider use of the space.
The judges have nothing but good things to say, and Ne-Yo asserts that they absolutely belong there.
Their score for the first performance is 93.
Swing Latino
It seems like the Swing Latino might have an edge over the other dancers because of their sheer numbers, but that can pose unique problems for the team. In an emotional pre-performance interview, some of the dancers share what winning a million dollars could mean for their families. And I’ll admit, the result is pretty moving. They get Derek as a coach, and he lightens the mood by doing a little quick footwork with them. He picks their first performance song, “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, and it’s a good fit.
Unfortunately, they’re down a dancer after one of the team broke his ankle during rehearsals. The other members vow to win it “for him,” and they arrive on the stage in white suits with enough sparkle to get them spotted from space. Their routine lives up to the energy of the music, and they don’t waste one note of the Latin favorite. They do all sorts of acrobatic tricks and throws, and the level of difficulty is hard to relay here. It literally brings Derek to his feet.
The other two judges are similarly impressed. Ne-Yo calls them the “biggest risk-takers” because they are “risking their lives” with their moves. Jennifer says she can feel their “happiness” and their “joy” — and I can’t say she’s wrong.
Their score for the first performance is 91.7.
Eva Igo
As the youngest of the competitors, she’s the apparent underdog, but you can’t count her out just because of her age. Even her mother had her doubts, saying they only brought a week’s worth of clothes. But she’s consistently killed it week after week. Ne-Yo serves as her mentor this time, calling her a “beautiful monster.” He assigns her the Phil Collins’ song “In the Air Tonight,” which is a little outside her comfort zone, she admits.
She takes the stage looking like an ethereal dream, and she eases into the routine with grace and precision. She builds tension using her space and movement like a dancer with 10 times more experience. She is beautiful and fierce, and the other dancers should be scared of her, for sure.
The judges always adore her and heap praise on her. She told Ne-Yo that she uses the song to help her lose her walls, and Jennifer acknowledges the maturity in her presence.
Her score for the first performance is 91.
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Round 2
Eva Igo
If her first routine was themed in ice, this second routine is bringing the fire. Slower and more methodical, Eva has come to catch up in points. She handles her business in this routine and ends it with a dramatic drop. The judges rave over this improved performance and give her the praise she’s deserved all along.
When they ask her what she is going to do with the money, she gets emotional (and I do too) talking about her family’s financial struggles. She simply states, “Dance is expensive,” through tears and says she would probably pay for her own dancing.
Her second score: 96.3
Her average score: 93.7
Swing Latino
The pace is even quicker in their second dance, and they’re an orange and pink dream. They don’t miss a step or a beat in a routine that seems much longer than anything they’ve done before (although that’s probably not really true). They use chairs as props, and they are clean and precise in a way we haven’t seen from them so far.
Derek compliments them on the element of danger in their routines, and Jennifer says this was her favorite of all the choreography. However, it’s not enough to edge them in front of Eva, and they have to say a hard goodbye to the competition and the million dollars.
Their second score: 94.7
Their average score: 93.2 (This bumps them from the running.)
Les Twins
Les Twins are back in black and white to kill this last performance. Spurred on by a call with their mother, they take the stage inspired but also a little nervous. Who wouldn’t be after what they’ve had to face?
They incorporate mirrors into their routine, set to a Janet Jackson track, and the choreography is inspired by Ms. Jackson herself. Everybody in the audience wants to be a part of their “Rhythm Nation,” and the sibling connection isn’t lost on anyone. They get a standing ovation from the judges, as they admire their courage to take on such a famous and well-known track. Jennifer calls them “powerful” and comments on their “killer instinct.”
Their second score: 94.7
Their average score: 93.8
The winner of World of Dance is Les Twins.
Do you think the right dancer won? Who was your favorite of the final three? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
I am a freelance writer and critic, blogging about pop culture, and how it effects our shared identities. I absolutely love TV and will watch anything once, and I love to talk about TV. So, it makes sense that I am also an University professor teaching courses in, popular culture and mass media.
