Last night, MTV kicked off the much-anticipated fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew. This season comes to us with a few dynamic surprises.... the most welcomed of which involves the fact that there are only TWO breaking crews in the competition this year, one of which is all-female. However, one of the most talked about is the dance crew Vogue Evolution, a five-man team comprised of some of the greatest vogue femme competitors from the LGBT ballroom scene. Anchored by new-way vogue masters Pony Zion and Prince Milan, as well as the talented Dashaun Evisu and Malechi (ex-)Blahnik, the team finds its secret weapon in the legendary and innovative icon of the vogue fem style, Leyomi (ex-)Mizrahi 007. Leyomi has been revered as one of the top contenders in the ballroom scene for the past few years, bringing her signature style of fierce dramatics and acrobatic stunts and contortion to balls and clubs all across the country.
Among the other notable crews in the competition this year include Beat Ya Feet Kings, a DC-based hip-hop crew specializing in the regional dance style of the same name. Afroborike, a Latin crew of Cubans and Puerto Ricans, bring a unique style of salsa, jazz, and hip-hop fusion. Artistry In Motion, a sassy female crew out of Los Angeles, bring a strong and highly trained blend of hip-hop and jazz to the stage. Massive Monkeys, the token b-boy crew, seem to be just as athletic and theatrical in performance as past winners (and fellow breaking crews) Jabbawockeez, Super Cr3w, and Quest Crew.
Southern Movement, a self-proclaimed "hick-hop" team out of Nashville TN, lean heavily upon a "country cowboy" gimmick (which is unnecessary, judging from their strong dance talent). We Are Heroes is the all-girl breaking crew, with a certain fiery edge that definitely sets them above the competition. Fr3sh, the Asian-American hip-hop crew from Jersey, proved to be inferior in their choreography and their crowd appeal, as they were the first crew to be booted from the show. And the most notable stand-out crew from the premiere (in my opinion) is my personal favorite crew, the Bronx-based Rhythm City, who delivered one of the rawest, cleanest, most on point hip-hop performances in the show's four-season history.
Given their underrepresentation, it's safe to say that the Season 4 ABDC winner could easily NOT be a b-boy crew for the first time ever. That coupled with the current 1-in-8 chance that the W could easily go to a vogue crew, made up of some of the ball scene's greatest talents, is reason enough to keep me tuned in all season long.... or at least until Vogue Evolution is eliminated from the competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment