What crew should perform which Lady Gaga song?

Lady Gaga has had 7 hits and there are 7 crews left on ABDC5. So,  who should get which song? Here are the choices, along with the original videos/recordings. Thanks for the idea, Isaac!

• Just Dance
• Eh Eh (What More can I Say)
• Poker Face
• Bad Romance
• Paparazzi
• LoveGame
• Telephone

Ninjaboi's Review: ABDC5's Video Music Challenge

Hey all, it’s me again this week with a review for the Music Video Challenge.  I gotta say, this week overall was a bit disappointing, both from the crews, from production, and from the judges.   The judges comments were overly harsh on some crews, and too lax on others.  The music and challenges given each crew was imbalanced.  By my scores,  the average score last week for these 8 crews was 35.4.  This week, it’s 34.9… Hopefully next week gets better.

Ninjaboi's power rankings have changed, with Hype 5-0 and Blueprint Cru now in the lead. 
Click here to read the detailed reviews and the power rankings. Thanks ninjaboi!

Del's Review of ABDC's Video Music Challenge

Well first off I’d like to say that this episode of ABDC was very disappointing in comparison to last week. I feel as if the need to correspond with the videos is what held the crews back, and I advise all of them to not let the challenges overtake them in the near future. With that being said though we did get a few gems.

I’ve gone ahead and applied a couple of areas of interest in my critique from a scale introduced to this site last season that was used by judges at Hip Hop International ( although I have taken away and added to a few areas so you will notice a few alterations) and I went ahead and added a “wow moment and tricks” section like many of the BABDC readers have this season as well. Here is the final scale:

*Creativity - signature moves original to the crew, including ways to go to the floor, get up from the floor, and transitions
*Showmanship, intensity, confidence, projection and pauses - minimal pauses and poses, uninterrupted display of confidence in facial expression and body movement, passion and an ability to 'sell it' on stage
*Entertainment value/crowd appeal - connecting to the audience and evoking emotional responses, to leave a memorable and lasting impression
*Musicality - performance and choreography corresponding to timing and music usage; the crew's ability to perform simultaneously to the music (either through the beat or through rhythmic variations/syncopation).
*Execution/controlled mobility and stabilization & ability to synchronize movement - maintaining control of speed, direction, momentum and body placement among the crew. Also important to stay together throughout the routine.
*Difficulty - How high of a level the crew’s moves are. This criteria adapts over the course of the show.
*Wow factor and trick level – How big the tricks are in the performance. Might be scaled down from the end rating some weeks due to the lack of routines full of tricks but specific “wow, that was crazy!” moments in more choreo based routines will be judged on the wow factor.

Based on that scale, the week's rankings are (from best to worst):  Hype 5-0, Blueprint Cru, Royal Flush/Static Noyze (tied), Jungle Boogie, Poreotix, Heavy Impact, Saltare.
Click here to read the detailed review. Thanks Del!

Mailbox: Fanny Pak's Cara Horibe, new Vogue Evolution video

• Local TV station KITV caught up with Fanny Pak member Cara Horibe when she returned home to Hawaii. The article includes a video clip with scenes from a workshop and interviews

• Vogue Evolution performed with Sahara Davenport as the main act of  University of Texas' Evolution Ball, which was hosted by the UT Queer People of Color and Allies, or QPOCA. Thanks, Erica!

Video: Ghost shows what they really do

Instead of following the ABDC schedule and taking one of the numbers in the Video Music Challenge, Ghost posted a video showing 'what they really do'. Thanks Xerpent!

Re-enter 'Predict ABDC 5 Top 4' contest now!

Thanks to everyone who submitted entries on which ABDC crews will be in the top 4 at the end of this season, in the order of their elimination. If you want to change your vote, here's your weekly chance.   The prize goes to the first person to submit the correct answer, based on which week they submit it. If more than one person gets it right that week, we'll employ a tie-breaker rule.

Click here for contest rules and prizes.   Entries will be taken until Midnight on Monday March 1.

Videos: Clips from all the ABDC Video Challenge Performances!

Here are clips from all 8 performances on America's Best Dance Crew's Music Video Challenge:

• Blueprint Cru dancing to "I Get it In"
• Poreotix's "Umbrella"
• Jungle Boogie doing "Give it up to Me"
• Heavy Impact "What You Got" 
• Saltare's "Shake It" 
• Static Noyze Dancing to "New In Town"
• Royal Flush doing "Evacuate the Dance Floor"
• Current favorite on our survey: Hype 5-0's "3":

BJHayPinoy on the Video Music Challenge: Ranks, reviews, and advice

Reader BJHayPinoy sent his detailed rankings and reviews for the latest ABDC episode -- the Music video challenge. He puts Hype and Static Noyze at the top, Heavy Impact and Saltare at the bottom.

Click here for his full rankings, the detailed reviews, WOW moments, and words of advice. Thanks BJHP!

Exclusive Video: Vogue Evolution's Dashaun flips his hair and speaks his mind!

DaShaun of Vogue Evolution talked to Chris Trondsen and Fanny Pak's Glenda Morales before the taping of ABDC's Video Music Challenge. He and Glenda dished and hair-flipped about his favorite crews, what it's like to be back on the set, how the lights and music feel for the performers, how Season 4's diversity was so different than this season, their current schedule of performances and panels and more. 

Recaps! Recaps! Recaps! Recaps!

• LA Times thinks that Jungle Boogie's stock is a best bet, but you might want to go short on Saltare
• Spoil the Ending thought the girl-on-girl kiss was lame, found the videos in the background distracting and gives the "Tube that S**t" award to Blueprint Cru
• Too Interesting for Twitter debates next week's Bottom 2
• We'll Fix it In -- what can I say. Funny and weirdly insightful as always. You're my Saturday morning fix, guys!

