Suburban teens compete on NBC's 'World of Dance'

Makayla D'Ambrosio and her dance-studio friends used to kid about appearing on the NBC competition show “World of Dance,” now in its fourth season.

“We all used to joke about it,” said D'Ambrosio, a 17-year-old Fremd High School senior from Palatine. “I never thought it would happen in a million years. I watched the show every season for the past three seasons. I watched all of them and it was always like 'Oh my gosh. What if we were on there?'”

She need not wonder any longer. D'Ambrosio and the other five members of Carol Stream-based The Difference 6 Dance Company — Haley Rovansek, 17, of Glen Ellyn; Sophie Grabau, 16, of Elmhurst; Allyson Hiser, 16, of Elmhurst; Johanna “JoJo” Jessen, 15, of Delafield, Wis.; and Finley Williams, 12, of Elk Grove Village — will make their national television debut during the show's qualifying round at 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 16.

“World of Dance” gives aspiring dancers the opportunity to compete for a $1 million grand prize and the title of best dancer in the world. The winner is determined by a celebrity panel of executive producer Jennifer Lopez, singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and Derek Hough, a six-time champion on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Solo dancers compete against duos and crews in a five-round competition: the qualifiers, callbacks, the duels, semifinals and the World Final.

D'Ambrosio and her troupe — The Difference 6 — competed in the 17-and-under Juniors division of the show, which was filmed between Feb. 21 and March 13.

D'Ambrosio said The Difference 6 owes everything to Melissa Lobes, the troupe's coach and choreographer. Lobes has been coaching D'Ambrosio since fourth grade and opened Difference Dance Company last year.

Though she can't discuss how the Difference 6 fared in the judges' eyes, D'Ambrosio called the experience “amazing.”

“I'm not from a very big town,” she said. “Not a lot of people outside of Palatine really know what it is unless you really live near it. So, when you get the opportunity like this, which is literally worldwide and everyone can see it and everyone can see your story and see me dance, I mean, that's the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Performing in front of Lopez, Hough and Ne-Yo was a highlight.

“It was like a dream,” D'Ambrosio said. “You walk into something that you never thought would happen in your life. You walk in and you see these people who are such big influences in the world and you're like 'Oh my gosh. I have the opportunity to meet them.'”