America's Best Dance Crew season 4
Template:Infobox reality music competition The fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on August 9, 2009 and concluded on September 27, 2009.[1] All three judges and host Mario Lopez and backstage correspondent Layla Kayleigh from the previous seasons signed on for season 4. However, for the first time since the beginning of ABDC, DJ Rashida was not present as the show's DJ, as she was touring with Lady Gaga and JabbaWockeeZ. Preceding the first broadcast, MTV announced in a broadcast trailer that the show would be moving to its new Sunday night slot at 9pm ET/PT for the duration of the season. In Canada, MuchMusic aired this season at the same time as its MTV broadcast. In previous seasons, it was aired 3 days after MTV aired it. Unlike previous seasons, there was no live audition special. In the live season finale, We Are Heroes was declared the winner of Season 4 and received the $100,000 (USD) prize.
On August 2, 2009, as a prologue for the season, the show premiered a special hosted by Randy Jackson called "The Top 10 Performances of All Time", where Randy showed his top 10 routines from the first three seasons.
This was also the last season to feature Shane Sparks as a judge.
Crews
Like Season 3, nine crews were selected in this season of America's Best Dance Crew. Also, like the previous season, there was no live audition special. The nine crews were not officially divided by regions, but each crew's banner still listed where each crew was from. This was also the first season to showcase crews from three regions instead of the usual four. Continuing the show's crossover with So You Think You Can Dance, among the competitors this season were Donyelle Jones from Artistry in Motion, a finalist from the second season of So You Think You Can Dance.
MTV began casting for Season 4 on June 6, 2009 in Los Angeles. The crews were chosen from across America from the four audition cities: New York, New York, Chicago, Illinois, Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles, California.
| Dance Crew | Hometown | Region |
|---|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | Las Vegas, Nevada | West |
| Artistry in Motion | North Hollywood, California | West |
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | Washington, D.C. | East |
| Fr3sh | Matawan, New Jersey | East |
| Massive Monkees | Seattle, Washington | West |
| Rhythm City | Bronx, New York | East |
| Southern Movement | Nashville, Tennessee | South |
| Vogue Evolution | New York, New York | East |
| We Are Heroes | Los Angeles, California | West |
Results
| Eliminated | Bottom 3 | Bottom 2 | Runner-up | Winner |
| Week: | 8/91 | 8/16 | 8/23 | 8/30 | 9/6 | 9/13 | 9/20 | 9/27 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Dance Crews | Result | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | We Are Heroes | BTM2 | BTM2 | BTM2 | WINNER | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | AfroBoriké | BTM2 | RUNNER-UP | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Massive Monkees | BTM2 | ELIM | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Rhythm City | BTM2 | ELIM | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Vogue Evolution | ELIM | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Beat Ya Feet Kings | BTM3 | ELIM | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Southern Movement | BTM3 | ELIM | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Artistry in Motion | ELIM | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Fr3sh | ELIM | |||||||||||||||||
| ^Note 1 : This was the season premiere instead of the Live Auditions. | |||||||||||||||||||
Episodes
- Starting from the Final 5, when a crew gets eliminated, they take a look back at the eliminated crew's journey on the show while playing "If Tonight is My Last" by Laura Izibor.
