America's Best Dance Crew
A dance competition revived after cancellation in 2015.
America's Best Dance Crew, or ABDC, was a reality competition on MTV that pitted dance crews from the U.S. and abroad against each other. The show was executive produced by Randy Jackson, known for his work as a singer, producer, and *American Idol* judge. It first aired on January 26, 2008, and had originally been pitched to NBC under the title *World Moves*. The series was hosted by actor Mario Lopez, with Layla Kayleigh serving as the backstage correspondent. The judging panel included rapper Lil Mama, singer-songwriter JC Chasez, and dancer Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval; earlier seasons featured hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks and R&B singer Omarion as judges.
After seven seasons, the show was canceled in 2012 due to falling ratings. However, MTV announced a revival on January 10, 2015, and the eighth season—titled *America's Best Dance Crew All-Stars: Road to the VMAs*—premiered on July 29, 2015. This season was hosted by Jason Dundas and judged by T-Pain, Teyana Taylor, and Frankie Grande.
Each episode, crews competed for a $100,000 prize and a golden trophy shaped like a b-boy in a freeze with bobbling legs. The host announced which crews were safe and which were at risk; the bottom crews performed again, and the judges decided who went home. Eliminated crews performed one final dance to "Walk It Out" as they left the stage.
In 2010, rapper Citizen Charlie Kane sued MTV and Randy Jackson, claiming the show stole his idea for a similar series called *International Breakerz League*, which he had pitched to the network in 2004. He sought $2 million in damages.
The show aired internationally across many countries, including the Caribbean, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Russia (as "Короли Танцпола"), Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, Germany, Ukraine (as "Танцювальні бої"), and Romania. In Canada, it aired on MuchMusic and Musique Plus (with episodes two years delayed), and in Latin America on Warner Channel. It also appeared on AB1 and MTV France (as *Dance Crew USA*), Solar TV, Jack TV, and The Game Channel in the Philippines, Fiji One in Fiji, and YAN TV and VTV3 in Vietnam. The opening title sequence, created by Framework Studio, won a Telly Award in 2009.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Competitive dance / Interactive / Reality
- Creator
- Howard Schwartz / Karen Schwartz
- Director
- Michael Simon / Ryan Polito
- Presenter
- Mario Lopez / Layla Kayleigh / Jason Dundas
- Judges
- JC Chasez / Lil Mama / Shane Sparks / Omarion / D-Trix / T-Pain / Teyana Taylor / Frankie Grande
- Composer
- Dylan R. Berry / Noah Lifschey
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 8
- Num Episodes
- 73
- Executive Producer
- Randy Jackson / Joel Gallen / Josh Greenberg / Abe Hoch / Rob Lee / Howard Schwartz / Karen Schwartz / Harriet Sternberg / Austin Wagner / Jane Y. Mun / Joe Gallon
- Producer
- Tom Park / Deondray Gossett / Quincy LeNear
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
America's Best Dance Crew was hosted by actor Mario Lopez, with television personality Layla Kayleigh serving as backstage correspondent. The judging panel originally consisted of hip-hop recording artist Lil Mama, singer-songwriter JC Chasez, and dancer Dominic 'D-Trix' Sandoval; former judges included hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks and R&B singer Omarion. After an initial seventh season run, the series was cancelled in 2012 due to declining ratings. On January 10, 2015, MTV announced that the series would be revived for an eighth season titled America's Best Dance Crew All-Stars: Road to the VMAs. The revival featured a new host, Jason Dundas, and a new judging panel: hip-hop artist T-Pain, recording artist Teyana Taylor, and Broadway performer Frankie Grande. The show's opening title sequence, created by Framework Studio, won a Telly Award in 2009.
Reader's Guide
America's Best Dance Crew is a reality competition where dance crews showcase their talent and compete for a $100,000 (USD) grand prize and the golden ABDC trophy, a figure of a b-boy doing a freeze with its legs moving like a bobblehead. Each week, crews are given challenges that differ per crew but share a general concept or theme. Host Mario Lopez reveals which crews are safe and which are at risk; after bottom crews perform, judges decide who advances. Eliminated crews dance one final time as they 'walk it out' to the song of the same name. The series faced controversy in 2010 when rapper Citizen Charlie Kane sued MTV and Randy Jackson, claiming the defendants stole his idea for a similar show titled International Breakerz League, seeking $2 million in damages. The show aired internationally in numerous countries, including Canada, Latin America, France, the Philippines, Fiji, and Vietnam, with some local aliases such as 'Kings of the Dancefloor' in Russia and 'Dance Battles' in Ukraine.
Did You Know?
- The show was originally developed for NBC under the title World Moves.
- The opening title sequence won a Telly Award in 2009.
- The show was sued in 2010 by rapper Citizen Charlie Kane for allegedly stealing his idea for a dance crew series.
More in American Television Series Revived After Cancellation 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced