Here's Teldon's rewatch/review of America's Best Dance Crew Season 1, Episode 2:
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THE CREWS NOT FACING ELIMINATION:
Kaba Modern dancing to "Wall to Wall" by Chris Brown
What I liked- The last third of the performance was the best part. They added in their trademark isos and made it look easy.
What I did not like- As clean as they normally are, at least one person seemed like they were off beat. In most of their formations one person was a step or two out of place. It might be just me but they felt like they were just not into this performance as they were the previous episodes.
How well did they do the Challenge? They did a passable job. As I said earlier the timing problems were really noticeable in the mirror segment where they had to match the video.
Overall performance throughout the season- This was a stumble for them. When they were taken out their comfort zone they do good work but it doesn't match up to what they have shown us they can do.
Live In Color dancing to "Hey Mama" by Black Eyed Peas
What I liked- It was a nice change of pace for them to dance just a hair slower. Tempo changes to the song were unexpected but they handled them like pros and the transition into them were seamless. Also, their attempt at telling a story in the beginning was a nice change of pace for them. It was well thought out and fun. Finally, the fake ending was just genius.
What I did not like- The only thing that messed this up from being a perfect routine for me was formation errors.
How well did they do the Challenge? Extremely well. They matched up their part to the video and added their own elements to it.
Overall performance throughout the season- This showed that they can add some polish to a raw and hard hitting style. They kept true to themselves and showed us something new.
**As a note to add to what JC said to the crew, I will address the whole "booty shake" in the season three reviews.
JabbaWockeeZ dancing to "Ice Box" by Omarion
What I liked- All in all a solid and well thought out routine. I loved the fact they added some theatrics to their routine.
What I did not like- A little to low key and low energy for my tastes but that is just finding something to pick at.
How well did they do the Challenge? They made it look easy. They made it look like the video had come to life and most importantly they built on a good set presented by the artist and made it better.
**Though so far it seems like some groups are getting handed a get out of jail free card and some a go directly to jail card in terms of difficulty.
Overall performance throughout the season- I am starting to notice that they are telling a story each week. I may not be able to get the whole story each week but the fact they are doing that speaks volumes for their talent. I do get the impression they are holding back alot at this point though.
BreakSk8 dancing to "Get Up" by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire
What I liked- OK these boys CAN dance. I liked the fact they could be sexy and strong at the same time and not over do it. Transitions were handled smoothly and cleanly.
What I did not like- The last third of the routine was unnecessary fan service that felt completely out of place and drug the whole performance down. Only other thing was a few minor formation errors.
How well did they do the Challenge? Like KM before them they were pulled out their comfort zone. They handled it well and most importantly they made it their own.
Mini rant- I know this is a trend in all seasons when an all male crew is given feminine moves to do and they ALWAYS complain about it. Look guys (and this applies to all the dancers in all seasons)
you should be secure enough in your manhood to be able to bitch it up a bit. The female dancers on the show have to butch it up all the time. It will not make you gay to dance a bit feminine. The only thing that will make you gay is if you already are gay.
Overall performance throughout the season- Each week they keep adding a bit more to their routines. The major problems I had with them in the beginning are slowly getting worked at.
ICONic dancing to "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
What I liked- In the beginning of the routine where they hid the sisters behind two of the men. These ladies matched their moves perfectly to others and you did not see them until the reveal. While on the subject of the sisters it was nice to see that they could hold their own when left to their own devices. The crew as a whole gave very good levels as well.
What I did not like- I want to say a formation error or two but I re-watched 5 that part five times and still cant tell if it was the camera or not. Overall a good routine but not enough energy. In addition, I am glad the sisters got to show off their athletic side but it really was not that strong.
How well did they do the Challenge? They proved they could do hard core hip hop. No glaring screw ups during the mirror segment.
Overall performance throughout the season- They keep doing well by giving strong performances but so far there is no real variety in their acts. They need to add some OMPH! to their sets.
Status Quo dancing to "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer
What I liked- OMG loved the retro vibe and style these guys did at the beginning! The part in the middle were they did the classic "one guy lost" part helped add to the routine overall. They thought out and made a good beginning and middle to the routine.
What I did not like- The stunts seemed out of place this time around. I felt they took away from the routine as a whole. As much as I liked the "one guy lost" in the middle he was trying to hide the fact that the big guy dancer behind him, really was lost during that part. As before they were sloppy through out the whole routine with numerous formation errors. Finally the ending part of the routine was completely out of place and not needed at all.
How well did they do the Challenge? As someone who remembers when Hammer was THE **** back in the day they did do his style justice. Bravo!
Overall performance throughout the season- They seem to wear their heart on their sleeves and that does affect them. Also, it seems like for every step in the right direction, they take two backwards. I know they have athletic members in their crew but they really need to think about when they should add those parts and not just do them becuase they are cool.
