'America's Best Dance Crew' Recap: Which Team Slayed The Premiere?
The quest for the coveted "America's Best Dance Crew" all-star champion title is officially underway! The beloved MTV series made its highly anticipated return during an action-packed premiere episode -- plus a special medley performance by Ne-Yo -- and let's just say the journey toward nabbing that prestigious title is going to be an exciting ride for the six all-star teams. Have you ever seen moves like this during the show's storied run?! Nope, didn't think so.
But before a deserving victor is crowned -- with help from host Jason Dundas and of course judges Frankie Grande, Teyana Taylor and T-Pain -- the action kicked off in tremendous fashion: The crews were tasked with picking a hit track by a VMA-winning or nominated artist that best showcases their style -- and boy did they WORK. But who was your favorite? Let's recap the exhilarating and original routines:
The highly flying b-boys took on a VMA master-mix of "Latch" featuring Sam Smith by Disclosure -- and the troupe delivered a silky smooth and moving number. T-Pain gushed that it was "pure art," while Teyana couldn't help but exclaim that the crew looked like they were skating around the floor. But Frankie saved the biggest praise for Neguin when he declared the 27-year-old was the "most emotionally connected break-dancer" he'd ever seen.
The brain-banging visual stunners selected a VMA master-mix version of Iggy Azalea's "Work" -- and this office space is unlike anything we've ever seen. Flipping table, rolling stools, flying papers, SPLITS. Teyana gave the diverse crew a standing O and told the bunch she felt like she was in the rapper's music video, while T-Pain had two words to sum up the energetic display: "simply amazing."
The electrifying athletes, and the only crew with all their original members from their glory days, chose "Big Bad Wolf" by Duck Sauce as their inaugural Season 8 act. The desert boys brought the howls and high-flying skills -- and Frankie certainly appreciated one prop: all of the chains. Meanwhile, T-Pain gave praise to injured member Sal, who joined his buddies despite having torn ligaments in his ankle and fracturing bones in his foot during rehearsals.
The only new crew in the mix (but they ARE comprised of former team leaders!) picked "Fine China" by Chris Brown as their formal -- and extremely finessed -- introduction to the "ABDC" fam. In fact, Teyana dubbed herself a groupie of the Californians, while T-Pain couldn't get over their clean technique employed throughout the number.
The first, and only, all-female victors opted for a Rihanna "Diamonds" master-mix -- and their collaborative effort featured plenty of flexibility and a special lift that formed the precious aforementioned stone. Even though WAH were named one of the bottom crews by the trio -- and are facing elimination next week -- Teyana said that they "held it down for the women," and F admitted that the crew "shined bright like a Frankie."
The artistic acrobats decided on "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars -- and, of course, there were perfectly timed flips and tricks. T-Pain gave the fellas props for having "cojones" for attempting some of their risky acts, while Frankie stated he is looking forward to seeing what they're going to be doing in the future.
Who do you think gave the top performance? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to keep watching "ABDC" every Wednesday at 11/10c!
