Second Chance: Week 2 of our ABDC Top 4 Contest

Thanks to all of you who submitted entries on which ABDC 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. The prize goes to the first person to submit the correct answer, based on which week they submit it. If more than one person gets it right that week, we'll employ a tie-breaker rule.

Click here for contest rules and prizes. More than 75% of the Week 1 entries are already incorrect, so please enter again. And, Good luck!
Photocredit: AP

VotefortheWorst,com now covering ABDC - who do you think is their first pick?

Vote for the Worst is a site that tries to sway reality show results by getting people to vote for undeserving performers. They have had an impact on prior seasons of American Idol. They just posted for America's Best Dance Crew. Their pick for ABDC5' worst: Poreotix.

UPDATED: New Fan-made ABDC5 trailer featuring the Top 9

Fireburner is back with a longer trailer for America's Best Dance Crew Season 5. It melds footage of prior winners with views of the ABDC Top 9 that will compete in the Nationals round. UPDATE: the original trailer was replaced by a slightly shorter one, taking into account some of our readers' feedback.

From Big Boy: Ranking ABDC Seasons 1-4 -- a new system

Our readers have vehemently debated the merits of the past 4 seasons of America's Best Dance Crew. Reader Big Boy came up with his own quantitative ranking system. Thanks Big Boy!

Hey guys how r u doing? It’s me Big Boy. So I just finished watching all four seasons of ABDC (yeah I really do need to get a life) and I was always wondering what season had the most talent from top to bottom. So what I did was come up with a scoring system to find out which season had the most talent. So what I did was put all the crews against each other based on where they finished on the show, (i.e. ICONic vs. Phresh Select vs. Team Millenia vs. Southern Movement) and I put together a scoring system. For the 9th place finishers, 4th place gets 1 point, 3rd place 2, 2nd place 3, and 1st gets 4. For 8th place, 4th place gets 2, 3rd 4, 2nd 6, and 1st 8, and so on. Then, I will add up all those points to see which season had the most talented season.

His final rankings (from best to worst): Season 3, Season 2, Season 1, Season 4.
Click here to read the detailed analysis.

More Recaps of West Coast auditions + review from "4th ABDC judge"

• We'll Fix it In assigns crew nicknames with their irreverent musings:  Kona Krushers, The Troy Polamalu Experience, Baby Gap Crew, Top Rockin' Mountain High, and The Greatest Crew of All Time (though LeKeith disagrees with that final nickname)
• Admit it -- You Love to Watch raves about the California crews and thinks that this season is "anyone's game"
• Too Interesting for Twitter predicts the final three - Blueprint Cru, Poreotix, Hype 5-0
• LA Dancing Examiners give the facts but favor the California crews
• LA Times also thinks that the West Coast crews are odd-on favorites but names a few other crews that "might have a say in it"
• On a 45 point scale, It'sMYABDC rates Poreotix a 40, Hype 5-0 a 36, BreakEFX a 35, and a 31 point tie for Heavy Impact and Blended Projekt
• Reader "4th ABDC judge" thinks that BreakEFX could have moved on if they hadn't had to battle. And, he wants you to comment on his recap!

Video: Lil Mama interview - "I've learned from my mistakes"

Lil Mama spoke to our interviewers Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) at the West Coast audition taping. She talks about liking the regional focus of Season 5, how she will interact with the crews this season, how she's changed since Season 1 and learned from her mistakes, and how judges make their final decisions for the battles.

Update from BreakEFX: Crew injury, upcoming plans and more

The manager of BreakEFX sent an update on their crew, including Cameron's injury and upcoming plans: 

•  Although it wasn't spoken of during the episode, one of our dancers, Cameron Hobbs, suffered a severe knee injury on the Sunday night prior to the Tuesday taping. This forced BreakEFX to abruptly alter our piece in less then 24 hours to taping. It was an extremely stressful situation and quit honestly scary for my dancers. Putting all ABDC glory aside, my dancers truly consider themselves family and it was incredibly difficult to watch one of the strongest siblings in the crew go through so much pain and agony less then 24 hours from taping. BreakEFX muscled through the situation in a way that none can compare - they continue to amaze me with their strength and courage. With the aid of Cameron's parents, we were able to provide Cam with acupuncture treatments & various fitted knee braces which allowed Cameron the option to temporarily dance through the injury for the Tuesday taping. Further, it's our understanding that the judges were not informed in anyway of the injury. Now that we are safely back home in Colorado, Cameron has seen a specialist and in fact has severely torn his ACL. He will undergo surgery in a week and be out of commission for up to 9 months.

• Its true that neither JC nor Omarion attended the Denver auditions. Shane Sparks and Nichelle were the ABDC judges during the callbacks.

• BreakEFX will be performing alongside We Are Hereos and Status Quo tomorrow evening in Ft.Collins, Colorado for a live dance show called "Cruz Controls". The show is being sponsored by Colorado State University and is already close to being sold out.  

Photocredit: MTV

Elimination Challenge Contest Week 3: Enter Now!

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 5 will win an ABDC crew shirt of their choice and size (up to $35 retail). In case of a tie, we will have a tie-breaker question, to be posted the last week of the contest.

This week, vote for the 2 crews from America's Best Dance Crew's Top 9 that you think will be in the bottom, and name the one that gets sent home, for a possible 3 points total. For example, in ABDC4's Beyonce Challenge, an entry worth 3 points would have read: "Bottom 2 - Afroborike, Artistry in Motion. Eliminated: Artistry in Motion". If they announce a bottom 3 this week, I'll give credit for any of the three. 

 

Here's the rules. PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE THE SAME DISTINCTIVE NAME EACH WEEK SINCE VOTES ARE CUMULATIVE!  Voting closes midnight Monday February 8.

Heavy Impact interview: We'll tone down the sexiness to make Lil Mama happy!

Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We Are Heroes) talk to Heavy Impact after they made it to the Nationals on America's Best Dance Crew Season 5. The crew talk about why they changed their name from Heavy Hitters, how they're preparing for the nationals, how they've dealt with bias against heavy people, and how they're going to change based on judges' feedback (including toning down the sexiness).

West Coast audition show recaps - first batch

• Spoil the Ending thinks that BreakEFX won the battle and should have stayed
• Peter Gonzaga (Mr. Pacific Rim) reports in Examiner and links to his many many videos
• AC Slater's girlfriend hated Poreotix, and AC thinks that Hype 5-0 won the battle

Exclusive video - Hype 5-0: Dealing with the battle and the bottom

Hype 5-0 talked to our interviewers Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (of We are Heroes) after they won the West Coast Battle. They describe what it's like to be in the bottom, the excruciating wait for the battle results, and the pressure in representing the West Coast. Thanks to our ABDC5 partners at dancetag.tv.

Video: Poreotix re West Coast audition show: We WANTED to battle!

Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) caught up with Poreotix after they wowed the audience and judges in America's Best Dance Crew 5's West Coast challenge. Unlike most ABDC auditioners, they had been looking forward to battling and ALMOST showed us part of their battle routine.Poreotix members also talk about how they're dealing with the hype about their crew, another reason  they wear shades, and  hidden talents and tricks. Thanks dancetag.tv, our partners for ABDC5 interviews!  LANGUAGE WARNING.

Congratulation ILogan - winner of our ABDC5 top 9 contest

The America's Best Dance Crew 5 Top 9 are now picked. And, we have one winner in our contest to predict which of the over 100 identified crews made it to the Top 9. ILogan correctly named 6 of the nine crews, two from each region: Swagger, Royal Flush, Poreotix, Hype 5-0, Blueprint, and Static Noyze. Ilogan -- email me your address and I'll send you the prize -- a  Tshirt autographed by Quest.

There were 7 people who identified 5 of the top 9. Interestingly all 9 were named on at least one entry.

We have 2 other contests going during the season -- Top 4 and Elimination challenge. So, please enter our on-going contests for a chance to win merchandise and bragging rights.

Blended Projekt and BreakEFX - one WON'T audition again!

Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) talked to all five of the West Coast crews after the taping of ABDC's West Coast audition show. Both of the eliminated crews showed class and perspective.
Click here to watch the interview with Blended Projekt.They talk about how to prepare to get chosen for ABDC, talk about how they're honored to have been chosen for the show, and announce that they're ready to audition for Season 6.

 On the other hand, BreakEFX announce that they are NOT going to try for another shot: 

Upcoming Events: Week of February 12, 2010

• 2/12: Supreme Soul performing at Capcom launch party for Streetfighter in Los Angeles 
• 2/12: We are Heroes and BreakEFX at Colorado State University. 
• 2/13: Fanny Pak workshops and master classes - Matt Cady in Jersey City, NJ;  Glenda Morales in Temecula, CA
• 2/13-2/14: Groovaloo tour with Super Cr3w's Do-Knock and Mike Murda - 2/13 in Stony Brook, NY; 2/14 in Providence, RI
• 2/14: Kaba Modern performing at Boulevard 3 in Los Angeles 
• 2/14: Quest performing at NBA All-star game in Arlington, TX

Survey: What's was the best performance in ABDC's West Coast Audition show

poll by twiigs.com

Survey: what was the worst performance in ABDC's West Coast audition show?

poll by twiigs.com

ABDC5 Week 3 Party Room/Critics Corner Now Open -- Join us!

The Party Room/Critics Corner for America's Best Dance Crew 5 Season Week 3 (the West Coast auditions) is now open! Will the West Coast get a 5-peat?  Would you cheer or boo the judges this week? Give us your impressions, frustrations, hates and loves. IMPORTANT: If you want to write a long comment, write in in NotePad or Word and then paste it into the comments field. Otherwise, all your work may disappear if someone posts something new while you're in the middle of writing.

After the show is over: Stay and give us your reactions and ideas.   Do you think the hoopla over certain crews was justified? Is this shaping up to be a good ABDC season? Should hip hop dancing be an Olympic event?

Live Play-by-Play Blogging for ABDC's West Coast Audition show open now!

The live play-by-play for tonight's America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 West Coast auditions is NOW OPEN. Tonight, I'll be joined by Del. Please feel free to follow along, but leave most of your comments at the party room post above this post. It's really hard to follow the show, write about it, AND monitor the comments, so be patient!

Preview from the Pressbox: Chris Trondsen on the West Coast auditions

Chris Trondsen attended the West Coast auditions and files this spoiler-free teaser preview:

Tonight’s show is another must watch for both dance and ‘ABDC’ fans!  Last week, I felt that they could’ve easily picked 4 crews to go on to the main show and this week it is the same.  There are 4 really strong crews and I think the judges had a hard decision on having to narrow it down to only 3.

Overall feelings after this show was that there are a bunch of really strong crews this season, and I know a lot of people were worried after last season (even though there were still some really strong crews from Season 4) but almost everyone I talked to thinks this season is going to be really good.

Click here to read the rest of Chris' preview. Thanks Chris!

Upcoming ABDC 5 challenges - Another sudden death challenge next week!

According to TV Guide, here are the challenges for the first two weeks of the 'Nationals' competition. Thanks for the tip grOOvealOOse 
- 2/18/2010: The Nationals   - The top nine crews from across the country compete against each other for the first time. Each will be assigned a hit song that will serve as inspiration for a hip-hop dance routine. 
 - 2/25/2010: Music Video Challenge  -The eight remaining crews choreograph routines inspired by some of the hottest music videos.

Note that the number of crews in the shows drops from 9 to 8, even though there will be no time to vote. So, the February 18 show appears to be a sudden death round, with voting for the remaining crews beginning on that date.

Video: We are Heroes' Riquel at ABDC taping - "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world"

This week, Riquel Olander of We are Heroes filled in for Glenda Morales (Fanny Pak) as part of our interview team at the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's West Coast auditions. Riquel talks about acting as an interviewer, her knowledge of the West Coast crews, what the West has to do to stay in competition, her view on the live audition shows, and how she's glad to be back at the ABDC set. Thanks to Riquel and to our partner dancetag.tv. 

