The Rise were ironically named during the “World of Dance” Qualifiers round. One member of the hip-hop crew fell on the very last trick of the routine, making for an awkward finish. But the judges didn’t totally hold that mistake against them, inviting them for a Callback to give them another chance instead of eliminating them outright. Did they make the most of that second chance? Watch their routine to “OMG” by Usher above and decide for yourself.
Jennifer Lopez thought this performance was “compelling.” Ne-Yo confirmed that it was “an improvement from the last one” — and not a single fall, so that’s good. The one major criticism that the judges gave them — or perhaps a reminder more than a criticism — was for them to know their strengths. Ne-Yo pointed out that their energy was at its highest level when Myson Junior was front and center. And Lopez agreed that “whoever carries the energy of the group” should be the focal point of routines.
Ne-Yo also felt like there’s still “room to grow” in terms of their choreography, and Derek Hough advised them to “leave everything out there” every single time, and then try to outdo that every next time. It certainly wasn’t a slam dunk that The Rise would be put forward to the Duels after those critiques, especially since only four out of the 10 acts at the Callbacks would get the nod and The Rise were the first to take the stage, so they really had no idea if they had done enough to succeed.
Luckily for them, they had. At the end of the Callbacks, The Rise advanced along with 305, The Young Cast and GRVMNT — all hip-hop acts except for 305, a Latin ballroom troupe. So just like the judges said, The Rise will have to work that much harder to stand out in the next round.
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