“World of Dance” premiered in 2017 with Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo judging elite dance acts from around the world and narrowing them down until finally choosing a world champion to receive the $1 million grand prize. But who have been the best contestants ever? Scroll down to see our countdown of the greatest contestants ranked from worst to best.
The series first narrows down its contestants by division: Upper Division (age 18 and over with up to four members), Upper Team Division (age 18 and over with more than four members), Junior Division (under 18 with up to four members) and Junior Team Division (under 18 with more than four members). The winners of those divisions then face off in the final round to determine the best in the world.
The judges score the performances by a 100-point scale that takes into account performance quality, technique, choreography, creativity and presentation. But some contestants have made lasting impressions above and beyond their numbers. These are the contestants over the years who have given us goosies. Do you agree with our rankings and our choice for the number-one dance act in the show’s history (so far)? Who did we leave out?
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17. Geometrie Variable
Image Credit: NBC Season 4
Result: 3rd Place in World Final
The French trio came from working class backgrounds and learned to form geometric shapes on the dance floor with such intricate precision that their unique style got them all the way to the season finale.
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16. Kinjaz
Image Credit: NBC Season 1
Result: Eliminated in Divisional Final
Ne-Yo told them, “Nobody can match your precision,” and Jennifer Lopez remarked how “crazy clean” their complex routines were. Swing Latino outscored them in the Divisional Final, so they narrowly missed out on the World Final, and some fans thought they were robbed.
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15. Swing Latino
Image Credit: NBC Season 1
Result: 3rd Place in World Final
Their exhilarating fusion of Latin dance styles won them the Team Division and earned them a spot in the first World Final, which was even more impressive that year because all junior and senior teams competed together in one division. In subsequent seasons the division was split between junior teams and upper-level teams over age 18.
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14. S-Rank
Image Credit: NBC Season 2
Result: 4th Place in World Final
This hip-hop crew never received an average score lower than 90 from the judges over the course of their season with Derek Hough telling them that their “musicality is always just top level.” They didn’t win the competition, but their routines were so good that their team leader Melvin Timtim earned an Emmy nomination for choreographing their routines.
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13. VPeepz
Image Credit: NBC Season 3
Result: 4th Place in World Final
If there’s one word to describe this hip-hop crew from the Phillipines, it’s “clean.” Their performances are chock full of complex, hard-hitting movements, but they never miss a beat — literally. They match each other move for move, pose for pose.
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12. Oxygen
Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC Season 4
Result: 4th Place in World Final
The group from the Netherlands took urban dance to another level with the innovative shapes and formations. They even came back from losing in the Duels and advanced all the way to the finale.
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11. Keone and Mari
Image Credit: NBC Season 1
Result: Eliminated in Divisional Final
These married hip-hop dancers know how to tell a story with their lyrical movements, so even though they didn’t make it to the World Final, they left an impression that has lasted ever since.
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10. Jefferson y Adrianita
Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC Season 4
Result: Runners-Up in the World Final
Karen y Ricardo paved the way for this salsa couple on “World of Dance,” but this Emmy-nominated duo did something they couldn’t: they made history as the first Latin dance duo to make the World Final.
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9. Karen y Ricardo
Image Credit: NBC Season 2
Result: Eliminated in Divisional Final
These Latin ballroom contestants broke new ground in terms of what “World of Dance” contestants were capable of, putting up scores that were unheard of up to that point. They were the first ever to get perfect 100 scores from any of the judges (and that was in the Qualifiers), and they might have gone all the way had they not suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Michael Dameski in the Divisional Final.
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8. Charity and Andres
Image Credit: NBC Season 2
Result: 3rd Place in World Final
This contemporary teen duo guaranteed their place in “World of Dance” history when their combative Duels performance made them the first act ever to receive perfect 100s across the board from the judges. They never repeated that feat through the rest of the competition, but they proved to be elegant, athletic, impeccable World Finalists.
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7. Ashley and Zack
Image Credit: NBC Seasons 2-3
Result: Eliminated in Divisional Final (Season 2); Runners-Up in World Final (Season 3)
Contemporary dancers Ashley and Zack were sent home in season 2, but they earned a spot on this list by coming back with a vengeance in season 3 as members of the troupe Unity LA. Their routines were bigger and better than ever, showing you can never keep a good dancer down.
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6. MDC 3
Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC Season 4
Result: World Champions
This unique contemporary trio from California were the second Junior Division team to win the million-dollar grand prize and the first ever contemporary act to do so after three straight seasons of hip-hop winners.
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5. Michael Dameski
Image Credit: NBC Season 2
Result: Runner-Up in World Final
The Australian “So You Think You Can Dance” winner took on the rest of the world, and he seemed like an underdog every step of the way … until he pulled off a stunning upset in the Divisional Final against Karen y Ricardo. He went on to finish second in the World Final, but his emotional intensity and physical dynamism made him one of the best ever.
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4. Les Twins
Image Credit: NBC Season 1
Result: World Champions
The inaugural “World of Dance” champions set a standard not just for hip-hop dancers to come, but all dancers to come. Their technical mastery combined with their storytelling served them well in the first season of the show, and they set the bar by which future contestants would be measured.
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3. The Lab
Image Credit: NBC Season 2
Result: World Champions
This impeccable team of junior hip-hop dancers explored themes with their dances that ranged from exuberant to emotional. By winning season 2, they were the first to truly demonstrate that “World of Dance” kids can give the grownups a run for their money.
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2. Eva Igo
Image Credit: NBC Seasons 1-2
Result: Runner-Up in World Final (Season 1); Eliminated in the Duels (Season 2)
The contemporary soloist didn’t win the show, and her second try was cut short a lot earlier than expected, but Eva Igo was nevertheless iconic. Her emotionality and physicality set a standard that paved the way for future contestants like Michael Dameski and Briar Nolet.
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1. The Kings
Image Credit: NBC Season 3
Result: World Champions
“World of Dance” had never seen the likes of The Kings, a hip-hop crew from Mumbai, India, who blended urban dance moves with their South Asian cultural influences. And their high-flying moves weren’t just death-defying, but breathtakingly original.
