Saturday, June 16, 2012

Exclusive: Victor Kim & Chris interview Dtrix at ABDC7 finale: Mos Wanted Crew, Elektrolytes, & some crewmate secrets

Victor Kim (Quest and Fallen Kings crews) and Chris Trondsen interviewed America's Best Dance Crew judge (and former Quest member) Dtrix after the finale of ABDC season 7. Dtrix talks about.how he feels about Elektrolytes winning ABDC, how he misses Mos Wanted Crew and how hard their elimination was, what's next for Dtrix, and how Victor and Dtrix make each other happy or gross each other out.

Exclusive interview with Lil Mama after ABDC7 Finale: A Perfect ending & what she'd want from a Season 8

 Victor Kim (Quest Crew) and Chris Trondsen interviewed America's Best Dance Crew judge Lil Mama just after the ABDC Season 7 finale. She talks about her love for both 8 Flavahz and Elektrolytes, how she talked to all the crews during the season, her love for Quest at the Season 6 all-star finale performances, and how she's happy with the results, what she'd like to see in an ABDC Season 8, and what she wants to see the crews do next. As she says, "super passionate we be crashin it".

MercerMZ's predictions with videos) for So You Think You Can Dance Top 20

According to Cat Dealey, the judges on this season's So You Think You Can Dance sent a total of 181 dancers into Vegas week this season. And just like the last 8 seasons, we can expect it to be a bloodbath with plenty of hard cuts to come. As usual, there's lots of competition heading in and of course, it's not very clear if there are any front-runners. That's not gonna stop me from picking some though. For this segment, I'm gonna make a few predictions for the dancers who I think may fair well through Vegas and make Top 20, based mostly on the auditions.
 

I'll be splitting my picks between both genders into 2 different groups: those who are first time auditioners and those who are returning auditioners. Click here to see my predictions, with videos of their auditions.

Video: Mos Wanted Crew - Camo and Orange (Welcome Home Celebration)

Mos Wanted is back in the studio with a welcome home dance with the elements and style that we appreciated during America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. I can't wait to see their continued collaboration, and am glad that ABDC gave them an even bigger audience than they had prior to the show. FromMosWantedCrewTV Youtube. Thanks for the tip, Kim!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Please don't leave us: why you should stay with BloggingABDC now that Season 7 is over

This website was started about four years ago to create a community for people who like America's Best Dance Crew and hip hop dance -- whether as observers or as participants.  The goal was to create a vibrant place by sharing examples of amazing work, getting people talking to each other, and making it fun.  

I think we've been somewhat successful but that it's time for a change. I want to know what we can do to keep this site somewhere you'll want to visit.  There's a lot of great dance available on the stage,  TV, and on video. I want your ideas on what you'd like to see going forward: how can we build a vibrant community to get the news out about what's new, what's great, and what isn't adequately reported and discussed?

I am also considering changing the name of this site to reflect the change in content. Leave a comment with any ideas and suggestions.  

And, in the meantime, we're not totally done with ABDC! We'll continue post the latest news on America's Best Dance Crew plans. Over the next week, we'll post interviews from after the finale, run results from our contests, new polls on your favorite Season 7 performances, and more reviews. We'll keep up with your favorite crews, judges, and ABDC personalities. 

    Elektrolytes just after they won ABDC Season 7: pre-winner jitters, what they'll do with the $$, next steps

    Victor Kim (Quest Crew) and Chris Trondsen interviewed Elektrolytes just after they won America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. The crew talks about how it felt for the announcement of the winner, their expectations throughout the season, how they were fueled each week by being considered the underdogs, what they'll do with the prize money (a wedding?, school), and what's next for them

    Exclusive post-ABDC finale interview with 8 Flavahz:We're happy to be Top 2, most memorable moments on ABDC

    Victor Kim (Quest Crew) and Chris Trondsen interviewed 8 Flavahz onstage just after the live finale of America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. The girls talk about how being happy that they got on the show and that they made top 2, the most memorable experiences on ABDC, and how to keep following them.

    MercerMZ review (with videos): So You Think You Can Dance, Salt Lake City auditions

    Hello everybody! This is MercerMZ here, bringing you my very first write-up for the blog! Before I continue, I must congratulate 8 Flavahz for making the Final 2 and Elektrolytes for becoming America's Best Dance Crew. I figured since NinjaBoi has been very busy lately, he wouldn't mind if someone else would like to cover the 9th season of So You Think You Can Dance. So without further ado, I turn your attention to the final set of auditions, coming from Salt Lake City, Utah. Just like last week, since this show only focused on one particular city, there were lots of standouts here.

    My top pick for the night: Leroy Martinez - (29 yrs. old, from Sacramento, CA) Dancing to Chris Brown's "Yeah x3". Hands down, this was not only my favorite Salt Lake City audition, but also my favorite audition this season! I won't spoil it for you, but let me just say, being a slightly big guy myself, I love watching big guys bust a move. And not just bust a move, but also completely murder their set. Plus, he has such a fantastic personality; By the time it was over, I was standing up and applauding him, along with the audience.


    Click here to read and see more of my favorites. And return tomorrow for my predictions of who will do well in the SYTYCD Las Vegas round and make it to the Top 20.

    Recaps for ABDC Finale from all over the place

    - Daily Princetonian posits that the stellar Iperformance from IaMmE exemplified everything that is needed from an ABDC champion and clarified what was lacking from Season 7. The money quote: "Honestly, if MTV producers are short on money, they should keep it and just recrown I.aM.mE."
    - AV Club gets philosophical about the good and the bad of ABDC compared to other TV shows.
     - What's That Music Guy goes medieval on the episode, complaining it was an hour-long promo for Katy Perry with too few performances, no self-composed crew performances, no reunion of the other Season 7 crews, and no re-creation performances.
    - J9's Music Life is incredibly upbeat about everything, calling it one of the best ABDC seasons ever
    - Screen Invasion is happy that Elektrolytes won and that the "true underdog story has been completed"
    - Big Tashia was enthusiastic about the episode, loving the intro, finding good aspects of all the performances (though she was sad that We are Heroes had to tone down their performance to work with 8 Flavahz), and thinks that ABDC should consider a junior season

    Thursday, June 14, 2012

    Tell us: What were the best performances in ABDC Season 7?

    Now that America's Best Dance Crew has ended, we need to take a look back on the highlights of the season. There were too many to have a survey listing all of them, so please leave a comment telling us what performances were your favorites for this season. I'll compile a list, create a manageable survey, then have a video-enabled top 10 countdown, the best performance by any crew not in the top 10, and the best group performance.

    Congratulations Elektrolytes - winners of America's Best Dance Crew Season 7!

    Congratulations to Elektrolytes for winning America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. They beat out what many consider the best group of crews ever assembled on ABDC -- how else could you explain that the US winners of 2012 Hip Hop International might be considered underdogs for much of the season? You kept up the dream by auditioning 4 times, and once you got on the show you didn't let go. Every week had new and unexpected delights that won over the most skeptical ABDC fans. Elektrolytes balances stunts and choreo, showing solid technique, taking and overcoming risky moves to engage the audience. I can't wait to see more, and wish you the same success as other ABDC winners.


    This post is only for positive comments about Elektrolytes. If you have anything else to say, please take it to the Party Room/Critics Corner.

    Send some love to 8 Flavahz!

    8 Flavahz earned their place as almost-winners for America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. They changed the minds and hearts of many dance fans who were skeptical that tweens and teens could not compete on equal footing with adults. They showed incredible skill and professionalism on-stage and were a delight to interview. And, unlike the adult crews, they had to handle schoolwork at the same time! If these girls can show this much ability and aplomb now, you KNOW they will be a force to reckon with in the future. I hope they can continue to dance together despite living in different states -- we need to see more of them!

