Got ABDC questions? Here's your chance to get them answered BY THE CREWS on video!

Fanscape is attending this week's ABDC taping and wants the crews to answer questions from Blogging Best Dance Crew readers! This is your chance to help us 'get it right' and let the crews tell you what you need to know!

Submit your questions in the comments section. Guidelines:

• They're not sure which crews they'll interview, so you have a MUCH better chance of having your question used if it pertains to ALL crews, not just your favorite
• Keep it simple -- something that can be answered in 30 seconds or less
• This is video, so questions that require visual responses (e.g., dance steps) are cool
• Deadline: Monday January 26, Noon West Coast time

Second chance: Enter Week 2 of our Top 4 Contest

Thanks to all of you who submitted entries on which crews will be in the top 4 at the end of this season, in the order of their elimination. If you want to change your vote, here's your weekly chance. UPDATE: I'm going to pull this post until after this week's show airs, to give everybody the same chance. See you soon

Click here for contest rules and prize. Good luck!

MTV Detox Strikes again, with ICONic accomplices

Jim Cantiello releases his latest Detox about America's Best Dance Crew Week 2. Think of it as ham on wry. On hand to further confuse the commentary are ABDC Season 1 crew ICONic acting as Jim's dancing camerapeople. Oh, if only this man's brain could be harnessed for good...

MTV Shows

Week 2 Recaps - Friday edition

• Tamara at Zap2It reviews the performances and the fashion. She adds: "I got to go to the taping and when Mario said it was a tough decision, it was. The judges talked about it for a good chunk of time. During the down time, Do-Knock from Supercr3w and one of the Jabbawockeez lead the audience in some dances. It was good times." Wish I had been there, Tamara!
• Mia at Ningin critiques the dances, giving her biggest praise to Beat Freaks ("these girls are just beyond") and Quest:"I can only say holy snap; did I just see the guys sliding on their heads and then back flipping over their peers?... I actually thought it was a special effect and had to rewind it nine times!"
• BDCMOVIEZ is back, outspoken as ever. It's a 3-part broadcast. Here's part 1; click to watch Part 2 & Part 3. As he says, "Lighten up, it's just Youtube."
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Exclusive Podcast with Boxcuttuhz AFTER the Week 2 Elimination

I spoke by phone with Boxcuttuhz on Wednesday January 21, after the taping where they were eliminated. Listen in as we talk about why they feel they were eliminated, what they' re most proud of during their time on America's Best Dance Crew, their favorite crews, and what's ahead for the crew. For more on Boxcuttuhz, tune into Extra this weekend (no, they are not interviewed by Mario Lopez).

Enter Round 2 of the ABDC Elimination Challenge Contest!

Okay, time to enter your votes for The Elimination Challenge for next week: Which crews will be in the bottom 2? Who will be eliminated? Enter each week and the person with the highest cumulative score for Season 3 will win an ABDC crew shirt of their choice and size (up to $35 retail).

Last week, NOBODY got all three points. And, the season goes on for 7 more weeks, so it's anybody's game. Enter NOW -- here are the rules and details. Entries will be accepted until midnight, Monday January 26.

Send some love to Boxcuttuhz

We're sorry to see the Boxcuttuhz go. In their two weeks on America's Best Dance Crew, they showed humor, finesse. and great choreography. They brought a theatricality to this season that will be difficult to match.

This post is only for positive comments about Boxcuttuhz. If you want to negative comments about them or about other aspects of ABDC, please leave them in our Week 2 Party Room.

Survey: Which ABDC Crew gave the best Week 2 Performance?

poll by twiigs.com

Survey: Which ABDC Crew gave the Worst Week 2 Performance?

poll by twiigs.com

VOTE!

The voting is now open for The Fit Challenge from now until 6am Eastern time. If you didn't like what happened this week, make sure it doesn't happen again!
You can vote online here. They will probably have the videos online by 11pm West Coast time, to aid in your choices

Week 2 Party Room is NOW OPEN -- Join us!

The party room for America's Best Dance Crew Week 2 is now open! Share your predictions, impressions, frustrations, hates and loves. TBone will moderate this reader forum, while NancyT live-blogs and does play-by-play in a separate BABDC post (just below this post). So, if you want to share your comments with other viewers, leave them here.