Mailbox: Blended Projekt, Layla Kayleigh, Beat Freaks

• Pasadena Star-News interviews The Blended Projekt to learn how they beat the odds to get on America's Best Dance Crew's West Coast audition show
• Artist Direct gets Layla Kayleigh to talk about her role on ABDC, her favorite music, and her fascination with seahorses.
• Nike features Beat Freaks in their Celeb Style section. Thanks Ravoo!

Exclusive Interview with Hype 5-0 before ABDC taping: bringing the 5-0

Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) talk to Hype 5-0 before the taping of ABDC's West Coast audition show. They talk about how they changed from earlier unsuccessful auditions, what they were looking forward to on the show, what the name Hype 5-0 means, and why they're more nervous talking to us than performing on ABDC. Thanks to Riquel for filling in for Glenda Morales (Fanny Pak) and to our partner dancetag.tv.

Exclusive video of Layla Kayleigh at ABDC taping - She's ba-ack!

Chris Trondsen and Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) interview Layla Kayleigh at the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's West Coast audition. She talks about her role on ABDC, why she likes the audition shows, the differences between East and West coast, her feeling about her role on the show, and how motherhood has scaled back her partying. 

Join us tonight for Live Blogging, the Critics Corner/party room, and more!

Another Thursday -- time to warm up the TV! Watch America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 West Coast audition show with us tonight! The Party Room/Critics Corner opens at 9:30 ET and stays open as long as you want, so that everyone can comment on anything remotely related to ABDC.  Is the West still the Best?  What styles are going to dominate this season?

At 10pm ET, Del and I will be doing live play-by-play while watching the show, so feel free to play along  get a sneak preview of the action (for those of you from the West Coast/Canada/India or other ABDC-deprived zones).


Tomorrow morning, please vote in our polls on the best and worst performances. Plus we hope to have recaps, videos of backstage crew interviews, and more. I'll announce the winner of our ABDC5 Top 9 contest -- who predicted the most crews that would make it to the ABDC nationals? We'll  have week 3 of our Bottom 4 contest. On Saturday, I'll post the next round of the Top 4 contest. So stay with us!

Video: Rhythm City at Sirens after Dark

Rhythm City performed at Sirens after Dark in New York on January 31, 2010. Crew member Domo (Dominique Rosario) was the singer. Video from BattleCat 718 Youtube Channel.

Video: Promo for ABDC West Coast audition show

"ABDC 5" -- Week 3 Promo

America's Best Dance Crew (Official!) | MySpace Video

Pacific Rim interviews of West Coast crews

Pacific Rim posted pre-taping interviews with the West Coast crews for Week 2 of ABDC5. Click here for Poreotix, Heavy Impact, Blended Projekt, and Hype 5-0; here's BreakEFX.
 

ABDC West Coast audition playlist

MTV Remote Control just posted the playlist for America's Best Dance Crew 5's West Coast Challenge. District78's master mixes are not yet up; we'll link to them when available.


BLENDED PROJEKT - Ginuwine "Get Involved"
BREAK EFX - Clipse "All Eyes On Me"
HEAVY IMPACT - Jeremiah "Raindrops"
BREAK EFX - Clipse "All Eyes On Me"
HYPE 5-0 - Ester Dean "Drop It Low"
POREOTICS - Kid Sister "Right Hand Hi"
BOTTOM 3 BATTLE - Black Eyed Peas "Showdown"

Video: Quest's Dtrix battles Dave (The Buried Life) in NY club

The Buried Life is 4 guys who want to complete a list of '100 Things To Do Before You Die', and have an MTV show. They may have crossed another item off the list this week when member Dave had a spontaneous dance battle with Dominic Sandoval (Dtrix) from Quest Crew in a New York bar.

Reports from ABDC5 West Coast audition tapings

Several readers attended America's Best Dance Crew's West Coast Audition show taping and left comments. The comments have been scrubbed (both by the original commenters and by me) of spoilers. Here are some spoiler-free reports and reviews:

Czar2010!: "imo it's the best Regional Show!!! I liked three crews in general and those were the three that made the show. The battle was so intense! The crowd went crazy when the second crew threw it down!(in the battle) I got up from my seat when they were battling, this crew really was prepared and gave it their all. I even saw JC and Lil Mama's reaction during this crews battle and their reaction was like if they were slapped in the face! I swear, this crew is really dope. So ABDC keeps on getting better and better every week!....ABDC alumni that attended: We Are Heroes and Teresa from Beat Freaks. . This week for the very first time in ABDC,  they had the six crews that made the show on the audience! They had the South on one side and the East on the other side(they all got to see their opponents from the West! it was very exciting to see them all there)."

