America's Best Dance Crew (season 4)
The fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on August 9, 2009.[1] All three regular judges, host Mario Lopez, and backstage correspondent Layla Kayleigh returned. This was the last season to feature Shane Sparks as a judge. In the live finale, which aired on September 27, 2009, We Are Heroes was declared the winner.
| America's Best Dance Crew | |
|---|---|
| Season 4 | |
| Hosted by | Mario Lopez |
| Judges | JC Chasez Lil Mama Shane Sparks |
| Winner | We Are Heroes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Release | |
| Original network | MTV |
| Original release | August 9 – September 27, 2009 |
| Season chronology | |
On August 2, 2009, as a prologue for the season, the show premiered a special episode hosted by Randy Jackson called "The Top 10 Performances of All Time", where Randy showed his favorite routines from the first three seasons.
Cast
Nine dance crews were selected to compete on America's Best Dance Crew. The contestants auditioned in four cities: New York City, Chicago, Orlando, and Los Angeles. Similar to the previous season, the crews were not officially divided by region; however, the regions were still listed on each crew's banner. This was also the first season to showcase crews from three regions, instead of the usual four. The group Vogue Evolution featured the "Wonder Woman of Vogue," Leiomy Maldonado.
| 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
| Rank | Dance Crew | Episode | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | We Are Heroes | IN | IN | IN | RISK | RISK | IN | RISK | WINNER | ||||||||||
| 2 | AfroBoriké | IN | RISK | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP | ||||||||||
| 3 | Massive Monkees | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RISK | OUT | |||||||||||
| 4 | Rhythm City | IN | IN | RISK | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Vogue Evolution | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Beat Ya Feet Kings | RISK | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | Southern Movement | RISK | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||||
| 8 | Artistry in Motion | IN | OUT | ||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Fr3sh | OUT | |||||||||||||||||
- Key
- (WINNER) The dance crew won the competition and was crowned "America's Best Dance Crew".
- (RUNNER-UP) The dance crew was the runner-up in the competition.
- (IN) The dance crew was safe from elimination.
- (RISK) The dance crew was at risk for elimination.
- (OUT) The dance crew was eliminated from the competition.
Episodes
Episode 1: Crew's Choice Challenge
- Original Airdate: August 9, 2009
The nine new crews chose songs that best showcased their talent in the season premiere.[2] After the bottom three was 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]
| Dance 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
Episode 2: Beyoncé Challenge
- Original Airdate: 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]
| Dance 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
Episode 3: Martial Arts Challenge
- Original Airdate: 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]
| Dance Crew | Song[7] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" by Pitbull | Capoeira |
| We Are Heroes | "Starstrukk" by 3OH!3 | Karate |
| Vogue Evolution | "Work" by Ciara feat. Missy Elliott | Shaolin Kung Fu |
| Massive Monkees | "Bounce" by MSTRKRFT feat. NORE | Extreme Martial Arts |
| Beat Ya Feet Kings | "Chillin'" by Wale feat. Lady Gaga | Taekwondo |
| Rhythm City | "La La La" by LMFAO | Muay Thai |
| Southern Movement | "Ugly" by Bubba Sparxxx | Kali |
- Safe: AfroBoriké, We Are Heroes, Vogue Evolution, Massive Monkees, Beat Ya Feet Kings
- Bottom 2: Rhythm City, Southern Movement
- Eliminated: Southern Movement
Episode 4: Bollywood Challenge
- Original Airdate: August 30, 2009
The six remaining crews were challenged to infuse the flavor of Bollywood culture into their routines.[8] In order to learn the complex Indian-themed dance style, the crews met with Bollywood choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan.[9]
| Dance Crew | Song[10] | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Massive Monkees | "Bang" by Rye Rye feat. M.I.A. | Bhangra |
| Vogue Evolution | "Calabria 2008" by Enur | Rajasthani |
| Rhythm City | "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" by A.R. Rahman and The 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
Episode 5: Dance Craze Challenge
- Original Airdate: September 6, 2009
The five remaining crews put their own spins on popular dance crazes.[11] In addition to the challenge, the crews also had use the trampoline built into the stage sometime during their routines.
| Dance 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
Episode 6: VMA Challenge
- Original Airdate: September 13, 2009
The final four crews paid tribute to memorable performances from the MTV Video Music Awards.[13] The crews performed together in an opening number to "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson.[14]
| Dance Crew | Song[15] |
|---|---|
| We Are Heroes | "Vogue" by Madonna |
| AfroBoriké | "I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears |
| Massive Monkees | "Tearin' Up My Heart" by *NSYNC |
| Rhythm City | "Wall To Wall" by Chris Brown |
- Safe: We Are Heroes, AfroBoriké
- Bottom 2: Massive Monkees, Rhythm City
- Eliminated: Rhythm City
Episode 7: Decades of Dance Challenge
- Original Airdate: September 20, 2009
The crews competed against each other in two challenges: the Decade of Dance Challenge, in which the crews danced to a 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 eliminated 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 two finalists were given one last chance to perform before the lines opened for the final voting session of the season.
| Dance Crew | Performance Title |
|---|---|
| AfroBoriké | Raíces |
| We Are Heroes | Ichiban |
Episode 8: The Live Finale
- Original Airdate: 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, the winner 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 feat. The Stereotypes |
| 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 feat. Swizz Beatz and 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 feat. 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.
- "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. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. 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.