Now that the Qualifier round on NBC‘s hit show, “World of Dance,” has come to an end, there are still a handful of Latino dancers in the running to win and heading into Duels. The dance competition starring Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough, NE-YO and Jenna Dewan, brings aboard several of the most accomplished and celebrated dancers in the world as guest mentors and guest judges during its highly successful second season. The show airs Wednesdays 9PM ET.

As the season moves along, six extraordinary dancers/choreographers will share their insight with aspiring dancers looking to change their lives.

During the two episodes of “The Cut” round of the competition (airing Wednesday, Aug. 22 and Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT), guest mentors will include:

  • Tony Award winner Savion Glover will collaborate with judge Jennifer Lopez with the Junior Team division;

  • Actress, dancer, singer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Julianne Hough, who will be working with her brother, judge Derek Hough, in the Upper division;
  • “America’s Got Talent” judge Mel B will join forces with judge NE-YO in mentoring the Junior division;

  • World-renowned dancer/choreographer Paula Abdul will team with host/mentor Jenna Dewan in the Upper Team division.

Misty Copeland, principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, will serve as a guest judge during the Divisional Final, with Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artist Ciara joining as guest mentor during the Divisional Final as well (airing Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT).

In “The Cut,” the acts face the deepest and most intense cut of the season. The judges will score each act’s performance based on their artistry, precision and athleticism. Only the top three highest-scoring acts from each division will move on to the Divisional Final. In the “Divisional Final,” the top three acts from each division will compete for a spot in the “World Final.” The top scoring act from each division will be one step closer to winning the $1 million grand prize.

“World of Dance” gives dancers the platform to showcase their talents and compete for a life-altering grand prize of $1 million, led by a judging team of extraordinary dance superstars — Jennifer Lopez (who also serves as an executive producer), Derek Hough, NE-YO and host/mentor Jenna Dewan.

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). The panel of experts score 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.

The remaining Latin dancers in the competition are:

  • Karen y Ricardo (Santiago, Chile)
  • Vivian Ruiz  (Miami, FL)
  • Connection (Chihuahua, Mexico)
  • Victoria Caban (Jersey City, NJ)

KAREN Y RICARDO 

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Style: Latin Cabaret

Members:2

Ages:23 & 24

Division: Upper

Bio: This real-life couple has danced the streets of Chile for six years and fought their way to the top. They are the only couple in the world to win nine world titles, and Karen’s spectacular ability to do more than 36 spins is what makes this duo stand out from the rest.

VIVIAN RUIZ

Hometown: Miami, FL

Solo

Age: 16

Style: Contemporary

Division: Junior

Bio: After winning first place in the contemporary division at the Youth American Grand Prix in 2015 and 2016, and training with the Sarasota Cuban Ballet, Vivian finally felt confident about trying out for Season 2 of “World of Dance.”

CONNECTION

Hometown: Chihuahua, Mexico

Members: 12

Ages: 14-24

Style: Hip-Hop

Division: Upper Team

Bio: One of the nine finalists at the Hip-Hop International World Championship, Connection will do whatever it takes to make it on “World of Dance.”

VICTORIA CABAN

Hometown: Jersey City, NJ

Solo

Age: 14

Style: Flamenco

Division: Junior

Bio: Victoria, a Pulse Elite Protege, is a triple-threat teenager (dancer/singer/actress) and feels connected to Jennifer Lopez due to their love of flamenco and their shared Puerto Rican heritage. She has trained at NJ Dance Fusion and Kozmic Edge and is also a model for Costume Gallery. If Victoria wins this competition, she’s giving half of the money to help rebuild the island.

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THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY

Simon Mayorga

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