'World of Dance' judges send six more dance acts to "The Duels," including Season 1 runner-up Eva Igo!

World of Dance advanced six dance acts to the next round, including returning contestant Eva Igo, during Tuesday night's broadcast of the NBC reality competition series' second season.


The fourth episode of the season featured World of Dance executive producer and judge Jennifer Lopez and her fellow judges, Grammy Award-winning singer Ne-Yo and six-time Dancing with the Stars champion Derek Hough, sending six dance acts from "The Qualifiers" round to "The Duels."

The competition consists of five rounds -- The Qualifiers, The Duels, The Cut, The Divisional Final and The World Final. The World Final will feature the four division winners going head to head for the $1 million grand prize.

In a bit of a shocker last night, World of Dance's Season 1 runner-up, Eva Igo, auditioned again and will continue to compete this season for the gold.

Former dance acts are allowed to come back and fight for the $1 million grand prize as many times as they wish, and so Eva is hoping to finish in first place this time around.


And she's well on her way! Eva, who represents the Junior category, received the highest total score of the night from the judges with an average of 95 points.

Ne-Yo, Derek and Jennifer individually determine a score for a dance act from 1-20 points in each of the following five categories: Performance, technique, choreography, creativity, and presentation.

In The Qualifiers round, the highest score a dance act can receive is 100 points from the judging panel; however, a total score of 80 points or higher is required for a dance act to move on to the next round.

Eva earned 96 points from Ne-Yo, 95 points from Jennifer, and 94 points from Derek for her contemporary routine.

Jennifer said the routine was "signature Eva 2018" because she took her performance to a new level of intensity and passion. After Jennifer called Eva Igo "a beast," Derek said Eva blew him away with her skill and athleticism. Ne-Yo added that Eva is a joy to watch and she always transforms onstage.


The judges also decided to advanced Jonas & Ruby, a ballroom act representing the Junior category; The Bradas, a hip-hop act in the Upper Team division; Lucas Marinetto, a tap act in the Junior division; Expressenz, a contemporary act in the Junior Team division; and Poreotics, a hip-hop act in the Upper Team category.

Junior (1-4 people) and Junior Team (5 or more people) competitors are under the age of 17, while Upper (1-4 people) and Upper Team (5 or more people) dancers are age 18 or older.

Jonas & Ruby received a total average score of 84.7 points -- 82 points from Derek, 85 points from Ne-Yo, and 87 points from Jennifer.

Jennifer said Jonas & Ruby were beautifully in sync while their performance also had "attack." Derek, however, suggested the pair need to maintain competitive vision going forward in the competition because a ballroom duo last season "fell flat" in The Duels.

The Bradas earned an average score of 87.7 points, which included 85 points from Ne-Yo, 86 points from Derek, and 92 points from Jennifer.


Ne-Yo said the group made difficult moves look so easy, and Derek admitted their "super clean" and "slick" routine could steal the competition.

Lucas Marinetto made it to the next round with an average score of 82.7 points. He received 82 points from Ne-Yo, 84 points from Jennifer, and 82 points from Derek.

Ne-Yo said he loved Lucas' energy and the dancer owned the stage. Jennifer called the tapper "a showman" but said he needs to develop his own unique style -- and fast. Derek also suggested Lucas should try to tell a story through his next dance routine.

Expressenz walked away from the night with an average score of 87 points. The team earned 84 points from Ne-Yo, 90 points from Jennifer, and 87 points from Derek.

Derek admitted the dance felt like "a studio routine" and he wanted to see more authentic emotion from them, rather than rehearsed smiles.


Ne-Yo said Expressenz performed with "effortless elegance" but they could have connected more emotionally.

Jennifer, however, disagreed with the guys, saying they made her "heart soar." Jennifer gushed about how the routine couldn't have been executed more perfectly but they'll need a little grit going forward in order to become the best.      

Poreotics received a total average score of 88 points having received 87 points from Ne-Yo, 90 points from Jennifer, and 87 points from Derek.

Derek said the group has "everything it takes" to excel in this competition but he wasn't on the edge of his seat the whole time. Ne-Yo said Poreotics needs to come out and do something they haven't seen before, but once again, Jennifer disagreed.

Jennifer insisted she couldn't keep her eyes off Poreotics and the routine was very exciting.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski