While ABDC is getting closer to the end of its season, So You Think You Can Dance is just starting up theirs. This audition lets us know that there is a lot more talent out there to see. Mighty Mouse (as I know him - go Repstyles/Philadelphia!) auditioned at New York, and will be going to Vegas. (Speaking of New York, make sure you head over to World of Dance New York later today!) If anyone else knows of any other awesome auditions (perhaps ABDC alum, or perhaps a new face) from SYTYCD, leave a comment!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Tweet by Lando Wilkins: why I do ABDC
Lando Wilkins of Mos Wanted Crew (as well as many other dance groups) had an intriguing tweet that I think extends the excellent post by Lady Jules (click here to read) on dance on reality TV.
"The reason for the previous tweet: someone asked me why i did abdc when i dont need it. Another said im doing it for fame. Another asked if we won would i do it again. I didnt do abdc for fame, only to help america see a missing side of choreography along with my crew. Always gets overlooked by a trick. There is certain intelligence to it. There is a mission and statement to be made by not falling into the tricks trend. If abdc didnt allow it i would not do it again. The struggle from then till now i would not do it again if we mos was not mos on the show. Time, money, and health would not be worth it to be an imitation on the show. The general public really does not get it and we along with Fanny Pak and RNG get hated on for it. That is what i meant to say."
"The reason for the previous tweet: someone asked me why i did abdc when i dont need it. Another said im doing it for fame. Another asked if we won would i do it again. I didnt do abdc for fame, only to help america see a missing side of choreography along with my crew. Always gets overlooked by a trick. There is certain intelligence to it. There is a mission and statement to be made by not falling into the tricks trend. If abdc didnt allow it i would not do it again. The struggle from then till now i would not do it again if we mos was not mos on the show. Time, money, and health would not be worth it to be an imitation on the show. The general public really does not get it and we along with Fanny Pak and RNG get hated on for it. That is what i meant to say."
Backstage Photos from ABDC LMFAO Challenge taping
Several sources including Sthanlee, The_Real_Winson, and Chris Trondsen tweeted photos of the backstage scene at the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's LMFAO challenge.
Here's Sthanlee's photo of RNG:
Click here to see more, including photos of JC Chasez and members of Mos Wanted Crew, 8 Flavahz, Elektrolytes, Fanny Pak, and We are Heroes.Here's Sthanlee's photo of RNG:
Send some love to Chris Trondsen -- it's his birthday!
Most of you know Chris as an affable guy who gets to ask fun questions to dance crews at ABDC for us and celebrities at other red carpet events for Pacific Rim. What you don't see on our videos: Chris organizes the press team's logistics (including lining up interesting guest interviewers every week), works out the questions for the interviews, resolves all kinds of last minute problems and issues, develops trust with the dancers to support them and to get great interviews, works with the camerapeople to make sure the videos are posted quickly, and makes all this look effortless! BloggingABDC could NOT bring you these interviews without Chris's loyalty, hard work, and creativity.
Chris also works during the day in healthcare, and recently traveled to give a speech at an industry conference. In addition (!), he goes to school part-time (just finished his finals and got straight As)!
All this is impressive (and exhausting), but I also want to give some insight to how I see Chris. He's really modest about all his achievements, and does it more for the excitement and friendships than for any ego boost. His warmth and empathy creates connections with the dancers that can can help them through the tough emotional times they experience on the show, which has allowed him to stay friends with them long past their time on ABDC. And I think these positive traits show in his videos, making them fun to watch.
So, thanks Chris and Happy Birthday!
News from ABDC LMFAO taping - playlist and challenges
Reports from America's Best Dance Crew LMFAO Challenge indicate that the playlist and crew challenges were:
- Group performance - "Live My Life" (Far East Movement Ft. LMFAO and Justin Bieber)
- 8 Flavahz - "Party Rock Anthem" - Challenge: Create an explosive event using the entire crew
- Elektrolytes - "Champagne Showers" - Challenge: Make a Robot
- Mos Wanted Crew - "Sexy And I Know it" - Challenge: Create a catwalk using the "wiggle wiggle wiggle" move.
- RNG - "Sorry for Party Rocking" - Challenge: jump through each other's arms (prelim report)
REMINDER: Do not report ANY spoilers on the bottom 2 or elimination in the spoilers, or you WILL be banned!
- Group performance - "Live My Life" (Far East Movement Ft. LMFAO and Justin Bieber)
- 8 Flavahz - "Party Rock Anthem" - Challenge: Create an explosive event using the entire crew
- Elektrolytes - "Champagne Showers" - Challenge: Make a Robot
- Mos Wanted Crew - "Sexy And I Know it" - Challenge: Create a catwalk using the "wiggle wiggle wiggle" move.
- RNG - "Sorry for Party Rocking" - Challenge: jump through each other's arms (prelim report)
REMINDER: Do not report ANY spoilers on the bottom 2 or elimination in the spoilers, or you WILL be banned!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Let us know if you attend tonight's ABDC taping!
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT -- NO SPOILERS. DO NOT TELL THE RESULTS FROM THE SHOW, INCLUDING WHICH CREWS WERE IN THE BOTTOM OR ELIMINATED!
Video: Fanny Pak says Thank You!
Fanny Pak just posted this video to their Youtube Channel, thanking their fans for support, speaking about new videos & live shows, and welcoming their tenth member, Tiffani Grant, back from hiatus. Make sure you subscribe and support them!
Video: Pacman (Soundami) - "Dreams Don't Sleep"
Pacman (IaMmE) is switching it up on us. The ABDC champion is now showing us that he is also quite the singer. Joined by Jordan 'Sifu' Kolar and Eddie Van Haddan, the trio is known as Soundami. Stay on the look out for more of their work soon!
P.S. Yes, there is still dancing in this video
P.S. Yes, there is still dancing in this video
Lady Jule's (Beat Freaks) Must-read blog post: Why Dancers in the past were unforgettable and today's are not
In a blogpost called "What Happened to the Heart of Dance?", 'Lady Jules' Urich (member of ABDC3's Beat Freaks) writes about she feels is missing from the dances shown on reality TV: "I see amazing dancers who can extend their legs beyond reason, spin what seems like thousands of times on their hands, toes and heads- but I am not moved by it, I am not changed by it and I pondered why until it hit me...[dancers in the past like Martha Graham and Fred Astaire] had to work harder than ever to not only earn their spot
as a dancer, but to communicate in their dance a feeling, a story, or an
experience to the rest of us that was unsaid but only through the
movement could it be felt...It pains me to see the dancer’s purpose of communicating music and feeling through movement chalked up to fancy flair and an oversized ego to boot."
Read the whole thing. I think it gets to the heart of why we continue to care about some dance crews (e.g. Jabbawockeez) but not others. And, I think it speaks to the difficulty of keeping shows like America's Best Dance Crew meaningful and fresh.
Read the whole thing. I think it gets to the heart of why we continue to care about some dance crews (e.g. Jabbawockeez) but not others. And, I think it speaks to the difficulty of keeping shows like America's Best Dance Crew meaningful and fresh.
Rihanna recaps from around the nets
- Daily Princetonian shows the usual rigor in analyzing the dance moves, but also gets a little philosophical about her attitudes on the crews. Must be post-finals fatigue. Summary of the show:
"Not a bad week, but I still want MOAR"
- What's that Music Guy thinks that Mos Wanted Crew and Elektrolytes gave "Panty dropper" performances
- Screen Invasion is relieved that Elektrolytes is still around and wants them to win ABDC
- AV Club gives the episode an A- and predicts a Mos Wanted Crew/Elektrolytes finale.
- We'll Fix it In is a week behind, but worth the read with riffs about International Week, ICONic Boyz, Baskin Robbins, Shoprite, and the crews
- Ant M. theorizes that Fanny Pak didn't get the love this season because they're more artistic and refined (but less fun) than Season 7.
"Not a bad week, but I still want MOAR"
- What's that Music Guy thinks that Mos Wanted Crew and Elektrolytes gave "Panty dropper" performances
- Screen Invasion is relieved that Elektrolytes is still around and wants them to win ABDC
- AV Club gives the episode an A- and predicts a Mos Wanted Crew/Elektrolytes finale.
- We'll Fix it In is a week behind, but worth the read with riffs about International Week, ICONic Boyz, Baskin Robbins, Shoprite, and the crews
- Ant M. theorizes that Fanny Pak didn't get the love this season because they're more artistic and refined (but less fun) than Season 7.
Video: Blaze & Kenny G (Collizion): "Niggas in Paris"
Collizion Crew (America's Best Dance Crew Season 7) has been keeping busy since their appearance on ABDC. Their CollizionTV Youtube Channel has several new watch-worthy videos, showing what we missed by their too-early elimination. Their latest: Blaze and Kenny G dance to a remix of "Niggas in Paris".
Byeynyn's review: ABDC's Rihanna Challenge
Last week, five crews performed and none of them went home. None of them! Gasp! You might as well not have watched, unless you were a fan of dance or something. This week, one crew will be sent home. Or not. I’m not the boss here. The five crews are going to honor Rihanna, whose recent songs have shifted mostly from dancing in the club into who she wants to make whoopee to. I guess that’s sort of a natural progression.
All five crews perform to “We Found Love.” It’s a solid group performance, set in a hopeless place. There are some caution bars and trampolines here and there, but it’s generally not a place where love can be found, unless you and a partner tried really hard. While all the crews have their moments to shine, Elektrolytes gets the least amount of airtime. Still, everybody does a good job maintaining the energy. And, there isn’t a random appearance by the Iconic Boyz to distract from the crews that deserve the attention. It’s IB-free!
Click here to read the full review. Thanks, Byeynyn!
All five crews perform to “We Found Love.” It’s a solid group performance, set in a hopeless place. There are some caution bars and trampolines here and there, but it’s generally not a place where love can be found, unless you and a partner tried really hard. While all the crews have their moments to shine, Elektrolytes gets the least amount of airtime. Still, everybody does a good job maintaining the energy. And, there isn’t a random appearance by the Iconic Boyz to distract from the crews that deserve the attention. It’s IB-free!
Click here to read the full review. Thanks, Byeynyn!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Video: Dumbo (Poreotics) workshop in Thailand
Matt 'Dumbo' Nguyen of Poreotics (America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 winners) showed some steps after a workshop he conducted in Thailand. Click here for his freestyle with Fuanimatle Crew; his solo is below. From Dreamer920206 Youtube.
The end is near - almost last chance to reenter our ABDC Top 4 contest!
More than 94% of the hundreds of votes cast this season were wrong, most of them eliminated after Fanny Pak went home this week. So there are still a possibility that someone could come in this week and take it all. ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL 6pm (East Coast Time) on FRIDAY MAY 25. THIS WEEK'S CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Step Boys Videos Stepping On - Exclusive interview + their ABDC behind the scenes videos
Even after their elimination from ABDC7, Comedian/dancers Step Boys still vow to go on. Some evidence:
Chris Trondsen talked to members of Stepboys backstage at America's Best Dance Crew's Rihanna Challenge. Stepboys talk about how it sucks being off the show and being back in Southern California, thoughts about running onto the stage, their new video about life after ABDC, demonstrate a new product, and other odd answers.
From their SBvdo Youtube Channel, click here to watch SBractice 1 episode 2 and click here to see Josh showing off his alter ego Manuel a he prepares Jerel's hair. Look for the reactions of the other crews that pass by. Below, Step Boys talks about what being on ABDC meant to them, what they've had to overcome, and what they wanted to do on the stage
#KeepStepping
#ImBookie
Chris Trondsen talked to members of Stepboys backstage at America's Best Dance Crew's Rihanna Challenge. Stepboys talk about how it sucks being off the show and being back in Southern California, thoughts about running onto the stage, their new video about life after ABDC, demonstrate a new product, and other odd answers.
From their SBvdo Youtube Channel, click here to watch SBractice 1 episode 2 and click here to see Josh showing off his alter ego Manuel a he prepares Jerel's hair. Look for the reactions of the other crews that pass by. Below, Step Boys talks about what being on ABDC meant to them, what they've had to overcome, and what they wanted to do on the stage
#KeepStepping
#ImBookie
Enter this week's ABDC Elimination Challenge now to win!
To enter: Each week, we'll publish a new post for this contest. When the weekly post is up, leave a comment with the name of the bottom 2, specifying which one is eliminated. For example, in Season 6, a winning entry for the Rihanna Week Challenge would have read: "BOTTOM 2 WEEK 5 - Phunk Phenomenon, 787 Crew. Eliminated: 787 Crew." You will be awarded 1 point for each crew you name in the bottom 2 that week, and an extra point for identifying the eliminated crew, for a total of 3 possible points per week. The person with the highest cumulative score wins, and we'll figure out something if we need a tie-breaker.
This week's entries will be accepted from now until 6pm East Coast time on Friday May 25, so that nobody can use insider info from the tapings. . THIS WEEK'S CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. **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). NO EMAIL ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED
- MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE THE WORDS 'BOTTOM 2' in the comment (so I can search for them easily).
- Only 1 entry per person per week, please. Good luck!
Send some love to Fanny Pak!
This comment was left on a Fanny Pak video on Youtube last night that summarizes my feelings:
"Dear Fanny Pak, I apologize for America not grasping the concept of your artistry and creativity. All of you have amazing hearts and kind souls. I would have thought that this would be the season for you, but it's unfortunate that you had to be eliminated again. You have been champions in my heart since season 2. I will always stand a proud Fanny. ♥"
This post is only for positive comments about Fanny Pak. If you want to say anything else, please take it to the Party Room/Critics Corner.
Photocredit: MTV
Video: ReQuest Crew dance with Jennifer Lopez on American Idol finale
ReQuest Crew (America's Best Dance Crew Season 6) was recognizable by style and polyswag even when dressed all in white to dance with Jennifer Lopez on the finale of American Idol on May 23, 2012.Video from DailyMotion. Thanks for the links, Taff1013 and PerezOverride.
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