‘World of Dance’ Renewed for Season 2

World of Dance
NE-YO, Jennifer Lopez, and Derek Hough in ‘World of Dance’ (Photo by Trae Patton/NBC)

NBC’s new dance competition series, World of Dance, has earned an early season two renewal. According to NBC, World of Dance season one has scored the highest ratings of any summer alternative series of the past nine years. The series also snagged the title of the “highest-rated first-year summer series through its first five weeks” since 2013’s Under the Dome. World of Dance ranks behind only NBC’s America’s Got Talent in total viewers for a summer entertainment series.

The judging panel for season one includes executive producer Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, NE-YO, and host/mentor Jenna Dewan Tatum.

“I am so proud to not only star, but produce a show that is so close to my heart,'” stated Jennifer Lopez. “I am so happy that World of Dance has resonated with audiences and we are able to put dancers on the pedestal they deserve. I cannot wait to continue this journey and my partnership with NBC.”

“We are thrilled that the unrivaled athleticism and authenticity that inspired us to create World of Dance has been embraced by both the dance community and our viewers,” said Meredith Ahr, President, Universal Television Alternative Studio. “The amazing dancers competing this season have proven to not only entertain us but elevate our expectations and expand our imagination. The bar has been set extremely high for season two. The competition will be fierce and we will all witness greatness.”


“Jennifer Lopez has been a formidable executive producer and leader for this franchise. Her partnership with Meredith Ahr and Universal TV Alternative Studio has been remarkable,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative & Reality Group, NBC Entertainment Unscripted Programming. “The extraordinary ratings and digital performance is testament to the unique capabilities of Universal Television Alternative Studio in crafting a format that works on all platforms and is instantly scalable. A good idea needs an amazing launch partner and Comcast NBCUniversal has proven its marketing prowess once again.”

The Plot: In partnership with preeminent global dance brand World of Dance, the series brings the world’s elite dancers together to compete in epic battles of artistry, precision and athleticism. Solo dancers will compete against duos and crews in an unlimited range of dance, including hip-hop, popping, locking, tap, ballet, break dancing, ballroom, stomping and more.

Handpicked from qualifying events around the nation and thousands of online submissions, competitors are divided into three divisions: Junior (any size act, 17 years old and under), Upper (groups of 1-4, 18 and older) and Team (groups of 5+, 18 and older). Our panel of experts scores the acts using a precise point system developed by World of Dance, using the following criteria: Performance, Technique, Choreography, Creativity and Presentation. The competition consists of five rounds: Qualifiers, Duels, The Cut, Divisional Final and the World Final. In the first four rounds, dancers only compete within their division, but in the World Final — the winner from each division will compete against each other for the $1 million grand prize.