DBR Finale: Talent Showcase

After an action-packed season full of new names, new faces, heavy beats and celebrities, the season Finale of Dance Battle Royale has left us breathless. We saw dancers come and go, some got eliminated and some were rescued for a second chance at the title of Champion. Only one could claim the crown and going into this final showdown, we knew it would be either the fiery Joy Saad or the sinister Vicus Volkoff.

This finale was so much more than just a battle, though. Many of the eliminated dancers came back to perform a dance in their own style and it was a feast for the eyes and ears.

The Finale started off with Loz Weymann, aka Wicked in the Bayou, performing to “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I. The neon background, black lights, wild afro and shutter shades took us back to the 80s. The performance was visually distinctive and Loz showed off her voluptuous shape with every movement.

Vicus Volkoff did his performance to “Ludens” by Bring Me The Horizon. The black on black and strobing lighting played tricks on the eyes and only helped to lend a nightmare feeling to the heavy metal strains he moved to and accentuated his pop-lock styled dance. We have to give the man props for his ability to dance in such a bulky costume. He didn’t seem the least bit hindered by all the weight he carried.

Following the finalist, was Taffy doing a contemporary dance to the gentle melody of “Fight Song” by Pat Deville. The choice to dance at the pier, gives us a calming feeling as she slides through her performance in a lovely flowery dress that flowed with her.

One of the more striking performances in this whole line up was the black on black of the ghostly pale Lilian Brinner. She seemed to float through the air with streamers of color trailing behind her as the unique cover of “True Colors” by Hedley, Simple Plan, Kardinal Offishall, Lights, Alyssa Reid, Fefe Dobson & Walk Off the Earth serenaded our heartstrings. The emotion in this dance is impossible to miss.

Contrasting Lilian’s gentle dances, Abigail Winters jumps in with some EDM as she dances to “The Ghost” by NIVIRO. The playful intro music drops to a heavy beat as Abigail mixes up her styles between modern, hip hop and house dances. There’s a playful eeriness about the song and the performance as Abigail disappears at the end!

Jordan Rizzo, our illustrious producer, manager and heartthrob of After the Fall did his own dark performance while dancing to “Yadda” by Benjamin Earl Turner. The simplistic background allowed the full focus to be on him and his sexy dance. With some smooth footwork and unique body paint, he made those watching drool just a little. His painted up figure undulated with distinct suggestion and promise, leaving the audience wanting so much more.

Our second finalist was the only performer in this line-up to invite someone else into their showcase. Joy Saad and Olivia Fitch did an amazing girl-power based performance with a military theme. Their choreographed dance was perfectly in sync as they danced to “Salute” by Little Mix. The ladies have no qualms about showing off their girl power with the many hip-rolls and dramatic flare of their arm motions in this dance that definitely hits the mark.

At last, we get to the face off between Vicus and Joy. Both finalists have made a quick change into something that fits their style in gold and black. Vicus opens up with a very tribal style challenge which Joy answers in her street dance, demanding her opponent step it up. Joy had the advantage of her long legs, accented by the gold pants. Vicus, however made use of his size to lend some danger to his raw movements, that were only complimented by the mask and claws he wore.

If you haven’t seen the epic rematch face-off between the petite street-dancer and her fiendish opponent dancing to “Coco” by Ajay, be sure to check it out now, on NBCD’s live streaming here.

If you haven’t seen the episode, watch it now! Spoilers will follow.

The battle between Vicus Volkoff and Joy Saad was some of the best moves we’ve seen either dancer pull out. Joy had so much sass in her dance, calling out Vicus to bring his best and the large man did not fail to deliver. Vicus used predatory movements to bring his game to the young street dancer. The battle was strong, but only one could come out on top.

The public spoke, and the exotic Joy Saad was crowned the champion of Rize’s Dance Battle Royale, season 1.

We had the chance to get a word from Joy Saad on her win following the show and we asked her how she felt about the win. This is what she had to say:

“This has been a dream come true, to dance professionally, and I can’t thank Mr. Rizzo enough for signing me on board. Everyone put in amazing effort throughout the whole season, and I’m privileged to have had a chance not just once, but twice, to face off with someone like Vicus. I want to thank all my friends, and specially my boyfriend Luke Collins, for being so patient with me and enduring the long hours I had to put in for practice. I will wear my crown proudly, and defend it if a challenger comes along in season 2.”

Keep your eyes on NBCD for announcements of when the next season of Dance Battle Royale will be hitting the air waves!

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