MuchMusic.com | Blog

Before we start off talking about the dancin’, I need to mention that in this week’s episode, both Miley Cyrus and Hayden Panettiere were in the studio audience with perma-smiles stuck on their faces. Let it be known that celebs love their dance crews, ‘cuz you know, nothing says “street” like plastic, pretty rich people.

Regardless, Episode 4 of America’s Best Dance Crew starts off with a bang as front-runners JabbaWockeeZ are up first. This week’s challenge is to portray movie characters through dance, using set pieces and props. First, this gets me excited, because I think they would have to recreate famous characters and scenes through dance, but no - they simply have to take on a famous movie archetypes. Booooring! …or is it?

Part 1 - JabbaWockeeZ

Characters: Thieves
Song: 50 Cent (Feat. Justin Timberlake) “Ayo Technology”

Wow - not too shabby. Can these boys do anything poorly?! Doesn’t look like it. Breakdancing on car hoods, sneaking their stolen goods around the stage and providing Lil Mama with her very own pink bedazzled JabbaWockeeZ mask, I’m sure they will have the judges in the palm of their hands. Judges?

JC: “The difficulty level wasn’t very high with the dancing. It was great and tight but just the difficulty level wasn’t high.”
Lil Mama: “Y’all really gave a story. It was hot.”
Shane: “I disagree a little bit with you JC. This wasn’t about the choreography this time - it was about telling the story. Y’all did that very well.”

Yes, that’s right Shane - put JC in. his. PLACE!

Part 2 - Kaba Modern

Characters: Popular Girls & Geeks
Song: Snoop Dogg “Sensual Seduction”

I’m not sure how conducive this back-alley, beat-up parking lot set is for the characters of geeks and popular girls. The geeks look out of place and the girls look like hookers, but whatever, I’ll go with it. And once again, Kaba Modern makes it work. The popular girls are actually robotic women created by the geeks! Brilliant! But just like JabbaWockeeZ, their choreography took a backseat to the story. Is this trend going to continue tonight?

Judges?

Shane: “This is like Weird Science 2008…? Guys, y’all just smashed the girls this time.”
JC: “Weird Science meets Revenge of the Nerds. It was great. I had fun with that.”
Lil Mama: “It was very tasteful and you aced it.”

Part 3 - Status Quo

Characters: Tuners…? (I can’t understand that girl’s accent. At first I thought she had said “Tudors” but no, I think she said “tuners” as in mechanics).
Song: Bow Wow & Omarion “Hey Baby”

Ha! Flips! Jumps! Spins! And a little JabbaWockeeZ jab at the end! These guys have gotten better and better. I used to find them arrogant and annoying, but now they are showing how good they actually are. Nicely done Status Quo… Nicely done.

Judges?

Lil Mama: “I think ya’ll are very humorous and animated and that’s something you guys should never let go. That was mad funny.”
JC: “It was a full crew this time. You gotta highlight the group and that was great. It was like a kid in a candy store.”
Shane: “The jump off the car. Woohoo! But y’all can’t miss stuff, cuz the past two groups demolished everything, so we can’t miss no more, OK? But good job, Status!”

Part 4 - BreakSk8

Characters: Basketballers (but according to one group member it’s also synonymous with “hustlers.” Apparently).
Song: Baby Bash “What Is It”

Mario Lopez: “Can they score points with the audience without dropping the ball?” Good one, AC Slater.

OK ok hold up hold up. I’ve been getting annoyed with these guys lately. They’ve been sloppy in the past and their skates are starting to become more of a crutch - it at times limits and hinders them. HOwever this might be the best performance I have seen from them. It looks like they’ve been trying something new and it works! Some full on breakdancing, b-ball handling and one or two stunts thrown in - I was impressed. But then again, I’m an idiot. What do the pros think?

JC: “This is great, but it got a little slow in the middle and I have no idea what the crates are about. I don’t quite understand that part of it.”
Lil mama: “I think this was y’all best performance. I was excited. When y’all got to the crates - it was clear what y’all were doing. It was so on point. Y’all did your thing.”
Shane: “Y’all in a world of your own. The crates was great, y’all used the ball well, y’all are underestimated cuz y’all are the most versatile group on this show.”

So what have we learned? JC doesn’t like crates. Got it.

Part 5 - Fysh n Chicks & Live In Color

The Bottom Two Showdown! First up, Fysh n Chicks…

Characters: Business women getting off work and hitting the town.
Song: Nelly Furtado “Maneater”

Last week we learned that, since they are local, Fysh n Chicks have the craziest fans in the studio audience, hence why they get such crazy cheers. Does it mean they’re the best? Nope. This performance, although decent, was not as good as the performances that we’ve already seen tonight. The tap-dancing was definitely cool, but Maneater? Savage business women? It has so much potential, but it looks as if these “chicks” have reached quittin’ time.

And then there’s Live In Color…

Characters: Vampires and Damsels in Distress.
Song: OutKast “Bombs Over Baghdad”

Powerful and punchy, this group knows what they are doing. They looked hot in their vampire gear, their moves were tight and high energy, and some of the visuals were impressive and disturbing. If I had to put money on it, Live In Color would definitely be the ones who are staying. But who knows what the judges will say - that JC character is cranky tonight.

Shane: “Fysh n Chicks - this whole performance represents your crew and I want to give y’all props for that.”
Lil Mama “Live In Color - I think y’all buttons were definitely pushed tonight. Y’all danced so hungry it didn’t make no sense. I felt y’all performance, I could have cried. Y’all smashed it.”
JC: “The talent level of both of these groups deserves to be on this show. Both of you took the stage like winners.”

Aw JC… not so cranky after all.

And of course, ELIMINATION TIME! Oh wow - Fysh n Chicks keep hanging on by a thread. A thread attached to a fishing rod. (Hey-o!) These girls are sticking around. Good thing I didn’t put actual money where my mouth was, cuz I’d be out a whole 2 dollars.

And now the tears, Live In Color. Don’t let your banner hit you on your head on your way out! Ha! But nah, I kid - I liked these guys. They will be missed.

Photographs courtesy Warner Bros.

Posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 am by Kat and is filed under We <3 TV.

Related Articles:

• Dance Crew Episode 5 Recap
• Dance Crew Episode 7 Recap
• Dance Crew Episode 2 Recap
• Dance Crew Episode 3 Recap
• Dance Crew Episode 6 Recap