After the show is over: Give us your reactions and don't hold back. Kick butt, name names.

Live play-by-play blogging of ABDC's Fit Challenge

At 10pm, I'll be watching America's Best Dance Crew and live blogging the facts as I see them. So tune in at 10 and feel free to read along!

Even though this software gives readers the option of sending me comments, please post most of them on the separate Party Room post instead (unless you REALLY want me to see your message real-time). Reason: with this software, reader comments must be manually inserted by me and I'll be busy enough between the TV and the keyboard. You can also leave comments about my commentary, of course. But wouldn't you really rather be watching the show and arguing amongst yourselves?

Exclusive Week 2 Taping Field report + Interview with Boxcuttuhz, Lil Mama, Shane Sparks

This week, Salima Koroma (UCLA, Daily Bruin) and her cameraperson Michelle Kim (UCLA) attended the Week 2 tapings for America's Best Dance Crew as field reporters for BABDC. Here's her written report (with a teaser!) We'll post her videos in the next few days. Thanks Salima!

"I was able to drop by the set of America's Best Dance Crew this week,and it was probably the most exciting, chaotic event I've ever been to. All the crews were hanging out, having fun, and getting pumped up backstage for the show to begin. The episode's theme was to incorporate a specific dance move into the choreography. This week's installment of ABDC was in two words: vividly vibrant. Almost all the crews were rocking their bright oranges, reds, fuchsias, and highlighter greens with a kind of wild abandon. Luckily enough for me, I blended in just fine with my multi-colored FUNK shirt (and since I was blending in so well with my bright shirt, I strongly contemplated running on stage with the extremely colorful Beat Freaks [see above], but I figured that since I didn't know the dance moves, I had to bail on that plan)."

Click here to read more of her report and interviews and see more crew photos (Salima is right about those insane costumes). And -- Salima told me that the elimination will be a SHOCKER to many ABDC fans. So watch tonight and get ready to re-vote in our Top 4 contest tomorrow!

JabbaWockeeZ' Phi: Season 3 reflections and prediction

Buddy TV spoke to Phi (aka Jeff Nguyen) of JabbaWockeeZ. Read and listen to it here: Highlights:

• He predicts that Beat Freaks will win Season 3
• He thinks that the season 3 crews are more well rounded than the Season 1 crews, and have benefited from watching the first two seasons of America's Best Dance Crew
  

TONIGHT -- Join us for live blogging,The Party Room, and polls

TGIT! Celebrate and watch ABDC's Fit Challenge with us tonight! The Party Room (aka Critics Corner) opens at 9:30pm (East Coast time) and stays open all night long for everyone who wants to comment about America's Best Dance Crew Season 3 Week 2 (or any other related topic). After the show, let us know what you thought -- What did you think of the challenge? Which crews need are all-stars and which need to go to the showers? Sarcasm and emotional outbursts are always welcome!

At 10pm, I'll be doing live play-by-play for those of you on the West Coast or have other reasons you can't or won't watch at that time.

And, early tomorrow morning, please vote in our polls on the best and worst performances of the evening. And, week 2 of the Elimination Contest will be on-line tomorrow. Join us!
Graphic credit: MTV

Week 1 BABDC Poll results: Quest Best, GOP Worst

Our readers have spoken on the best and worst performances of America's Best Dance Crew Week 1:

• Quest was the overwhelming favorite, receiving 41% of the 742 votes for best performances. Runners up were Beat Freaks (28%) and Boxcuttuhz (9%)
• GOP was voted the weakest performance, getting 34% of the 603 votes for worst performance. Runners-up: Ringmasters (19%), Team Millennia (13%), Fly Khicks (12%)

We'll have the Week 2 polls on-line early on Friday morning, so come back and vote!

Dynamic Edition Member faints during Week 2 Challenge

According to MTV Remote Control, "Dynamic Edition's Cara Petrunich fainted during a commercial break. Her crew was slated to dance next, but the routine was put on hold so Cara could regain her composure after the sudden collapse." Probable cause: overheating due to warm costumes plus excitement.

We hope that it didn't aversely impact Dynamic Edition's performance and that Cara is feeling okay today.
Photocredit: MTV

New Quest Interview: Ready to get twisted out of shape!

