Tiffanie’s Take: ABDC 3 Episode 5

on Thursday, February 12, 2009 11:07PM

Normally, my stance on ABDC themes is that no matter how absurd some of them may be (re: stamina challenge), what really counts at the end of the day is how the crews own the challenges: incorporation, interpretation and execution are key. With a fun element like magic in play, the performances were all entertaining in their own right. However, it seems that for the first time this season, these challenges proved to be real choke up’s when it came to cohesion and choreography.

Beat Freaks

One exception to the rule: hands down, the best performance of the night of the night—and arguably one of the best performances in ABDC history—goes to none other than the Beat Freaks. There was never a point in which I had to wonder when they’d finally break out their magic trick: from the beginning to the end, the girls commanded their prop, a levitating orb, which seamlessly wove throughout their performance.

Normally, I’m averse to personal stories on ABDC, but Maris‘ little tribute to her little brother at the end of the routine was so genuine and heartfelt, and most importantly, it was tastefully executed. Even without knowing the back story, the baseball cap wouldn’t have seemed arbitrary to their performance, and I have to admit, I almost teared up after seeing the love that went into her performance.

The standout moment had to be when Alex broke into a windmill whilst the rest of the girls surrounded her and followed the levitating orb in an around-the-world motion. Right down to their theatrics and group choreography, the Beat Freaks smartly and beautifully picked up on what else their challenge could lend to their performance: the themes of fluidity and solidarity. More than pulling off a highly entertaining act, the Beat Freaks told a story without ever having to resort to hyperbolic theatrics. I have to agree with Lil Mama: these girls express so much without ever having to resort to the sexy crutches we know they’re entirely capable of. Freakin’ amazing.

Quest Crew

I’ll just start this off with Shane’s one bit of advice: Beat Freaks are on y’all butt, you’ve got to come harder. You know I love these boys, but I was really disappointed with their performance tonight. I can tell you I wasn’t the only person in the green room who was constantly wondering if we were missing the magic trick. At first, we wondered if they’d pass the cash and card props through their bodies, which left me confused until the end of the performance.

While the actual execution of their magic trick was great (and funny—I love Feng’s STEP OFF, SON expression), it was delivered way too late. There were some memorable parts, like Brian Hirano’s insane flip, but for the most part, I was sorry to see that the performance was comprised of the same ol’ tricks and a whole lot of posing. It was definitely one of the best acts of the night, but it didn’t shine a light next to Beat Freaks’ stage assault.

At this point, a Beat Freaks vs. Quest Crew showdown is entirely possible, but Quest Crew really has to step up its choreography if the boys want a fighting chance against their formidable competitors. Quest Crew looked pretty unhappy with the judges’ critiques, but I hope the advice resonated with them, and I can’t wait to see how they will change it up next week.

Miscellaneous Notes

Final Two: Dynamic Edition (eliminated) and Fly Khicks. As much as I ragged on Dynamic Edition in the beginning, I’ve really warmed up to them. I didn’t think they had a fighting chance as the winner of ABDC 3 (I hardly think clogging translates into Best Dance Crew material), but they were talented in their own right. Maybe it’s an underdog thing, but this was the first time I was really sad to see a team leave the competition. I’m glad they got as far into the competition as they did, and I hope they can take this back home to Alabama and do something with it.

Next week’s theme: Boys vs. Girls. Our last four contestants are comprised of two boy teams and two girl teams. But that kind of doesn’t make sense… how will Quest Crew compete against Strikers All-Stars, and how will the Beat Freaks compete against Fly Khicks, then?

And for all of you who think the show is rigged, consider the fact that Dynamic Edition was let go: unless they chose next week’s theme of Boys vs. Girls right before announcing it during the taping, the decision to let Dynamic Edition go must have been made in advance of their final performance. Next week’s challenge wouldn’t fly if Dynamic Edition was saved.

Stay tuned for my interview with Beat Freak Rino Nakasone! For now, you can check out some of my photos from the past two weeks: