Contemporary dancers Ashley and Zack seemed like underdogs on “World of Dance” going into the Cut, where they were vying for one of only three slots in the Upper Division Final. Even their mentor Derek Hough was concerned they’d fall through the cracks. They made it through by the skin of their teeth, but now they’re “super nervous just to go up against Karen and Ricardo, like, for real,” Zack admits. But they’re “excited to be here and excited to show you guys some more dance moves.” Watch their video confessional above.
Ashley and Zack pulled out all the stops physically and emotionally for their routine during the Cut, which was inspired by the death of one of Zack’s close friends. Hough thought the performance was “absolutely stunning” and a “massive breakthrough” for the team. Ne-Yo called it a “prime example of what real emotion looks like. And Jennifer Lopez was moved by the “difficulty and struggle” conveyed by the dance.
They ended up with an average score of 91.3, which placed them third in their division behind Latin cabaret sensations Karen y Ricardo (99) and contemporary soloist Michael Dameski (93). But they were just one-third of a point ahead of the fourth-place team, krumpers BDash and Konkrete (91). Is there anything they can do now to bridge the gap between themselves and Karen y Ricardo, whose three routines so far this season have all scored over 98 points from the judges? They’ll have to be perfect yet again, and even then they may still have to hope the front-runners make a mistake.
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