"World of Dance" Finale Recap: And the Winner Is…
This season’s “World of Dance” finale hit different. Like countless other performances this year, the episode (filmed in early March) was impacted by COVID-19. For the first time in the series’ history, the finale was filmed without a studio audience.
But nothing could stop the finalists from leaving all they had on the “WOD” stage. Here’s a spoiler-filled recap of how the night went down.
Oxygen
The dynamic hip hop crew hit the stage first. In a mentoring session with the judges, Oxygen was challenged by Derek Hough to make the ending “the best eight counts of their lives.” Their alien-themed piece, complete with an out-of-this-world pod prop, was filled with their trademark precision. The performance was “first and foremost, dope,” as Neyo put it. The judges gave Oxygen a 93.
MDC3
MDC3, the only remaining Junior Division act, brought another dynamic and emotional performance, this time inspired by the ups and downs of their “WOD” journey. The lifts were intricate, the floorwork impressive, and the emotion tangible, as we’ve come to expect from MDC3. They may have danced to Celine Dion’s “I Surrender,” but their performance showed that they came to compete for the grand prize. With a score of 95.7, the trio took the top spot and eliminated Oxygen.
Jefferson y Adrianita
The salsa duo pulled out all the stops with their final performance, opening with a bang as Adrianita jumped off a raised stage into Jefferson’s arms. In their mentoring session, the judges stressed that the pair’s precision needed to be as strong while they danced apart as it was when they danced together—and they delivered. Neyo said that their energy made up for the missing studio audience. They earned a score of 95.3, narrowly missing the top spot.
Géométrie Variable
The hip hop trio clearly put a lot of thought into the aesthetic side of their performance, and it paid off. They appeared to be controlling the lights as they tutted, creating geometric shapes that lived up to their name. The judges appreciated that the dancers took notes from their mentoring session and applauded them for bringing such a unique style all season. (We’re hoping to see Derek tutting in the future…) The judges scored them 93.3, which means…
The winner is…MDC3! After four seasons, a contemporary group finally took home the W for the first time— and if anyone could do it, it’s no surprise it was the fabulous Diego, Madi, and Emma.