Video: ASIID's Della Hamby's Dance Reel

From the ViciousDELLAlicious Youtube Channel: an extended video showing Della Hamby's extended dance and video reel from 2009.

Elimination Challenge/Bottom 2 contest for Week 5 now open!

Time to enter your votes for The Elimination Challenge for next week: Which crews will be in the bottom 2? Who will be eliminated? Enter each week and the person with the highest cumulative score for Season 5 will win an ABDC crew shirt of their choice and size (up to $35 retail). In case of a tie, we will have a tie-breaker question, to be posted the last week of the contest.

This week, vote for the 2 crews from America's Best Dance Crew's Top 7 that you think will be in the bottom, and name the one that gets sent home, for a possible 3 points total. For example, in ABDC4's Beyonce Challenge, an entry worth 3 points would have read: "Bottom 2 - Afroborike, Artistry in Motion. Eliminated: Artistry in Motion". 
   
Here's the rules. PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE THE SAME DISTINCTIVE NAME EACH WEEK SINCE VOTES ARE CUMULATIVE!  Jai is still in the lead with 6 points, but the season just started! Voting closes midnight Monday March 1.

An unusual last minute request: Help Momz-N-Da Hood win a contest please!

Momz-N-Da Hood auditioned for ABDC5 in New York (here's the report on them) and received high praise from the judges. They are entered in a contest in More Magazine to attend a conference in New York and still need more votes to win. They would like your help --- please go to this link at More, register (no cost or commitments) and vote for them. Contest ends midnight tonight (February 26).  They thank you!

Exclusive podcast with Royal Flush: what we liked, what we'd change & reader questions!

We talked with Aaron James of Royal Flush on February 26, two days after Royal Flush was sent home from America's Best Dance Crew Season 5. He provided heartfelt and reflective answers on how ABDC matched with the expectations and what they got out of being on the show, their least favorite part of being on ABDC (waiting to hear the crews' fates!), the one thing he'd change about the show (how they decide which crew in the bottom should be sent home, and what's next for the crew. Aaron also answered several reader questions on their own music choices and how the crews learned from each other. And, he gives shout outs to their fans for all the support this season.  Royal Flush, we're going to miss you!
Listen in:

Blueprint Cru, Poreotix, and Jungle Boogie answer more fan questions!

More videos from this week's ABDC taping, where the crews answer reader questions. If you want to submit questions for the crews, please click on the link at the top of the home page. Here are two more crews answering questions from several readers:

• Jungle Boogie talks about how they choose their weekly 'animals' and shows a signature move.
• Poreotix Interview Part II, where they discuss the whole 'isos' issue, talk about getting serious, and and criteria for picking their shades
• Blueprint Cru on international crew participation on ABDC, what other crew styles, they'd like to learn, and other challenges they'd like to see. They also show the tonsorial sacrifice made for this week's challenge. And, there's a headstand demonstration where Glenda jumps in!

"The 4th ABDC Judge" weighs in on Video Music Challenge

The 4th ABDC judge is back. I love the way he's giving the feedback like he's talking directly to the crews, being constructive and positive (the dancers ARE people!) but honest (they ARE artists too!).

Click here to read this week's assessment.Thanks, 4th ABDC Judge!

Congratulations to our Kollaboration 10 ticket winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered our contest to win tickets for the Kollaboration event on March 6. We received dozens of entries, but only have 4 pairs of tickets to give out. If you didn't win -- try to go anyway -- it's an amazing lineup! The winners are: Kristy Ramirez, Christian Estrada, Ike Ikera, and Andrew Herrera.

Plea to MTV: PLEASE make your ABDC voting pages error-free!!

MANY readers are upset at the errors on this week's voting page for America's Best Dance Crew. The concern is that those errors might significantly impact results. You can see a screenshot here (thanks AskYourself101!)/ The errors:

• All the phone numbers except for Poreotix were listed as 1-877-96 CREW2 -- the number for Jungle Boogie. The listing does have the correct number afterwards, but it was confusing and potentially misleading
• Though the captions are correct, the photos for Blueprint Cru and Royal Flush are reversed. That might lead some people to think that Blueprint Cru was eliminated, and reduce the number of votes for them

Nobody's perfect. I make mistakes all the time, as my readers know. However, the voting page should be double- and triple-checked for accuracy. Otherwise, mistakes on the voting page could results in the wrong crews being sent to the bottom 2.  So, MTV -- please don't let this happen again!

Exclusive Video: Royal Flush after ABDC elimination -- NEVER GIVE UP and WE WILL BE BACK!

Royal Flush are a class act. Even though they were understandably very down after being eliminated on ABDC's Video Music Challenge, they sat down to talk, as a way to respect the fans.Royal Flush had inspirational words for others who admired them and want to follow a dream "If someone tells you you can't do it [follow your dream]- laugh at them." They also talked to Chris Trondsen and Glenda Morales about why they thought they were eliminated,  thanked their fans, and discussed what's next for them. 

Send some love to Royal Flush!

We've been following Royal Flush since the ABDC Season 4 auditions and were really glad that they got a chance to show America what they've got. And what they've got is engaging choreography and major b-boy tricks, plus infectious energy and enthusiasm. They really stepped up their performance in the Chart Topper and Music Video challenges. This is a tough ABDC season; I daresay that in earlier seasons they might have stayed much, much longer.

