The biggest story to emerge out of Season 1 of World of Dance was Eva Igo’s second-place finish to Les Twins. Les Twins were already world-renowned for their skills in new style hip-hop and had already performed with the likes of Beyoncé, Meghan Trainor and Missy Elliott. More: Eva Igo Is Soaring Beyond ‘World Of Dance’ Eva has returned to the stage for Season 2, to the shock of some and to the delight of others. What does she have to prove? Well, she doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but herself. That’s what makes the now 15-year-old Minnesota dancer so refreshing. Dance Dish caught up with Eva recently to talk about her decision to return to World of Dance and what went through her mind in the Qualifiers round. The first big issue Eva had to tackle about returning for Season 2 were the reasons why she should go back to the show after an impressive finish last year. More: Brittany Cherry Jumps Into A New Role On ‘World Of Dance’ “The whole experience last season was so surreal and amazing. I knew it was going to be bigger this year and that it would be more pressure with the judges and the audience knowing what I could do,” she explains. “I didn’t want to let anyone down if I didn’t make it as far. The pros outweighed the cons and it’s just the best feeling in the world to be out on that stage.” After that decision was made, Eva prepared for Season 2, but she did it a bit differently this year. “Last season, we were there the whole time — 34 days straight — so I had all of my routines prepared,” she shares. “This time, it was a week at a time, so I really focused on the routine for that week.” The first moment on the stage was a little daunting for Eva, but don’t mistake one moment of nerves for weakness. She went out there and gave a powerful performance in the Qualifiers round. “I think the tunnel is really cool to run through, but it’s really scary knowing in five seconds you are going to be onstage in front of the TV and all of these people. You are never sure because it’s so unpredictable, but the judges made me feel at home again.” The judges were happy to see her back and awarded that routine with an average score of 95.
“Those scores were crazy!” she laughs. In preparing for The Duels, Eva went back to the studio to give the judges a side to her they haven’t seen before. “I really focused on making my routine different than the last one and making it something new,” Eva explains. “It’s softer and more emotional… more like ‘Creep’ from last season.”
One interesting note that came out of discussing The Duels is that the decision of whom she should battle is completely up to her. There is no input allowed from producers or even her mother, Dawn Igo. “Last season, I had three hip-hop groups to choose from,” she says. “That’s all that was left — immaBEAST, Mini ReQuest or Kyntay — two big groups or a duet. I decided to go with the duet. Kyntay is amazing. I watch all of their Millennium videos.” More: 'World of Dance' Loves to Work with These Choreographers While viewers won’t get to see The Duels until August, Eva already has her eyes on the future, which includes acting aspirations, a behind-the-scenes role similar to what World of Dance creative directors, NappyTabs, do and a possible audition for So You Think You Can Dance. “If everything lines up, sure! I think it would be a cool experience because So You Think You Can Dance is a live show,” she says. Eva will be back in Los Angeles in late July for the World of Dance DX Convention. She will be appearing with other Season 1 World of Dance contestants, including The Mihacevich Sisters, Diana Pombo and Kyle Van Newkirk. Eva is set to teach an all-levels contemporary class on Tuesday, July 31. In the meantime, Eva is happy with her journey on World of Dance. She answered the big what-if question with her return on Season 2 and no matter what the outcome is, she has no regrets. “Doubts hurt more things than failure ever will,” she sums up wisely.
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