Now that America's Best Dance Crew Season 4 is about to air, discussions will get even more heated on who deserves to win and lose. But just saying "that sucked" or "that rocked" doesn't make for productive or friendly debate (even if it's true). So, I'm introducing criteria used by the judges for Hip Hop International that apply to ABDC as well. I am going to start using these terms and I invite you to join me:
- Creativity - signature moves original to the crew, including ways to go to the floor, get up from the floor, and transitions
- Staging, spacing, formations, and level changes - using a full range of unique, complicated, and challenging formations, interactive partner moves and patterns. This includes high/mid/low movements, using arms, ands, feet, torso, and head with creative and unpredictable transitions'
- Showmanship, intensity, confidence, projection and pauses - minimal pauses and poses, uninterrupted display of confidence in facial expression and body movement, passion and an ability to 'sell it' on stage
- Entertainment value/crowd appeal - connecting to the audience and evoking emotional responses, to leave a memorable and lasting impression
- Musicality - performance and choreography corresponding to timing and music usage; the crew's ability to perform simultaneously to the music (either through the beat or through rhythmic variations/syncopation).
- Synchronization/timing - range of movement, speed, timing and execution are all in sync
- Execution/controlled mobility and stabilization - maintaining control of speed, direction, momentum and body placement
- Difficulty of execution - levels of ability, variety of styles
At HHI, all these (plus 2 factors not relevant to ABDC) were given equal weight in the scoring. I attended the full training session so I'll try to elaborate on these criteria, if desired.