This post is only for positive comments about Royal Flush. If you have negative comments or want to talk about something else, please take it to this week's Critics Corner.
Photocredit: MTV

Upcoming Events: Week of February 26, 2010

• 2/26: The Movement Krump Event hosted by Supreme Soul's Frost  with Tripl3 Threat performances, 6:30 at Liberty Christian Center in Fairfield, CA
• 2/26: Turn the Beat Around, original dance movie on MTV  
• 2/27: Royal Flush teach master class at Gotta Dance Studio in Atlanta. Phone 404-352-0420 for details
• 2/27: Supreme Soul, Culture Shock LA and others performing at Battle Fest Live 360 in San Jose
• 2/27: Battlefest King of the Streets Competition in New York 
• 2/27: BreakEFX performing at Hip Hop Expo in Fort Collins, CO
• 2/27: Quest's Brian Hirano performing at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas 
• 2/27: Beat Freaks Rino and Maryss Workshop in Murrieta, CA
• 2/27-28: Fanny Pak's Glenda Morales teaches workshops in Los Angeles
• 2/28: Fanny Pak's Matt Cady teaches workshop in Seattle
• 3/2: Kaba Modern Legacy auditions in Santa Ana, CA
• 3/3: Quest's MTVIggy video to be shown on Jumbotron in Times Square NY 12:30
• 2/26-3/5: Groovaloo tour with Super Cr3w's Mike Murda and Do-Knock in TX and KS

Email us at bloggingbestdancecrew@gmail.com if you have other events to add this work or in coming weeks.

Survey: Best performance in ABDC's Music Video Challenge

Please vote for your favorite PERFORMANCE DURING THIS CHALLENGE. Do NOT vote here for your overall favorite ABDC5 crew unless you REALLY believe they were the best crew of the evening!!

poll by twiigs.com

Survey: Worst Performance in ABDC's Music Video Challenge

poll by twiigs.com

Vote Now or don't complain next week!

The online voting is now open for Week 5, from now until 6:00am Eastern time. If you want to protect your favorite crew, act now! Click here to vote. Performance videos will probably be online after 11:00pm West Coast time, to aid in your choices.  If you want to phone or text instead, the numbers are: Phone: 1-877-96-CREW + (number):
Text: 22444 then (number):
-Poreotics -- 1
-Jungle Boogie -- 2
- Static  Noyze -- 3
- Saltare -- 4
- Heavy Impact -- 5
- Hype 5-0 -- 6
-Blueprint -- 7
 
Then, join us back at the Party Room/Critics Corner.  I guarantee there will be something interesting going on there!

Party Room/Critics Corner now open - Join in!

The Party Room/Critics Corner for ABDC 5 Episode 5 -- the Music Video Challenge -- is now open! Join lots of other readers watching the show and talking love/trash about the proceedings  IMPORTANT: If you want to write a long comment, write in in NotePad or Word and then paste it into the comments field. Otherwise, all your work may disappear if someone posts something new while you're in the middle of writing.

After the show is over: Stay and give us your reactions and ideas.  Did people vote right? Do you think they assigned the right songs to the right groups? Are you still happy about how Season 5 is shaping up?  Let it rip -- snark and humor and almost everything else (except obscenity and abject disrespect) are expected and welcome!
Image credit: Jakarta "One Desire" Music video

Live Play-by-Play Blogging for ABDC's Music Video Challenge now open!

The live play-by-play for tonight's America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 Music Video Challenge (Episode 5) is NOW OPEN. Tonight, Del, Tbone, and I will be co-moderating. Please feel free to follow along, but leave most of your comments at the party room post above this post. It's really hard to follow the show, write about it, AND monitor the comments, so be patient!

Video: Promo for ABDC Music Video Challenge

Exclusive Video: Hype 5-0 answer reader questions

One more ABDC pre-taping video to share with you today. Here's Part I of our Hype 5-0 interview, where they answer reader questions, including advice for crews that want to appear on ABDC, how they dealt with being in the bottom, showing their signature move,  their favorite crew from past seasons, and more.


We'll have Part II in a day or two, where we ask you to write in and vote for which crew member does the best runway walk/dance. And, we'll have more crew interview videos processed and ready in the next 2 days, we promise!

Preview from the Pressbox - Chris Trondsen on ABDC5's Music Video Challenge

Chris Trondsen give a preview of what happened onstage and offstage at this week's taping:

"This was the first week we did reader’s questions from BloggingBestDanceCrew.com for each of the crews and the crews love it! You can see that in the interviews, they are really excited that they get to answer questions from the fans. This was actually a highlight of being on the show, some of them said. It's a kick for them to Make fans and now get to answer questions from them. So make sure to watch the interviews for that and send in new questions!

This week is also the first week where the viewers voted to keep their favorite crews around and the two crews with the least two votes end up in the bottom two. I  could have predicted one of the crews  bottom two; even though they had a solid performance last week, they hadn’t had a chance to really build a fan base yet. However, the second crew that was in the bottom two was a shock that no one expected. They are a fan favorite and had an amazing performance last week. Both ended up performing very well, and the crew that ended up getting sent home had a really strong performance and are at least leaving the show with that under their belt."

Click here to read the rest of his preview including spoiler-free impressions of the performances,  how this season's crews are different from prior seasons, and information on surprise guests on-stage and back-stage. Thanks Chris! 

Exclusive video: Saltare answers our readers' questions

Saltare answered our readers' questions before the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's Music Video Challenge, with shout-outs to the people who submitted them. Among the questions: what they would do if they had to dance without ropes, what ABDC alum crews they thought were underrated, whether they think they've converted people to Saltare's style, and how they deal with  compliments and insults. They also critique Glenda's jump rope action!

Exclusive Video: Poreotix answer reader questions on Cannibalism, Inspirations, their banner, and more!

