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The 17th Annual Absolute Dance Internationals is set in Season 3 from "Welcome to Miami" to "How It Ends." It takes place in Miami, Florida at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Ziff Ballet Opera House and Knight Concert Hall during 2015.

The SNR Network coverage of the event is hosted by Ashley Leggat and Chuck Anderson.

The winner is The Next Step Dance Studio.

History

The Absolute Dance Internationals is a competition involving 160 countries and their best respective studio. Internationals is presumably the pinnacle of competitive dancing and decides which studio deserves the title of "worlds best dance studio". Before the actual competition commences, an exchange program takes place in which a dancer from each team that is competing travels to another team's country in order to learn about their culture.

Information about the competition is sent sporadically by way of letters. This is to encourage the competing teams to be ready for anything that comes their way.

The letters sent by the board often contain vital information regarding the types of dances and location although the Internationals board dissclose a twist for each round, which is not revealed until the day of any particular round. 

Competitors

As confirmed in "We Are the World", there are total of 160 studios representing their respective countries at the 17th Annual Internationals, though most of them are unrevealed.

Confirmed participants

Note: Some countries have been added solely due to the presence of their flags in certain episodes.
  1. Algeria[1]
  2. Australia[2]
  3. Brazil: Dança Unido Brasil[1]
  4. Canada: The Next Step Dance Studio
  5. China[2]
  6. Colombia[3]
  7. England: Summerford School of Dance
  8. Estonia[2]
  9. France: Locronan École Royal de Danse
  10. Germany: Institut für Tanz Dresden
  11. Ghana[2]
  12. Greece[1]
  13. Italy: Accademia Toscana di Danza
  14. Ireland[2]
  15. Jamaica: Kingston Dance Central
  16. Lithuania[3]
  17. Malta[2]
  18. Mexico: México Principal Club de Baile[1]
  19. Netherlands[3]
  20. Philippines: Manila Paardan Ng Sayaw
  21. Poland: Wojdan Dance Academy
  22. Slovenia[2]
  23. South Africa: Cape Town Royal Dance Company
  24. South Korea[1]
  25. Spain[2]
  26. Sweden: Stockholm Dansteater
  27. Switzerland: Unnamed studio
  28. United States of America[4]
  29. Vietnam

Participants from unknown countries

A schedule for the Miss Internationals Soloist competition[1] reveals that there are three named studios at this Internationals who do not have a confirmed connection to a specific country:

  1. Danza Estados Antiqua
  2. Estudio Danza para la Vida
  3. Universidad de Danza y Movimiento

The names of all three studios are in Spanish, implying they are from Spanish-speaking countries. While both Colombia and Spain are known to have competed with unnamed studios, it is unclear if any of these studios are supposed to represent either country, or if they actually represent one of the seventeen other Spanish-speaking countries whose participation is unconfirmed.

Rules

To ensure that the teams are ready for anything, the information is disclosed individually and at different intervals in time before the competition in the form of letters. The rules are as follows:

  • All teams must have a dance captain.
  • All teams must have at least ten dancers, and may have up to two alternates.
  • All teams must have prepared:
    • A female solo
    • A male solo
    • A 2-7 person dance
    • A 5-person dance
    • A semi-finals routine
    • A finals routine
    • A duet (as a tie-breaker)
  • Although not officially revealed, it is implied that a team only needs a female or male soloist to have a chance of a 5-point advantage.

Rounds

Italicized teams are victors.
Scores are in (brackets).
Disqualified teams are underlined.

Solos

The solo rounds take place before the main competition officially begins, and feature all 160 competing nations. There are no eliminations in either round; instead, the teams (or team) of whomever wins the overall titles of Mister and Miss Internationals Soloist receive a five-point advantage going forward, which can only be used once.[1]

Male solo

This round takes place in "When the War Is Over".

The Next Step Dance Studio’s male soloist is Eldon.

Female Solo

This round takes place in "When the War Is Over".

The Next Step Dance Studio’s female soloist is originally Riley, but after her choreography is stolen, she is replaced at the last minute by Giselle.

Four-Country Dance

This round takes place in "We Are the World".

This is the first elimination round in the competition. All 160 nations are split into forty groups of four, with each team electing a dancer to represent them. The chosen members of each team are placed randomly with three other representatives, and must work in their respective groups to create a routine. Only the top four groups qualify for the next round, meaning sixteen teams advance altogether.[2]

The Next Step Dance Studio selects Thalia as its representative; she is grouped with dancers from France, Poland and Vietnam.

