Curious about the winners of World of Dance? Look no further! This list includes all the champions from every season. Check out this complete list of World of Dance Winners!
The World of Dance competition is highly popular in the United States and has garnered over 1 billion views globally for its various episodes and seasons.
However, winning the competition is no easy feat. The champions must endure immense pain and overcome numerous challenges to achieve victory.
They must demonstrate exceptional technical skills and showcase creativity and originality in their performances.
For dance enthusiasts, watching the winners’ performances is an enjoyable experience.
Those seeking inspiration or role models can also find them among the World of Dance competition champions.
1. Les Twins – World of Dance Winner Season 1 (2017)
Average Score: 98.8
The dance group Les Twins, consisting of Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois from Paris, France, won the first season of World of Dance and took home a prize of $1,000,000.
Their exceptional synchronization, beautiful choreography, and vibrant personality impressed the judges and helped them advance to the final rounds.
In the finals, all three groups had to perform two separate acts, and the scores were added and averaged to determine the winner.
Les Twins, mentored by Jennifer Lopez, danced to the songs “Stole the Show” by Kygo and Parson James and “Alive” by Sia.
Despite Laurent dancing in a wheelchair due to a leg injury, their performances were bombastic and earned them an aggregated score of 93.8, just 0.1 points shy of Eva Igo’s record of 93.7.
All dancers gave their best, and Les Twins stood out and emerged as the champions.
2. The Labs – World of Dance Winner Season 2 (2018)
Average Score: 97.5
The group known as The Labs participated in the first season of World of Dance. Unfortunately, they were eliminated during the third round, called “The Cut.”
This round required competitors from previous games to outdo each other using their dance skills to secure one of six (or twelve) spots in the Division Final.
Despite their best efforts, The Labs failed to advance any further.
However, they learned from their experience and returned for the second season the following year.
This time, they were much more vital and ultimately won the World Final, claiming the grand prize and the title of World of Dance season 2 champion.
Their final performances included a Missy Elliot number, performed in bright neon costumes, and a dance to John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.”
The energetic hip-hop choreography was perfect for the occasion, and the audience and judges were impressed by their dynamic and engaging performance.
Ultimately, The Lab earned 97.5 points, with their closest competitor, Michael Dameski, trailing behind at 96 points.
3. The Kings– World of Dance Winner Season 3 (2019)
Average Score: 98.88
In Season 3 of World of Dance, The Kings, a group from India, won the championship title despite being first-time participants.
The group’s 14 members consistently ranked high on the leaderboards with their impressive stunts and tricks.
Over 12 weeks, The Kings defeated all their competitors and took home the grand prize of $1 million.
Their flawless performance in the final rounds made The Kings stand out. For the first time in World of Dance history, a group received a perfect score from all three judges.
Their incredible synchronized flips and high-energy moves left the judges in awe. The Kings beat their closest competitor, Unity LA, by a fair margin of 4.3 points (Unity LA received only 95.7 points).
It’s no surprise that The Kings’ performances were so captivating. Their talent and hard work paid off, earning them a well-deserved victory in the competition.
4. MDC 3 – World of Dance Winner Season 4 (2020)
Average Score: 95.7%
MDC 3 was the first Junior Division team to win the World of Dance competition. The group comprises three talented dancers, Madison (Madi) Smith, Diego Pasillas, and Emma Mather.
Despite their age, they showcased undeniable dance skills that earned them the grand prize of $1 million after winning the competition’s fourth and most recent season.
The members of MDC 3 faced rejection for three seasons before finally triumphing in the fourth season of World of Dance.
The pandemic forced all World Finalists to record their performances without a studio audience, and MDC 3 delivered a captivating dance number to the music of “I Surrender” by Celine Dion.
Their storytelling ability was their greatest strength, which they showcased throughout the competition and ultimately led to their unexpected victory.
World of Dance Rule Explanation
World of Dance is a global competition that invites dancers from all over the world to participate. The competition offers a grand prize of $1 million, and participants are placed into categories.
Initially, there were only three categories in the first season:
- Junior (for participants aged 17 and under),
- Upper (for participants aged 18 and above),
- Team (for participants aged 18 and above with dance groups consisting of five or more members).
However, the categorizing system was changed from season two onwards, and the Team segment was eliminated. Thus, only the Junior and Upper categories remained and were further divided into two subgroups: Regular Groups and Team Groups.
The dancers must impress the judges in five rounds to win the competition.
The judges score their performances based on five criteria: performance, technique, choreography, creativity, and presentation.
Each criterion can earn a maximum of 20 points, totaling 100 points.
Three judges, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough, independently score performances. The total score for each performance is calculated by averaging the three judges’ scores.
Round 1: The Qualifiers
In the first round, all participants aim to qualify for the next stage. Their goal is to achieve an overall performance score of 85 or higher. Only those who meet this requirement will advance.
Round 2: Duels
Teams and dancers meeting the requirements will progress to the next stage, “Duels.”
In this round, they will compete against other contestants in the same category. The individuals who scored the highest in the qualifying game will perform first and select who they want to compete against.
The judges’ scores will be disclosed after both parties have completed their performance. The side with the highest points will proceed to the following round.
Within a week of the initial one-on-one dance battle, there will be another session where three acts will compete against each other.
Round 3: The Cut
In this Semi-Final round, all participants who made it through the Duels will compete against each other to secure one of the six or twelve spots in the Divisional Final.
During season one, two spots from each category (division) were available, while after season two, there were three.
The teams are ranked on a leaderboard with a red line drawn on it.
Any team below the red line will not make it through and cannot proceed to the Finals, while those above the line get to move on.
Round 4: Finals
Round 4 will be separated into two parts: the Division Final and the World Final. The Final Division will determine the champion of each division.
In the World Final, the champions from each division compete against each other to determine the ultimate winner of the competition.
The final team or dancer remaining will be awarded the grand prize of $1,000,000.
Why Doesn’t the World Of Dance Come Back For Season 5?
Unfortunately, NBC decided not to renew World of Dance for a fifth season after the fourth.
The show’s ratings were low in Season 4, with only about 4 million viewers tuning in. In comparison, in the first season, they had around 7.7 million viewers.
The pandemic also presented challenges for production, making it difficult and expensive to produce each episode and record competitors’ performances. As a result, it appears that the fourth season will be the last one.
However, don’t lose hope if you’re a fan of the show! Some TV shows go on hiatus before being revived, so there may be a chance for a Season 5 and the opportunity to see the next World of Dance winner.
Conclusion
The World of Dance has had the honor of featuring exceptional dancers and presenting exceptionally imaginative performances.
Every season brings new talent, passion, and inspiration, making it challenging to choose a winner.
Nevertheless, these four gifted Seasons 1 – 4 winners have been recognized for their perseverance and commitment, earning the top award from this prestigious competition series.
Congratulations to all who made it onto this list. We anticipate witnessing more extraordinary performances in future seasons!
