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- World of Dance competitor Poppin John had the ambition to perform in front of Jennifer Lopez and the other WoD judges in an exclusive interview with Women's Health.
- He said it was "surreal" when J.Lo called him "seasoned performer" after his winning performance in Duels.
- Poppin John also explained how he started playing and how that brought him to the World of Dance stadium.
If you already have the chance to receive a compliment from the one and only Jennifer Lopez, it will change your life a little – or at least someone told me: John Poppin.
J.Lo told competitor World of Dance that he was a "seasoned performer" after Poppin John's successful performance in the Duels. "It's really etched in my memory because it's crazy to hear that from Jennifer Lopez," Poppin John said exclusively to Women's Health. "It's a superstar and she did all the types of performance you can think of, so she said that I was an experienced artist, it was a bit surreal."
J.Lo is known for expressing himself on World of Dance (#nofilter). So you know that when she says something, it must be true. And in the case of Poppin John, that's totally the case. He's been dancing for 22 years, so, uh yeah, you could say he's damn "seasoned". (You can also say that his dance steps are "disgusting", which, yes, J.Lo has already done.)
Although Poppin John is now an absolute professional, his first dance experience was, uh … "really embarrbading". He was 12 years old at a college dance and it was the craziest clbadic scene: the girls on one side of the gym, the guys on the other and nobody knows what to do. "Suddenly, these two break-break dancers jump in the middle of the gym and completely hit everyone's mind," he recalls. "That night, I went home and learned how to make worms." He put a mirror on the floor and looked in until he finally understood it. "It was my first dance," he says.
The next month there was another dance from the school and, of course, these two guys went out and started dancing again. This time though, John jumped and made the worm. "Suddenly, I was one of the breakdancers," he says. "And from that day, I was completely addicted." He and the other dancers quickly became friends and learned different moves by watching a VHS tape (remember these?) Of all the break-ups / jumps that they could find on TV. From music videos to commercials to 80s movies, they watched the movie if there was breakdance or popping.
Eventually, John and his breakdance team started going to competitions, and that's when he really started popping. Although the break is more acrobatic and athletic, the popping is to tap into the visual elements of the dance. "You try to give the impression that your body is made of water or that you are a robot," he explains. "Basically, you bend your muscles to the rhythm of the music … that requires a huge amount of body control."
A few years later, John became totally devoted to popping, so much so that he decided to try to play on the street in El Paso, Texas, where he lived with his wife. Dressed like a silver robot, he played in a local mall five (!) Hours a day, taking only a short break. He accepted the buyers' donations and ended up doing enough to make it his main job and even to pay for his wedding. (Oh, and he gave 10% of his income to the Children's Miracle Network – the only requirement of the mall.)
My body just has that muscle memory. I do not have to think about the technique. It's right there.
This local mall is where, according to John, he perfected his bursting technique. "It really took my skill level from 0 to 100," he explained. "My body just has that muscle memory now, after all I do, I do not have to think about the technique anymore, it's right there."
Finally, John and his wife moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time dance career. After forming a dance team, he auditioned for America's Got Talent and has literally-15 seconds of fame. Then he and his team auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance and went a little further in the competition, but nothing really came out. So when World of Dance rolled, he was naturally skeptical at first. After hearing about the first season of the show, he formed a dance group for the second season. But when one of the members had to give up due to another contract, the crew collapsed.
Then, when the audition process for the third season started, the cast of World of Dance contacted John to ask him to piece together a group. This time, however, he decided to try as a soloist. "At first I was very nervous because I did not want to experience another negative experience in a TV show," he says. "And it was a gamble for me because I kind of have a big name in the dance community, so if I attended the show and if I was cut at first round, it would be a bad look. "
That did not happen Poppin John not only managed to pbad the qualifiers, but he also won his duel bout against DD Flection, a contemporary duo and former winners of World of Dance Thailand. Knowing how much the judges loved contemporary dance, he said, "I started, I was at the opposite end of the spectrum, and … by the time I finished, I was I felt the routine, I was like "Ok, I think I just killed him."
Obviously, Jennifer Lopez agreed. "It's cool to feel like J.Lo in my team and she has what I do on stage," said Poppin John. "It has been very encouraging and very fun for my wife as well because she is a big fan of J.Lo." (I mean, who is not?)
Besides J.Lo, "all the judges are super cool," said John. "I had to interact with Derek [Hough] a little behind the scenes, and it is authentic, realistic and very cold, he explains. He has the impression of seeing himself on an equal footing with all of us backstage … He advises us because he has experienced all this stuff from the competition. "
Obsessed with the world of dance judges? Yeah, the same. Here's all you need to know about them:
Even though it's only a dispute with Ne-Yo on the World of Dance parking lot (casual), Poppin John felt the love when Judge WoD gave him the sign of peace. "[The judges] are very entertaining on the set. I think they really like the show, and that definitely adds to the mood, "he said. They have a place in the front row for a great show. "
And from elsewhere, you too. Tonight Poppin John returns to the World of Dance stage for The Cut round. If he succeeds, Poppin John will qualify for the divisional finals and get closer to a little more or less of the $ 1 million jackpot.
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