DESPITE delivering a stellar performance during the semifinal round, Filipino hip-hop dance crew UPeepz failed to reach the final stage of this year’s “World of Dance.”
Oxygen, MDC3, Jefferson y Adrianita and Géométrie advanced to the final round of the American dance competition. Contemporary group MDC3 eventually took home the crown and the $1 million grand prize.
“It was definitely a big highlight for us this 2020. Shoutout to the judges, producers, and competitors-turned-friends we’ve made along the way,” UPeepz shared on their Instagram account (@upeepz).
“Thank you for giving us a platform to showcase Filipino talent, and for the production for treating us artists like VIPs! World of Dance definitely made us feel our worth as dancers,” the group added.
UPeepz’s 11 members showcased Filipino culture on the international stage by incorporating several local influences in their performance. They wore costumes that featured local weaves that remind of royalty from Mindanao, danced to Black Eyed Peas’ “Bebot” with a short mash-up of Francis Magalona’s “Mga Kababayan Ko,” and added traditional folk dances like tinikling and singkil into their one-minute routine.
Judge Jennifer Lopez was fascinated by the routine, praising UPeepz as a “strong group” that ”dance almost as one.”
Judge Ne-Yo, for his part, enjoyed grooving along with the dance crew and commended the overall “cleanliness” of their performance.
He also gave UPeepz a shoutout on Twitter, sharing the group’s performance with the caption: “Pagmamahal @UPeepzOfficial.”
Meanwhile, Judge Derek Hough said he loved that UPeepz featured Filipino culture in the dance routine.
“I just feel your passion for dance so much and I love the fact that you brought in your culture into this piece,” he said.
UPeepz received a score of 88 from Lopez, 89 from Ne-Yo, and 90 from Hough for an average of 89.0.
UPeepz is a two-time World Hip Hop Dance Champion.
