Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 BBDC Readers' Choice Awards: Favorite Video

Here it is! The final poll of this year's BBDC Readers' Choice Awards. You guys voted, and here are your top four nominees for Favorite Video of 2011:




The poll will be open for 24 hours. Results from each poll will be posted tomorrow.

Video: J Blaze (feat. Brian Puspos & Ian Eastwood) - "Swag"

It looks like Johnny "J Blaze" Erasme decided to close out the year with a bang. Straight from his official Youtube Channel, here is his latest video featuring his fellow Kub Skouts, Ian Eastwood & Brian Puspos, as well as Katie Kabili & Amanda Grind:

Vote in DanceOn's Best Dance Video of 2011 poll -- some intriguing choices!

DanceOn is running a poll for best dance video of 2011. The choices are eclectic and the videos' links are a good way to catch any of these highly-viewed/viral videos you missed:  The Muppets - "I've Got Everything That I Need", Big Freedia - "Y'all Get Back Now", Nathan Barnatt - "No Bones" -- an odd instructional video, Sean Bankhead - "Who Run the World", Something Borrowed - "Push It", Non Stop - "Pumped Up Kicks", Footloose Line Dance - "Fake ID",Todrick Hall - "The Bieber",Lady Gaga - HBO Presents "The Monster Ball Tour", Aish.com - "Rosh Hashanah Rock Anthem". Voting ends January 10, 2012

Video: Alien and the Ghetto -- a must watch

Here's some incredible dancing from MOTIONPICTURERHYTHM Youtube: Alien and the Ghetto@ETHEREALSTORY. Found this at Hip Hop International's Facebook page -- do yourself and them a favor and like them today!

Friday, December 30, 2011

2011 BBDC Readers' Choice Awards-Favorite Battle

Your nominations for Favorite Battle are now in. Here are your top 4 battles from 2011:





Now, in the comments below, I am reopening nominations for Favorite Video. The rules are the same as yesterday, with the added rule that once a video has qualified, none of the dancers in that video may appear in any of the other top 4 nominations for Favorite Video.

So far, only one video has qualified, and that is ReQuest Dance Crew-ReLax.
Nominations close once 3 more videos have qualified or at 1 PM EST.

(World Order-2012-qualified 9:44 PM)
(Unleash Your Fingers-qualified 11:54 PM)
(Pumped Up Kicks|Dubstep-qualified 1:50 AM)

EDIT: The nominations process is officially closed.

NAOTV Episode 8: A Look Back at 2011

With 2012 right around the corner, I decided to use this episode to take a look back at 2011. Let's start with what was probably the most viral dance video of 2011, if not ever: Pumped Up Kicks|Dubstep by Remote Kontrol's Marquese "Nonstop" Scott.


Nonstop is a very talented dancer and the amount of attention this video received was well deserved.

Now let's move onto what I thought were the best things in the hip hop dance community from the past year.

Best Choreographer: Shaun Evaristo-Shaun has had an amazing 2011, which included choreographing a performance for So You Think You Can Dance and the grand opening of the ML Studio.

Best Crew/Company: Choreo Cookies-Once again, the Cookies dominated the competition scene, winning the majority of the competitions they entered.

Best Competition: Body Rock 2011-The level of talent at this competition gets higher and higher every year. 2011 was no exception.The top 3 performances were among my favorite performances from this year.

Best Battler: El Nino-This kid tore up the place, notching big wins at WBC and the US qualifier for Red Bull BC One.

Queens of Swag: Parris Goebel & Rie Hata-Just watch the video. Ridiculous.

Best Choreography Video: Vinh Nguyen "Break Ya Neck"-The crazy closer to SGBM's Body Rock performance combined with a look into the mind of a choreographer makes an amazing video.

Best Choreography: Lyle Beniga "Bait"-I seriously can't stop watching this...help?

Best Commercial: Unleash Your Fingers-Amazing finger tuts and amazing graphics. I want that phone. Big ups to JayFunky.

Best YouTube Channel: YAKfilms-From their dance tutorials, to their coverage of major dance events, to their web series Yak Like Ya Know, to their well produced dance videos, Yak Films offers nearly everything a dance fan would ever want all in one channel.

Best ABDC Performance: Jabbawockeez "Devastating Stereo"-Since this IS a blog about ABDC, I felt compelled to include this category. This performance showcased Jabba at their finest.

Video: Chachi teaches workshop --and ICONic Boyz participate -- at ICON Dance Complex

Chachi Gonzales (member of America's Best Dance Crew 6 champions IaMmE) taught a workshop at ICON Dance Complex on December 29, 2011. This video from RhythmAddictsTV Youtube shows a brief interview with her, her demo of the steps for "Should Have Kissed You", and participants including ABDC6's ICONic Boyz.

Video: Instant Noodles in Jennifer Chung's "Your Year and Happiness"

Instant Noodles (ABDC Season 6) dance in Jennifer Chung's new mixtape video of "Your Year" and "Happiness", two songs on her latest CD. An appropriate mix for the beginning of 2012!  From JenniferJChung Youtube.

Freestyle Culture TV: Go-to site for innovative dance videos

 Freestyle Culture is a company "committed to showcasing the talent and lifestyle in niche cultures." I recently started watching their FreestyleCultureTV Youtube Channel and am impressed at the many featured dancers and choreographers. Here's one of the latest -- "The Motto".

Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 BBDC Readers' Choice Awards-Favorite Performance

Your votes from the preliminary round are in, and here are your top four nominees for Favorite Performance (admittedly, I had to use some creative license when interpreting your votes):

Jinjo Crew Showcase-R16 Korea 2011
========================================

Now, in the comments below, I am reopening nominations for tomorrow's poll, which will be Favorite Battle of 2011. The two battles that have made it to tomorrow's poll are:



You can now submit up to three new nominations for favorite battle. Once a battle has been nominated three times, it automatically receives a spot on tomorrow's poll. Nominations close whenever two more new battles qualify or at noon EST tomorrow.

Video: Unmasked JabbaWockeeZ dance on "Ima Get It"

Phil 'SB' Tayag (member of America's Best Dance Crew's  JabbaWockeeeZ and a member of KNGDM) issued the music video “I’ma Get It” off the KNGDM’s Goodbye mixtape, assisted by the Bangerz Nick Ngo. JabbaWockeeZ - unmasked -- are the dancers on the video. From thewockeez Youtube, via ChannelAPA.  Thanks for the tip, PerezOverride!

Video: Next Level Squad flexing in New York Subways

Yak Films has a powerful video of Next Level Squad dancing in the New York subways. It's gone viral, probably because the mainstream has a queasy fascination for this dance style.

TiVo Alert: IaMmE on MTV's New Years's Eve show

America's Best Dance Crew Season 6 winners IaMmE have been added to the line-up for MTV's "NYE in NYC" show to air on December 31 (of course). They'll join Demi Lovato, Tyler Posey and the 'house' DJ team of Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Video: Lando Wilkins (Boxcuttuhz) choreo w/ ABDC alums, Ian Eastwood, Jun Quemado & more

Lando Wilkins (Boxcuttuhz, Mos Wanted Crew, Movement Lifestyle) choreographed and dances with "random talented dancers" including Ian Eastwood, Jun Quemado, Joesar Alva (ABDC's Boogie Bots), Pharside Jennings (ABDC2's Supreme Soul, Academy of Villains), Mami Kanemitsu (ABDC's We are Heroes), Aye Hasegawa (Boxcuttuhz), Amanda Grind, Krystal Meraz (Academy of Villains), Knicole Haggins, Terence Dickson (The LXD, and Jonathan Rabon. 

This is the first in a series of videos where dancers will create performances within a day -- rehearsing one day/night and filming the next day to see what can be accomplished in "the heat of the moment". From LandoWilkins Youtube.

Video: Roxy vs. Macca at Outbreak 7 - bgirl battle

Bgirl battles don't often get the attention they deserve. This battle between Roxy vs. Macca was recommended by reader Dance: "Bgirl Roxy is the new bgirl that everyone is talking about. She is setting a new standard for bgirls with her strength... Macca is great also and is definitely a rising star in the breaking world. Macca has won many competitions in the past few years. This video is from Outbreak 7 in Orlando Florida December 10-11...At the end Alieness from Zulu Kings comes out and mops the floor due to all of that sweat and dopeness that Roxy left on the floor haha." Thanks Dance!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Casting Promo video for ABDC7

The promotional casting video for America's Best Dance Crew is striking, even though it focuses on visual arts as much as dancing.  I can't wait to see the ABDC promo from IaMmE! Thanks for the tip, PerezOverride!

Video: DJ Earworm's United State of Pop 2011 - World Go Boom

DJ Earworm just released his 2011 mashup with audios and videos from Adele, Black Eyed Peas, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Cee Lo Green,  Enrique Eglesias, Foster the People, Jennifer Lopez, Jeremih, Katy Perry (more KP than I would have expected!), Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Lupe Fiasco, Maroon 5, One Republic, Pink, Pit Bull and Rihanna. As ever, a masterful work that captured many of the better dance moves from hit videos of the year.

ABDC mailbox; Nappytabs pregnancy!, update on Steve Terada (Quest's) injury

- 2012 is shaping up to be a major year for Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo (choreographers for America's Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance). They are busy as choreographers for Fox's MOBBED -- here's a preview clip for the January 4 episode that includes Nappytabs and ABDC alums including Glenda Morales (Fanny Pak). And, they've announced that Tabitha is pregnant. Congratulations to both of you!
- Steve Terada of Quest Crew (ABDC3 winners) was injured while working on the movie "Planet Bboy". In this video, he talks about his accident and recovery. We hope it goes smoothly and that you'll be 100% better soon!

Video: Homegrown (from SoReal Studio): "The Glory"

Andrew Baterina and Jackie Lautchang (two members of ABDC2's SoReal Cru) along with Rian Beriones and Trenton Tabak (other members of SoReal Studio) choreographed "The Glory" for Homegrown, the adult team from SoReal Studio. I hope this group plans to audition for the ABDC7! From SorealStudioTV Youtube.

Monday, December 26, 2011

The 2011 BBDC Readers' Choice Awards: Nominate your favorite videos from 2011!

Hi there BBDC readers! With 2011 winding to a close, it's time to announce the first annual BloggingBestDanceCrew Readers' Choice Awards!

How this works:
1. Nominations-Nominate your favorite dance videos from 2011. There are three different categories that videos can be a part of: favorite performance, favorite battle, and favorite video. These categories will be explained in more detail below. You can nominate one video for each category per IP address. You have until midnight on Thursday, December 29 to nominate your favorite videos. The videos can feature any kind of dancing from any crew or solo performer. The dancers do not need to have appeared on ABDC. The 4 most nominated videos for each category will be included in each poll.
2. Voting-Starting at 6 PM on Thursday, December 29, a poll will be posted daily. Each poll will have the top 4 nominees for each category. Each poll will be open for 24 hours.
3. Results-Results from each poll will be posted at 6 PM on Sunday, January 1, 2011.

Categories:
Favorite Performance: Any performance by a crew or soloist at any dance event or on any television show. The performance can be competition or exhibition.
Favorite Battle: Any battle between two or more crews or solo dancers.
Favorite Video: Any dance video recorded outside of a show or competition. Can be a music video, choreography video, class video, concept video, etc.

There you have it! Let's begin the nomination process below. Remember, you have until 12:00 AM this Thursday to nominate your favorite videos.
WARNING: Any user who attempts to make multiple nominations from the same IP address while changing their username will have all his/her nominations removed. Repeat offenders may be banned.

Locations for America's Best Dance Crew Season 7 auditions

ABDCCasting.com revealed the audition locations for the next season of America's Best Dance Crew:
-Chicago: January 13, 2012 - Superior Stret, 2744 W.Superior Street
-Houston: January 15, 2012 - SoReal Dance Studios, 6108 S. Rice, Suite 104
-New York: January 21, 2012 - SIR Studios, 520 W, 25th St. 
- Los Angeles: January 28, 2012 - CenterStaging, 3407 Winona Ave, Burbank

Chachi (IaMmE) video promoting Just Dance 3

Chachi Gonzales from IaMmE created a video for the Just Dance 3 game from Ubisoft. The company should put this in TV -- Chachi makes it look so fun and easy that it would be a best seller! From chachi0123 Youtube.

Concept video from Mami (We Are Heroes) - "Promise"

Mami Kanemitsu (member of ABDC4 champions We are Heroes) co-choreographs and co-stars in a new concept video with G Madison called "Promise". I particularly like the split screened choreo. From mamikworld Youtube.

Video: Brandon '747' Harrell (IaMmE) - "Thinking about You"

Even more work this week from members of IaMmE (ABDC6 winners): Brandon '747' Harrell  choreographs and solos to JR Aquino's "Thinking about You". From showoff747 Youtube. Thanks for the tip Chris!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Hype 5-0 TV Presents: Christmas Dubstep Freestyle

Aloha! Hype is undergoing some serious changes as they gear up for 2012, and one of them includes new member, AJ Pak aka Headache.

The Hype has been placing and winning at WOD Hawaii and LA, but they don't plan on stopping there. Check out this amazing freestyle from Headache, in this short Christmas themed sample:


Video: Keone Madrid - Compilation

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! Today we have a special present from Keone Madrid (Choreo Cookies). He posted a video to his official Youtube Channel of FIVE pieces he's taught recently. Enjoy!

Video: Dumbo (Poreotics) and IaMmE member collaboration - "Say My Name"

Though we haven't seen many recent videos from the full IaMmE crew, subsets of the ABDC6 champions have been busy performing with other dancers. The latest: Dumbo (from ABDC5 champion crew Poreotics) dances with IaMmE's Pacman, Emilio, and Brandon (with a Chachi cameo!) From PoreoticsHD Youtube. Thanks for the tip, Greg!

Video: How Poreotics celebrate Christmas

Continuing with our Christmas programming (we need a Yule log dance!): Poreotics show how they celebrate the holidays. Dumbo was missing -- probably because he was dancing with IaMmE (see today's video!)

Christmas dance video from Quick Crew

Quick Crew created a light and magical routine for the holidays. I think it's a classic. Be sure to click on the snowflake on the Youtube toolbar.  From TheQuickStyle Youtube.

Twelfth Day of Crewmas: Merry Christmas greetings from ICONic Boyz, ReQuest, Phunk Phenom, Ringmasters & more

For the last day of Crewmas, HouseofCrews assembled holiday wishes from all the crews that participated in their Days of Crewmas video series: ICONic Boyz, ReQuest Crew, Phunk Phenomenon, Ringmasters, Rhythm City, Elektrolytes, SGBM,  ICONic Girlz, PLAGUE, Ven15, In Da Clutch, 5 Crew Dynasty, and New Styles Krew. Happy Holidays to House of Crews for creating this series and to all our readers.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Video: How Santa Funk'd up Christmas

One more holiday video: FunkdUpTV Youtube filmed Santa Claus (aka  Sal "Doc Lock" of Groovmekanex and Fresh Dynamix) popping and locking all around San Francisco. Thanks to the folks at Funk'd Up for keeping 2011  full of dance.

Video: Kyle Hanagami & Friends - "Moondance"

Kyle Hanagami is back with smooth moves, performing "Moondance, along with Brandon Dumlao (So You think You Can Dance), Koharu Sugawara, Tanner Clark, and Alessandro Steri. From kylehanagami Youtube.

