World of Dance is still eight weeks away from its series premiere, but the anticipation is building. This is the first major dance-competition show to debut since America’s Best Dance Crew in 2008. While other dance shows have come and gone, it’s been Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance holding down the fort for dance fans.
At the Los Angeles stop of the World of Dance Tour, Dance Network met two of the contestants participating in the NBC show. Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina aka DNA have been performing together since 2006. They are the only ballroom competitors in the Upper Division participating in the show.
Their accomplishments are impressive as two-time U.S. National Amateur Latin Champions as well as the first-ever American winners at the Blackpool Amateur Rising Stars Latin Championship in Blackpool, England. Drozdyuk might also be familiar to Canadian dance fans because he won So You Think You Can Dance Canada back in 2010.
With top-notch credentials already under their belt, auditioning for World of Dance felt like a natural progression for them.
“It was the brand name of World of Dance and such a prestigious network, NBC. The show also has great judges — Jennifer Lopez, Derek [Hough] and Ne-Yo,” says Drozdyuk. “All of them have such flair.”
“The concept of the show sounded appealing to us,” Skobina chimes in. “We knew we could represent our style compared to So You Think You Could Dance where you are paired up with a different partner. Here, we can represent our work.”
Unlike most dance-competition shows, which are live for the East Coast, WOD has already been taped. So for now, the contestants are sworn to secrecy on the outcome. However, the duo was eager to talk about their experience behind the scenes.
“It was amazing because we have been on other TV shows and this show did a really good job,” Skobina shares. “The production team took good care of us and in general, it was a cool experience.
Drozdyuk adds, “At the show, everyone respects you as an artist and a performer, so you feel that energy from them.”
No matter what the final results are, DNA knows they have made contacts in the dance industry that they wouldn’t normally have access to. Skobina had high praise for executive producers Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo aka NappyTabs whom she calls “wonderful” and she appreciated their feedback on their pieces.
For the ballroom team, their next goal is to continue with their competitive careers.
“We have a few performances, competitions and galas,” says Drozdyuk.
Skobina sums up, “We are still competitive dancers and we represent the U.S. internationally.”
It sounds like the perfect pair for NBC’s World of Dance.
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