This week, Chris Trondsen and Glenda Morales included reader questions in our crew interviews at the ABDC Music Video Challenge. Here's Part I of our 2-part Poreotix interview, where they answer questions on who would be sacrificed if they were stuck on an island, which crews and dancers they find inspirational,w hen and why they started dancing, WHO IS THAT on the banner, and who's the funniest crew member. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow, and will share the other crew interviews today and over the next few days.

Video: SoReal Cru on JumbaFund Video, dashing his hopes to become a dancer!

The latest video from JumbaFund features SoReal Cru dancing as a group and invidually. In this episode called "I Want to be a Dancer" KevJumba decides to try out his dancing skill. SoReal Cru shows their latest moves and dashes Kev's latest dream.


Another reason to watch the video: JumbaFund donates all its Youtube revenues to a viewer-chosen charity. Watching and subscribing builds funds for a worthy cause. Click on JumbaFund's profile for the info. Thanks for the tip, Tanooki!

Survey Results for Chart Topper Challenge: Poreotix was our fan's favorite

The readers here have voted for the favorite and least favorite crews for ABDC's Chart Topper Challenge. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the nationwide voting and who's in the Bottom 2. Results:

• Poreotix was the favorite of our readers, with 28% of the 1479 votes. Blueprint Cru followed with 17%. Details here. 
• Swagger Crew was your least favorite, garnering 36% of the 1,271 votes . Heavy Impact followed with 18% of the vote. Details here.

Join us tonight for Live Blogging, the Critics Corner/party room, and more!

ABDC viewers have finally spoken -- but what did they say? Watch America's Best Dance Crew with us tonight and find out! The Party Room/Critics Corner opens at 9:30 ET and stays open as long as you want, so you can talk about almost anything having to do with ABDC, dance, stupid TV shows, the meaning of life, etc.

At 10pm ET, Del, Tbone, and I will be doing live play-by-play while watching the 90-minute show, so feel free to play along  get a sneak preview of the action (for those of you from the West Coast/Canada/India or other ABDC-deprived zones).


Tomorrow morning, please vote in our polls on the best and worst performances. Plus we hope to have recaps, videos of backstage crew interviews, and more.   We'll  have week 5 of our Bottom 2/Elimination  contest. On Saturday, I'll post the next round of the Top 4 contest. So stay with us!

Video: Kaba Modern Legacy, Fanny Pak and ASIID members perform together

At Urban Street Jam, Kaba Modern Legacy invited members of Fanny Pak and ASIID to take the stage with them.KM did their usual professional job despite some technical difficulties. Video courtesy of Pacific Rim, of course!

MTV Video: ABDC5 Dancers show their best moves during rehearsal

MTV Remote Control posted a video that reminds us just why the current ABDC crews are so good. It shows individual dancers demonstrating some major power and skill moves during a practice on February 22.

Hype's Hazmat interviews Hazmat + PacRim's preshow interview of 6 crews

As usual, Pacific Rim works through the night to create and post pre-show interviews from the ABDC tapings. This time, they've got longer interviews with Poreotix, Static Noyze, Saltare, Hype 5-0, Royal Flush, and Jungle Boogie. My favorite video from their efforts: giving the microphone to Hype 5-0's Hazmat and letting him interview his own crew.

Audience report from the ABDC Music Video Challenge taping

ABDC's Music Video Challenge was taped last night, and it sounds like there was some unexpected drama at the end. Also, boxer Manny Pacquiao was in the audience, causing some drama in the stands.  Here's Crush's spoiler-free report about the performances. Thanks Crush!

Poreotix: As predicted by everyone on here, they all came out with the umbrellas as the prop.  Once the umbrellas came out, so did the jackets! they had some really really fitted shirts, and they danced sexy like Rihanna did in her video.
Royal Flush: they came out more energetic than last week. their challenge was to do some bboy moves that come out in the video.
Saltare:  they tried to do all the bboy moves that were in the Metro Station video

Static Noyze: They got Little Boots video of New in Town. They had to use the shopping carts in their routine  
Blueprint: their video as you all know was Omarion's i get it in. their challenge was to do the head stand that they do. 
Heavy Impact: their video was Colby O'Donis what you got.   Their challenge was to do the popping part of the video. they did the popping and they also did their groove
Hype 5-0: performance to Britneys 3. they started off with the pole in the beginning and they danced so sexy! Both girls and guys got down and dirty! but sadly no abs!  
Jungle Boogie: As always they came out with the energy, and the lone female got sexy on us!! the highlight of their performance was when the girl jumped on a board that two other guys were holding up and danced some of the choreo from Shakiras video. they also had to incorporate stepping,

Taeko (Fysh N Chicks, Beast Mode) documents life of the road with Ludacris

This season, Taeko Carroll (known to ABDC and hip hop fans for her work in Fysh N Chicks and Beast Mode) is on the road tour with Ludacris. If you've ever wondered what that would be like, visit TheYuriandTaekoShow for weekly updates. Last week she went backstage with Ludacris' 4 dancers, DJ, and Road Manager. This week we get an intimate view of the tour bus, with a hand-held horror movie spoof at the end.

Let us know if you attend tonight's taping!

The Music Video Challenge episode of America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 tapes tonight, with 8 crews from from the United States and Canada battling for 7 spots. If you attend the taping, leave a comment and let us know what it was ALL like -- the judges, the atmosphere, the crowd, the crews, celebrities, you name it. Please don't just focus on who stays and who goes, since that will be deleted as a spoiler. Tell us about other aspects, so we can live vicariously through your experience.
 

