AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW: Beyonce Challenge

The second week of AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW may have aired last Sunday but I’m just getting down to watching it now. Sorry for the delay. Forgive me?  No?  Well how about if I tell you that I might be getting you the straight on, behind-the-scenes scoop on ABDC live and in-person?  It looks like yours truly will be watching the crews perform during a taping next month in L.A.  Stay tuned…

For now, a super quick look at the each of the crews as they take on the ultimate diva, Beyonce.

We Are Heroes were up first and they took on Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”.  And hot damn did these ladies kill that routine.  Their choreo was intricate, interesting and innovative.  Always something to watch.  They were tight and they nailed the spirit of Beyonce.  A really entertaining performance.  My one criticism was that they didn’t look like they were having much fun. I don’t know if they were stuck in their own heads or what, but their lack of facial expressions took away a little from the performance.

Beyonce asked Rhythm City to bring the 20’s into 2009 and incorporate an updated Charleston into a routine set to her single, “Sweet Dreams”. A very entertaining and superbly performed routine. I liked their use of the bed as one of their stage props. We Are Heroes set the bar super high tonight and while I think this group was hot, I don’t think they jumped over the ladies that went before them.

Massive Monkees had to incorporate hula hoops in their routine set to Beyonce’s “Work it Out”. Not an easy thing, but I think these cats are talented enough to pull it off. And that they did.  But not to the level that I thought they would.  I thought they relied on the hoops too much as part of their choreo.  Some of their tricks were insane – how about when the guy flew over the four hoops while another guys was flying through them…what?! – but overall it felt like the hulu hoops were holding them back rather than enhancing their performance.

Uh Oh, Uh Oh, Uh Oh….that’s what the Beat Ya Feet Kings will be saying if they don’t nail the Uh Oh dance from Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”.  And Uh Oh was right.  I thought this was a mess.  Their transitions were sloppy and their choreo was interesting or exciting.  I think that routine could have been drawn up by some high school kids.  Not good, BYF Kings.

The Nashville natives of Southern Movement had to bounce, twist and dip like Beyonce did in “Jumpin’ Jumpin”. And they did, but they didn’t do it all that well.  Again, the choreography wasn’t at the level where it needs to be for this competition.  The mandatory moves were so simple on this one that this crew basically had free reign to design a crazy routine and just almost throw in the bounces, shakes and dips.  And I know this isn’t Project Runway, but I have to say that their outfits were so hideous that they were really distracting.  The guys looked like country bumpkins and the sole female of the group looked like she was waiting on a street corner in the dirrty south.

Look fast and you might think Beyonce herself was working the ABDC stage this week.  But don’t be fooled, it was just the sickly talented Leiomy from Vogue Evolution. Girl worked Beyonce over on that stage (and she has better legs too but don’t tell Beyonce).  I despise lip syncing during dance performances but tonight I was actually wishing that Leiomy did a full on performance.  Loved it!!  The ladies worked the entire stage and brought us a fully thought out performance.  This isn’t a crew that has to rely on tricks, they bring originality through their own style.  I’m not sure I saw that much of the African inspired dance, but I don’t know that I cared.

The sexy ladies of Artistry in Motion were all chained up during their performance.  Forced to incorporate a chain into their routine, the ladies felt a little all over the place.  They were hot, but they all looked like back up dancers instead of women who were dancing center stage.  The visual of Donyelle flipping the switch and chaining up the other girls was hot though. Sexy yes…America’s Best Dance Crew….not yet.

AfroBorike was asked to incorporate come belly dancing into their routine set to Beyonce’s “Beautiful Liar”. And the award for this week’s most improved crew definitely belongs with this group of dancers.  Though they still can work a little bit on getting more n’sync (that one was for you JC) and improve on their facial expressions, I thought this was hot biznatch!! Their choreo was some of the best of the night.  And how about that kick turn spin?  What?! They would get my vote tonight because I think they put in those most effort to bring it up to the next level tonight!

In the end we had to say goodbye to one crew and sadly that crew was Artistry in Motion.  They weren’t the weakest crew at all tonight, but based on America’s votes and the final face-off against AfroBorike, they were the ones to go.  Bye ladies…you did yourselves proud.

Your favorite crew of this week?  Any early favorites for the season? Who do you see going far in this year’s ABDC?