11th day of Crewmas: 2011 best crew lists from ICONic Boyz, Elektrolytes, and other top crrews

The 11th day of Crewmas asked top dancers from ICONic Boyz, ICONic Girlz, Elektrolytes, Rhythm City, SGBM, In da Clutch, Ven15, 5 Crew Dynasty, and PLAGUE to name their favorite dancers of the year. The nominations (with some photos and film clips) include: ReQuest Crew, Skill Methodz, Vagabonds Crew, U-Min, Chris Brown, Buddha Stretch, IaMmE, New Styles Krew, Choreo Cookies, and Mischief Makers. Go to HouseofCrews Youtube for all the days of Crewmas

Friday, December 23, 2011

NAOTV Episode 7: Holiday Edition

Happy Holidays BBDC! This week's episode is choc full of holiday themed videos. But all of those are after the jump because it would be blasphemy to not feature Lyle Beniga's choreography to "Bait" this week.



You can never go wrong with a Movement Lifestyle artist. Now onward to the Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/whatever other holidays people celebrate spirit! (and other, not exactly holiday related videos)

As usual, you can watch the playlist here or follow me after the jump.

---Other Dope Videos from This Week---

Quick-Christmas Concept 2-Let's get the holiday ball rolling by heading to Norway for Quick Crew's Christmas video. Normally, music box routines are performed by popping crews. Here, Quick puts their own unique spin on it with their unique style.

Mike Song, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb, and Di "Moon" Zhang-"Christmas Jiggy"- This was a very fun collaboration among three very talented ABDC alumni. Nothing says Christmas quite like pajamas, Santa hats, and dancing to Mariah Carey songs.

Dumbo n Chloe Christmas Freestyles-This was a great year for kid dancers getting exposure. Here we have Dumbo and his 11 year old student Chloe Enriquez freestyling to dubstep. For only training in popping for 6 months, this girl is pretty good.

Unveiled-Pacman's holiday present to his fans includes his signature style of choreography and I.aM.mE's trademarked Brain Banging. Performing alongside him are fellow crew members Millie and Jaja.

Jaja Vankova-"Promise"-Someone just made the naughty list! Jaja flaunts her sexy side in this video. Her rnb choreo is just as good, if not better than, as what we're used to seeing from her. Throw in some comic relief from 747 and her own mother, and you get a great video.

Faboo & Valentina by Tomson-Great production combined with great dancing is the best way for a dance video to get views. This video has just that. Really dope stuff.

Les Twins @ Tunay Ink Dance Studio-Les Twins and Yak Films. Need I say more?

**If you have any submissions for NAOTV, please send them to my account here.**

That's it for this week's episode of NAOTV! Thanks for reading and watching! -NAO

10th day of Crewmas: Stunt Demos & explanations from Ringmasters, Elektrolytes, Plague, 5 Crew Dynasty

I was hoping that the 10th of Christmas gift of Lords A-leaping would translate into some Crewmas stunt explanation. House of Crews did a really nice job on this one with both visuals and explanations for: Elektrolyte's Tower, Ringmasters' jumps, Plagues's crash dive, and 5 Crew Dynasty's Incredible Hulk. As they say: Don't try this at home. If you missed any of the previous Crewmas videos, you can catch them at HouseofCrews Youtube.

Video: Pacman, Jaja & Emilio (IaMmE) - "Unveiled"

Here's another video designed as a Christmas present for fans: Phillip 'Pacman' Chbeeb choreographs and dances with IaMmE crewmates Džajna "Jaja" Vaňková and Emilio "Millie" Dosal. This mini-brainbang is called "Unveiled". From Pacman Youtube.

Video: Megan (Fanny Pak) on "Ils Dansent"

From the Megan Lawson Vimeo description: "A shortened version of Ils Dansent episode 7 featuring the choreography of Megan Lawson.Ils Dansent is a Montreal based documentary series chronicling the journey of 10 young male dancers. This program allows viewers to see the creative process of both teacher and student in the world of dance."

Video: Static Noyze's new footage - the road from auditions to rehearsals to ABDC

Static Noyze (America's Best Dance Crew Season 5) just released a video showing a lot of new footage that should be interesting to their fans and to crews considering auditioning for the show. It includes clips from their final audition routine vs. different versions of the routine for ABDC's 'regional' show (answering the question of how routines change to take advantage of camera angles), and other rehearsal and backstage footage. From StaticNoyze6TV Youtube.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

9th day of Crewmas= ladies dancing: ReQuest, We Are Heroes, Ven15

Since today's Christmas present is 9 Ladies Dancing, it's no surprise that the Crewmas focus today is on ladies of dance: ReQuest Crew, We are Heroes, and Ven15. The video from HouseofCrews shows older performance footage. The discussion: goals as a girl group and advice for women aspiring to become dancers.

Video from Poreotics 4 year anniversary: dancing, plus interview with Poreotics, Instant Noodles, Moon (IaMmE) & more

Chris Trondsen covered Poreotics' 4 year anniversary party on December 19, 2011 for PacificRimVideoPress. Scenes of the ABDC5 winners dancing are interspersed among interviews with the crew and their friends -- Pac Modern, Instant Noodles, Moon from IaMmE, Toybox, Movement Lifestyle, and others.

Video: Pacman, Moon, & Mike Song - "Christmas Jiggy"

Phillip 'Pacman' Chbeeb and Di 'Moon' Zhang (members of IaMmE) join up with Mike Song (Kaba Modern, Kinjaz) for some "Christmas Jiggy". Love the Christmas PJs, Santa hats, awesome dancing, and a camera angle that makes them look slightly elf-ish. From MikeoSong Youtube.

