Saturday, July 28, 2012

Video: ReQuest Crew dance in JLo's latest music video "Goin' In"

The newly released Jennifer Lopez music video for “Goin’ In” features ReQuest Crew led  Parris Goebel (America's Best Dance Crew Season 6).

MercerMZ review (with LOTS of videos) - So You Think You Can Dance Top 16

All right, so last week, I was not able to get my review written due to a mix of real-life matters to deal with and the fact that I lost my Internet after another storm swept through my area. SO, before we get to this week's review, let me just do a short summary of last week:
* Loved the opening group number, but did not care for the Step Up performance (regardless of the returning alumni)
* Favorite performance came from Amelia/Will, while my least favorite came from Janelle/Dareian
* Favorite girl performance came from Amelia, while my least favorite came from Lindsay
* Favorite guy performance came from Cole, while my least favorite came from Dareian
* Sad to see Alexa/Daniel go, since they seemed to be great technical dancers.

And last but not least, I predicted that the Bottom 4 dancers from each gender would be Lindsay, Janelle, Amber & Tiffany for the girls, and Brandon, Glitch, Dareian & George for the guys.

So with all that in mind, the Top 16 dancers to perform a new set of routines for America's vote, and with some strong competitors leaving, there's less room for mistakes to be made. So how did this week compare to the last two? Who gave the strongest/weakest performances of the night? And did America get it right with the Bottom 6 this week? We'll find out right now. As a hint, here's my favorite of the night:


Click here to read the rest of the review and see videos of the performances.

Dance Hero Japan | Season 3 Episode 3 Recap

So the third season of Dance Hero Japan has come to a close, and this season, Twiggz Fam took the whole thing, with LnP and Tokyo Footworks right behind. Below is my recap of all the performances this episode. Some, as expected did well this seasons, while others I think should have scored higher fell short. There is definitely no shortage of crews in Japan willing to perform, so I look forward to Season 4. Remember that you can view past episodes and past seasons at the [DANCEHEROjp] Youtube channel.


Twiggz Fam (Japan's branch of Street Kingdom) takes the competition with 370 points. The blocking and coordinated krumping under the dim lighting was done really well, with just enough buckness to show their mastery of technique. The change in pace from mysterious to hype at the end, as well as highlighting the traditional solo aspect of krump as well was paced well. 
 
Click here to read the rest of the review

Friday, July 27, 2012

UDC 2012 | Lyle Beniga, Ian Eastwood, Pat Cruz, Quick Crew

Urban Dance Camp is underway in Europe, and already videos are coming out showing top notch choreographers strutting their stuff on the dance floor. The Urban Dance Showcase will be on the 29th of July, and the workshops go until the 20th of August. Get more details at the official Urban Dance Camp/Showcase Website.


The first few days of Urban Dance Camp were dominated by titans of dance Lyle Beniga and Pat Cruz of Movement Lifestyle, Ian Eastwood of Mos Wanted Crew, and Quick Crew from Norway. They're all dancing in each other's videos, so you get to see them multiple times. Click the links below to their videos, and be sure to check out the [UrbanDanceCamp] Channel.


Lyle Beniga (ft Ian Eastwood and Pat Cruz) - Gimmie Some More
Ian Eastwood - The Real Her
Pat Cruz (ft Lyle Beniga, Ian Eastwood and Quick Crew) - Lemme See
Quick Crew (ft Pat Cruz) - Nice and Slow
Quick Crew (ft Chachi, Pat Cruz and Ian Eastwood) - Next By the Weekend
Quick Crew - Great Time (See Below) - includes cypher

Exclusive interview with Brandon Bryant (SYTYCD Season 5) at SYTYCD taping: will there be all stars this season?

 Riquel Olander (We Are Heroes) interviews Brandon Bryant (SYTYCD Season 5) backstage at the taping of So You Think You Can Dance Top 16 show. Brandon talks about how odd it is being back at the So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Day on July 28, and the possibility of all stars at future shows this season.

Exclusive interview: Robert Battle (Alvin Ailey Dance Theater) talks about SYTYCD & how to become a choreographe

Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) interviews Robert Battle, Artistic Director for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and choreographer for the Alvin Ailey performance on So You Think You Can Dance's Top 16 show. He talks about the background of the performance piece, why So You Think You Can Dance is important for the dance community, and how to become a choreographer. You can follow him at AlvinAiley.org. 

Video: 8 Count All Boy Crew -- check this out, ICONic Boyz fans!

Here's a contender for the title of "Cute boy crew that can really dance" -- presenting the 8 Count All Boy Crew. They're from the same studio a Blueprint Cru and Irratik in Canada,  and are Canadian Hip Hop Championship silver medalists as well as Semi Finalists on Canada's Got Talent. Their latest video: "Boyfriend". From 8countDance Youtube.

Week 2 of our So You Think You Can Dance Winners Contest - enter now to win!

Time to reenter our So You Think You Can Dance  Winners contest. If you think you know the boy and girl who are going to win, then prove it!  Submit the names of the 2 dancers - one male and one female -- who you think will win this season's competition.  The prize goes to the first person to get it right, based on the week they submit the answer. If more than one person submits the right answer in that same week, we'll employ a tiebreaker rule to be determined. The prize for each will be a Tshirt of your size and choice, value up to $35 or an iTunes gift certificate worth $30..

To enter: Each week, we'll publish a new post for this contest. When the weekly post is up, add a comment with the names of the 2 winners. Subsequent weeks' entries will be accepted from Thursdays/Fridays (once I put up the new contest post) until the show begins airing on the East Coast (Wednesdays at 8pm ET).   You can enter Week 2 contest now -- deadline for the first entry: August 15, 2012.   Good luck!

IMPORTANT:
  • Create a user name you will use every week for the entire contest, and make it memorable (not just a common first name or word).
  • MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE THE WORDS SYTYCD Winners' in the comment (so I can search for them easily)
  • You can also submit by email at BloggingSYTYCD@gmail.com 

New instructional video from Jabbawockeez: Phil talks about Flavor

In the first instructional video from Phil Tayag of Jabbawockeez, he talks about the importance of making every dance your own by injecting your own flavor. From thewockeez Youtube.

SYTYCD Top 16 recaps from around the net

Since there are so many recaps for So You Think You Can Dance, I'll only highlight those that show some opinion or extra insight beyond mere description
-- Donna Kauffman uses the excuse of drugs to get super-snarky about music, semi-obscene dance moves, and other offenses and predicts next week's eliminations
-- TV Line gives out this week's awards:  Cyrus & Eliana get the best Dance of the Night; also read their Biggest Fall from Grace, and Special Effects Award
-- Television Without Pity is LONG; summary - Cyrus & Eliana favorite, Audrey and Matthew are meh
-- Entertainment Weekly reviews the judges' comments in depth and thinks that Nigel's explanation of the voting system should be a primer for the 2012 Presidential elections
-- Huffington Post  thinks that the dance routine by Chehon & Witney will go down in the SYTYCD history books as a 'watch it on repeat' routine'
-- Buddy TV runs a slide show, which is much easier to recap than all the wordy reviews. Thanks guys! And they call Lindsay & Cole as their favorite of the night
--Hitfix thinks this may be the most talented season ever, and is not saying that just because she was invited to their press junket
-- Reality Nation finds the mew format heartbreaking --the best dancers of the night might be cut due to voting for last week (i.e., the same format America's Best Dance Crew has always had). Welcome to the heartaches that ABDC voters have felt for 7 seasons, Reality Nation!

There are many more recaps, but I chose my favorites. If you have a favorite recapper, leave a comment and we'll look at it and maybe add it in a later post or next week.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Must-watch video: The Soup parody -- Step Up Revolution meets Dance Moms

This parody of Step Up Revolution crossed with Dance Moms from TheSoupTV.com is truly kickass. Click here to watch.

Jabbawockeez comic mockumentary, complete with dancing and backstage action

Comedian Jo Koy created and stars in a mockumentary where he is the leader of Jabbawockeez (winners of America's Best Dance Crew Season 1 and stars of Las Vegas' MUS.I.C). Definitely worth watching both for the humor and the Jabbawockeez exposure in words and dance. From Jokoy Youtube.

New clip from Step Up Revolution: Flash Mob dance

Just Jared posted a clip from Step Up Revolution which opens July 27, 2012:

Video: Highlights from the Redbull BCOne US Finals

The BBoy Spot reports on the Redbull BC One US Finals in Chicago this month. In the report: a link to StrifeTV's highlights video from the event, including footage of Domkey's winning performance.

What was your favorite performance during SYTYCD's Top 16 show?

Survey: What was your least favorite performance on SYTYCD Top 16 show?

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Vote now for your favorite SYTYCD dancers - here's the online, phone and text info


The online voting is now open, for at least 2 hours after the show ends in the Pacific Time Zone. If you want to protect your favorite dancers, act now! Remember -- your votes determine who is safe from elimination. Click here to vote online at Fox.com . Performance videos are up now on the website to aid in your choices. 

If you want to text, send the dancer's name to 83676.

If you want to phone instead, the numbers are: 
George      1-855-GOHIM 01
Dareian     1-855-GOHIM 03
Cole           1-855-GOHIM 04
Will            1-855-GOHIM 05
Matthew    1-855-GOHIM 06
Chehon      1-855-GOHIM 07
Cyrus         1-855-GOHIM 08

Tiffany       1-855-GOHER 01
Janelle       1-855-GOHER 03
Lindsay      1-855-GOHER 04
Amelia       1-855-GOHER 05
Audrey      1-855-GOHER 06
Witney      1-855-GOHER07
Eliana        1-855-GOHER 08
 
After you vote (or while you're obsessively voting), join us back at the Party Room!

Join us now for SYTYCD Play-by-Play and Party Room

The Play-Play/Party Room/Critics Corner for tonight's So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 episode  is now open! two more dancers will go home tonight, and the show will be off for two weeks. So, now is the time to watch. Join other readers and fans as they react, praise, and gripe. I'll try to update real-time for those of you who can't watch it live.   IMPORTANT: If you want to write a long comment, write in in NotePad or Word and then paste it into the comments field.
 

