America's Best Dance Crew: Season 4

Season 4 premieres tonight at 9pm. 9 crews will be competing for the title of America's Best Dance Crew. Here are the crews and brief background (from MTV.com): [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3341"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f513732e3f.jpg[/IMG][/URL] AfroBoriké Las Vegas, NV AfroBoriké is bringing a Latin-American fire to [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I]. Previously, all the members of AfroBoriké danced together in a Las Vegas show called "Fuego Raw Talent." Elisabet, Zoeth, Miguel, Josué all hail from Puerto Rico while Alain is from Cuba. They combine their different island styles to make an eclectic type of dance. These dancers have had very strict training and are eager to show off their island flair. The Cuban members bring folk, mambo and salsa techniques while the Puerto Ricans bring a Reggae-meets-hip-hop groove. AfroBoriké is a crew of experienced, passionate dancers. Zoeth says that their different backgrounds will make them stand out. "We will be the difference in the show, something new, with good ideas and concepts," she says. They describe their style as "spicy" and "exciting" and hope that their hot moves will win enough votes to crown them [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I]. [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3342"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f519d22695.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Artistry in Motion Hollywood, CA Artistry in Motion is a group of ladies on a dancing mission. They are trying to unite the hip-hop and contemporary styles of dancing and turn it into a genre they call "contemp-hop." The girls hail from all different parts of North America and have combined their individual styles into something special -- special enough to get gigs dancing with artists such as Missy Elliot, Black Eyed Peas, Wayne Brady, Lloyd, Ludacris and Gnarls Barkley. "We wanted to make sure that we pay respect to where the term 'crew' originated," they said, "which is the hip-hop dance community." To do this, these experienced dancers will utilize their training in hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, ballet and modern styles. If they look familiar, it's because they have been seen on [I]So You Think You Can Dance?[/I], [I]The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[/I], [I]Tyra[/I] and a variety of television commercials. The girls are excited about bringing together many different styles of dance for [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I] and think their "contemp-hop" is good enough to get them to the top. [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3343"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f51f2854b7.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Beat Ya Feet Kings Washington DC Formed just three years ago, Beat Ya Feet Kings is a young dance group from Washington, D.C. After attending school together, Richard, Dante and Jose formed the crew to go up against the Krump Kings in a dance competition. Porché and Brandon were recruited later and now the group has an unbeatable connection. Beat Ya Feet Kings have been featured on [I]Showtime at the Apollo[/I] and at DanceAfrica. They have also been involved with music videos by Tabi Bonney and Wale. They like all kinds of music, but their favorite to dance to is drum-heavy go-go music, which also originated in D.C. Their spontaneous dancing also has some West African influences and the members blend their signature moves and techniques into a cohesive style. When they dance, they do so with a purpose. Armed with the message "Stop the Violence and Dance," they are on a mission to end the violence that occurs in many of D.C.'s poorest neighborhoods. Richard is convinced that they will be getting the entire country beating their feet. Will they beat their feet hard enough to win [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I]? [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3344"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f52729f681.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Fr3sh Matawan, NJ Fr3sh started in 2003 in Matawan, New Jersey. Founded by Adrian Causing, Fr3sh started as a group of friends dancing for fun. It has since evolved into a huge dance company. These seven dancers are the backbone of the company and are ready to take on [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I]. The members have a variety of training, including jazz, ballet and hip-hop but they are not interested in dancing with the same precision as they were previously taught. Cindy says that one thing that makes their group unique is their "ridiculous and silly" moves, and that's what will help them win this competition. Leslie thinks that other dance crews take themselves too seriously, but you can expect the opposite from Fr3sh. While they are all passionate about dancing, they think the most important thing is to have fun. The members of Fr3sh combine their professional training with a sassy and lighthearted attitude to show how much fun dancing can be if you let it happen naturally. It looks like that might be a winning combination; they won first place in the 2008 East Coast Dance Competition in Washington, D.C., which helped put them on the map and allowed them to be featured in many performances and competitions around the country. They've proven they can work a crowd and they are going to try to win over all of America in order to be known as the "best." [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3345"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f52c0b4ade.