Video: Lorena Liebman (Blueprint Cru) workshop - "Rack City"

Lorena Liebman (member of ABDC5's Blueprint Cru) is one of the teachers at the workshops held by 8 Count Studio in Montreal. In this video, she dances with member of an advance class. Click here to learn more about the workshops and classes. From 8CountDance Youtube.

Video: members of Blueprint Cru & Irratik dance in Kristina Maria's (ft. JC Chasez) "Animal"

Here's a new music video with Hot new artist Kristina Maria featuring dancing Thien-Linh 'TL' Truong  from Blueprint Cru and the girls of Irratik. The video is choreographed by Steve Bolton and Lorena Liebman from Blueprint Cru. JC Chasez is featured in the song but he's not in the video.  From kristinamariamusic Youtube.

Exclusive extended Interview with Blueprint Cru members at ABDC7 Taping: in LA to support Irratik!

Chris Trondsen interviewed Blueprint Cru (runners up for ABDC season 5) before the taping of America's Best Dance Crew Season 7's Flo Rida Week.They talk about Irratik (a crew from their studio), how Irratik is coached to balance being both hard-hitting and girly, what it's like for Blueprint members to return to ABDC, what it's like to watch family members compete on shows like ABDC, the work that Blueprint dancers have gotten post-ABDC, what to expect from Irratik the rest of the ABDC7 season, their love for other ABDC7 crews, and Irratik's special signals. And they talk about the new shoe that they are promoting.

March 17-18: Raise the Bar 8: Master Classes, Workshops & parties with 8 stellar choreographers

8 Count Studios (home of America's Best Dance Crew Season 5's Blueprint Cru) is hosting Raise the Bar 8 in Montreal on March 17-18, 2012 in Montreal. This year, the choreographers include Steve Bolton (choreographer for Blueprint and the other crews in 8 Count), Blueprint members Lorena Liebman and Kim Gingras, Megan Lawson (Fanny Pak), Chachi Gonzales (IaMmE), Luther Brown, Jayson Wright, and Lyle Beniga. Click here for more details and to sign up. This video recaps last year's event with dancing and interviews from Megan from Fanny Pak, Feng from Quest, Mike Song from Kaba Modern and Blueprint Cru.

Video: Blueprint Crew in Kristina Maria's "Co-pilot"

Kristina Maria's "Co-pilot" music video was choreographed by Blueprint Crew's Steve Bolton and Lorena Liebman, and features dancing from the crew members.

Video from Blueprint Cru workshops, including Chachi (IaMmE), Jet Li (Poreotics), Janik (Irratik/BP)

Blueprint Cru (runners-up in America's Best Dance Crew Season 5) hold regular workshops in Quebec, taught by members of Blueprint and some guest dance instructors. This video shows highlights from some of the workshops, including sessions taught by Chachi (ABDC6's IaMmE), Jet Li (ABDC5's Poreotics) and Janik (member of Blueprint and ABDC7 auditioning crew Irratik. From 8CountDance Youtube.

Watch "Mobbed" dance segments here with members of Fanny Pak, AIM, Blueprint Cru, SYTYCD, Femme 5

"Mobbed" is a Fox series that is co-directed and choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo. It features very emotional plots of people trying to dramatize major life events (marriage proposals, pregnancy announcements, reveal of birth parentage) via flash mobs, as well as exposition on how to use flash mobs to make the occasion even more fraught with emotion and drama. Many of you will want to skip past the tears and staged drama (not to mention the ads) to get straight to the dancing. You're in luck, we watch it all for you!

The latest episode involved an 'accomplice' named Ion trying to make up to 'marks' (also his daughter and wife) for abandoning them with a flash mob apology. Really. The professional dancers include alums of America's Best Dance Crew: most members of Fanny Pak, plus members of Blueprint Cru, Femme 5, and Artistry in Motion. There are also alums from So You Think You Can Dance including Neil Haskell, Jason Glover and Lauren Gotlieb. So, if you want the full episode, click here. Here are the two full dance sequences.