Crush!: "Some of the crews that were on the show were awesome and definitely deserved to be there, but some, not so sure.. I thought that the West was going to be the best region so far, but it wasnt imho..I'mn was pretty satisfied with the crews that made it, except the second crew that was saved. Another crew should have been saved instead of them. The battle i have to admit was the best yet. I couldnt tell who of two crews were gonna make it past the regionals. They were both good. The other crew was ok in the battle. I have a feeling some of you guys will be satisfied with the results and some shocked!"

Kyle: "went to the taping tonight, thought it was pretty good :). First crew was hype 5-0 and I definitely loved their energy.. The crew came out with traditional hawaiian wear at first, and i thought it would be pretty cheesy but it went into straight up hip hop which was really cool. Heavy Impact were very interesting... surprised such big guys can be so light on their feet, and even perform a few flips. The crowd went wild when they flashed their bodies haha...Blended projekt was the biggest crew ever on abdc, but also featured the youngest members, three 16 year olds. You could tell from their clogging performance that they were young and sweet, and lacked the "hardness" other crews had. BreakFX was another crew that seemed pretty young, a very stunt-heavy performance...Poreotix were the favorites of the night before they even performed, and the crowd went wild during their Taylor Swift performance. They utilized plenty of glitter during the performance, yes glitter. and they had a great sense of humor, even while being critiqued...The first crew saved was a good choice, but I was pretty disappointed with the second...The battle pretty was intense.. it was really good. The 3 crews that battled all wanted it really bad, and I'm very happy with the one who was saved."

Video: workshop with Allison (Femme 5) and Laura (Fysh N Chicks)

 Fysh N Chicks' Laura Edwards  choreographed this short dance performed by her, Fysh N Chicks Laura Edwards, and Dana Foglia. Video from LMELaura Youtube Channel. .Thanks for the tip, Ashley!

East Coast Survey Results: Saltare and Blueprint most popular

Our survey results for ABDC's East Coast audition show mirrored the judges' opinions:

• Out of 1325 votes, Saltare was the most popular (39%), followed closely by Blueprint Cru (36%). Click here for detailed results
• Out of 857 votes, Legendary 7 was the least popular (43%). Click here for the detail.

Please vote in our upcoming surveys on the West Coast, They will be posted early on Friday February 12. 

Videos: Carnival performances by Beat Freaks and We Are Heroes

Pacific Rim covered all aspects of the 11th anniversary of Carnival on January 27, 2010. Click here for their collection of interviews, including John Chu and  members of We Are Heroes, Beat Freaks, Artistry in Motion, Heavy Impact, LXD, and Beast Mode. Click here for Beat Freaks' performance. Here's We Are Heroes. Thanks, Jessica!

Let us know if you attend tonight's taping!

The third episode of America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 tapes tonight, with 5 crews from the West Coast auditions battling for 3 spots. If you attend the taping, leave a comment and let us know what it was like -- the crews, the battles, the judges, props, celebrities, you name it.  REMEMBER -- NO SPOILERS. DO NOT SAY (OR EVEN IMPLY) THE FATE OF ANY OF THE CREWS!

Is Randy Jackson leaving American Idol too?

According to ShowbizSpy, Randy Jackson may have more time to devote to ABDC, since he may be leaving American Idol. This site quotes the National Enquirer, so consider the sources, but here's the story:

"Randy was basically told that there was a very good chance he was not going to be asked back after this season,” a show insider told American tabloid the National Enquirer...Jackson was apparently furious that Cowell, 51, didn’t tell him he was planning to leave the show to launch the American edition of his UK TV talent show The X Factor...“He considered Simon a friend, and not sharing with him was a big letdown. After that, Randy realized things would never be the same around Idol.“His attitude right now is, ‘You can’t fire me because I quit!’"

Videos: Vogue Evolution performances at Creating Change Conference

Vogue Evolution performed on the last day of the February 2010 Creating Change Conference in Houston. From Acerrud's Youtube Channel. For more,  click here for Prince Milan's solo and here for a short group performance.   Thanks, Erica Nicole and GreenEyezNoEnVy!

A Reader's Predictions for ABDC's West Coast audition show

Isaac sent in his predictions for ABDC's West Coast audition show. Let us know what you think. If you comment after Tuesday night's taping, DO NOT INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS! 

"I thought I would put up an analytical and realistic prediction as to why certain crews will be taken over others and the order of which they will be accepted. This is completely my opinion and shouldn't be taken to heart. Please post your comments below because I wanna hear what others say too.

BOTTOM LINE:
Poreotix (saved first)
Hype 5-0 (saved second)
BreakEFX (saved in battle)
Heavy Hitters (eliminated)
Blended Projekt (eliminated)"

 
Click here to read Isaac's detailed prediction and explanation for the West Coast auditions show. Thanks Isaac!

Videos: Battle between Knucklehead Zoo and Flex Flav

KnuckleHead Zoo (Steve and Eric the Diss) battled Flex Flav  (DereLeek [who is from Supreme Soul] and Swellz One) at What's the Scenario 2 vs 2 Competition in Sacramento on January 30, 2010.  This was the West Coast Qualifier, where the winners advance to "Loose Screws" in Atlanta, to represent the West Coast.  The Finals are February 20th, for a cash prize of $2000. West Coast winners: Flex Flav. Videos from VietPR's Youtube Channel. Click here for Part I. Here's Part II: 

Video: Shane Sparks on Blueprint, Poreotix and other auditioning crews

The night before Shane Sparks was arrested, he was the host of a celebration party for We Are Heroes in Hollywood. Chris Trondsen interviewed him for dancetag.tv (our partner!) where they talk about some of their favorite auditioners including Blueprint, Poreotix, Klaamation, and others. Thanks for the reminder, Jez!

Profiles & videos of West Coast Crews: Poreotix, Blended Projekt, BreakEFX, Heavy Impact, Hype 5-0

On the third episode of America's Best Dance Crew Season 5, five crews who auditioned in Denver and Los Angeles will compete for 3 spots in the 'Top 9.'  Here's info about the crews, culled from MTV's descriptions and internet research:

• Blended Projekt is a crew of dancers from West Covina, CA who combine traditional clogging with hip-hop dance in a technique they call “Blending.” It is one of the youngest crews ever on the show, with 3 16-year olds. The group, founded in 1991, competed on America's Got Talent Season 3 as Extreme Dance FX and made it to the top twenty. They also performed on the 2009 World of Dance tour, and were one of the top five finalists in the KIIS FM Summer Dance Crew Competition. You can reach them on Facebook and MySpace.  Here's their KIIS FM performance, courtesy of Pacific Rim Video:

• BreakEFX  from Denver, CO is a coed breaking crew that considers themselves the first B-boy-choreography crew as all the members have trained in all types of dance including hip-hop, jazz and ballet.  They won Verve Collizionz 2009. Here's their recent trailer reel: 

Click here for the information and videos on Heavy Impact, Hype 5-0 and Poreotix.

Last day to enter this week's Elimination challenge and Top 4 contests

If you want to have an entry for this week's elimination challenge and top 4 contests for ABDC, you have until midnight tonight. Good luck! NOTE: VOTING IS NOW CLOSED. Next round for the contests coming on Friday and Saturday.

• Enter this week's Elimination challenge here 
• Enter this week's Top 4 contest here.

Exclusive video: Fanny Pak's Glenda interviews Fanny Pak

Fanny Pak's Glenda Morales gets the chance to interview Fanny Pak (along with Chris Trondsen) after the taping of ABDC's East Coast audition taping. They talk about their favorite part of the show, the on-air shoutout to Fanny Pak, upcoming plans, and why  they like Static Noyze.

Beat Freak Rino Nakasone: Cover Girl!

Beat Freak member Rino Nakasone appears on the cover of the February 2010 Image House Magazine.
Freak the Fashion interviewed the magazine about their choice. She was chosen "due to her growing diva status in the dance industry...she has an urban, fun yet girlies sense of fashion and an eclectic dance groove." Thanks for the tip, Ravoo!

Video: Fr3sh 2009

Fr3sh documented their 2009 exploits including America's Best Dance Crew 4, competitions, workshops, lessons, and informal moments. It's a touching perspective on a crew that briefly appeared on ABDC and continues to make a name for itself in the dance community.
FR3SH 2009 from katrina badiola on Vimeo.

District 78 : all the ABDC master mixes from Seasons 1 until now!

District 78 creates all the master mixes for America's Best Dance Crew. They just posted all the clips for ABDC5's Southern audition show and East Coast audition show. In addition, you can access audio files for all the other seasons.

Video: Blueprint talk about ABDC Nationals, Poreotix and mascots

Chris Trondsen and Fanny Pak's Glenda Morales talked to Blueprint just after they finished America's Best Dance Crew's East Coast audition taping and made it to the Nationals. They describe about how it felt to compete on the show and make it to the Nationals, what they're expecting from the West Coast crews, their supposed competition with Poreotix, and they introduce their beaver mascots.

Ninjaboi's Review of ABDC5's East Coast Audition show

Hey devoted Blogging Best Dance Crew readers, its me again, Ninjaboi.  Last weeks reviews were well received, so here goes my review for the East Coast Regionals. If anyone didn’t get the rating system last week, here it is again:

10 pts – Choreography/Intricacy – How well it’s all timed, together, and general choreography difficulty.  Isolations are a part of this, but I focus more on the general syncness of the crew as a whole. Example of 10: Most of Kaba Modern’s performances

10 pts – Tricks/Wow – If there are any moments that make you wow.  These tend to translate to athletic moves, but there are other things that can make an impression.  Someone brought up that Kaba Modern would have none of this, yet they killed it each week, so I’ve modified it a bit.  For example, humor, an insane tutting section, isolation sections are also part of this.  These usually only apply, though, when there are no big tricking moves.
Example of 10: Supercr3w’s We Fly High Performance, Massive Monkee’s Ricky Bobby Performance.

10 pts – Showmanship – Energy of a crew, Use of stage, Transitions, Formations, Creativity, Telling a story, A sense of building up to a moment, Visible Attitude, Facial Expressions, Musicality, Having different people doing different things at the same time, Highlighting individuals (but not limiting it to one person), Strong ending among other things.
Example of 10: Orquestra, Most of Jabbawockeez. Also, a 5 would be a crew simply having the bare minimum to be on the show.  A 7 would be above average, enough to make you stop and think about what the crew just did. A 9 would be near perfection, but just a tad bit more could have been done with it.

Click here to read his detailed reviews of Blueprint, Legendary 7, Saltare, Static Noyze, and Draztik. In addition, he's got things to look for in future East Coast crew performances, power rankings and things to look for in the West Coast audition show. Thanks Ninjaboi!

Videos from Soundbox Studios Grand Opening: Bam (Boxcuttuhz), Emmett (Choreo Cookies)

Soundbox Studios in Houston held their grand opening on January 23, 2010. For the event, guest choreographers included: Brian Bam Martin (Boxcuttuhz), Mariel Martin (Choreo Cookies), Emmett Agapay (Choreo Cookies), Duy Nguyen (WyldStyl), and Alan Truong (Ill Ovation).  Soundboxtx Youtube Channel has many of the videos including Emmett's workshop, and Bam's session:

ABDC's Southern audition show-- a ratings success!

According to TV By The Numbers, the first episode of America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 was a ratings success: "MTV notched a 2.2 rating among its target demo of persons 12 to 34, marking a 22% gain against its fourth-season premiere (a 1.8 rating) against that group and a 10% uptick against its third-season bow (2.0) in January 2009, according to Nielsen data. Moreover, the Jan 28 telecast was the shows tops with the demo since its third season finale last March. All told, 2.4 million tuned in America’s Best Dance Crew.