AND REMEMBER -- NO SPOILERS. DO NOT SAY (OR EVEN IMPLY) THE FATE OF ANY OF THE CREWS! REPEAT OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED FROM COMMENTS. For the most part, the system that commenters used the last few weeks worked well for everyone. But again, some people persisted in leaving spoilers up and leaving me cleanup work. Don't do it again!

New Caption Contest: Win a "Turn the Beat Around" DVD!

"Turn the Beat Around" premieres on MTV this Friday, February 26. While the plot sounds somewhat familiar ("a struggling young dancer gets the opportunity to fulfill her professional dreams when she convinces a wealthy club owner to open a modern disco where people can connect through dance"), the dancing and  and music should be of interest to fans of America's Best Dance Crew.

The dancing will be a combination of hip hop and stylized classic disco. The film features a special performance by Jason Derülo (“Whatcha Say”) and a soundtrack with original remakes of classic disco songs by Cobra Starship and Sing It Loud. One of the dancers -- Brooklyn Sudano -- is the daughter of The Queen of Disco herself, Donna Summers. I plan to watch  it on Friday, and suggest you do likewise. 

Based on my interest in the movie, MTV donated one copy of the "Turn the Beat Around" DVD (in general release March 9) to give away to a reader. So, here's the contest: Create a caption for this movie still and leave it in the comments. I'll read through them and award the DVD to my favorite. This contest runs until midnight March 2. 

Drunk teenager arrested for damaging property while breakdancing

From the Huffington Post: a teenager was arrested for causing $3000 in property damages for trying to do breakdance moves while wearing a large diamond belt buckle: "The 18-year-old apparently was intoxicated when he arrived at a house party held by the victim's daughters in Elma, a small town just east of Buffalo...when the teen repeatedly tried to break dance he gouged the floor and caused about $3,000 worth of damage."

The alleged dancer/criminal faces a felony criminal mischief charge and a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He's been jailed pending arraignment. No video or photo available...yet. Thanks for the tip, Allen!

Hilarious video: Groovaloo's Theater Seat 'Hurdering' Championships

What do Groovaloo cast members do during their down time? DoKnock Youtube Channel has the answer: training for and competing in the National Theater Seat Hurdering Championships. Join DoKnock and Mike Murda (Super Cr3w members) and other Groovaloo cast members in their hotel rooms and gyms as they get in shape for the event. Then watch the barechested competition and some rule controversy. This video made my morning. Thanks for the tip, Snoop the Guido aka the Ultimate Juice Head (get a shorter name, dude!)

Tanooki's take: Predictions and advice for ABDC's Music Video challenge

Tanooki is back with predictions and advice for the upcoming ABDC Music Video Challenge, based on what he's seen from the Regionals and the Chart Topper Challenge.

"Here are my thoughts for the Top 8 crews. I'm loving the extra readers and posters coming onto the site, more perspectives and stuff like that. Not much to say except enjoy on my thoughts or hate on them, it's all good hahahaha."

Click here to read the details. I think that his observations will be quite controversial to some readers, so check it it out and let us know what YOU think! Thanks Tanooki!

ABDC Alum Interviews Galore at Urban Street Jam: Fanny Pak, Beat Freaks, Quest, Boxcuttuhz, KM Legacy ++

Do you miss hearing from your favorite crew members? Wonder what they're up to? Pacific Rim struck the mother lode at Urban Street Jam on February 20, 2010. Chris Trondsen and Angelica Alumia conducted interviews with members of

• Beat Freaks: Teresa and Shorty, Rino, Lindsey with Shaun Evaristo, Lindsey by herself,
• Boxcuttuhz: Lydia, Lando,
• Fanny Pak: Glenda,
• Kaba Modern Legacy: April,
• Phresh Select: Smart Mark and Virgil,
• Quest: Hok, Hok and Dtrix, Dtrix
• Multiple Crews: Lando (Boxcuttuhz)interviewed by Lindsey (Beat Freaks),Lindsey (Beat Freaks) and Victor Kim (Quest),Lando interviewed by Beat Freak Lindsey
• Other dance notables: Twitch, Shaun Evaristo, Mari (Choreo Cookies), Lizzy Richardson, Instant Noodles,  KM Founder   Arnel Calvario and Glenda (Fanny Pak) and Kool Raul (Supreme Soul), Arnel and Glenda Part 2, Arnel and Glenda Part 3

Playlist for ABDC's Music Video Challenge (with links to the original videos)

According to MTV's Remote Control, here's the song choices for America's Best Dance Crew 5's Episode 5: Music Video Challenge. I also linked the original videos to the song title.

• BLUEPRINT CRU - Omarion ft. Gucci Mane "I Get It In"
• HEAVY IMPACT - Colby O'Donis "What you Got"
• HYPE 5-0 - Britney Spears "3"
• JUNGLE BOOGIE - Shakira, featuring Lil Wayne "Give it Up to Me"
• POREOTIX - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z "Umbrella"
• ROYAL FLUSH - Cascada "Evacuate the Dance Floor"
• SALTARE - Metro Station "Shake It"
• STATIC NOYZE - Little Boots "New In Town"

Video: Poppin' John demos poppin' and robotics moves --learn it yourself!

For those fans of Poretix' style: Poppin' John has a video showing popping and robotics moves. More available at Poppinjohnfof Youtube Channel.And if you are tired of just watching, he offers teaching modules at Learn2bust.com. Thanks for the tip, poppabruN!

Last day to enter this week's Elimination challenge and Top 4 contests

Deadline fast approaching: if you want to have an entry for this week's elimination challenge and top 4 contests for ABDC, you have until midnight tonight. Good luck!

