The Lab out of West Covina, CA recently took top honors as the world’s best dancers in NBC’s “World of Dance” Season 2, receiving a life-altering grand prize of $1 million. The Lab’s 15-member dance crew—ranging in ages from 8 to 16— brought their A game to the competition and edged out runner-up Michael Dameski [96.0] with an overall score of 97.5.
During the final showdown, The Lab competed against four remaining acts, each representing one of the four categories—Junior, Junior Team, Upper and Upper Team. The finalists were contemporary dancer Michael Dameski, hip-hop group S-Rank, hip hop-group The Lab, and contemporary duo Charity & Andres. Each presented two routines assigned to them by either a judge or the host to pick a song.
Panel judges were Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough, while Jenna Dewan (of Step Up) hosted the finale. After being edged out in season 1, The Lab won season 2, a sweet victory for the talented dance crew. In this one-on-two interview, The Lab dancers Logan and Little Sweets (nickname) revealed the joys and challenges of competing and winning the top spot in “World of Dance.”
When did you start dancing?
Logan: Seven years ago. My style is break dancing and I started when I saw a girl teaching a breaking class. I thought that was weird because it’s mostly guys doing breaking. So I took the class because I was really inspired by her. We really hope to inspire other people, whether they’re thinking about getting into dance or anything. Little Sweets: I started dancing when I was 9 years old. I fell in love with Jabbawockeez hip-hop dance group on the show America’s Best Dance Crew. So I entered into a community dance program. I grew to love it and became really passionate about dancing.
When did you start dancing as a team?
Logan: I started with The Lab in 2015. And they were about to enter the “America’s Got Talent” competition. We auditioned but we didn’t even make it past the first round. I decided to stay with The Labe because I felt they were more like a family of big brothers, sisters, and mentors and not just a dance team. Little Sweets: I also started with The Lab in 2015.
How did you come up with all those jaw-dropping stunts and routines?
Logan: We actually have tumbling classes at The Lab. But other kids came into The Lab who already had training in tricks and stunts. We come up with our own ideas for the most part. We’ll play to each other’s strengths, so if someone is really good at lifting and another person has really good air awareness, we’ll toss them or throw them or do a dive roll. In week four, there’s a trick where Trey does a side flip over a desk, over another kid doing a dive roll, then over still another kid sliding under the desk the opposite way. Dietrich is one of our choreographers from a group called Quest Crew and he gave us a lot of cool ideas.
Is there a dancer you really admired or one you presently admire?
Logan: I really admire and respect Keone and Mari. They made it all the way to divisional finals. They’re from my hometown in San Diego and I grew watching their videos religiously. I admire their storytelling and how they were able to spread a message that was appropriate for our time. One of my favorite routines was their Duels piece, which showed how phones can negatively affect a relationship. They keep putting out meaningful work, which I admire and respect. Little Sweets: I admire a lot of dancers, but I really admire my mentor Boogie Frantick. I look up to him a lot because he not only focuses on dancing but also getting more in tune with life through dance.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during this competition?
Logan: Not being scared to try new things. While working to create each new routine, we tried every option, whether it was a trick, storyline or choreography. We also had our own ideas at times but it got scary sometimes where they would need someone to flip over this or dive roll. It was hard to take those risks but there’s no real way of winning if you don’t take them. So we made choices out of love not fear and not let fear stop us. Little Sweets: Since I was the oldest and helped cast the team, I had to make sure that I was being a good role model and keeping myself in check.
Was there ever a time when you wanted to quit?
Logan: There were times where we felt intense stress or super exhaustion, but I never wanted to quit. I knew that in the end, it would all be worth it. Our director Val Ramirez always reminded us that success doesn’t exist without hard work and determination. We always kept things positive even when we struggled over obstacles. Little Sweets: Like Logan, I never wanted to quit. There were frustrating moments that were really hard, but that’s where the chemistry of the team really kicked in. We were all in it like a family.
Is there a person—coach, parent—who you rely on to push you through the tough times?
Logan: My Dad really helped me through the tough times. My mom is currently not living with me, so it’s just my Dad and me. He’s basically my teacher, my coach, and my Dad—all in one. He’s been my number 1 supporter for most of my life, especially in dance. So I really lean on him and rely on him to help me push through the tough times—not just during “World of Dance” but my life as well. Val also helped me push through the tough times when it came to dancing. We may not have been perfect all the time, but we always gave 100 percent. Val reminded us that when performing on TV, no one really sees the failures and hardships, so we had to make it look easy when performing. She was our friend, our mentor, and our leader. Little Sweets: Val definitely pushed me through the tough times and motivated me. She reminded us pain is temporary, that we may feel the worst at some moment but it will pay off. Obviously, the team was my biggest motivator throughout the whole process because, without them, none of this would have been possible. My Dad also helped to mentor and motivate me.
How often do you practice and for how long?
Logan: In competition mode, we usually practice 8 to 12 hours every day. We do conditioning but we also make time to create a routine. Then we have to clean the routine, making sure that all placements are right, uniform and together. We have to drill all the stunts to make sure they’re second nature, so we don’t mess up on stage. At the end of rehearsal, all our friends and parents come in and that helps us get used to the nerves.
What will you do now after you’ve won this dance competition?
Little Sweets: We plan to create scholarships so kids can get the training we had. People helped us to get where we are today. We want to give back to the younger kids of our generation. We were also thinking of doing little shows at children’s hospitals. Logan: We weren’t always financially in a position to get the training we needed to enhance our skills. We had to rely on Val, our parents and the creative team to invest their time and energy in us so we could follow our dreams. We now have this great platform, which we want to use for good.
Watch The Lab’s winning moment
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
