DJ Production Team: The Bangerz. From left: Nick Ngo, Goldenchyld, Cutso, Squareweezy, Replay, and G-Wrex.
As we mentioned in our Happenings This Week Post, the original winners of America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC), the Jabbawockeez, just launched their new album Jabbawockeez MÜS.I.C. on March 1, which is now available on iTunes. It will also be available at the Monte Carlo Theater beginning Tuesday, March 15. Aren’t they a dance crew, not a music production team, you ask? Yes, but they formed a collaboration with The Bangerz to create this album, a progressive mix of electronic and hip-hop music. It consists of 14 original songs, including several tracks from their critically acclaimed show MÜS.I.C. at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, as well as their first single, “Robot Remains,” which climbed to the number seven electronic song on iTunes after its release in October 2010.
The weather’s finally starting to clear up! Here’s what’s happening in March — a little dance (Jabbawockeez!), a little music (Lea Salonga live!), and some dishes best served cold (courtesy of Korean hottie Won Bin).
The Bangerz “Jabbawockeez MUS.I.C.” album release
When: March 1
Where: iTunes
By now, everyone knows the Jabbawockeez, the winners of MTV’s hit dance show, America’s Best Dance Crew, who have single-handedly elevated Asian Americans to the top of the hip-hop dance world. But do you know The Bangerz, the six-man, mostly Asian American DJ and production team that produces all the original music for all Jabbawockeez’ performances? Better study up. ‘Cause they’re about to hit the big time.
Poreotics (top) and GRV (bottom) killing it out there.
This Sunday, January 30th, get ready for the hottest hip-hop competition in Southern California! Lambda Theta Delta is holding its 16th annual VIBE dance competition in Irvine to showcase only the best hip-hop teams in the West Coast. VIBE has staged some of the most recognized stars, such as the Jabbawockeez, SickStep and Far East Movement. Once again, they’re bringing many fan favorites to the stage of Bren Events Center for an amazing show. This is the night to witness competing teams show off their best moves and exhibition teams demonstrate once again why they are “must-see” acts. Music by some of YouTube’s well-known artists will also be featured.
This year, twelve teams battle it out to win the title of VIBE XVI Champs, including four past champion teams, three new teams and five returning teams who hope that this may be their year. Choreo Cookies, who have swept most of the previous titles, Kaba Modern, who appeared on America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and who won first place in VIBE VIII to X, Team Millennia, VIBE XII and XIII champs and CADC, VIBE XIV winners are back again for some tough competition. The teams returning to fight for the title are Pac Modern, GRV, 220, Common Ground and NSU Modern. But experienced doesn’t always mean better; they better watch out for IV League, The Company and Super Galactic Beat Manipulators who are appearing on this stage as contenders for the first time.
KM Legacy at VIBE XV.
Aside from some intense battle, VIBE is bringing in some well-respected groups, like KM Legacy, Kinjaz and Unity LA. In addition, some of the exhibition teams you may have seen on TV in shows like ABDC, but you have yet to see their acts live. These include Jungle Boogie, Boxcuttuhs and Poreotics (featuring Miniotics, their junior team). YouTube music stars are also coming together for a never-before-seen collaboration. Look out for Dumbfoundead, the Korean American rapper from Los Angeles who may be best known for his rap battles and viral hits, Jason Yang, a growing sensation on YouTube for his mastery in the acoustic and electric violin, and Victor Kim, known not only for his membership on Quest Crew but also for his musical talents.
Choreo Cookies receiving the title of VIBE XV Champions. (Photos courtesy of Tikko Studios Photography)
Don’t miss out! Pre-sale tickets are $25 and they can be purchased through (1) the Bren Event Center Box Office: 949-824-5000, (2) any Lambda Theta Delta representative, or (3) ticketmaster.com. Follow VIBE on twitter and facebook @VIBEdancecomp as well for live updates and a chance to win free tickets! A portion of their sales will be donated to a local charity.
DETAILS
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011
Time: Doors open at 5 pm; Show starts at 6 pm
Venue: UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center
901 Mesa Road, Irvine, CA 92612
Cost: $25 pre-order; $30 at-the-door
Don't miss out on our Summer issue, out now!
Get Audrey Magazine’s Summer 2010 issue, available now!
* Easy summer hair and skin
* Fashion gets graphic with slashes, cut-outs and scribbles
* Jeannie Mai of E! Style’s How Do I Look and Extra
* Shoe designer Jinny Kim
* Comedian Steve Byrne
* Hip-hop/electronic band Far East Movement
* The Asian American dance phenomenon, including Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern, and Asako Hara
* Plus fashion, beauty, entertaining, travel and more!
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Our Summer 2010 issue is out! Here’s a sneak preview of all the good stuff inside!
From Subculture to Popular Culture: The New Rhythm Nation
Story by Teena Apeles
Millions of people are embracing Asian American dancers in a way like never before, as numerous groups and individuals are making their mark in the industry as bona fide stars, renowned choreographer and leading innovators.
The Jabbawockeez, winners of the first season of the hit MTV reality competition "America's Best Dance Crew." Photo courtesy of Jbwkz.
The hit television shows America’s Best Dance Crew and Dancing with the Stars have helped propel such crews as the Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern, Quest Crew and Poreotix into the spotlight, and rewarded the undeniable grace of Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi and Apolo Ohno off the ice. Asian American dancers and performers have also been seen in prominent roles on the big screen in Take the Lead and Step Up 2, as well as the upcoming sci-fi dance film Boogie Town.
Arnel Calvario, founder of Kaba Modern, couldn’t be more pleased by the visibility Asian American dancers have today. During the ’80s and early ’90s you could pretty much count on one hand the number of Asian American dancers appearing in mainstream media. He mentions Nia Peeples from Fame and then-unknown Carrie Ann Inaba as one of the Fly Girls on In Living Color.
It’s not that Asian Americans weren’t actively involved in the dance scene then. “Asian Americans had such a strong presence in underground street dance,” adds Calvario, “with so many poppin’ and breakin’ crews comprised of many Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities since back in the ’70s and ’80s.” But as far as the average American was concerned, there was no such thing as an Asian American urban dance culture, and in a sense that was true.
Before Calvario started Kaba Modern at the University of California, Irvine in 1992, formalized Asian American college crews didn’t exist. “Other Southern California college dance companies such as PacModern, Team Millennia and CADC popped up years later,” he says. “Culture Shock as a national dance organization was growing, and there were several other notable crews such as Jedi and Chain Reaction up in Northern California.”
This movement continued to thrive as more crews started to form, develop their choreography and showcase their dancing prowess at competitions throughout the country.
To catch the entire article, featuring interviews with Ben “B-Tek” Chung of the Jabbawockeez, Mike Song and Arnel Calvario of ABDC runner up Kaba Modern, and hip hop dancer Asako Hara, get our Summer Issue here!
Nicole Scherzinger and her partner Derek Hough win DWTS. Photo by Adam Larkey/ABC.
I am telling you. There is something going on with Asian Americans and dancing.
Everywhere we turn, there is an Asian American making a name for him- or herself in dance.
Need further proof? Filipina-Hawaiian-Russian American Nicole Scherzinger just won the 10th season of Dancing With the Stars.
She follows in the footsteps of fellow DWTS winners Kristi Yamaguchi and Apolo Anton Ohno. And of course who can forget the Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern and all the other Asian American winners and finalists in MTV’s hit America’s Best Dance Crew.
Hear what some of the top Asian American dancers have to say about this growing phenomenon in our feature story “The New Rhythm Nation” by Teena Apeles in our upcoming Summer issue, out next week!
Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough. Photo courtesy of ABC.