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THE BOTTOM TWO
Did America get it right from the week before? Yes they did. As much as I like these two crews they should have been the bottom the week before when the judges had the say so. I am glad America caught it as well and made them fight for their lives.
Fysh N Chicks dancing to "Freakum Dress" by Beyoncé
What I liked- Hands down they were the first crew to own their opening that night. They showed they could be fierce and sexy no matter what they danced in.
What I did not like- Half way through the performance you could feel how uncomfortable they were with the heels and the outfits. This caused many formation errors and timing issues.
How well did they do the Challenge? as above they showed they could do it even though they did not like it.
Overall performance throughout the season- It feels like they are falling further and further behind the other crews at this point. They are all over their map when it comes to their style and I think
they are losing their confidence they had at the beginning.
Femme 5 dancing to "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
What I liked- Again another crew that killed the opening. Throughout the whole performance they clever formations and formation changes. They stepped up their game over the last two weeks.
What I did not like- I only caught this in later viewings but some of the girls missed their marks or moves. It seemed crazy that the principle dancer moved off to the side and another girl was given the stage.
How well did they do the Challenge? very well. I felt like I was watching a Gwen performance
Overall performance throughout the season- They brought back there strong vibe they had at the beginning. They showed they could stand on even ground with the rest of teh crews.
Did the judges get it right? No. While Femme 5 did make a few more mistakes, I really had to look for them. FnC's errors were more noticable. In addtion F5's routine was more entertaing in my opinion. Maybe the judges took the dancing in heels into account a bit more. Who knows.
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Thoughts on the eliminated crew: Femme 5 had lots of potential to become a much better crew. Overall they were just finding who they were as a group and I think they could have made top five easy. Good job ladies! If you got to go, go like you did. With one of the best performances of the night.
My rankings for this performance:
1. Live in Color (+4)
2. Jabbawockeez (-)
3. Femme 5 (+6)
4. ICONic (+2)
5. Break S8 (-2)
6. Fysh n Chicks (+2)
7. Kaba Modern (-6)
8. Status Quo (-3)
Power Rankings (based on average score for all shows to date)
1. Kaba Modern (6.7)
2. Jabbawockeez (6.3)
2. ICONic (6.3)
4. Live in Color (5.3)
5. Break Sk8 (4.3)
5. Femme 5 (4.3) (eliminated)
5. Fysh n Chicks (4.3)
8. Status Quo (3)
9. Enigma Dance Kru (9th place)
Click here to return to the first page and to leave comments. Thanks again Teldon for the rewatches!
---------------------------------------------
THE CREWS NOT FACING ELIMINATION:
Kaba Modern dancing to "Wall to Wall" by Chris Brown
What I liked- The last third of the performance was the best part. They added in their trademark isos and made it look easy.
What I did not like- As clean as they normally are, at least one person seemed like they were off beat. In most of their formations one person was a step or two out of place. It might be just me but they felt like they were just not into this performance as they were the previous episodes.
How well did they do the Challenge? They did a passable job. As I said earlier the timing problems were really noticeable in the mirror segment where they had to match the video.
Overall performance throughout the season- This was a stumble for them. When they were taken out their comfort zone they do good work but it doesn't match up to what they have shown us they can do.
Live In Color dancing to "Hey Mama" by Black Eyed Peas
What I liked- It was a nice change of pace for them to dance just a hair slower. Tempo changes to the song were unexpected but they handled them like pros and the transition into them were seamless. Also, their attempt at telling a story in the beginning was a nice change of pace for them. It was well thought out and fun. Finally, the fake ending was just genius.
What I did not like- The only thing that messed this up from being a perfect routine for me was formation errors.
How well did they do the Challenge? Extremely well. They matched up their part to the video and added their own elements to it.
Overall performance throughout the season- This showed that they can add some polish to a raw and hard hitting style. They kept true to themselves and showed us something new.
**As a note to add to what JC said to the crew, I will address the whole "booty shake" in the season three reviews.
JabbaWockeeZ dancing to "Ice Box" by Omarion
What I liked- All in all a solid and well thought out routine. I loved the fact they added some theatrics to their routine.
What I did not like- A little to low key and low energy for my tastes but that is just finding something to pick at.
How well did they do the Challenge? They made it look easy. They made it look like the video had come to life and most importantly they built on a good set presented by the artist and made it better.
**Though so far it seems like some groups are getting handed a get out of jail free card and some a go directly to jail card in terms of difficulty.
Overall performance throughout the season- I am starting to notice that they are telling a story each week. I may not be able to get the whole story each week but the fact they are doing that speaks volumes for their talent. I do get the impression they are holding back alot at this point though.
BreakSk8 dancing to "Get Up" by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire
What I liked- OK these boys CAN dance. I liked the fact they could be sexy and strong at the same time and not over do it. Transitions were handled smoothly and cleanly.
What I did not like- The last third of the routine was unnecessary fan service that felt completely out of place and drug the whole performance down. Only other thing was a few minor formation errors.
How well did they do the Challenge? Like KM before them they were pulled out their comfort zone. They handled it well and most importantly they made it their own.
Mini rant- I know this is a trend in all seasons when an all male crew is given feminine moves to do and they ALWAYS complain about it. Look guys (and this applies to all the dancers in all seasons)
you should be secure enough in your manhood to be able to bitch it up a bit. The female dancers on the show have to butch it up all the time. It will not make you gay to dance a bit feminine. The only thing that will make you gay is if you already are gay.
Overall performance throughout the season- Each week they keep adding a bit more to their routines. The major problems I had with them in the beginning are slowly getting worked at.
ICONic dancing to "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
What I liked- In the beginning of the routine where they hid the sisters behind two of the men. These ladies matched their moves perfectly to others and you did not see them until the reveal. While on the subject of the sisters it was nice to see that they could hold their own when left to their own devices. The crew as a whole gave very good levels as well.
What I did not like- I want to say a formation error or two but I re-watched 5 that part five times and still cant tell if it was the camera or not. Overall a good routine but not enough energy. In addition, I am glad the sisters got to show off their athletic side but it really was not that strong.
How well did they do the Challenge? They proved they could do hard core hip hop. No glaring screw ups during the mirror segment.
Overall performance throughout the season- They keep doing well by giving strong performances but so far there is no real variety in their acts. They need to add some OMPH! to their sets.
Status Quo dancing to "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer
What I liked- OMG loved the retro vibe and style these guys did at the beginning! The part in the middle were they did the classic "one guy lost" part helped add to the routine overall. They thought out and made a good beginning and middle to the routine.
What I did not like- The stunts seemed out of place this time around. I felt they took away from the routine as a whole. As much as I liked the "one guy lost" in the middle he was trying to hide the fact that the big guy dancer behind him, really was lost during that part. As before they were sloppy through out the whole routine with numerous formation errors. Finally the ending part of the routine was completely out of place and not needed at all.
How well did they do the Challenge? As someone who remembers when Hammer was THE **** back in the day they did do his style justice. Bravo!
Overall performance throughout the season- They seem to wear their heart on their sleeves and that does affect them. Also, it seems like for every step in the right direction, they take two backwards. I know they have athletic members in their crew but they really need to think about when they should add those parts and not just do them becuase they are cool.
----------------------------------------
THE BOTTOM TWO
Did America get it right from the week before? Yes they did. As much as I like these two crews they should have been the bottom the week before when the judges had the say so. I am glad America caught it as well and made them fight for their lives.
Fysh N Chicks dancing to "Freakum Dress" by Beyoncé
What I liked- Hands down they were the first crew to own their opening that night. They showed they could be fierce and sexy no matter what they danced in.
What I did not like- Half way through the performance you could feel how uncomfortable they were with the heels and the outfits. This caused many formation errors and timing issues.
How well did they do the Challenge? as above they showed they could do it even though they did not like it.
Overall performance throughout the season- It feels like they are falling further and further behind the other crews at this point. They are all over their map when it comes to their style and I think
they are losing their confidence they had at the beginning.
Femme 5 dancing to "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
What I liked- Again another crew that killed the opening. Throughout the whole performance they clever formations and formation changes. They stepped up their game over the last two weeks.
What I did not like- I only caught this in later viewings but some of the girls missed their marks or moves. It seemed crazy that the principle dancer moved off to the side and another girl was given the stage.
How well did they do the Challenge? very well. I felt like I was watching a Gwen performance
Overall performance throughout the season- They brought back there strong vibe they had at the beginning. They showed they could stand on even ground with the rest of teh crews.
Did the judges get it right? No. While Femme 5 did make a few more mistakes, I really had to look for them. FnC's errors were more noticable. In addtion F5's routine was more entertaing in my opinion. Maybe the judges took the dancing in heels into account a bit more. Who knows.
----------------------------------------
Thoughts on the eliminated crew: Femme 5 had lots of potential to become a much better crew. Overall they were just finding who they were as a group and I think they could have made top five easy. Good job ladies! If you got to go, go like you did. With one of the best performances of the night.
My rankings for this performance:
1. Live in Color (+4)
2. Jabbawockeez (-)
3. Femme 5 (+6)
4. ICONic (+2)
5. Break S8 (-2)
6. Fysh n Chicks (+2)
7. Kaba Modern (-6)
8. Status Quo (-3)
Power Rankings (based on average score for all shows to date)
1. Kaba Modern (6.7)
2. Jabbawockeez (6.3)
2. ICONic (6.3)
4. Live in Color (5.3)
5. Break Sk8 (4.3)
5. Femme 5 (4.3) (eliminated)
5. Fysh n Chicks (4.3)
8. Status Quo (3)
9. Enigma Dance Kru (9th place)
Click here to return to the first page and to leave comments. Thanks again Teldon for the rewatches!