Blueprint Cru News: Kim in Nicole Scherzinger video:

Blueprint Cru member Kim Gingras has been dancing backup for singer Nicole Scherzinger this year, including touring and an appearance of So You Think You Can Dance. She's now in Nicole's latest music video "Wet". The crew also signed a sponsorship deal with Thomas Sabo jewelry; click here to see them modelling some of the merchandise.

Music Video featuring Blueprint Cru: "One More Chance"

ABDC5 runners up Blueprint Cru appear in the movie Sur La Rhythme, which  will be released in Canada in August 2011. This song "One More Chance" is part of the soundtrack, and the crew can be seen at the end of the video.

Videos: Blueprint Cru members dance and choreograph on SYTYCD US & Canada

Every season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada has had one or two members of Blueprint Cru on the top 20. Again this new season, Blueprint Cru is on board. Steve Bolton choreographed on the first week of SYTYCD Canada Season 4. He created an amazing duo that had the crowd and judges screaming!
 

Also, Blueprint Cru member Kim Gingras performed on SYTYCD US on the result show with artist Nicole Scherzinger:

Video: Blueprint Cru dance for Snoop Dogg and Far East Movement at MMVA Awards

Blueprint Cru (ABDC Season 5 runners-up) backed up Snoop Dogg and Far East Movement at the Much Music Video awards in June 2011. This video shows the sound check, so that you can see the full routine for the show.  From BlueprintDance Youtube. Thanks for the link, Chris.

Video: Quest Crew and Blueprint Crew partying and dancing

Quest and Blueprint Crews danced to Party Rock Anthem with everybody at Tokyo Bar in Quebec on June 4, 2011 (just days after Quest taped their ABDC6 finale performance). Video from MeezyBouahom Youtube Channel. 

Exclusive contest: Win "Michael Jackson: the Experience" game for Xbox 360 Kinect!

We are huge fans of the new Michael Jackson The Experience Game for XBox 360 Kinect, and have a copy to give away to one reader. This is the only dance video game featuring Michael Jackson's music and is choreographed by Steve Bolton, the choreographer for Blueprint Crew (ABDC5 runners-up). The Xbox 360 version of Michael Jackson The Experience  uses the Kinect’s built-in camera to capture the player and put them into the game on-screen dancing on a variety of interactive stages inspired by Michael’s music videos and stage performances. The multiplayer party mode allows up to four players to join-in as individually or in teams of two. This video shows some behind the scenes with the game creators (including Bolton) and some game scenes. Click here for the game's official Facebook page which contains tons of information, links, and fan feedback, and click here for the game's official website.

HOW TO WIN: leave a comment here telling us your favorite Michael Jackson song and which ABDC crew or dancer (from any season) you'd most like to see dancing it. I'll pick one commenter at random and award them the game. IMPORTANT: use a memorable and unique commenter name so that I can identify you as the winner! Deadline: midnight June 6, 2011. Good luck!

Video: Blueprint Cru Demo Reel

Blueprint Cru (ABDC5 runners up) just posted a tight video on their Blueprintdance Youtube Channel showing highlights of their performances on America's Best Dance Crew, World of Dance, and other shows. You can follow their current activities at Blueprintcru.com.

Mailbox: Dancing robots, more on Blueprint Crew idancing in Michael Jackson The Experience game

• A dance crew made up of five robots entertained the crowd at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in April 2011. Click here to watch the coverage from KETK.
• As reported earlier, the new Michael Jackson The Experience videogame for Kinect was completely choreographed by Blueprint Crew's Steve Bolton. Among the numbers in which Blueprint Crew members perform: Billie Jean,Thriller,Smooth Criminal,Beat it,Black or White, Don't stop til you get enough. Here's another promo for the game:

Mailbox: Judge news, We'll Fix it In's recap!, Michael Jackson vidgame release with Blueprint Cru

-- Lil Mama tells Zap2It about her expectations for Dtrix as an America's Best Dance Crew judge and describes why she is looking forward to seeing Street Kingdom on the show
-- Dtrix talks to the New York Post, calling Nigel Lithgoe (So You Think You Can Dance judge) his role model and describing the reason he thinks Quest won in Season 3.
-- We'll Fix it In weighed in on ABDC's Season of the SuperStar, riffing on JaJa wars, Kiwi Sisters, and the like. Welcome back guys!  
-- Today is the launch of Michael Jackson the Experience game for XBox and Kinect. All the Blueprint Cru members are in the game and Blueprint Cru founder Steve Bolton choreographed it. Here's the European ad, which shows Jackie and Steve

Trailer: Blueprint Crew in upcoming feature film "Sur le Rythme"

"Sur Le Rythme", A French-language feature film, will feature Blueprint Crew, runners-up on ABDC Season 5. The plot (from IMDB): 20-year-old Delphine must choose between living her dream as a profesional dancer or taking the path imposed by her parents, which  means studying medecine. However, her encounter with Marc Painchaud will give her hope and enable her to defy her parents. It will be released in 2011. Here's the trailer:

New Contest: Predict the ABDC6 Top 4!

We will run two contests during America's Best Dance Crew Season 6 which will extend from now through the finale. The prize for each will be a Tshirt of your size and choice, value up to $35.

The Top 4 contest: Submit the names of the top 4 crews -- in the order that they'll finish. For example, last season the winning entry would have read " FINAL 4: 1. Poreotix 2. Blueprint Cru 3. Hype 5-0 4. Jungle Boogie" Note: if you change your mind, you can enter again the next week, but we will only accept the FIRST entry from each commenter each week (PLEASE DO NOT USE MULTIPLE IDENTITIES!!!). 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.

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 final 4, specifying the final order. Subsequent weeks' entries will be accepted from Fridays (once I put up the new contest post) until 6pm ET the following Tuesday (before the next show is taped). You can enter Week 1 contest now -- deadline for the first entry: Midnight April 2, 2011.  UPDATE: THE WEEK 1 CONTEST is now closed and no more entries will be accepted for this week.

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 'TOP 4' in the comment (so I can search for them easily)

Good luck! During Season 4, we didn't get a correct entry until 1 week before the season ended, so keep entering if you change your mind!

Music Video: Jacynthe's "Don't Touch Those Faders" with Blueprint choreo, Irratik & 8 Count dancers

Jacynthe stars in this new music video of "Don't Touch Those Faders". Steve Bolton (leader of 8 Count and ABDC5's Blueprint Cru) was the artistic director and Blueprint Cru member Lorena Liebman choreographed the piece, with dancing by Irratik and 8 Count. Thanks for the tip, Shahin!

ABDC6 auditions Spotlight NY: Illmatic Force, Irratik, JHHA Droppas, Moonrunners, Motion Picture, Phunk Phenomenon

Who will compete on America's Best Dance Crew Season 6?  Almost no idea! We do know names for most of the crews that did well during their auditions.  We will soon run a contest to let you 'cast' which of the crews you think should make it to ABDC6 Top 10.  To help you choose and give these crews some exposure, we'll spotlight each of them and show any recent performance videos we can find. 

Today: Part 2 in our coverage of the NY auditions, featuring six more crews that made it to callbacks during the New York auditions. Tomorrow: Part 3 of 4  on crews who auditioned for ABDC6 in New York and made it to callbacks

•  Illmatic Force from New Jersey auditioned four times for ABDC, and maybe this is finally their chance. MTV showed a feature on them before Season 5; click here to watch their auditions for Season 3, 4, and 5. Follow them at Facebook and Ladavieon21 Youtube. Here's a 2011 live performance.

• Irratik is a Canadian crew that developed at the 8 Count Dance Center, home of ABDC5's Blueprint Cru and ABDC auditioners 8 Count (the ones that auditioned in Chicago, not the ones who auditioned in NY!). They won the Silver medal for Varsity at Hip Hop International 2009. Their Facebook account appears to be unused; leave a comment if you have a better way to follow them. Click here for a 2010 Behind-the-scenes video with the group that includes interviews and dancing, And, watch their 2009 Hip Hop International performance here (starting at 7:00)

• JHHA Droppas are another Canadian crew. The JHHA stands for Jade's Hip Hop Academy. You can follow them on Youtube. Here's the video they submitted announcing their interntion to audition for ABDC6.

Click here for info and videos of Moonrunners, Motion Picture, and Phunk Phenomenon.