Another Wednesday, another ‘World of Dance’ Duel round! Jaxon Willard, Poreotics and more take the stage to compete to make it to the final round! Follow on HL Live Blog!
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Contemporary soloist Jaxon Willard chose to go up against the young tap dancer Lucas Marinetto. Jaxon blew everyone away by flying high during his Qualifiers and bringing tears to our eyes with his story of adoption. Lucas, on the other hand, gave an uplifting and energetic performance that the judges loved. Jaxon put himself out there once more with his stunning choreography that demonstrate the pain he feels toward his birth mom, but the love he has for his adoptive mom. “God gave you the ability to fly. He gave you wings on your back,” Jennifer Lopez said through tears. “It’s an honor to watch you dance.” His storytelling through facial expression, flexible choreography and stunning turns was truly stunning.
Lucas gave a fun and upbeat performance to John Legend’s “Green Light,” and he definitely found his entertainment value! “You embody everything that is cool about tap!” Ne-Yo complimented, and added his rhythms were right on point! Lucas received a solid 88 from the judges while Jaxon stunned with a 96. We’ll see him in Final Cuts!
The Poreotics picked Marissa & The Heartbreakers to duel! The Poreotics are a legendary hip hop dance crew who returned to the competition scene to compete on the World Of Dance stage. Marissa & The Heartbreakers stunned the judges in their heels dance, and were totally empowering! Marissa Heart and her crew went first, rocking black blazers with pink lining, per Jenna Dewan’s suggestion. The girls were as in sync as ever and Marissa showed off her impressive contortionist skills. As the only upper level all-girl group, Marissa & The Heartbreakers represented! The judges loved the routine, but J.Lo was a little iffy, wanting there to be more musicality in the performance.
Poreotics took the stage next, going with their beach yoga theme, that was a tad confusing, but of course, they made it work in their sunglasses and floral sweatshirts. With their mix of humor and insanely creative choreography, Poreotics stole the show. When the judges talk about musicality, the Poreotics are the definition of it! Each of their moves connect exact to the sound of the music. Marissa & The Heartbreakers received an 83.7, while the Poreotics took it to the next round with an 97.7.
Ballroom couple Jonas and Ruby chose to duel hip-hop group FRESHH. Totally different vibes, but they’re super close in scores! Ruby and Jonas impressed the judges with their sharp routine, choreographed by Ruby’s intense dad. The pair decided to bring their Argentinian Tango to Duels, and it will definitely be great! Freshh is one to watch, though, with some ’90s-esque moves. Jonas and Ruby went first in their gold looks, and proved they were here to win! It’s hard to believe these two are 13 and 14 years old! With intense lifts, flips, quick footwork AND an outfit change, Jonas & Ruby gave Freshh a run for their money.
Freshh came out strong, like everyone has tonight during their Duel performances! With quick footwork and total ’90s flair, this crew brought their A-game! “That was so good, and so clean!” J.Lo complimented. This is gonna be a close one! Jonas and Ruby received a strong 91.3 score, while Freshh came in behind them with an 88. We’ll be seeing Jonas, Ruby and Ruby’s dad in the Final Cuts!
The Ruggeds are taking on Pursuit in this Duel round! Pursuit was a struggling crew who opened up about living paycheck to paycheck and being in pursuit of their dreams at World Of Dance. On the other hand, The Ruggeds are world renowned break dancers, but the judges wanted more dancing in their routine. First up, The Ruggeds brought more of their dance ability to their performance while also doing some incredibly impressive tricks, but they still didn’t sell the judges. “It wasn’t as powerful as I wanted it to be in between the tricks,” Derek told them, and I can agree with that. It just seemed a little boring.
The Pursuit came to fight with their high-tempo, slick contemporary dance that they performed in purple suits and bare feet. “We’re not going out without a fight,” the leader of the Pursuit said. They incorporated some other dance styles into their routine, which J.Lo didn’t love. Ne-Yo loved the song, but added he liked the song more than the performance. However, Derek, loved the routine, but also thought they could have done better. Pursuit received an 82.3, while The Ruggeds just barely made it through with an 84.7. See ya at the Final Cuts, Ruggeds!
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