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Massive Monkees Seattle, WA Massive Monkees are bringing their massive resume from Seattle to the [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I] stage. Two separate dance groups, Massive and Untouchable Style Monkeys, merged in 2000, forming the super group known as Massive Monkees. This breakdancing crew is no stranger to competition; in 2004, they won first place in the BBoy World Championship 4-on-4 event in London and have appeared in many contests since then. They have also been featured on an episode of MTV's [I]MADE[/I] and have danced on stage with artists such as Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Public Enemy, Ludacris and 50 Cent, among others. Although they have made quite an impact on the international dance world, they also continue to focus on their local community. They offer breakdancing workshops to Seattle's youth and teach the kids to express themselves through dancing (the mayor of Seattle even named a holiday, "Massive Monkees Day," in honor of this crew's contributions). Jerome thinks that experience, chemistry and unique style will be exactly what the Massive Monkees need to be [I]America's Best Dance Crew.[/I] [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3346"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f5303cd0b0.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Rhythm City The Bronx, NY Originating from the Bronx, New York, Rhythm City captures the essence of hip-hop in their own rare form. Led by Alonzo Williams, the crew was founded in 2006 as part of the non-profit hip-hop dance organization Rhythm City Inc. Since then, the crew has traveled to compete on national and international stages. They have also appeared on BET and in several music videos. The members' talents don't end at dancing though. Dominique Rosario is also an upcoming R&B artist, whom Alonzo also produces and manages, and uses her dancing skills to amplify her singing talent. When it comes to influences, Alonzo insists his choreography style is all his own. "I pretty much learned from the streets and I can almost say I developed my own style. I try not to focus on any other dancer or choreographer style because I love to be original, new and creative... Michael and Usher would be favorite influence though." [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3347"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f534aa35a5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Southern Movement Nashville, TN Straight out of the country music capital of the world, Southern Movement combines their love of country music with a hip-hop flavor. Justin, Carone, Darren, Todd and Kemmian met back in 2004 when they battled against each other on the local dance scene at Middle Tennesse State University. "After seeing everyone's chemistry on stage, we decided to come together in 2005 after Middle Tennessee State University's 'Bring it to the Stage' battle," says Kemmian. In 2007, Jay was added to the crew. Then in 2008 the crew became complete when Sherita joined the team. According to the group, after a heartfelt discussion, each crew member realized their goal was the same: to strive for success beyond local exposure. Since then the crew has been fusing their love of pop artists like Michael Jackson along with their love of country by combing country line dancing and hip-hop moves together. "It makes us unique because it's so unexpected," says Jay. This honky-tonk beat-boxing crew insists while they may appear to be the underdog they have an edge on the rest of the competition. "We are one of the first crews from Tennessee to try and break the barrier of the line dancing country bumpkins and show [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I] that we can take hip hop to a new level," says Sherita. [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3348"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f53945a8cb.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Vogue Evolution New York, NY From the underground ballrooms of New York City the members of Vogue Evolution have set out to spread their unique dancing style into the mainstream. The crew comprises of some of the most respected dancers in New York's "Vogue" house/ballroom scene, which has been around since the Harlem Renaissance. The guys, who were once competitors in the underground "ball" scene, decided to take [I]ABDC[/I] by storm and create a performing group under the direction of Devon and Dashaun. What they came up with was the best of the best in their scene. But dancing isn't the only thing these guys do. They have a hand in educating their community on HIV/AIDS and the importance of getting tested. The crew is a dance power house group. Each member has surpassed incredible feats at young ages, from numerous awards to appearances on television. More notably, Pony choreographed for Mariah Carey and Dashaun is even the creator of the "5,000" dance move. Why does Vogue Evolution think they'll take the [I]ABDC[/I] crown? "Our style has been replicated by so many people that do not execute the specific steps correctly," Dashuan says. "We as a crew selected the best from the scene to show the mainstream where it's from." [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3349"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/15504a7f53d7b5cc4.jpg[/IMG][/URL] We Are Heroes Los Angeles, CA Japanese-born Hiroka "Hero" Mcrae started the Heroes dance crew in Los Angeles with one goal in mind: to prove that females can hold their own in the hip-hop dance world. These five girls have different dancing backgrounds, including ballroom and hip-hop, but they all share a fierce feminine flair. They've also got a couple of athletes and gymnasts in the mix to add something special to their set. In addition, these ladies have worked with such stars as Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Ciara and Earth, Wind & Fire. We Are Heroes have a strong work ethic and are very determined to win this competition. They want to be the first all-female ensemble to win [I]America's Best Dance Crew[/I], and Nichelle thinks that their "creative and inventive" moves will be exactly what America wants to see.