Luka and Jenalyn are ballroom superstars—and the only Canadians competing in NBC’s World of Dance, which premiered this week. (Catch our episode 1 recap here.) They’re also poised to make history at the most prestigious ballroom competition in the world (also known as the Olympics of ballroom), the UK’s Blackpool Dance Festival on June 2, 2017.
This is their second year at the competition, and last year they became the youngest pro-finalists in the history of the event—after only 3 short years of performing together. Naturally, they’re excited to try for a repeat this year.
At only 19 and 16, the duo has shot to the top of their field, thanks to their talent, skill, and boundary pushing in Cabaret Ballroom, a particularly athletic style known for throws and intense choreography.
For a taste of what they do, watch them show off in their downtime at last year’s Blackpool competition:
“Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought to have a chance to compete at this level, not once but now for the second time,” Luka and Jenalyn say. “In 2016, we became the youngest dance couple in history to be invited and become finalists in the Pro Cabaret division. It was surreal to be invited as one of the top 8 couples in the world and compete for the prestigious title—a sign of ultimate respect from other ballroom dancers.”
So, what have tricks do they have up their sleeve to impress the judges this year?
“We are looking forward to doing something different this year by collaborating with Phillip Chbeeb, a friend and famous LA choreographer in the urban dance scene, who has worked with some of the biggest names in show business,” the duo says. “Our approach is to combine our dynamic and spectacular style with more urban and modern movements not seen in the ballroom world ever.”
This blend of styles was influenced by their time competing in World of Dance and seeing so many different performers.
“The NBC experience definitely helped prepare us for trying new things and pushing our limits, so this is a good test to see if it translates into the ballroom world. There are no limits or rules other than the strict 4-minute, 20-second time limit, so anything goes,” they say.
With so much pressure and endless hours of rehearsal, Luka and Jenalyn know they only have one job this weekend, “to do the best show possible and wow 5 judges and the audience in the small seaside town of Blackpool. We’re looking forward to the experience,” they say.
We wish them all the luck this weekend!
For more, check out our Q&A with Luka and Jenalyn to find out what it was like to compete on NBC’s World of Dance, what’s on their playlist, and more. To get a glimpse of their world, check out their memories of the 2016 Blackpool competition, and watch their impressive performance at the 2017 World of Dance Competition in Los Angeles:
Love dance as much as us? Tune into NBC’s World of Dance Tuesdays at 10/9 central to see the world’s best dancers battle it out for a whopping $1 million prize. (Here’s everything you need to know about the show, from the competitors to the rules, in case you’re out of the loop). Don’t miss exclusive interviews, performances, and more from the definitive source for all things NBC World of Dance.
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