And, stay even when the show is over. Let us know what you think about the show. Who are your favorite choreographers? Were the right people sent home tonight?  How would you compare this to other seasons?  This is your party -- humor,  conspiracy theory, nostalgia and almost everything else (except obscenity and abject disrespect) are expected and welcome! 
Photocredit: fox.com

Video: SYTYCD's Cole and Chehon (& others) backstage pre-dress rehearsal

Several of the So You Think You Can Dance Contestants have been busy with Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube this season. Cole Horibe and Chehon made a video talking about this week and showing what the other dancers 'chilling' pre-rehearsal. Good luck guys!  From ColeHoribe Youtube.

Video: BeeJay (Jungle Boogie) teaching Atlanta workshop

A lot of the ABDC alums have kept busy teaching workshops. Latest example: Beejay Harris from Jungle Boogie (ABDC Season 5). Let us know if you take some workshops -- we hope that all the dancers spread their talent around! From Keisha2couple Youtube.

Video: Janina (ReQuest Crew) workshop

Janina Suramach (ReQuest Crew) recently taught a workshop in London. From studio68London Vimeo.


Join us tonight and tomorrow for more SYTYCD party room, polls, and coverage!

Join us tonight to watch and react to So You Think You Can Dance. 
- Starting just before 8M ET, we'll have a Party Room/Critics Corner where you can watch react, comment, bemoan and predict. I'll do some play-by-play there as well, in case you want to find out what happens as it happens

- Tomorrow we'll have surveys on the favorite and least favorite performances of the night.
- We'll have the second round of our contest with prizes -- Predict the two winners.
- We're planning to interview the dancers at tonight's taping and will have interviews posted in the next few days

I've created a new website - BloggingSYTYCDance.blogspot.com -- for people who like their SYTYCD coverage uncluttered by hip hop focus. I'll have links for these posts there, as well as more targeted coverage of the show (outside recaps, news of the dancers). So, you might want to visit there soon. Hope to see you HERE tonight!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

What questions would YOU like us to ask the SYTYCD dancers at the tapings?

Riquel Olander (We are Heroes) will be interviewing dancers backstage at tomorrow's taping of So You Think You Can Dance.  Now that you've seen all the dancers perform, what else would you like to learn about them?  Riqi wants some new and fresh questions that will interest/amuse/intrigue the dancerss and the audience alike!

Leave a comment on some questions you'd like to have answered, either in general or for specific people.  If we use your question, we'll give you credit of course! And, this will be part of a master list; even if we don't use your question this week, it might get asked at the next taping. Thanks!

New instructional video from Mike Song: "Tutting Part 3: Toyman Transitions"

Mike Song is back with another tutorial on How to Tut, covering Toyman Transitions. If you missed it, here's Part I and Part II. From mikesongdance Youtube.

Video: Emilio and Jaja (IaMmE) - "Motivation"

More work from members of IaMmE - Emilio Dosal choreographed and dances with Jaja Vankovic (with a cameo from Brandon) in his latest video, "Motivation" from IaMEmiliodosal Youtube. Thanks for the tip, PerezOverride!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Video: Ian Eastwood (Mos Wanted Crew) teaching at Urban Dance Camp

Ian Eastwood (Mos Wanted Crew member) is one of the teachers at the 2012 Urban Dance Camp in Germany. Here's footage of him dancing to "The Real Her" for a class.

Must watch video: Funky Lia popping in Seoul/R16 Finals

YAKFilms has an incredible video: Funky Lia in various locations around Seoul. Check it out. Thanks for the tip, Greg!

At last! SAG-AFTRA board approves contract for music video performers

As described in the LA Times, professional dancers won a major battle to improve their working conditions: "The [SAG-AFTRA] board...endorsed an agreement reached last month with the major record labels, including Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group, on a first-ever industrywide contract to cover dancers and performers who work on music videos. Under the contract, which takes effect Monday, dancers who work on music videos produced by or on behalf of the labels would receive a minimum daily pay rate and health and retirement benefits. The contract also provides for 12-hour rest periods, wardrobe allowances and a binding grievance and arbitration process."


Click here for our earlier coverage of this issue, including a video of a January 2012 flashmob in Los Angeles to increase awareness on the issue.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Video: Mix'd Elements - HHI as road to "redemption" - help them raise funds for HHI

Pacific Rim has a feature from Jolee of Mix'd Elements. Excerpt - "we were recently featured on “Americas Best Dance Crew” this year. Well, the show has ended, the dust has settled, and the final results?... we did not even make it to Americas vote. HHI is our road to redemption. This year Mix’d Elements is bringing it hard.  We still have something to prove, to ABDC, the world, and ourselves...We are currently trying to raise funds to help get us to HHI.Click here to help us bring home the Gold for America. Any amount will help and be greatly appreciated."

Video: Jaja (IaMmE) - "My hometown Freestyle"

Jaja Vankovic (member of ABDC6 winning crew IaMmE) visits her hometown in the Czech Republic with crewmate Phillip Cbeeb during a recent tour. She gives us a tour via freestyle dance in a clocktower and in the countryside. From Youtube. Thanks for the tip Greg!