Video: GOP Dance LA-Style workshop

GOP and their dance family (including 787 Crew) have been pushing the hip hop dance community forward in Puerto Rico for years. Here's a recent example: an LA-style workshop class. From GOPDANCE Youtube

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

8th Day of Crewmas: fitness confessions from ReQuest, Phunk Phenomenon, Rhythm City & more

No 8 maids a-milking for the 8th day of Crewmas. Instead, HouseofCrews Youtube presents a discussion on milk and other fitness and diet tips/confessions from ABDC alums from ReQuest Crew, We Are Heroes, Phunk Phenomenon, and Rhythm City, as well as members of SGBM, New Styles Crew and other dance groups.

Video: Steelo's Christmas party (including Beat Freaks and Groovaloos)

The dance community came out to support Steelo's recovery and his family at the recent Steelo 444 fundraiser (read about it here). This new video provides an update on Steelo -- as you can see, he's made major progress since the aneurysm that sidelined his dancing career. The video also includes members of Beat Freaks and Groovaloos at this holiday party.

Here's hoping for continued progress for Steelo in the new year! While the fundraiser was a great success, additional contributions will be helpful in supporting Steelo until he's fully recovered. For more information (and for information about the video of the Steelo 444 event once it's available) go to Steelo444.com. Thanks for the tip, Joanie and Greg!

Tivo Alert: Bonita (Beat Freaks) on MADE tonight

Bonita, a member of Beat Freaks, is the coach on the episode of MTV's MADE that airs December 21, 2011. Check your local listings. Here's a preview:

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Video: Vibes Juniors Competition: Congratulations IDK!

The First Vibes Juniors Competition was held December 17, 2011. First place went to IDK, second place to TM Jr. and Third place to The Organization. Congratulations and hope you audition for America's Best Dance Crew Season 7! Thanks for the links Xerpent!

7th day of Crewmas: hidden talents of ReQuest, ICONic Boyz, Phunk Phenomenon, We Are Heroes

For the seventh day of Crewmas, the HouseofCrews couldn't come up with any swans a-swimming, so they asked crews about their other talents. ReQuest Crew, ICONic Boyz, Phunk Phenomenon, We are Heroes, Ringmasters, SGBM, and others. There's a lot of singers, as well as some strippers, rappers, knitters, jugglers, and an on-command farter (guess which crew!)

Video: Chachi (IamMe) workshop at Planet Funk

Chachi (member of ABDC6 champions IaMmE) taught a workshop at Planet Funk in Houston on December 17, 2011. I find it inspiring how she finds time to help out the next generation of dancers, in addition to the rest of her crazy schedule. From ShawnWellingDance Youtube.

Poreotics talk about ABDC judges, fights, and ideal girls on Threesome Nightly

Poreotics did a long interview with ThreeSome Nightly in December 2011. They answered questions from the fans and from moderators including: their ideal girls, the most rewarding part about performing, why they almost never perform without shades, why they'd like to collaborate with Black Eyed Peas,their biggest influences,  their craziest fight, and what they think about the judges on America's Best Dance Crew. Here's part of the interview; click here to see the sections on ideal girls, biggest influences, and shoutouts to fans. Thanks for the tip, PerezOverride!

Video: JabbaWockeeZ in the 2011 Hollywood Christmas Parade

JabbaWockeeZ danced at the 2011 Hollywood Christmas Parade, which aired on the Hallmark Movie Channel. The performance is a good indication of why their Las Vegas show MUS.I.C continues to attract large audiences.

Monday, December 19, 2011

6th day of Crewmas: How ReQuest, Ringmasters, We Are Heroes, SGBM relax

Halfway through the 12 days of Crewmas from HouseofCrews Youtube. Instead of 6 geese a-laying, we've got dancers laying around. ABDC alums from ReQuest Crew, Ringmasters, We Are Heroes, as well as members from Super Galactic Beat Manipulators, 5 Crew Dynasty, In Da Clutch, PLAGUE, and New Styles Crew talk about how they kick back. Here's the previous 5 days of Crewmas videos: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Video: Massive Monkees rehearse for Mezzo Lunatico

Massive Monkees (ABDC Season 4) are still very active in their hometown of Seattle. Here's video from a rehearsal from at for Mezzo Lunatico at Teatro Zinzanni. From Teatro Zinzanni Youtube.

Video: Philippine Allstars at Pinoy Funkin Styles Concert

Here's a new performance from one of the top international crews -- Philippine Allstars. From bgirlbeatch Youtube.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

5th day of Crewmas: all about boy groups - ICONic Boyz, Ringmasters, Elektrolytes

No golden rings for the Fifth Day of Crewmas. Instead -- the golden boys: all-boy crews. There are interviews with performance footage for Elektrolytes, ICONic Boyz, Ringmasters, and 5 Crew Dynasty. If you missed the first 4 days of Crewmas from Youtube, click here to watch: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3,   Day 4

Video: Dtrix tutorial on how to air flare

Got some extra time during your holiday break? Learn to air flare from Domininc 'Dtrix' Sandoval (America's Best Dance Crew judge, member of ABDC3's Quest Crew, So You Think You Can Dance all-star, & Youtube Family member). From VincaniTV Youtube which has a good series of videos teaching basic bboy moves.

