Over the past three years, I’ve watched episode after episode of this show. Some dance acts have attracted me more than others. Some decisions I agreed with, while others I didn’t. Being over halfway through season 4, I believe it’s time I give my real thoughts on this it. Keep in mind that the rating is specifically for season 4 and not the previous seasons. Though I may make a few references to them as I go along. There are other versions of World of Dance in other parts of the globe, but I am specifically writing about the U.S. version.
What Is World Of Dance? World of Dance is a dance competition show. There are groups, trios, duos, and individuals from a variety of genres who compete to win $1 million. It airs on Tuesdays at 10PM EST on NBC, with Derek Hough, Ne-Yo, and Jennifer Lopez as judges, plus Scott Evans as the host since season 3. Jenna Dewan was the host of the first two seasons.
The Good: I love the fact that the auditions were in a warehouse and not on a stage this time around. They do follow the American Idol format, but to me, it felt more down-to-earth and fun to watch. The contestants had to receive a minimum score (80-85) to move on in the past, but this year, the contestants had to get two “yeses” to move forward. Furthermore, there was also the verdict of a “callback.” In other words, if the judges wanted to see more of you before the next round, they can give that verdict. That did not exist before, so I thought that was an interesting twist. I also enjoyed the funny moments on the show, especially with Derek being a mess. I’ll share my favorite moments below.
The Bad: This is subjective, but there were a couple of decisions from the Duels round that I did not agree with. Specifically speaking for the Junior Division, I didn’t like how The Young Cast was chosen for the Redemption round over Chibi Unity and that they advanced to the semifinals. Keep in mind that the Redemption round allows two acts who lost their match to redeem themselves and win a spot in the semifinals.
While all the acts have talent, I like some of the dance acts more than others, as I said in the beginning. So with that, Chibi is more memorable than The Young Cast. Then again, you have to give The Young Cast props for not giving up despite failing to pass the first round for two seasons. I still felt salty about their win, though. Probably because there were better dance acts.
The Ugly: Tying this into “The Bad” section, there has been a history of talent being eliminated prematurely. For example, I remember when a talented Thai dance duo was cut in The Duels over Poppin John, who was mediocre at best. And there was one trio who received an 84 from J.Lo, greatly bringing down their average score. Now I love J.Lo to death, but that was unexpected considering what was said beforehand. All of that happened in a previous season, so it doesn’t truly count towards the rating, but going back to “The Good”, I’m glad those flaws haven’t been repeated this season.
Final Verdict: Honestly, I don’t have very many complaints about this season. I haven’t complained about talent being cut early, and I enjoy the new format. I think this is my favorite season so far, because of how grounded it is and how the talent is shown. Jake and Chau, GRVMNT, and UPeepz are just a few acts I enjoy. Plus I remember Bailey of Bailey and Kida from the Renegade music video, and I didn’t even know her name beforehand. For the most part, the right act won the duels, and there were a few duels where the result would’ve been acceptable either way.
To close out, this is definitely an entertaining show to watch. If you want to see some dance talent and get entertained for the hour, this show is the one. There have never been live shows or voting in this series. That is a shame to some, but considering the time we’re living in right now, it turns out to be a good thing. It’s great to be able to watch a show that takes your mind off of reality for a while, regardless of the time period.
