Now, this is what I call a show opener! Missy Elliott performing her song, “Shake Ya Pom Pom” with all the crews dancing backup brilliantly, the magic tricks, the pyrotechnics! The performance is hot in more ways than one! I love Missy and it’s great to have her back doing what she does best. This week, she’s not only a performer but a guest judge for the Missy Elliott Challenge. The four remaining crews must choreograph routines to pre-selected Missy hit videos and will be judged on how well they manage her signature moves while incorporating their own flavor.
SoReal Cru and Super Cr3w have been voted into safety and this week’s head-to-head matches up Boogie Bots against Fanny Pak.
Crew: SoReal Cru
Song: “One Minute Man”
With Ailyn’s “drama” over and her parents finally supportive of her dance aspirations, SoReal Cru can finally focus all their energies on the challenge at hand. Is it just me, but did her so-called strict mommy and daddy look really sweet and accommodating in the audience? Putting it on for the cameras? Well, they’re the best actors I’ve ever seen. The performance is nice and Shane Sparks is blown away. He loves the intro move and the creativity they always inject into their routines. Lil Mama appreciates how their choreography is always on point. JC Chasez thinks it was a good-looking routine but he didn’t see a high degree of difficulty. Shane can’t accept this opinion and jumps back in; so interesting to see Shane getting into it with someone other than Lil Mama. Before things get too out of hand, sometime referee/kindergarten teacher Mario Lopez blows his whistle, puts them in time out, and turns the floor over to the guest judge. Missy cedes the battle to JC and Shane, and applauds SoReal Cru for a good performance.
Crew: Super Cr3w
Song: “We Run This”
I am super impressed with Super Cr3w this week. So is Lil Mama, who’s driven to her feet halfway through their performance. The dancing is clean, creative, and the backward suspension off the stage at the end is sick! Mostly, I’m excited to see the “Apache” hip switch move they do. You know the move, the one from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? The episode where Will and Carlton enter the dance contest? You know… Never mind. During the rehearsal tape, the crew members express how glad they are to receive a b-boy song that will highlight their innate skills, and they really do the tune and Missy justice. JC thinks it was an “amazing performance” that was exciting, athletic, and thoughtful. Shane knows every street dancer at home was proud. He also makes a somewhat controversial promise that I know he won’t really keep: if Super Cr3w end up in the bottom 2 again, he’s done! Missy gives them the best compliment ever: ”Y’all make my video look wack!”
Crew: Boogie Bots
Song: “Work It”
Last week, the Boogie Bots felt rightfully disrespected by Lil Mama’s comments during her critique of Supreme Soul’s performance. Although they have a lot to prove and make a decent effort, the Bots are still rusty. JC thinks there were some nice bits to the routine like mastering Missy’s wiggle walk, but the choreography needed tightening up. Shane is completely disappointed, not seeing a single move that legitimized the crew’s continued run on the show. Whoa, harsh. You’ve got to really respect Lil Mama sometimes. She doesn’t retract her diss, but she does apologize for the timing. Instead of insulting them to their faces, she chose to express her boredom with the Bots during judging of another crew. This week, she speaks her mind at the right time. And she’s still not excited by this crew. So much attitude in such a lil package – gotta love her! Most unfortunately for the Boogie Bots, Missy agrees with the others.
Crew: Fanny Pak
Song: “Ger Ur Freak On”
Wow. Amazing beyond words. This performance is why Fanny Pak is my favorite crew this season. This performance is why Fanny Pak deserves to win this competition. This performance is tribal, its dirty, its scary, its truly freaky, and its unforgettable. The crew totally embodies the song, theme, and vibe of the video, and still makes the dance their own. The costumes and hair are impressive, the inhuman contact lenses are spooky, and their simple red tape prop speaks volumes. I loved it all and so do the judges who give this crew the first official standing ovation. Shane thinks Fanny Pak completely killed it from start to finish, especially the backbend spider walk (somebody call an exorcist). Lil Mama loves all the dance styles we’re hit with: hip hop, African, Egyptian, and Southeast Asian. She respects that they are an underestimated crew still repping themselves right. Missy thinks they were amazing and creative. Not only did they think outside the box with their moves, but they also thought outside the confines of the stage. JC recognizes that Fanny may be giving the other crews a run for their money as possibly the best performance of the night. Not possibly – absolutely!
Now, come on! After that, we all know who’s staying put and whose banner must fall.
Boogie Bots, time to power down.
Next Week: Hold on to your Ataris – the crews will be dancing to ‘80s music. My prediction: I see a Super Cr3w vs. Fanny Pak finale!