Pacific Rim Video interviewed several crews before the Week 2 taping of America's Best Dance Crew. Here's their Quest video. Highlight: Quest members would like a dance challenge where crews have to 'trade' skills (e.g., steppers have to do clogging). The crew they'd like to trade with: Ringmasters and their contortionist moves!

Bravo! to Improvements for ABDC Season 3

MTV made two helpful innovations for America's Best Dance Crew: linking performance videos to the MTV.com voting page while fans can STILL vote, and having bottom crews battle to the same music. Description:

• Performance videos on-line tied to voting: A few hours after the show airs in NY (after it ends on the West Coast perhaps), video clips of the performances are on-line on the MTV voting page. This gives access to performances for those unfortunate people who couldn't watch the show at air time but still want to vote. It is also a useful reminder for those people who want to 'vote right'
  

• Elimination challenge with crews performing to the same music: Before the show, all the crews were given the same 'elimination' master mix. The crews have time to prepare a 30-second routine to this mix and then perform the routine if they face elimination. This added challenge allows judges and viewers to compare the crews 'apples to apples'. It also reduces the handicaps that some crews faced in past seasons when they were assigned music that wasn't as appropriate to the challenge as the songs given to other crews

Readers: Do you have other CONSTRUCTIVE suggestions for MTV on improving the show or the voting process?

JC Chasez: What's so special about ABDC and Season 3

PopWrap interviewed JC Chasez. Read it here. Among the highlights:

• "I don't consider this [America's Best Dance Crew] to be reality TV because it's more of a talent competition"
• "Once I heard the crowd inside the theater yelling and screaming for the crews, I knew we had something special"
• On the question of what makes a good challenge: "Each one needs to be creative and multi-diminensional...if you stick one thing on someone, they can overcome that in a matter of seconds, but these routines are more than a minute long, so there needs to be more to them"
• About a possible NYSYNC reunion tour: "I know nothing about one."

Mailbox: Kollaboration 9, Team Millennia, JabbaWockeeZ Meet &Greet

• Kollaboration 9 is billed as the biggest Asian talent show in history and will feature Kaba Modern and Fanny Pak. Tickets for this February 21 event in LA are available now at Kollaboration.org
• Popfix spotlights Team Millennia
• Opportunity for LA area fans: You can attend a meet & greet and participate in a phot-op with JabbaWockeez on January 30, but you need a VIP pass. To get a VIP Pass, just purchase a JBWKZ t-shirt at the Shiekh Shoes store at 294 Fox Hills Mall in Culver City between January 16-29.

Week 2 Playlist

MTV Remote Control just revealed the playlist for America's Best Dance Crew's 'Fit Test Challenge':

• Beat Freaks - Webbie “Independent”
• Boxcuttuhz - N.E.R.D. “Everybody Nose”
• Dynamic Edition - Metro Station “Shake It”
• Fly Khicks - Pitbull ft. Lil John “Crazy”
• Ringmasters - Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West “Put On”
• Quest Crew - Kevin Rudolf/Lil Wayne “Let It Rock”
• Team Millennia - Rihanna “Disturbia”
• Strikers All-Stars - Mims “Move If You Wanna”

ABDC Season 3 is a ratings hit!

According to TV Barn.com, Week 1 of America's Best Dance Crew was a hit:

• The 10p.m. season three premiere of "America's Best Dance Crew" on Thursday, January 15 averaged over 1.56 million viewers between 12-34 years old, making it the night's highest rated original cable series

• Propelled by the ABDC season three premiere, MTV delivered its strongest Thursday rating for the 12-34 age group since August 2008.

Way to go, MTV!

Week 2 Challenge: Are you ready for some fitness?

The challenge for America's Best Dance Crew Week 2: incorporating a strenuous physical activity into the dance routines. Ugh -- makes me shudder, reminding me of Phys Ed and Olivia Newton-John.

How do you think this will affect this week's outcome?

Happy Inauguration Day!

The battling is over and today Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President. We'd like to celebrate by sharing a dance with him.Here he is, courtesy of the Ellen Degeneres show and his official Youtube channel:


Click here for a reminder of the hard-fought battle for the presidency. Now, let us hope and pray that indeed America voted right!