Week 1: Crew's Choice Challenge (August 9, 2009)
The nine new crews vying for the title of America's Best Dance Crew chose a song that best showcased their talent in the season premiere.[2] After the bottom three were chosen by the judges, the crews had to face each other in a dance battle to "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas.[3]
| Crew | Song[3] |
|---|---|
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | "Skillet" by Backyard Band |
| We Are Heroes | "Waters of Nazareth" by Justice |
| AfroBoriké | "Aguanile" by Marc Anthony |
| Massive Monkees | "Kill Joy" by N.E.R.D. |
| Artistry in Motion | "SFM" by Basement Jaxx |
| Southern Movement | "Sideways" by Dierks Bentley |
| Rhythm City | "Life of a Star" by Mims |
| Fr3sh | "Ante Up" by M.O.P. |
| Vogue Evolution | "Took the Night" by Chelley |
- Safe: We Are Heroes, AfroBoriké, Massive Monkees, Artistry in Motion, Rhythm City, Vogue Evolution
- Bottom 3: Beat Ya Feet Kings, Southern Movement, Fr3sh
- Eliminated: Fr3sh
Week 2: Beyoncé Challenge (August 16, 2009)
Beyoncé stopped by to hand out the challenges for the crews, who had to use her music videos and tour performances as inspiration for their routines.[4]
| Crew | Song[5] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| We Are Heroes | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | Take the section of the video known as "The Grind" and create strobe effects. |
| Rhythm City | "Sweet Dreams" | Update "The Charleston" which is featured in the video. |
| Massive Monkees | "Work It Out" | Dance with hula hoops without accidentally dropping them. |
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | "Crazy In Love" | Booty-pop with never before seen flare. |
| Southern Movement | "Jumpin' Jumpin'" by Destiny's Child | Bust out all of the moves from the video with new creativity. |
| Vogue Evolution | "Déjà Vu" | Perform African-style dancing within their routine. |
| Artistry in Motion | "Diva" | Perform with chains incorporating the entire crew. |
| AfroBoriké | "Beautiful Liar" by Beyoncé and Shakira | Work exotic Shakira-like moves into the routine. |
- Safe: We Are Heroes, Rhythm City, Massive Monkees, Beat Ya Feet Kings, Southern Movement, Vogue Evolution
- Bottom 2: Artistry in Motion, AfroBoriké
- Eliminated: Artistry in Motion
Week 3: Martial Arts Challenge (August 23, 2009)
The crews had to incorporate martial-arts moves into their routines. Quest Crew's Steve Terada appeared as a guest instructor.[6]
| Crew | Song[7] | Martial Art | Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" by Pitbull | Capoeira | Cartwheel |
| We Are Heroes | "Starstrukk" by 3OH!3 | Karate | The Flying Fist |
| Vogue Evolution | "Work" by Ciara featuring Missy Elliott | Shaolin Kung Fu | Tiger-Style move |
| Massive Monkees | "Bounce" by MSTRKRFT featuring NORE | Extreme Martial Arts | The 540 kick |
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | "Chillin'" by Wale featuring Lady Gaga | Taekwondo | Foot Fake |
| Rhythm City | "La La La" by LMFAO | Muay Thai | Killer Elbow |
| Southern Movement | "Ugly" by Bubba Sparxxx | Kali | Knee Slide |
- Safe: AfroBoriké, We Are Heroes, Vogue Evolution, Massive Monkees, Beat Ya Feet Kings
- Bottom 2: Rhythm City, Southern Movement
- Eliminated: Southern Movement
Week 4: Bollywood Challenge (August 30, 2009)
The six remaining crews were challenged to infuse the flavor of the popular Bollywood culture into their routines.[8] In order to learn the complex Indian-themed dance style, the crews met with renowned Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan.[9]
| Crew | Song[10] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Massive Monkees | "Bang" by Rye Rye featuring M.I.A. | Bhangra |
| Vogue Evolution | "Calabria 2008" by Enur | Rajasthani |
| Rhythm City | "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" by A.R. Rahman and Pussycat Dolls | Bharatanatyam |
| AfroBoriké | "Dance Bailalo" by Kat DeLuna | Kathak |
| We Are Heroes | "Arab Money" by Busta Rhymes and Ron Browz | Giddha |
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | "So Fine" by Sean Paul | Garba |
- Safe: Massive Monkees, Vogue Evolution, Rhythm City, AfroBoriké
- Bottom 2: We Are Heroes, Beat Ya Feet Kings
- Eliminated: Beat Ya Feet Kings
Week 5: Dance Craze Challenge (September 6, 2009)
The five remaining crews put their own spins on the hottest dance crazes sweeping the nation.[11] In addition to the challenge, the crews also had use the trampoline built into the stage sometime during their routines.
