Briar Nolet’s 'World of Dance' Redemption Round Performance Brought J.Lo To Tears

Emilia Benton

March 18, 2019 3:39 PM

J.Lo Cries After Briar Nolet's 'Redemption' Round

After losing her World of Dance duel to duo All Ready, soloist Briar Nolet came back and won the 'Redemption' round, securing her spot in 'The Cut.'
Not only did Briar get a second chance to move on in the competition, but her powerful acro-contemporary performance left judge Jennifer Lopez in tears.
J.Lo praised Briar for being a "survivor" who gave her all to make it to The Cut, the next round.

Last nights episode of World of Dance was all about the "Duels" round, with dancers going head-to-head in their own divisions . While the Duels are always an exciting part of the competition, this season came with a new twist: "Redemption." This do-or-die addition to the show gives the highest-scoring acts that lost their Duel round a second chance to move on to the next round, "The Cut," to compete for a final spot.

Canadian dancer Briar Nolet slayed in her original Duels performance to "Come Fly Away With Me." Her dance was particularly moving because, as she explained to Jennifer Lopez afterward, it was about conquering her battle with epilepsy (which Briar was diagnosed with a year ago).

The contemporary dancers routine included two instances of hand shaking, which Briar explained were intentional references to what happened to her right before she had a seizure. Using her other hand to grab her shaking one signified how she has now overcome her seizures that once threatened her dancing ability.

"After more than a year of being seizure-free, I decided to enter World of Dance," Briar previously told Womens Health . "No matter how far I go in the competition, Im just happy to enjoy dancing again-I'll never take it for granted."

Although Briars Duels performance wowed judges J.Lo and Derek Hough , Ne-Yo's score brought her average down, so she lost her duel to female duo All Ready. Still, her score was high enough to qualify her for the Redemption round.

When Briar returned, she brought it, big time. She left everything on the floor and, in case you missed it, left J.Lo in literal tears.

After Briar was named the winner of the Redemption round, J.Lo got a bit emotional. "You are a survivor; dont give up. You came out here and you really fought, and that moved me," she told Briar. "Im always proud to see people rise to the occasion of the moment and not be afraid."

Um, can someone pass the tissues, please?

Emilia Benton