• Click here for the Elimination challenge
• Click here for the Top 4 challenge

Mailbox: Layla Kayleigh, Blueprint Cru, Swagger Crew, BF Shorty in Bieber video

• Beat Freak Shorty is briefly the center of attention in Justin Bieber's video of "Baby". You can see her (here's the video) starting at 1:48. Thanks Ravoo!
• Artist Direct runs a video interview with Layla Kayleigh, where she talks about why she loves Randy Jackson and her role on America's Best Dance Crew
• Red Hot (the blog for Much Music, the home of ABDC in Canada) talks to Blueprint Cru about the differences between US and Canada Crews, and the difference between ABDC and Canada's So You Think You Can Dance
• Winston Salem Journal profiles Elizabeth Triplett Martin of Swagger Crew

Video: All Stylz Battle with Dtrix, Hok, Victor Kim & Mike Song

Pacific Rim captured most of the action at Urban Street Jam on February 20. One of our favorite dance videos from the event is the All Stylz Battle featuring Quest members Dtrix, Hok, and Victor Kim and Kaba Modern's Mike Song. Thanks for the tip Andrew and others!

Survey says: Poreotix logo's the top; Legendary 7's logo the bottom

Thanks for your survey votes on the favorite and least favorite crew logos for Season 5. Results:

• Poreotix was the overwhelming favorite logo, with 37% of the 741 votes. Click here for the details

• Legendary 7 had the least favorite logo, with 16% of the 566 votes. Tied at 10% each were the logos for Saltare, Jungle Boogie and X-treme Motion. Click here for the details.

Video: Quest at Best in the West 2

Quest performed at Best in the West on February 20, 2010. While most of the routine features fan favorites from ABDC and their T-Mobile tour, there are new moves toward the end of the performance. Click here to watch the choreographed performance. Here's Quest's cypher from the show (both videos from Poppinlke Youtube Channel). Thanks for the tip Desteny!

Video: Beat Freaks premiere new dance routine at Urban Jam

Beat Freaks premiered a 12 minute dance routine at Urban Jam on February 20, 2010. The piece pays tribute to pioneers in the dance company including the original poppers and lockers, bboys, and Michael Jackson. Video from Pacific Rim; we trust they will have many more interviews and performance videos from Urban Jam available soon! 

Win Tickets to Kollaboration 10 in Los Angeles!

Kollaboration 10 will hit Los Angeles on March 6 with performances by ABDC winners We are Heroes, the first ever North American appearance by the dance group Prepix, and many more exhibition and competitive acts. And, we'd like to send some readers to the event! 
If you'd like to win tickets, please email us at BloggingBestDanceCrew@gmail.com by Thursday February 25. We will pick up to 4 people, who will each receive 2 tickets. Good luck!

Video: The Wizard of Oz Got Served!

Something different: College Humor remixes The Wizard of Oz into one mean dance contest. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

Ninjaboi's Review of ABDC5's Chart Topper Challenge

Hey ya’ll, it’s time for another round of ABDC reviews, this time for Week 1 of the Nationals: The Chart Topper Challenge. If you’re a dedicated reader, someone just passing by, or even a crew-member – I strongly encourage you to read and comment, and discuss.  Even if you don’t agree, “Tis better to discuss an issue and not resolve it rather than resolve an issue without discussing it.”  Think before you judge.  

And, please keep in mind this is done in total respect for every single individual crew, regardless of how I rank them in the end, and in the interest for having even better shows.  I don't have a particular hate for any one crew. It's just that, in the end, some people have to end up on bottom and some on top.  Mad love to all the crews for putting on a great show.

This week, there's a new 50-point scale measuring challenge, improvement, choreography, wow/tricks and showmanship. This week's scores are: Static Noyze - 40; Jungle Boogies - 38;  Blueprint Cru - 38; Poreotix 35.1 (39 unadjusted); Royal Flush - 35; Hype 5-0 - 33; Heavy Impact - 32; Saltare - 32; Swagger Crew - 30.

Click here to read a description of the new voting scale,the detailed analysis of the performances and battle, power rankings, things that crews should work on, and more. Thanks Ninjaboi!

More recaps of ABDC's Chart Topper Challenge

• We'll Fix it In laces into the human interest stories, critiques tattoos and props, and keeps it constructively snarky
•  Too Interesting for Twitter thinks the East Coast dominated.
• It's My ABDC goes to letter grades this week. Nothing is below a C; Static Noyze and Blueprint get A+ for effort
• Byeynym REALLY goes into detail on the show -- if you think you missed something, it's probably here!

Week 3 for Our Top 4 contest is now open!

Thanks to everyone who submitted entries on which ABDC crews will be in the top 4 at the end of this season, in the order of their elimination. If you want to change your vote, here's your weekly chance.   The prize goes to the first person to submit the correct answer, based on which week they submit it. If more than one person gets it right that week, we'll employ a tie-breaker rule.

Click here for contest rules and prizes.  Given this week's surprise elimination, only 21% of votes cast so far are still in the running, so please try again! Entries will be taken until Midnight on Monday February 22.

"The 4th ABDC Judge" weighs in on Chart Topper Challenge

One of our readers has unofficially become 'the 4th ABDC judge'. Here's his feedback on the Chart Topper Challenge, written as if he was speaking directly to the crews, critiquing  performance specifics, the battle and the 'walk it out' dance, as well as citing memorable moments for each crew.

 DEFINITELY click here to read his feedback to each of the crews -- I find his format particularly useful  for thinking about the episode as a whole and how the crews are developing. Thanks, Fourth ABDC judge!

Latest on Shane Sparks: D.A. Didn't show up for Court Date!

According to TMZ, Shane Spark's attorney had filed a motion to dismiss the case, and there was a scheduled arraignment on February 19, 2010. However, the specially assigned District Attorney was a no-show due to a scheduling conflict. The DA now has until February 23 to respond to the motion. 