| Crew | Song[12] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | "Swag Surfin'" by Fast Life Yungstaz | Swag Surfin' |
| Massive Monkees | "Do the Ricky Bobby" by B-Hamp | Ricky Bobby |
| Rhythm City | "You're a Jerk" by New Boyz | Jerkin' |
| We Are Heroes | "Stanky Legg" by GS Boyz | Stanky Legg |
| Vogue Evolution | "Halle Berry" by Hurricane Chris | Halle Berry |
- Safe: AfroBoriké, Massive Monkees, Rhythm City
- Bottom 2: We Are Heroes, Vogue Evolution
- Eliminated: Vogue Evolution
Week 6: VMA Challenge (September 13, 2009)
The final four crews paid tribute to the most memorable Video Music Award performances of all time.[13] The crews performed together in an opening number to "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson.[14]
| Crew | Song[15] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| We Are Heroes | "Vogue" by Madonna | Incorporate the routine by using vogue and hand-fans from the performance |
| AfroBoriké | "I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears | Include the partner section and the snake in the routine |
| Massive Monkees | "Tearin' Up My Heart" by *NSYNC | Work the popping section from the performance into the routine |
| Rhythm City | "Wall To Wall" by Chris Brown | Incorporate the Charlie Chaplin section from the performance |
- Safe: We Are Heroes, AfroBoriké
- Bottom 2: Massive Monkees, Rhythm City
- Eliminated: Rhythm City
Week 7: Decades of Dance Challenge (September 20, 2009)
This week on ABDC, the crews competed against each other in two challenges: the Decade of Dance challenge, in which the crews danced to a master mix of five songs from the past five decades, and the Last Chance Challenge.[16]
Challenge #1: Decades of Dance Challenge
The remaining three crews had to master dance styles from the last five decades. One crew was given the boot halfway through the show.
| Decade | Song[17] |
|---|---|
| 1960s | "Sex Machine" by James Brown |
| 1970s | "Uprock" by Rock Steady Crew |
| 1980s | "Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul |
| 1990s | "You Make Me Wanna" by Usher |
| 2000s | "LoveGame" by Lady Gaga |
- Safe: AfroBoriké
- Bottom 2: Massive Monkees, We Are Heroes
- Eliminated: Massive Monkees
Challenge #2: Last Chance Challenge
The crews created original beats to dance to during their routine for the Last Chance Challenge. The remaining two crews then performed their prepared routines before the lines opened for the final voting session of the season.
| Crew | Performance Title |
|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | Raíces |
| We Are Heroes | Ichiban |
Week 8: The Live Finale (September 27, 2009)
All nine crews returned for a group performance in the season finale. The judges each picked three crews that complemented each other and their dance styles. Then, America's Best Dance Crew was crowned.[18]
| Crews | Song |
|---|---|
| Lil Mama: We Are Heroes, Vogue Evolution and Artistry in Motion | "Girls On The Dance Floor" by Far East Movement |
| JC Chasez: AfroBoriké, Rhythm City and Fr3sh | "Fire Burning" by Sean Kingston |
| Shane Sparks: Massive Monkees, Beat Ya Feet Kings and Southern Movement | "I Do" by Lil Jon featuring Swizz Beatz & Snoop Dogg |
| We Are Heroes and AfroBoriké | "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas |
| We Are Heroes | "I'm The Ish" by DJ Class featuring Lil Jon |
- Winner: We Are Heroes
- Runner-up: AfroBoriké
References
- ^ "America's Best Dance Crew Season 4 – premier August 9th at 9:00 pm on MTV". 2009-01-19. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Crews Choice Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ^ a b "Inside Info: 'Crew's Choice Challenge' Song List Revealed!". MTV. 2009-08-05.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Beyoncé Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ "ABDC Ep. 2 Challenge: Bring On Da Beyonce!". MTV. 2009-08-12.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Martial Arts Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ "ABDC's Ep. 3 Challenge: Karate Chop To The Face!". MTV. 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Bollywood Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ "Can The ABDCrews Learn Bollywood In A Week?". MTV. 2009-08-26.
- ^ "ABDC Ep. 4 Challenge: Hollywood Goes Bollywood!". MTV. 2009-08-25.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Dance Craze Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-09-06. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "ABDC Ep. 5 Challenge: It's About To Get Craze-y!". MTV. 2009-09-01.
- ^ "Episode Detail: VMA Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ "ABDCrews Honor Michael Jackson With A 'Smooth' Opening Numba!". MTV. 2009-09-09.
- ^ "Final Four VMA Challenge: From Madonna To Britney!". MTV. 2009-09-09.
- ^ "Episode Detail: Decades of Dance Challenge - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ "ABDC Celebrates Decades Of Dance In Its Final Challenge!". MTV. 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Episode Detail: The Live Finale - Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew". TV Guide Network. 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2009-09-27.