Delayed recap of ABDC (I don't get cable)

I love America's Best Dance Crew! Now in its 3rd season, it's running in the background of the American Idol blitz, Randy Jackson's side joint. The show flows well, with good camera work, strong production values, and dancers doing their own choreography in response to the challenges set them by the show. I never feel that the judges are talking down to the dancers or the audience, even if the show has a formula. I also love how the words you and your are banished in favor of 'y'all' and 'y'all's' by Shane and L'il Mama. Kid Rainen, a dancer from Jabbawockeez, stood in for JC Chasez as a judge, and he did a good job. This show also features Asian and Latino dancers which is how I remember growing up in California.

The crews performed in sets, with one crew from each set being sent to duel it out at the end of the show.

Strikers Allstars: stepping based. They were in sync, strong, and attractive. They don't have as much name recognition as some of the other crews, but there are a lot of steppers out there who will root for them.

Beat Freaks, an all-woman all-star B-girl crew, doing the foundational styles of hip hop: popping, locking, b-girling. Awesome! I have to root for them.

G.O.P. from Puerto Rico incorporated some salsa and reggaeton moves, but were a little ragged compared to the other groups, and they were sent to the battle at the end, while the other two crews were safe.

Quest Crew has some familiar faces: Hok, Dominic and Ryan Conferido were all on So You Think You Can Dance in previous seasons, so they bring a wide fan-base. Very charismatic, very creative, and super-talented, they may be the early favorites. On the other hand, there could be some backlash if they are seen as too privileged because of that.

Fly Khicks, Miami Heat cheerleaders, high energy strip-club style. Ugh. Yeah they can dance, but I hate the hoochy-coochy stuff. Shane's reaction was exactly what I hate about it-- it was condescending. Kid Rainen called them on it gently: yeah, you can bring the sexy, but what else?

Ringmaster, a crew from Brooklyn did "flex" dancing (double-jointed, gruesome, "bone-breaking") popping their arms out of the sockets, yeow! along with a lot of hat tricks. Amazing, scary, nobody has ever seen moves like that, including a flip off a ten-foot ladder and a guy who came out of a suitcase: originality and goosebumps! "Cirque but in a raw, street form." L'il Mama cried for her hometown crew.

Fly Khicks was sent to battle it out.

Box Cuttahs (how do you spell that? why did they pick that dumb name?) did a well-choreographed routine, with theatrical touches, humor. One gal (Korean) and a bunch of guys with charm and skills- I think they are contenders.

OK, now, this was my big surprise: the return of the CLOGGAH! (and damn Dick Clark productions for yanking every SYTYCD-related fan video from YouTube). Brandon Norris, the guy who auditioned for SYTYCD and made such a great impression, is back with a group called Dynamic Edition (seven-time clogging champions) to do a number to Black-Eyed Peas "My humps" (too much!) They sold it. They know they are on the show to represent clogging to a new audience, and they impressed. The comments I read on Twitter last night, which was how I learned the show was on again, were positive.

Team Millenia had appeared in the auditions of a previous season, but they were cut, so this is their second chance. They chose to showcase a more "rock"-inspired choreo, to differentiate themselves from the style they did when they got cut, and the fans seem to be divided on whether or not they should have done it. The judges hinted that they shouldn't go too far in that direction, and I agree.

Box Cuttahz seemed surprised that the white kids aka the cloggers were kept, but this gave them a chance to show their skills again, and they were much better.
The crews had all been asked to prepare a 30-second routine to the same music, and this was where the choreography chops showed, or didn't show. G.O.P. pulled out their moves, but the cheerleaders are seasoned competitive performers, used to pulling together new choreo, and Box whatevers have a choreographer-leader, who worked the music really well. Bye bye earnest young men from Puerto Rico! Your fans will be mad at L'il Mama, but someone had to go.

I'll be able to watch the next round online next Friday, since I don't get MTV and have to wait until the voting is over to watch the whole show online.

The two classes of 4th-graders I talked to this morning had watched the show, and when I showed them Brazilian capoeira videos, we talked about the connections between breaking and Afro-Brazilian culture. So cute!