Mailbox: Mario Lopez, West Coast Crews, St. Maarten's Best Dance Crew

• TV Guide asks Mario Lopez which is tougher: ABDC or Dancing with the Stars
• BakItWhy covered the West Coast auditions, with a focus on the many crews with Filipino members. Their coverage includes interviews with Boxcuttuhz.
• Morebacchanal posts video for Week 2 of St. Maarten's Best Dance Crew, with a surprise in the eliminations
  

New Feature - Discussion Boards for all crews and ABDC regulars

We added discussion boards for America's Best Dance Crew's crews (Seasons 1-3), judges, and hosts, on the left side of our homepage. The discussion thread will appear in the main body of the blog; just click back to return to the home page. Sorry this isn't a cleaner interface - unfortunately, Blogger isn't the best vehicle for discussion boards.

We hope this will satisfy our readers who asked for a more permanent place where they can share their views and news about the ABDC performers. If you want to include information about fansites, please email us directly (bloggingbestdancecrew@gmail.com) and we'll put the information right on the post.

Talk of Fame's Talks to Kid Rainen about ABDC Judging

Kid Rainen tells Talk of Fame being a judge for America's Best Dance Crew, the Leona Lewis video, the G ad, and their clothing line.

Video Recap of Week 1 from BDCMOVIEZ

BDCMOVIEZ provides two video recaps that are reminiscent of Max Headroom... but eerily fun to watch. Among his major points: GOP Dance Crew should not have been sent home.

MTV Detox Spoofs America's Best Dance Crew

My twisted friend Jim Cantiello is writer and host of an on-line show called MTV Detox, where he spoofs the day's MTV shows. He's already alienated the Icki Twins (Double Shot at Love) and the housemates at Real World, so of course America's Best Dance Crew is fair game. I think he figured out why GOP was eliminated (who knoew that Sarah Palin was a b-girl!), examines anti-clogger bias, and much much more. Click here to watch.

Week 1 Recaps, Round 2

• Buddy TV is back on the America's Best Dance Crew beat, picking Quest and Beat Freaks as their favorites
• RoebbyisRevolutionary returns with in-depth analysis and the realization that "the underdogs can pull a fast one under the main contenders if the main contenders don't watch their backs." Welcome back Roebby!
• JoanneO weighs in, loving Beat Freaks, how the judges never talk down to anyone and "how the words you and your are banished in favor of y'all and y'alls by Shane and Lil Mama"
• Travis Yanan weighs in snarkily
  
• Tiffanie at Ningin has one of the best analyses of Week 1's dance moves. Her take: a solid foundation in hip hop and b-boy were the key success factors for the show
  

Exclusive : Podcast with GOP Dance

Late this week, I spoke with GOP Dance. We talked about their experience on America's Best Dance Crew, how this week's injuries and illnesses affected their performance, their favorite crews for Season 3, and their plans going forward. Listen till the end, even if you don't understand 2 minutes of Spanish (and if you do, please leave a comment translating it for me!) Listen here:

Good luck guys! I'm sure we'll be seeing more from you!

Now for something completely different -- Win a Dance Lesson with MC Hammer

This news is not America's Best Dance Crew by a long shot, but post-worthy because it's funny with a great prize: DanceJam launched a contest, where the Grand Prize winner is flown to San Francisco for a private dance lesson with MC Hammer.

All you have to do is upload a 20-90 second video of you doing the Hammer Dance. Entries will be judges on creativity (dress up and get crazy!), dance skills, entertainment value, and video popularity. Finalists will be announced on February 5, and winners selected February 10.


Click here for more info, here to enter, & here to watch and rate video submissions

Mailbox - Season 3 crew edition

• MTV posts interviews with each of the crews, including very short clips from their auditions
  
• 21-7 Magazine loves hometown crew Ringmasters and profiles them with background and videos
• The FAMUan (the school paper for The Strikers) interviews the crew about the auditions and preparations for appearing on America's Best Dance Crew
• Tricities High School online talks to alum Tallie Brinson who performs with The Strikers
• Filipino Student Association looks at Season 3's Filipino representation on Team Millennia, Boxcuttuhz and Quest
  
• Ticking News collects all the facts on Lydia Paek, who performs with Boxcuttuhz on America's Best Dance Crew and has also danced with Quest