This video shows part of the hearing as well as an out-of-court interview with Sparks where he says that he is feeling confident and just wants to get "back into my job, back into my life."

Video: Ghost's Nationals challenge offering - Imma Be

Ghost wants to show what they might have done on America's Best Dance Crew had they continued longer on the show, so they are planning to choreograph and perform to one song from each of the ABDC5 episodes. Here's their Ep. 4 Nationals Chart Topper Challenge offering: "Imma Be", the song performed to by Hype 5-0.Thanks Xerpent!

Mailbox: Blueprint fights red tape; DraZtik clarifies ABDC battle question; Saltare profile

• Montreal Gazette profiles Blueprint Cru and their road to ABDC5, including how almost didn't get their work visas in time to appear on American TV
• Brown Daily Herald talks to DraZtik, and the article explains a long-standing question on the ABDC battle: "finding themselves among the bottom three teams in the regional, DraZtik was forced to enter the battle rounds. In that part of the competition, they needed to make up three different routines for the three different rounds, though they would only end up performing one of the dances". And, yes they will audition again.
•  Cary News profiles Saltare member Tyler Perez

Elimination Challenge Week 4: Enter now!

Time to enter your votes for The Elimination Challenge for next week: Which crews will be in the bottom 2? Who will be eliminated? Enter each week and the person with the highest cumulative score for Season 5 will win an ABDC crew shirt of their choice and size (up to $35 retail). In case of a tie, we will have a tie-breaker question, to be posted the last week of the contest.

This week, vote for the 2 crews from America's Best Dance Crew's Top 8 that you think will be in the bottom, and name the one that gets sent home, for a possible 3 points total. For example, in ABDC4's Beyonce Challenge, an entry worth 3 points would have read: "Bottom 2 - Afroborike, Artistry in Motion. Eliminated: Artistry in Motion". 

 

Here's the rules. PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE THE SAME DISTINCTIVE NAME EACH WEEK SINCE VOTES ARE CUMULATIVE!  Jai is currently in the lead with 5 points, but the season just started! Voting closes midnight Monday February 22. 

Exclusive - Podcast with Swagger Crew's Jason Croom - what went wrong, what went right!

I chatted with Swagger Crew's Jason Croom after America's Best Dance Crew's first Nationals show (aka the Chart Topper Challenge). We talked about Swagger Crew's earlier auditions for ABDC and what their time on the show was like. Jason described both the high points of their ABDC experience (e.g., which crews they connected with, how it felt to perform in front of the audience), and the lows (why Swagger Crew's most recent performance felt short of what they can accomplish). He also answered reader questions from Archie, Jai and Dragman! Ariel (well, a variation of Ariel's question!), and crew plans. Jason was humble, reflective, and engaging to talk to -- I'm sorry he and the crew went home so soon! Listen here to the conversation:

Chart Topper Challenge recaps - first round, including Arnel Calvario's LATimes article

• AC Slater is disappointed with some of the crews he loved during the Regional competition, and wants to see Omarion replaced
• Spoil the Ending hated some of the music choices and gives the "Youtube that Sh*t" award of the night to Jungle Boogie
• LATimes prints a shorter version of Arnel Calvario's critiques of the ABDC5 Top 9 crews (see this post) along with some short crew interviews.

Kaba Modern Founder Arnel Calvario critiques latest ABDC show - are the judges employing the right standards?

After the taping of America's Best Dance Crew's Nationals episode (aka the Chart Topper Challenge), Chris Trondsen and Glenda Morales met with Arnel Calvario to discuss what they saw. Arnel is one of the best people I know to evaluate America's Best Dance Crew since he founded Kaba Modern; choreographs and dances in his own right for Kaba Modern and other groups; manages Beat Freaks, Fanny Pak, and Kaba Modern Legacy; and was covering the show for the LA Times. He is also one of the most constructive and articulate people I've met during my time covering ABDC.

Arnel critiqued each of the nine performances and the judges' reactions, as well as talking about the upcoming Urban Street Jam event. He raises some intriguing questions, including whether crews like Poreotix should be judged on their own style or be coerced by judges into becoming more 'universal'; he compares the situation to JabbaWockeeZ who were not asked to vary their own style for the show. 

His video critique is long and detailed, but very valuable feedback and reflection for dancers, MTV, and avid dance fans. Here's Part I and Part III; I'm featuring Part II here to spotlight the discussion o Poreotix. But, please watch all three and give us your own feedback.

Send some love to Swagger Crew!

Swagger Crew was one of our readers' early favorites for America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 for good reason, and we're sorry to see them leave so soon. They brought  street dancing to America with cool footwork and teamwork. Their performance in the Southern Regionals showed everyone that Atlanta deserved attention and respect.

This post is only for positive comments about Swagger Crew. If you have negative comments or want to talk about something else, please take it to this week's Critics Corner.
Photocredit: MTV

Thanks for the new BloggingBestDanceCrew Banner, Ant M!

Ant M. redesigned the banner for this website, using the logos for the Top 8 crews remaining on ABDC. Check out the banner each week to see who's still in the running to be Season 5's America's Best Dance Crew. Thanks Ant M.!

Upcoming Events - Week of February 19, 2010

• 2/19:  Quest and Kaba Modern Legacy performing in Best of the West II in Oxnard, CA
• 2/20: Beat Freaks, Kaba Modern Legacy, Fanny Pak and Boxcuttuhz performing at Urban Street Jam in Irvine, CA
• 2/22-2/25: Groovaloos (with Super Cr3w's Mike Murda and Do Knock) in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas
• 2/25: ICONic performing at Disco Ball in Hollywood, Florida

Survey: Best performance in ABDC's Nationals Challenge

Please vote for your favorite PERFORMANCE DURING THIS CHALLENGE. Do NOT vote here for your overall favorite ABDC5 crew unless you REALLY believe they were the best crew of the evening!! 

poll by twiigs.com

Survey: Worst performance in ABDC's Nationals Challenge

poll by twiigs.com

Vote Now for your favorite crews!

