AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW – Top 9 Crews

Last night kicked off Season 4 of AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW (ABDC) over on MTV. Nine dance crews from all over the country ere selected to compete in the ultimate dance face-off. This year’s crew is the most diverse to date, representing a myriad of new styles not seen before on ABDC.

..and that could be the problem.

Since since its inception, whether by design or not, ABDC has really been a hip hop/B-Boy showcase. The show has included crews outside of those genres, including last season’s cloggers, Dynamic Edition. But its bread and butter are the tricks and hip hopgraphy that get the people on their feet…and to the phones to vote.

This year, the judges are going to play a more important role than ever. Shane, Lil Mama and JC are going to need to educate the in studio audience, and more importantly the at home audience, about the value of some of these crews. For a show that has been so grounded in hip hop, it’s not going to be easy to get fans to see the artistry in a group like, well, Artistry in Motion or maybe even Vogue Evolution (more on them in a minute). Here’s to hoping the audience’s vocabulary of dance in broadened and they pick up the phone for more than just the death defying tricks. If not, it’s going to be a pretty boring season because Massive Monkees will have wrapped this up in week one.

I, for one, appreciate the new styles brought to the stage this season. Some are clearly better than others and the right crew went home last night. Here’s my brief rundown on what I saw last night.

Beat Ya Feet Kings

• I didn’t get a great first impression of this crew. They are all about the footwork, but the rest of them looked sloppy. And the footwork? Not all that impressive. But, I thought the crew really stepped in up (no pun intended) during the Sudden Death round. They were tighter and had a better grasp on the musicality.

AfroBorike

• This salsa dancing, hip hop crew has potential, but they really need to tighten things up.  They didn’t look sharp at all.  And I think they’re going to be better off sticking with what they know. I appreciate that they tried to work in a number of genres, but they should really do what they do best.

Southern Movement

• This crew was one of the biggest surprises of the night for me. I thought maybe their country western Hick Hop as just a gimmick, but I liked how they infused two styles into something new and original. Like Beat Ya Feet Kings, I thought this crew really stepped it up in the Sudden Death round.  Looking forward to seeing more from them next week.

Artistry in Motion

• I’m being upfront here, I’m a bit swayed because this crew features Donyelle from S2 of SYTYCD.  But, that aside I still think they brought it last night.  Like the other crews, these ladies need to be sharper in their movements.  But I thought the choreography was interesting and I didn’t want it to end.

We are Heroes

• This all group has potential.  Right now they are no Beat Freaks, but their moves are precise and innovative.  Their pop ‘n lock tricks are incredible, but the rest of their choreography needs work. They stood in place way too long on the stage last night.  Tricks alone aren’t going to win this competition.

Rhythm City

• I remember liking this crew while I was watching, but I have to wonder what it says that I can’t remember much about them the morning after.  I remember their back story more than their dancing.  Not to say they weren’t good, I remember thinking they were, but maybe they need to be more memorable?  Maybe I need to take better notes.

Massive Monkees

• I thought these guys were fantastic! I’m sure I would have enjoyed them more if the cameramen weren’t making me nauseated with all the movement.  I thought their tricks were incredible and that their performance had a cohesiveness to it that we don’t always see this early on.  They are going to be the crew to beat early on.

Fr3Sh

• The first crew to go home last night was the right crew to go home last night.  At least based on that performance alone. I’m not sure how this crew beat out other crews during the audition process but they didn’t impress me at all.  They were all over the place.  Arms were flailing, they weren’t together, and JC was right – their smiles through the performance didn’t go with the attitude they were trying to convey during their dance.

Vogue Evolution

• Remember everything I said before about ABDC’s existing audience and how they might be resistant to change?  Hows about going crazy and putting on the stage a crew made up on gay men and a transvestite?! Now we can talk about diversity, my friends! I thought this group was hot. A very different kind of dance, and a style that I didn’t even know existed outside of Madonna videos.  Very compelling.  Their behavior during judging was distracting and obnoxious, but I can deal…for now.  I did notice certain sections of the audience who not only didn’t stand up and cheer, but had their butts firmly planted in their seats with no intention of clapping.  Did these people really just not like the routine or did they have a problem with the make-up of the crew.  Again, I think ABDC has a certain built in audience, and I’m not sure they are ready for a crew like Vogue Evolution, but I applaud the producers for putting them on that stage.

Sudden Death Round
It was Beat Ya Feet Kings vs. Southern Movement vs. Fr3Sh in the final dance off of the night.  Fr3Sh wasn’t fr3sh enough and their flag fell.  The remaining eight crews battle it out next week.

So what did you think of the premiere?  Any crews catch your attention early on?  Did you watch ABDC for the first time last night?  If so, let me know.