    This post is only for positive comments about 8 Flavahz. If you have anything else to say, please take it to the Party Room/Critics Corner.
    Photo credit: MTV

    Survey: What was your favorite performance on ABDC's Finale show?

    Survey: What was your least favorite performance on ABDC's Finale show?

    Exclusive Video flashback: Elektrolytes audition for ABDC Season 4!

    Congratulations to Elektrolytes for their win on America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. We've been fans from way back. Want proof? Here's our video of their Los Angeles audition for Season 4. The waiting made it all the sweeter -- all the best, Elektrolytes!

    Wednesday, June 13, 2012

    The ABDC Finale Party Room/Critics Corner is now open -- come on in!

    The Party Room/Critics Corner for ABDC 7's Season Finale -- also the Katy Perry Challenge -- is now open! Join lots of other readers and fans as they scrutinize the Final 2, some past champions, and muse about what a confusing season this has been. IMPORTANT: If you want to write a long comment, write in in NotePad or Word and then paste it into the comments field.

    After the show is over: The party has just started, so stick around for more action, reaction, interaction, and satisfaction. How do you feel about tonight's song and dance?  Was this the finale you wanted? Is this the final finale, or do you think the show will return? What do you plan to do with your Wednesday nights now that ABDC is over (at least for now)? This is your party -- humor,  conspiracy theory, nostalgia and almost everything else (except obscenity and abject disrespect) are expected and welcome!

    The ABDC Finale Play-by-Play is now open: join us!

    TBone, NamesAreOverrated, Mike,  and Nancy will be co-hosts of this live play-by-play of America's Best Dance Crew Season 7's Finale (aka the Katy Perry Challenge). Feel free to follow along (particularly if you cannot watch it until later). Please be aware that your comments might not be posted immediately (or at all) as we have to moderate them, watch the show, and type at the same time. If you want to leave longer comments and be sure they're used, go to the Party Room (the post above this one).

    Got questions for Randy Jackson? Ask him tonight on Twitter during the ABDC Finale

    Randy Jackson will be manning @MTV during the live broadcast of America's Best Dance Crew's season finale at 10pm ET/7pm PT. This is your chance to ask whatever you really want to know about the show and anything else Randy might be able to answer. We will link that twitter stream into our live Play-by-Play (which will appear on this site starting at 9:40pm ET) so you can ask Randy questions, see what he's tweeting, AND follow our reportage and commentary. So, don't be shy -- hit him up tonight!

    Ninjaboi's DGuetta Review - FINAL REVIEW OF ABDC7



    Hey there BBDC faithful. For the five of you that read my reviews because I post them up so damn late, thanks so much for following along this season. It’s been… quite a ride. In any case, this will probably be the last Ninjaboi’s Analysis this season, for reasons that will be obvious at the end of this review. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, and just enjoy this final week.
    Things you can look forward to in this review

    -A breakdown of each David Guetta mastermix routine from the three crews, using my typical ranking
    -A breakdown of the MWC/Elektrolytes battle, using the OUR system developed by Bboy Dyzee, used at R16.
    -A listing of the top 10(ish) routines this season, based on my rankings
    -A ranking of all 10 crews this season, based on what I predict would have happened had they stayed instead of being eliminated.
    -A ranking of all the episodes this season in terms of quality

    Shoutouts to Maxxann, Koopa, Freeze, NAO, Del, BJ, Molasses Gang, Nozomi, NancyT, and all the other reviewers, including Byenen, Dance, Wings, inSight, and Daily Princetonian. Also shoutouts to everyone at R16, especially Massive Monkees, Dennis, KoolRaul, Jaypee, Firelock, Monstapop, and All the Way Live. Also shoutouts to the Capitule family, aka Lil Bigz’s family. Took my first choreo class in the Bay with her on Sunday… and failed miserably. But you can watch her do her choreography loads better here (and spot me in thebackground near the start)

    Fanny Pak | Sincerely, Jane

    Check out this latest vid from Fanny Pak to Janelle Monae's "Sincerely Jane." Again, they show us why they shouldn't be underestimated as a dance crew. Also, Preston's introduction and ending makes this video. Seriously. 

