Last week on NBC’s World of Dance, The Duels ended. Now, with this season’s contestants cut in half, the next round has begun. In The Cut, each act will compete for one of three spots in each division for the next round. The judges will each mentor one division with the help of some guest dancers. The remaining acts will enter, but only twelve will make it out of this round.

The Junior Team Division

First to face The Cut was the Junior Team Division. J Lo mentored each of the seven acts remaining in this division with the help of dancer Savion Glover.

Flip received J Lo and Savion’s advice first as they prepared their performance for this round. Savion told this group, “You have to bring me in!” When they took the stage, their whacking, visuals, and energy were through the roof. Setting the tone for an entire round is difficult. Flip impressed the judges and received an average score of 88.3.

Next to find their place in this round was Expressenz. They were challenged by J Lo and Savion to practice at the same level they perform. On stage, they performed a fiercely whimsical routine. They received an average score of 87 that put them in second place on the leaderboard.

The Pulse followed them with a Paso Doble performance. They hoped the challenge of the style would set them apart after weak performances in the last two rounds. The judges thought the performance was their best yet. They awarded The Pulse a score of 88 that put them in third place and pushed Expressenz into third.

After The Pulse’s performance, every performance following would push another team out of the competition. The Lab took the stage determined to make it through this round since it sent them home last year. Their performance brought powerful emotions that had J Lo and Derek in tears (and an incredible wardrobe change). It’s no surprise that they earned an average score of 98.3. Taking first place on the leaderboard, they sent Expressenz home.

Following Expressenz out of the competition was the Quad Squad. Their rave-like performance distracted with lights and lazers more than it impressed the judges. Their average score was an 86 that put them below the cut on the leaderboard.

The Rock Company suffered during their duel, so they knew they would have to put in some serious practice time to make it through The Cut. With J Lo and Savion’s help, they worked to develop their storytelling abilities. The judges thought this routine represented their skills better than their duels performance did. They earned an average score of 93.7 that put them in second place on the leaderboard and secured their place in the next round. Unfortunately, it also sent The Pulse home.

Last up in the Junior Team Division was Fabulous Sisters. During rehearsals, this team struggled with finding purpose in their routine, but on stage, they were queens. The judges awarded them an average score of 96.3. This put them in second place on the leaderboard and sent home Flip.

After this week’s performances, the Junior Team Division is now represented by these three acts: The Lab, Fabulous Sisters, and Rock Company. We’ll be seeing them in the Divisional Final.

The Upper Division

The next division to face The Cut was The Upper Division. Derek would mentor this division with his sister, Emmy Award-winning choreographer Julianne Hough.

First up in this division was contemporary soloist Michael Dameski. The last soloist in his division, Michael would have to take up as much space on stage as the duets and trios he was competing against. His ability to convey fluid emotions and transition carefully from incredible tricks to graceful dance moves earned him an average score of 93.

Following Michael onto the stage was DNA. This ballroom duet managed to redeem themselves in The Duels, and they would have to continue to step up their game to make it through The Cut. When they rehearsed with Derek and Julianne, they were struggling with smooth transitions, but on stage, they performed their routine with elegance. It was enough to earn them an average score of 89.3.

BDash and Konkrete brought incredible choreography to their street style in The Duels, so they would have to continue to step it up this round. Bringing out more props, they worked with Derek and Julianne to create a cohesive story. On stage, their dream story became a steampunk reality with more props than anyone expected. Despite some criticism from the judges for too little dancing in the beginning of their routine, they earned an average score of 91. That put them in second place on the leaderboard and sent home Alisa and Joseph.

Marinspired followed BDash and Konkrete’s choreographed freestyle with a powerful contemporary performance. The judges were impressed with their dancing, but their story was a little more difficult to decipher than they would have liked. Their strength and precision were enough to earn them an 87.7 which put them below the cut on the leaderboard and sent them home.

Next to try to earn their place in the next round were Zack and Ashley. Their performance expressed Zack’s heartbreaking emotions over the loss of his best friend. The judges thought the performance brought out real and moving emotions. When the judges locked in their scores, Ashley and Zack had earned an average score of 91.3. This put them in second place on the leaderboard and sent DNA home.

The last act in the Upper Division to face the cut was Karen y Ricardo. They have been impressing the judges from the beginning of the season. It’s no surprise that the judges were impressed with their choreography and skill. They received an average score of 99 which put them at the top of the leaderboard and sent BDash and Konkrete home.

After Karen y Ricardo’s performance, the Upper Division is now represented by these three acts: Karen y Ricardo, Michael Dameski, and Ashley and Zack.

Next week, the Junior Division and the Upper Team Division will face The Cut to find out who will make it into the next round. After this week, the competition is sure to be fierce.

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.