Industry | Dance and music entertainment |
---|---|
Genre | Music and dance entertainment |
Founded | 2008 |
Founder | David Gonzalez & Myron Marten |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South America, and Asia |
Website | WorldofDance.com |
World of Dance is a Southern California-based dance, fashion, music, and entertainment brand founded by Matthew Everitt, David Gonzalez, Myron Marten, Michael McGinn, and Herman Flores in 2008. It is the world's largest dance entertainment enterprise, elevating artists and brands with events, entertainment and digital engagement. The brand encompasses more platforms than any other dance content provider or dance show case, including World of Dance competitions in more than 25 countries, the NBC World of Dance television show (executive produced by Jennifer Lopez), the World of Dance Live tour, a fashion line, and the largest YouTube dance network with more than 300 channels, including the World of Dance YouTube channel, with more than 4 million subscribers. Its events bring together performers from the street, urban, and hip hop dance world, connecting the dance community with a particular focus on millennial and post-millennial audiences.
In 2017, World of Dance launched World of Dance Digital Lab, a full-service, in-house production studio connecting brands to youth culture. Services include branded entertainment, influencer marketing, content strategy and production, targeted media distribution, and experiential activations.
The first World of Dance competition was held in 2008. Since then, the brand has expanded to competitions in more than 25 countries. Each year, World of Dance Qualifier events are held around the world (40 internationally, 15 in the U.S.), bringing together street and urban dance crews to compete for two titles: winner of the Upper Division (for 18 years and older) and winner of the Youth Division (17 years old or younger). The winners of each category are invited to compete at World of Dance Finals event, where they compete for the world title.
World of Dance competitions are notable for their scoring approach. Each competition is judged by a five-person panel, usually composed of dance celebrities, industry professionals, and influencers. Using an Olympic-style approach, competitors are judged according to five criteria: Performance, Technique, Choreography, Creativity, and Presentation. Each category is worth 20 points, for a total of 100 points. Once all judges have inputted their score, the highest and lowest scores are removed, and the final score is the average score of the remaining three. Those with a score above 85 move on to finals.
In addition to the competition, World of Dance events also include performances from industry talent (non-competing), dance crews, choreographers, and freestylers, as well as live battles, appearances by industry influences, music, live art, vendors, and more.
World of Dance events feature the industry's best as judges, performers, or guests, including many performers who have appeared in nationally televised dance competitions, such as World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC), and more. Notable WOD guests include all seven ABDC champions, JabbaWockeeZ, Super Cr3w, Quest Crew, We Are Heroes, Poreotics, I.aM.mE, and Electrolytes. Additional performers include 8 Flavahz, Kaba Modern, SoReal Cru, Gotham actress Camren Bicondova, Les Twins, Chachi Gonzales, Dytto, Ian Eastwood, Kaelynn Gobert-Harris, Black-ish star Miles Brown, SYTYCD Season 10 Male Winner Fik-Shun, and India's famous dance group/WOD winners Desi Hoppers, led by Shantanu Maheshwari and Kings United led by Suresh.
In 2017, the NBC premiered World of Dance, a 10-episode dance competition program produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio in association with Nuyorican Productions and World of Dance. Executive producing are Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Kris Curry, Matilda Zoltowski, David Gonzalez and Matthew Everitt. The show features celebrity judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, Ne-Yo, and host/mentor Jenna Dewan-Tatum, along with 50 of the world's best dancers and dance teams competing for a $1 million prize—the largest prize of any dance competition show.
As Lopez told the New York Times, “My whole goal with this show was to create an opportunity and a venue for dancers to actually be the stars,” Ms. Lopez said, and to get to do something they rarely have a chance to do: “really make some money.”
World of Dance contestants were picked from qualifying events around the nation and online submissions. Contestants are divided into three divisions:
In each episode, dancers compete before the judges and are scored according to World of Dance scoring criteria: Performance, Technique, Choreography, Creativity, and Presentation. Each category is worth 20 points, for a total of 100 points. The show consists of five rounds:
The show premiered May 30, 2016 at 10/9 central on NBC, debuting to 9.8 million viewers. It was renewed for a second season in June 2017.
Junior Division: 801 Squad, Alaman, Boys of Temecula, D'Angelo and Amanda, Diana Pombo, Eva Igo, ImmaBEAST, JJ & Joey, Kaeli and Brandon, KynTay, Mini ReQuest, The Lab, The Maya Boys, The Mihacevich Sisters, The POSSE.
Upper Division: Al Taw'am, DNA, Femme Fatale, Fik-Shun, Keone & Mari, Desi Hoppers, Kyle Van Newkirk, Les Twins, Luka & Jenalyn, Nick Daniels, Pasión, Quick Style, Slavek and Juliet, The Nitty Grittyz Trent Jeray, Vibration.
Team: Chapkis Dance Family, FUZE, Ian Eastwood and the Young Lions, Jabbawockeez. Kinjaz, Miami All Stars, NXT LVL, P.L.A.Y., ProdiJIG, Rhythmatic, Rouge, Royal Flux, Stroll Groove, Super Cr3w, Swing Latino, The Kingdom.
The judging lineup of Lopez, Hough, and Ne-Yo was announced in November 2016. The judges were selected both for their dance experience, as well as their passion for spotlighting dancers.
Meredith Ahr, President of Universal Television Alternative Studio, called them ““three of the most accomplished dancers of their generation.” Lopez told Entertainment Weekly, “We all love dance, we all are performers, and we all are competitive, which you have to be in this business. We come from different backgrounds, so we bring those sensibilities.”
Marketed as “the biggest dance competition in the world,” the show garnered national attention, particularly for its wide style of performances and popular performers. Les Twins (Beyoncé's former backup dancers) made headlines in USA Today, which wrote, "Although the audience was cheering along to Les Twins’ fierce moves the entire performance, their routine's intense ending made judge Jennifer Lopez jump out of her seat in shock."[20]
Similarly, young contemporary dancer Diana Pombo’s first performance made Lopez tear up, while others like Luka & Jenalyn, Fik-Shun, and Nick Daniels also wowed the crowd.
As USA Today wrote, “What the show also has going for it is the sense of inclusion that you don’t always find on reality TV. The show celebrates the people and cultures represented on its stage, from an Asian-American dance team that takes its inspiration from martial arts to a young Colombian-American girl from Miami who pauses to tell “Miss JLo” that she's her idol. She cried, Lopez cried, and you'll probably cry, too.”
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance; the four individual disciplines are also combined into a team event, first included in the Winter Olympics in 2014. The non-Olympic disciplines include synchronized skating, Theater on Ice, and four skating. From intermediate through senior-level competition, skaters generally perform two programs, which, depending on the discipline, may include spins, jumps, moves in the field, lifts, throw jumps, death spirals, and other elements or moves.
Synchronized skating is an ice skating sport where between 8 to 16 skaters perform together as a team. They move as a flowing unit at high speed over the ice, while performing elements and footwork.
Battle of the Year, commonly referred to as BOTY, is an annual international breakdancing competition that began in 1990. It has been regarded as the premier b-boying competition in the world and has been referred to as the "World Cup of B-Boying". Regional qualifying tournaments, also known as preliminaries, are held worldwide culminating in the BOTY International, the world finals event which is currently held at Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, France.
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California and is the largest exhibition facility on the West Coast of the United States. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. The original components, designed by Adrian Wilson & Associates and built by Del E. Webb Corporation, opened in July 1967—including a basketball arena followed shortly by the convention hall. It holds many events, like Star Wars Celebration, VidCon, BlizzCon, Anime Expo, D23 Expo, WonderCon, NAMM Show, competitions, and more. In addition to hosting various types of conventions, the Anaheim Convention Center was used to host the wrestling during the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Hip hop dance is a range of street dance styles primarily performed to hip hop music or that have evolved as part of hip hop culture. It is influenced by a wide range of styles that were created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States. The television show Soul Train and the 1980s films Breakin', Beat Street, and Wild Style showcased these crews and dance styles in their early stages; therefore, giving hip-hop dance mainstream exposure.
The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event.
America's Got Talent is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle USA and Syco Entertainment, and broadcasts on the NBC television network. It premiered on June 21, 2006, after plans for a British edition in 2005 were suspended, following a dispute within the British broadcaster ITV. Production would later resume in 2007, following the success of the first season. Each season is mainly run during the network's summer schedule, and has featured various hosts over the course of the program's history. The current host is Terry Crews.
The International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA), founded in 1985, is the sanctioning body for gay rodeos held throughout the United States and Canada. They are the largest group coordinating rodeo events specifically welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) as well as heterosexual participants and spectators. IGRA is composed of many regional gay rodeo associations, and sanctions a season of rodeo events which culminates in an annual World Gay Rodeo Finals. IGRA events are intended to allow all competitors, regardless of sexual and gender identity, to compete in rodeo sports without discrimination. The organization helps spread appreciation for Western culture and the sport of rodeo, while serving as a fundraising vehicle benefiting many charitable organizations.
Carlsbad High School is a public high school in Carlsbad, California. First opened in 1957, the high school underwent major redevelopment from 2009 to 2012. In 2010, the API index for the school was 812.
California has 21 major professional sports franchises, far more than any other US state. The San Francisco Bay Area has six major league teams spread amongst three cities: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The Greater Los Angeles Area has ten major league teams. San Diego and Sacramento each have one major league team.
The FIRST Championship is a four-day robotics championship held annually in April at which FIRST student robotics teams compete. For several years, the event was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri in 2011, where it remained through 2017. In 2017, the Championship was split into two events, being additionally held at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. In 2018 and 2019, the Championship was held in Houston and Detroit, Michigan at the TCF Center and Ford Field. The event comprises four competitions; the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, the FIRST Lego League World Festival, and the FIRST Lego League Junior World Expo.
Salah Benlemqawanssa, also known as Salah the Entertainer and Spider Salah, is a competitive hip-hop dancer from France who won the inaugural season of La France a un incroyable talent, the fourth season of Arabs Got Talent and the fourth season of Tú Sí Que Vales (Italy). He was born in the Paris suburb Saint-Denis and is of Moroccan (Father) and Algerian (Mother) ancestry. He calls his personal dance style P.A.B.E. which stands for Popping, Animation, Boogaloo, and Effects. Although Salah is best known for popping, he is also skilled in b-boying.
The X Factor is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on the original UK show, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, the series found new singing talent, drawn from public auditions, and they competed against each other for votes. The winner is determined by the show's viewers via telephone, the Internet, and SMS text voting, and is awarded a recording contract with Cowell's record label Syco Music, worth $5 million in seasons one and two, and $1 million in season three. America voted for the following winners: Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens, and Alex & Sierra, respectively.
Tabitha A. D'umo and Napoleon Buddy D'umo, known together as Nappytabs, are Emmy Award-winning married choreographers. They are best known for their choreography on the television show So You Think You Can Dance and for being supervising choreographers and executive producers of America's Best Dance Crew. Since being with the former, their choreography has received both praise and criticism. They own Nappytabs urban dancewear and have been working in the dance industry since 1996.
Freestyle Session is a b-boy competition held every year which crowns the best crew in the world. It is sanctioned by the Urban Dance & Educational Foundation and part of the Pro Breaking Tour and Undisputed's World BBoy Series. Originally held only in the United States, Freestyle Session is now being recognized worldwide. Most years have featured a 3 on 3 battle, but formats have varied over the years, from a 2 on 2 to a 10 on 10 full crew battle. Freestyle Session is most well known as a b-boy event, but has also featured b-girl, youth breaking, popping, and open styles competitions, among others
World of Dance was an American reality competition television series executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. The first two seasons were hosted by Jenna Dewan. The third season saw a change in hosts, as Scott Evans hosted season three and four. The series features dance performers, including solo acts and larger groups, representing any style of dance, competing for a grand prize of $1 million. The contestants are scored by judges Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough.
The first season of American reality dance competition World of Dance premiered May 30, 2017, on NBC. Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough served as the judges, with Jenna Dewan serving as host. Hip hop dancers Les Twins, from Paris, France, were crowned as the winners of the $1,000,000 prize on August 8, 2017. Fourteen-year-old contemporary dancer Eva Igo and Latin/Swing group Swing Latino were named first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
The second season of American reality competition television series World of Dance premiered May 29, 2018, on NBC. Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough returned as the judges. Jenna Dewan also returned as the host for her second and final season.
The third season of American reality competition television series World of Dance premiered on February 26, 2019, on NBC. Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough returned as the judges for their third consecutive seasons. Access Hollywood co-host Scott Evans replaced Jenna Dewan as the new host.
The fourth season of the American reality competition television series World of Dance premiered on May 26, 2020, on NBC. Ne-Yo, Jennifer Lopez, and Derek Hough returned as the judges for their fourth consecutive seasons. Access Hollywood co-host Scott Evans returned as host for his second season.