Video: Machine Gone Funk at J.U.I.C.E Hip Hop Festival

Machine Gone Funk danced at J.U.I.C.E (Justice by Uniting in Creative Energy) Hip Hop Festival  in September 2011. From BionicSupreme Youtube. Thanks for the tip Brian!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Video: Lyle Beniga choreographs all-stars for "Bait"

Lyle Beniga (Movement Lifestyle) tapped the talents of Shaun Evaristo, Lando Wilkins, Ellen Kim, Ian Eastwood, Bam Martin, JP Goldstein, Johnny Erasme,Devin Jamieson,Joesar Alva, Mykell Wilson,Amanda Grind, Mike Fal,Jeka Kalotkin,Jason Magsuc, Vinh Nguyen and Marvin Millora for this new video from MovementLifestyle Youtube. Thanks for the link,  Gary!

Video: Choreometry -- interesting new dance group

Choreometry Dance Crew (from Biloxi, MS and Mobile, AL) came to our attention through an ABDC alum. They are not sure whether they will be auditioning for the next season of America's Best Dance Crew, but are focused on developing their skills and their audience. Here's the submission for the Movement Lifestyle competition; you can see more of their work at ChoreometryDanceCrew Youtube. What do you think?

4th day of Crewmas: phone call wishes (living or dead) for We Are Heroes, Phunk Phenom, SGBM & more

The 4th day of Christmas present is 4 calling birds, so the 4th day of Crewmas covers the question: If you had one person to call -- living or dead -- who would it be and what would you talk about? Among the answerers: America's Best Dance Crew alums from We are Heroes, Rhythm City, and Phunk Phenomenon; Elektrolytes, SGBM, 5 Crew Dynasty, Ven 15, New Styles Crew, and PLAGUE. Among the choices: Bruce Lee, 'my cat', Albert Einstein, Jesus, family members, Michael Jackson, and various hotties. 

I applaud HouseofCrews for this ingenious and engaging series! If you missed the beginning of the series, click to watch: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Video: Teresa Espinosa (Beat Freaks) workshop - "Girls all Pause"

Teresa Espinosa of Beat Freaks (ABDC Season 3) teaches workshops throughout the year; here's a recent workshop using "Girls all Pause" from Kurupt (ft. Nate Dogg RIP). From Youtube.

Friday, December 16, 2011

NAOTV Episode 6: Bboy Venum

What is up BBDC? This week's episode highlights Bboy Venum of Skill Methodz crew. Not much explanation needed here about why it's dope. Venum's moves speak for themself.


To see more dope videos from this week, check out the playlist here or follow me after the jump.

---Other Dope Videos from This Week---

Mos Wanted Crew-WOD Hawaii 2011-I love this set. They first performed it at WOD Chicago and this time they bring it back much cleaner than before. But the main highlight for me here is Brian Puspos' solo. Great stuff.

"Trigger Fingers"-How could I not post this? Pacman and Moon are among the most brilliant duos to ever collaborate. What takes their already insane tutting to the next level is the way they incorporate the glass table. Amazing.

Top 5 Sets | OUTBREAK 7-StrifeTV compiled their top 5 sets from Outbreak 7 into this video. These dancers are all dope and have great stuff they bring to the table.

Yarus and Loony Boy-Yak Films does it again! This week, they presented us the incredible style known as Electro Dance. These two dancers impressed me with their amazing musicality as well as their intricate yet blazing fast arm threads and connects.

**If you have any submissions for NAOTV, please send them to my account here.**

That's it for this week's episode of NAOTV! Thanks for reading and watching! -NAO

3rd Day of Crewmas: What makes a chicken of Ringmasters, ReQuest, Rhythm City, Elektrolytes, & more

Instead of 3 French Hens, HouseofCrews Youtube brings us 'what makes you a chicken', where members of Ringmasters, ReQuest, Super Galactic Beat Masters, Phunk Phenomenon,  Plague, Elektrolytes, and Ven15 talk about their biggest fears. Before watching, try to guess who is afraid of: Spiders; dogs; wardrobe malfunctions!

Video: Brandon 747 and Emilio (IaMmE) - "Let's Go"

The latest from IaMmE members Brandon 747 and Emilio - dancing to "Let's Go" from Travis Barker (featuring Busta Rhymes). From showoff747 Youtube. Thanks for the link, Chris!

Video: ICONic Boyz dance at Apollo Theater

On December 10, 2011 ICONic Boyz (runners up for America's Best Dance Crew Season 6) danced at Apollo Stars of Tomorrow for an Amateur Night special.  As I recall, Jackson 5 connected with Motown after their Apollo Theater Amateur Night win-- can ICONic Boyz leverage an appearance at the Apollo into something greater?  From Apollotheater Youtube.

Exclusive interviews with John Chu and the LXD at the Steelo 444 Fundraiser

Chris Trondsen interviewed John Chu and LXD at the Steelo 444 fundraiser. John talks about his Scottish roots, how much he is moved by Steelo and the dance family, what's coming up for LXD, Chu's upcoming premium Youtube Channel, his favorite Justin Bieber song, and working on the GI Joe movie.  Madd Chadd robots it up, and the group members talk about how important Steelo is to the dance community, and how they rehearsed for the show. You can still help respect all these dancers by giving a donation to help Steelo at Steelo444.com

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Video: 2nd day of Crewmas: Rhythm City, Phunk Phenomenon, Elektrolytes, In da Clutch - Crew romances?