    Join tonight for the ABDC Finale - Live Play-by-play, Party Room, surveys & more

    This is it! Watch America's Best Dance Crew Season 7 Finale with us tonight! The Party Room/Critics Corner opens at 9:45 ET and stays open as long as you want, so that everyone can comment on anything remotely related to ABDC.  What did you think about the challenges? Is this the final 2 you wanted? Should ABDC return for a Season 8 or is it time for ABDC to walk it out?

    Starting around 9:30 PM ET and continuing through the episode airing on the East Coast,  I will be doing live play-by-play while watching the show along with  Mike, TBone, and Names are Overrated so feel free to tune in and make fun of us or get a sneak preview of the action (for those of you from the West Coast or other ABDC-deprived zones).  . Tomorrow morning, please vote in our polls on the best and worst performances. Plus we hope to have recaps, more videos and more coverage.   Join us!

    Survey results for ABDC Guetta Challenge: Mos Wanted Crew favorite for the week

    Here are the results from our survey of readers' favorite and least favorite performances during America's Best Dance Crew's David Guetta Week. As found in the last several weeks. the voting showed two strong opposing factions:
    - Out of 1441 votes, the favorite performance was Mos Wanted Crew's master mix dance (38)%, followed by 8 Flavahz master mix (35%). Click here for full results
    - Out of 1027 votes, the least favorite performance was 8 Flavahz' master mix (27%) followed by Mos Wanted Crew's "Somebody that I used to know) (21%). Click here for full results

    We'll post surveys for the ABDC Finale shortly after the show airs on the West Coast.

    Tuesday, June 12, 2012

    Keone x Mari Reception Videos

    We already congratulated these two awesome choreographers on their marriage, but WAIT THERE'S MORE! Some lucky individual who was at the wedding reception was able to get footage of performances by Sh*t Kingz and Choreo Cookies, both of which are embedded below. I don't think I've seen as awesome a wedding reception since Bboy Dyzee's wedding a while back. Make sure to check them out! Congrats again!



    Video: Lando Wilkins (with help from Mos Wanted Crew): "Snatched"

    The description for this LandoWilkins Youtube video says it all: "Haterz turned to fans in one easy process!!! Yours free of charge!!"
    This is a funny POV (point of view) concept of a "What if.." idea. What if haters were kidnapped and converted to being a fan in some way. After leaving ABDC and experience yet again all the hate attacking all the teams of the show, it showed me that America is still behind in the passion, harmony, and growth of dance. Not for those who have, more for those who do not understand it and just watch it as a show (spectators). Regardless spectators are also fans as well and need to be acknowledged and taught just the same as a hater that does not know nothing about what it is we put our blood and souls into. I'd rather get criticized by the youth who actually dance rather from a spectator who cannot even nod their head on beat. Even a baby knows how to react to music when heard, so what are you afraid of?!

    I read a lot of comments on many videos and seen some angry responses. There is a action to every reaction. So what if this was a reaction to a random dislike. I find it funny people dislike a video when all it is doing is encouraging people to go to a free workshop of dance. RE-DICK-U-LUST. Anyways enjoy this concept with dance (again it is a concept, do not complain about it being too long or doesn't have enough dance in it.)

    Far East Movement - Dirty Bass Dance Preview

    Far East Movement's Dirty Bass Album comes out today here in the states. This group has started a webseries called In Ya Face TV: Dirty Bass Boombox Sessions. They just released a video to tease their next episode, which will be the "Dirty Bass Dance Technical Institute" Dance Episode. (Ain't that a mouthful). This video features ABDC1 Champs Jabbawockeez, Legendary Bboy Crew Gamblerz Crew, and ABDC6 Champs I.aM.mE (on the stage practicing for the ABDC7 finale!) dancing to Dirty Bass. Check it out, and we'll post the full episode when it airs.