Qualifying teams

  1. Accademia Toscana di Danza
  2. Capetown Royal Dance Company
  3. Institut für Tanz Dresden
  4. Kingston Dance Central
  5. Locronan École Royal de Danse
  6. Manila Paardan Ng Sayaw
  7. Stockholm Dansteater
  8. Summerford School of Dance
  9. The Next Step Dance Studio
  10. Wojdan Dance Academy
  11. Switzerland
  12. Estonia
  13. Ghana
  14. Ireland
  15. Malta
  16. Vietnam

Blindfold Dance/2-7 Person Dance

This round takes place in "Blind".

This dance must be performed blindfolded. There are four spotters situated at the edge of the stage for the dancers’ safety, but if a dancer has to be aided by the spotters, their team will be disqualified.[5]

This is the first knockout round; from this point on, the studios compete one-on-one, and half the teams advance. Eight teams from this round advance to the Music Mystery round.

Michelle is originally part of The Next Step Dance Studio’s 2-7 person dance, but she is replaced by Noah on the day of the competition. The Next Step’s routine therefore consists of Cierra, Giselle, Noah, Riley and Stephanie.

  • Summerford School of Dance vs. Manila Paardan Ng Sayaw
  • Switzerland vs. Stockholm Dansteater
  • Locronan École Royal de Danse vs. The Next Step Dance Studio

Other qualifying teams

  • Accademia Toscana di Danza
  • Capetown Royal Dance Company
  • Institut für Tanz Dresden
  • Kingston Dance Central
  • Wojdan Dance Academy

"Music Mystery" Round: Turning Competition/Five-Person Dance

This round takes place in "Turn, Turn, Turn".

All pre-prepared dances must be performed to the song "Shining Lights", which is played for the first time during the first performance. In order to decide how much time each team has to reconstruct their dance to this song, a preliminary turning competition takes place; the winner's team goes last and is therefore granted the most time to practice, while the initial loser's team must perform first without having heard the song. Four teams qualify to the next round.[6]

The Next Step Dance Studio’s five-person dance is performed by Giselle, James, Max, Riley and West.

  • Capetown Royal Dance Company vs. Accademia Toscana di Danza
  • Summerford School of Dance* vs. Wojdan Dance Academy
  • Institut für Tanz Dresden vs. Stockholm Dansteater
  • Kingston Dance Central vs. The Next Step Dance Studio

*By way of their five-point advantage

Semifinals

The remaining teams must perform a ten-person dance. There is no twist for this round. 

The Next Step Dance Studio‘s semifinals routine is performed by Cierra, Eldon, Giselle, James, Max, Noah, Riley, Stephanie, Thalia and West.

  • Accademia Toscana di Danza vs. Stockholm Dansteater
  • Summerford School of Dance vs. The Next Step Dance Studio

Finals

The final two teams face off with another ten-person dance, again with no twists. It determines the winner of the competition unless there is a tie, in which case a tiebreaker is initiated.

The Next Step Dance Studio’s finals routine is performed by Cierra, Eldon, Giselle, James, Max, Noah, Riley, Stephanie, Thalia and West.

The Next Step officially defeats Stockholm Dansteater with 97 to 92 points; however, with Stockholm Dansteater's five point advantage, the round ends with a tie. This marks the first time in Internationals history that a tiebreak round is required.[7]

Tiebreaker Round (Finals): Duets

The duet round is used solely as a tiebreak, with all previous scoring being disregarded.

The Next Step Dance Studio’s duet is performed by James and Riley.

The Next Step defeats Stockholm Dansteater, replacing them as the International champions.[7]

The Next Step Dance Studio's Team

Featured

  1. Cierra
  2. Eldon
  3. Giselle
  4. James
  5. Max
  6. Noah
  7. Riley
  8. Stephanie
  9. Thalia
  10. West

Alternates

  1. Amanda
  2. Michelle

Gallery

Kathy Riley season 3 episode 13 "Look at that painting!"

To view the Absolute Dance Internationals/17th Annual Absolute Dance Internationals gallery, click here.


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "When the War Is Over". Wikia. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "We Are the World". Wikia. Retrieved on November 20, 2015.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Welcome to Miami". Wikia. Retrieved on January 22, 2020.
  4. "Lost at Sea". Wikia. Retrieved on January 22, 2020.
  5. "Blind." Wikia. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
  6. "Turn, Turn, Turn." Wikia. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "How It Ends." Wikia. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
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