For the second day of Crewmas, House of Crews stitches together interviews from Rhythm City, Phunk Phenomenon, Elektrolytes, and In da Clutch with some dance footage. The big questions: Who's dating within the crew, and who (from any crew) would make a good pair. Find out who they match up with Chachi (IaMmE), Brian Puspos (Architeks, SoReal Cru), Shorty (Beat Freaks), and Kassandra (Phunk Phenomenon).

Letter from Shane Sparks to Dance Community: his side of the story & his plans going forward

The Industry Voice has a letter from Shane Sparks, former America's Best Dance Crew judges who completed jail time for his sentence in having sex with a minor. The letter gives his side of the story and his plans for the future. Please keep an open mind, read the letter, and feel free to comment below:

To the dance industry, peers and fans,
 “Within the last few years of my life I have encountered many difficulties, all while being unable to freely speak and share my side of the story.  The truth of the matter is that when I was in my early twenties, over 17 years ago, I began seeing a young lady who I thought at the time was of age.  She was an employee at (a well known Los Angeles) dance studio, where I was a dance instructor.  My biggest regret and mistake was not making sure that she was over 18 when I began a physical relationship with her.  This young lady’s mother was fully aware and knew that her daughter and I were seeing one another, and consented to the relationship, while leading me to believe that her daughter was older. Nevertheless, I apologize to her and her daughter for any harm I may have caused them.

For a few years now, I’ve had to deal with the public humiliation and personal strife of being condemned by heinous and false accusations.  The case is now over and I was eventually charged and convicted of one count of having sexual relations with a minor, and my punishment was to engage in counseling, which I have already began, and I may have to complete four months in a private jail facility.

After my case was over, TMZ released an inaccurate story stating that there were six other ladies who had been assaulted by me which is completely false.  Statements by my attorney and the prosecuting attorney from the District Attorney’s Office will confirm how false and misleading TMZ’s story was.  I am disappointed and hurt that TMZ would report such a false story without first checking the facts, by contacting the District Attorney’s Office.

Deputy District Attorney: Alison A.W. Meyers wrote a legal statement proving that I was cleared of TMZ’s accusations stating that other minors came forward as victims.

“While the case was pending against Mr. Sparks, no other chargeable victims ever came forward to discuss with me any allegations of the defendant having (sexual encounters) with them when they were underage.” - DDA Alison A.W. Meyers

I am taking all the necessary steps to move towards a positive path and clear my name so I may be remembered as a man of faith, and a talented dancer/choreographer, and leave behind a legacy my loved one’s can be proud of.  I  can only hope that people will finally hear my side of the story and be forgiving instead of believing false accusations that the media highlights.  I would like to thank my family, friends, and supporters for standing by my side and providing me with their strength during this trying time in my life.  I love you all, and will be forever grateful.”
- Shane Sparks

Video: Dtrix, NigaHiga, Movement Lifestyle & B-boy Morris - "Christmas Swag"

More Christmas goodness from the dance community: D-trix (America's Best Dance Crew judge, Clown Prince) joins Ryan 'NigaHiga' with superb dancing from Movement Lifestyle and B-boy Morris for some "Christmas Swag". From TheDOMINICshow Youtube. Ho Ho Ho.

Exclusive interviews with Beat Freaks at the Steelo 444 Fundraiser

Chris Trondsen interviewed Beat Freaks at the Steelo 444 fundraiser. They talk about what Steelo helped them improve their dance, and their special performance for the night with guests added to the crew. Separately, he talked to Maryss, who shows off her new engagement ring and what what's coming up for Beat Freaks in 2012.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Video: First Day of CrewMas - Rhythm City, Plague, New Styles Crew

HouseofCrews Youtube is holding a 12 days of Crewmas extravaganza. First day: freestyle from members of Rhythm City (America's Best Dance Crew Season 4), Plague, and New Styles Crew. Join us over the next 11 days for the dance holiday countdown

Video: Members of Poreotics, Elektrolytes, Academy of Swag - Triple Threat Workshop

 A Triple Threat workshop was held in November 2011 that featured Can Nguyen from Poreotics, Jay Chris from Academy of Swag, and George Jones from the Elektrolytes. From INTERTWINEFilms Youtube.

Video: Arthur & Geo (Instant Noodles) compete at Outbreak 7

Arthur and Geo of Instant Noodles (ABDC Season 6) competed at Outbreak 7 in Orlando. This video from InstantNoodlesCrew Youtube.  I also recommend you watch StrifeTV's Top 5 sets from Outbreak 7.

Exclusive interview: Instant Noodles at Steelo 444 Fundraiser

Chris Trondsen interviewed Instant Noodles at the Steelo 444 Fundraiser. They talk about their background and love with Steelo, all the dancers coming out for the fundraiser, their careers after ABDC, how to reach them and their dedication to the Stanley Project. 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Exclusive interview: Super Cr3w at Steelo 444 benefit - Steelo, MUS.I.C. & ABDC

Chris Trondsen interviewed Super Cr3w on the red carpet for the Steelo 444 fundraiser. They talk about what Steelo meant to them, how their performance at the fundraiser is different from their usual show, and what it's like performing at MUS.I.C., and how they disappeared in their Ninja act on ABDC.

Video: WilldaBeast (Eclectic Gentlemen & friends - "Hustle Hard"

WilldaBeast (from ABDC's Eclectic Gentlemen), Prince J-Ron (FootworKINGz) and 9 other dancers "Hustle Hard". From FreestyleCulture TV Youtube.

Blowup contest final results - Poreotics wins poll & PerezOverride wins contest!