The online voting is now open for Week 4, from now until 6:30am Eastern time. If you want to protect your favorite crew, act now! Click here to vote. Performance videos will probably be online after 11:30pm West Coast time, to aid in your choices.  If you want to phone or text instead for some reason, the numbers are: 
Phone: 1-877-96-CREW + (number):
Text: 22444 then (number):
-Poreotics- 1
-Heavy Impact -- 2
-Jungle Boogie -- 3
-Royal Flush --4
-Blueprint -- 5
-Saltare --6
-Static Noyze -- 7
- Hype 5-0  -- 8 

Then, join us back at the Party Room/Critics Corner. Tik tok indeed - the party don't stop, no!

Party Room/Critics Corner now open - Join in!

The Party Room/Critics Corner for ABDC 5 Episode 4 -- the Nationals -- is now open! Join lots of other readers watching the show and talking love/smack about the proceedings  IMPORTANT: If you want to write a long comment, write in in NotePad or Word and then paste it into the comments field. Otherwise, all your work may disappear if someone posts something new while you're in the middle of writing.

After the show is over: Stay and give us your reactions and ideas.  Did your favorite crews deliver? Were the song choices fair? What challenges would you like to see this season? Don't hold back -- snark and humor and almost everything else (except obscenity and abject disrespect) are expected and welcome!

Live Play-by-Play Blogging for ABDC's Nationals open now!

The live play-by-play for tonight's America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 Nationals (Episode 4) is NOW OPEN. Tonight, I'll be joined by Del. Please feel free to follow along, but leave most of your comments at the party room post above this post. It's really hard to follow the show, write about it, AND monitor the comments, so be patient!

Promo for ABDC 5 Nationals Show (and the show is 90 minutes)

America's Best Dance Crew's Nationals Show will last for 90 minutes tonight. So get your work done early and join us for 50% more MTV! Here's the promo:

Preview from the Pressbox - Chris Trondsen on ABDC5's Nationals

Chris Trondsen gives a preview and some teasers for tonight's episode of America's Best Dance Crew:

Back stage, everyone talks to each other and makes predictions about who will do the best and who will go home.  This week was a complete shock.  Everyone thought the same two crews were in the running to go home.  We were way off.  One of the crews that everyone felt was going to go home had probably the BEST performance of the night.  They stepped it up 100% and just blew everyone out of the water including the judges.In fact, almost all of the 9 crews had solid performances, all showed improvement, and some even had near perfect routines.  

What was crazy is in all the times I’ve ever been backstage, I’ve never felt the energy that I’ve felt this week in the crowd, backstage, and from the crews.  You could here them pumping each other up backstage before going out.  And when watching, you felt it too.  Several crews were not favorites after the Regionals, but the audience fell in love with them during the Nationals because they performed better than ever imagined. A lot of the crews won over fans.

Some other fun things you will see this week is two crews take off their shirts, one crew brings back a trick the judges hated that won them over this time, a little body paint, and a bunch of tricks and flips! 

Click here to read the rest of Chris' preview, including the vibe from the crews before the taping, how people think Season 5 is shaping up, and other backstage tomfoolery. Thanks Chris!

Exclusive interviews with Heavy Impact, Blueprint, Static Noyze, Jungle Boogie: runway, personal ads, dance demos ++

This week, all our crew interviews are spoiler-free so we'll share them now.  There are common themes: their attention and reactions to blogger and Facebook comments; their admiration for the other crews (though some do name favorites!);  fresh wardrobe and hair looks; and their earnestness at wanting to do well on America's Best Dance Crew. But each interview has a different vibe that really reflects the spirit of the crew. Interview highlights:

• Click here for Heavy Impact's personal introductions, dealing with hard critiques, and Izzy's ballet demonstration!
• Static Noyze talks about the potential impact of a crew injury and clears up some rumors and misconceptions about the crew
• Blueprint Cru treats us to an impromptu runway show and addresses question on whether being Canadian might impact people voting for them
• And Jungle Boogie are complete animals -- one of the most fun ABDC interviews I've ever seen

Join us tonight for Live Blogging, the Critics Corner/party room, and more!

We're done with the preliminaries -- time for the main event! Watch America's Best Dance Crew's Nationals with us tonight! The Party Room/Critics Corner opens at 9:30 ET and stays open as long as you want, so you can talk about ABDC5, ABDC 1-4, ABDC 23, dancing, judges, anything remotely related to ABDC.  

At 10pm ET, Del and I will be doing live play-by-play while watching the show, so feel free to play along  get a sneak preview of the action (for those of you from the West Coast/Canada/India or other ABDC-deprived zones).


Tomorrow morning, please vote in our polls on the best and worst performances. Plus we hope to have recaps, videos of backstage crew interviews, and more.   We'll  have week 4 of our Bottom 2/Elimination  contest. On Saturday, I'll post the next round of the Top 4 contest. So stay with us!

Exclusive video: Royal Flush - underdogs working to show more & learn from haters

Royal Flush talked to our crew at the ABDC Nationals taping. The main topics: how they used the break between the Southern Regional Challenge and the Nationals to prepare and to better show their skills. They also respond to the positive and negative feedback from commenters here and show how Gisette is all woman. Thanks to our ABDC partner World of Dance!