    David Lee: "Somebody That I Used To Know" (Passion Cover)

    So apparently, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" is a very danceable song (still wouldn't recommend battling to it). And this time, we have another Lee offering his take on Passion's acoustic cover of the song. With a cameo appearance from Anthony Lee, I think this video is definitely worth checking out:

    Video: Elektrolytes and 8 Flavahz perform at Relay for Life

    Elektrolytes and 8 Flavahz (the two finalists for America's Best Dance Crew Season 7) performed at Relay for Life on June 9, 2012. The finale show will probably have crisper footage of this, but here's video shot by tnq48212 Youtube at the event. Thanks for the tip, Brianna!

    Monday, June 11, 2012

    R16 Results - Congrats Massive Monkees, Jimini, Breeze Lee, Sawl

    This past weekend in San Fransisco, R16 held their finals for the R16 North America competition, to pick who would represent the North America Region in Korea next month at the world finals.  Ninjaboi was fortunate enough to attend in person, and to will have his field report out shortly (once he finishes his David Guetta review), but in the meanwhile, the winners.

    8-man Bboy Crew: Massive Monkees (of ABDC4 fame)
    Solo Bboy: Saewl (Squishy Docious)
    Locking: Jimini (Sirens)
    Popping: Breeze Lee (Versa Styles)

    Congratulations! Check out the 8v8 Bboy finals below, of Massive Monkees (right side) versus Universal Alchemy out of New York City.

    Exclusive: Bebo (Phunk Phenomenon) backstage at ABDC Guetta Week: what it's like for ABDC Top3

    Chris Trondsen interviews Bebo (from ABDC6's Phunk Phenomenon) backstage before  the America's Best Dance Crew's David Guetta Challenge. Bebo talks about the mentality of being in the Top 3 on ABDC and the pressure it causes, the last chance challenge that Phunk Phenomenon had planned, how it feels to be back at the ABDC hotel and stage, what the crews seemed like during the interviews,  the differences in the stage between Season 6 and Season 7,   and what's next for Bebo.

    Swag for who??: The ABDC Gifting Suite prior to the ABDC Guetta Challenge

    The Huffington Post reports that before they taped the ABDC semifinals episode, "Trueheart Events set up a backstage gifting experience on the Warner Bros. lot where the show is taped. ABDC executive producer Randy Jackson, host Mario Lopez, backstage correspondent Lil Mama (HuffPo's reporting, not mine!), along with the show's judges, choreographers and other celebrity guests were treated to various fashion, beauty and lifestyle products." Among the freebies: studded combat boots and sequined high tops, semi-precious jewelry from various vendors,  Tshirts, kids clothing, sunglasses, touch-screen watches, gift certificates for gourmet meals, flatirons, gift certificates for hotel stays in Greece, silk scarves, board games and "Chocolate Skulls by Cannibal Confections, hand cast from an actual human skull that come with their own Certificate of Authenticity."   Click here to see the 'handpicked' invitation (shown in Hollywood Life), along with a list of the swag providers.

    Now, I've got no problem with giving gifts to the producers, choreographers, backstage people (especially Layla Kayleigh) and judges. And maybe there's a reason for the inclusion of  lots of 'celebrities' who have no obvious tie to the show (e.g., actress Marissa Winokur, Shaun Taub (Ironman movie) and his family, Boris Kodjoe and family, Edwin Hodge of upcoming Red Dawn movie, Rachel Lee Cook ).  But -- there's no pictures of stuff being given to the DANCERS. And, I know that none of the regular press (Pacific Rim, Chris Trondsen) were invited. Why not? Why not reward some of the people -- ESPECIALLY the dancers!-- who are the heart and soul of ABDC week in and week out? (Thanks for the tip, Hobbit!)

    Photos (and old videos): Introducing Mr and Mrs. @marrrrriel and @keonemadrid - congratulations!

      
    Note how the title does not say Keone Madrid and Mari Martin. It's because that yesterday, these two lovely choreographers got married! To celebrate, let's take a look back at some of their choreography together (and another look at their engagement video, which we linked to here). Congratulations from BBDC, and we look forward to seeing your beastly dancing children!

    Wings reviews ABDC's Guetta week: challenges, camera angles, clothes, judge comments & super biased conclusions!

    NOTE: This review is meant for entertainment purposes only. Please do not take this serious. Enjoy!

    This week was strange. Apparently it made sense to rearrange the entire structure of the show a week before the final. Good job! I suppose then if the structure of ABDC is fresh this week, then I should do the same with this review. Therefore, this review will be strange. Very strange.


    First I will be removing the “stunts” section because the voting stunt that was pulled was the only trick that should be recognized for this episode. The “stunt” section will be replaced with “clothes” because I have missed poking fun at the wardrobe this season. Following, I will be removing the “cuteness” section as well and replacing it with “super biased conclusions.” There you have it, two changes this week. Ohh, I’m sorry. Do you not like a ton of changes out of nowhere? (Hint- this is symbolic. Wink. Wink. Producers.) Needless to say, this week was filled with drama, surprises, and glowing gloves. Prepare yourself for some more incoherent sentences. Here goes nothing. Enjoy!

    Click here to read the full review. You'll be glad you did.

    Sunday, June 10, 2012

    Preliminary info and rehearsal pictures: ABDC Season 7 Finale

    MTV has not released much information about the live finale for America's Best Dance Crew on Wednesday June 13. What we think we know, based on photos, Twitter, the MTV site, and Facebook:
    - It is definitely Katy Perry Week, though we don't know if she'll show up
    - Past ABDC champions Poreotics, We Are Heroes, and IaMmE will be performing. We haven't heard about any of the other champions appearing
    - The past champions will dance in group numbers with current contestants
    - It doesn't look like they'll have a reunion of all the crews from Season 7.
    MTV posted a few behind-the-scenes photos of the rehearsal, including the one here of Mami (We Are Heroes) practicing with Charlize (8 Flavahz). Click here to see the rest of the photos.

    Video: Pacman freestyle in beautiful locations, Episode 1

    Phillip 'Pacman' Chbeeb just released a video of solo freestyling during the IaMmE international tour. This one was shot in the Philippines; since this is called Episode 1, we probably have more on the way from other locales. From PacinMotion Youtube.

    Exclusive: Vinny Castronovo (ICONic Boyz) backstage after ABDC Guetta Challenge - answering fan questions

    Chris Trondsen interviews Vinny Castronovo (ICONic Boyz) after the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's David Guetta Challenge. He talks about what it was like to watch the taping and sums up his experience returning to Los Angeles. Vinny then answers fan questions on what qualities he likes in a person, what artist he'd like to dance with in a video, his favorite things about being back at ABDC, what color he'd dye his hair (purple), whether he can cook, his favorite show besides ABDC, and what he'd like to invent.  

    Ant M's review: ABDC David Guetta Week - why didn't we get a 3-crew finale?

    Ant M. is back on AnthonyMarshall Youtube with an engaging and thoughtful review of America's Best Dance Crew's David Guetta week. He talks about being unimpressed by David Guetta but very impressed by the dancers this week. He also opines that the judges should have given another non-elimination week and had the first 3-crew final -- an intriguing idea.

    Video: Knucklehead (Street Kingdom) - inspirational video for Coke

    Joey 'Knucklehead' Turman (member of ABDC6's Street Kingdom) made a video for Coke explaining how he started dancing and is getting support from Coke to have an impact with other dancers. From Salute2thaKing Youtube. Thanks for the tip, Chris!