Almost 1500 votes were cast in our tie-breaker for the ABDC Blowup Contest. Poreotics Night at the Apollo won with 49% of the votes. Click here to see detailed results and rewatch the videos. Congratulations to PerezOverride for picking the video and getting people to support it!

We'll start a new contest in a week or so -- name the Superstars of America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. So please stay tuned!

Exclusive interview: Team iLuminate Steelo 444 benefit - their AGT experience

Chris Trondsen interviewed Team ILuminate at the Steelo 444 fundraiser. They talk about their support for Steelo, their experience on America's Got Talent, and what they'll do next.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Exclusive interview: JabbaWockeeZ red carpet at Steelo 444 benefit - look out for 2012!

Chris Trondsen interviewed JabbaWockeeZ at the Steelo 444 fundraiser. They talk about their experience with Steelo, their performance with Super Cr3w and others to form Superwockeez, and hints about what they're planning for 2012..

Video: Heavy Impact on Shake It Up

Heavy Impact Crew (ABDC Season 5) danced on the holiday episode of Shake It Up. You can watch the entire episode here. Here's a clip of Heavy Impact's performance. Thanks for the clip Hobbit!

Video: Chachi (IaMmE) teaches workshop

Chachi (member of ABDC6 champions IaMmE) taught workshops in Chicago in December 2011. This video captures some Chachi's solos and some top performances from the class. From streetdancesite Youtube. Thanks for the tip, Gail!

Videos: Movement Lifestyle contest - which are your favorites?

Movement Lifestyle held a contest looking for crews to join their upcoming tour. They received 22 entries, and most are creative and well-danced. Click here to watch them all. I can't pick an overall favorite for dance technique, but my pick for choreography is this entry from ATeamLV. Which ones are your favorites? UPDATE: Click here for your favorite to help them win free registration for the tour.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Tell us if you're planning to audition for ABDC Season 7 - LIST OF AUDITIONERS

We've started seeing posts on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter about crews planning to audition for the next season of America's Best Dance Crew. If you want to announce it and show some videos, leave us a comment or email us at BloggingABDC@gmail.com. No rumors please!! We'll add it to our list here with any Facebook, Twitter, and video links.

These crews have announced plans to audition for ABDC (new names added daily and placed in alphabetical order. And as of Dec. 15, we'll include the date the post was added so you can look for additions to the list)
NOTE: We've listed the crews that we've been told got callbacks, but the list is incomplete and should not be considered comprehensive

Video: Interview with Moon & Emilio (IaMmE), Jet Li & Dumbo (Poreotics)

Chris Trondsen interviews Moon  and Emilio (IaMmE) and Jet Li and Dumbo (Poreotics) at the Steelo 44 Fundraiser. They talk about the possibility of an IaMmE/Poreotics collaboration, their admiration for Steelo, their busy tour schedules, Step 4 taping, and other video and public appearances. and how to follow them on Twitter.  

Video: Collab between 2 Choreo Cookies and SGBM members - "Tightrope"

Chris Martin (Choreo Cookies) and Yukio Nakamura (Super Galactic Beat Manipulators) team up to dance Janelle Monae's "Tightrope". From YNCAYNJP Youtube.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

DirtfaceX's review on Steelo 444 Fundraiser, w/ red carpet interview video of dozens of hiphop dance stars!

On December 6, 2011, the friends and family of Richard “Steelo” Vazquez held a historical fundraiser in support for their loved one in need. Steelo had suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm back in June, and miraculously endured a total of three hemorrhages. This unprecedented night brought together some of the biggest names in dance featuring performances by The SUPERwockeez, The Beat Freaks, Team iLuminate, The LXD, B-boy Cloud, Twitch, and many others. All proceeds from the show went to the Vazquez family to aid in their medical bills. I was fortunate enough to attend this amazing show, and I must say... it was truly a once in a lifetime event. CLICK HERE to read more about my experiences at the show including some of great talents I met, and reviews of the performances. 

This video has clips of red carpet interviews with dozens of dancers (including many from ABDC) who came out to perform or attend the fundraiser, including JabbaWockeeZ, Super Cr3w, Beat Freaks, the LXD, Team iLuminate, Instant Noodles, Nigel Lithgoe, John Chu, and Affion Crockett.


If you want to learn more about Steelo and keep updated on his condition- including a soon to be released documentary shot during the event- visit Steelo444.com

Video: Pacman and Moon (IaMmE) tut-battle it out

Phillip 'Pacman' Chbeeb and Di 'Moon' Zhang (from America's Best Dance Crew Season 6 winners IaMmE) are back with another brain-banger - "Trigger Fingers". From Pacman Youtube.

Friday, December 9, 2011

NAOTV Episode 5-Meet The Bootz Crew

What up y'all? This week's episode features The Bootz Crew, which is composed of Sarah Margozzi, Danielle Carreon, Ysabelle "Lil Bigz" Capitule, Natalie Krikland, and Miguelina Manriquez. The group will be one of many auditioners for the seventh season of ABDC. Here is their submission for mL's theTOUR Video Contest, choreographed by Nicole Kirkland.


To see more dope videos from this week, check out the playlist here (in case you missed them, since they have been posted on the site already.)

**If you have any submissions for NAOTV, please send them to my account here.**

That's it for this week's episode of NAOTV! Thanks for reading and watching! -NAO