Nodame88’s musings

Since Randy Jackson started last early summer with America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) I have been loving this show! (Thank you MTV for allowing to have episodes to be watchable online!) I did not realize it was back—thanks unni! So I caught up and watched the first three episodes.

Right now I love and think the top two look like to be Beat Freaks (go all women crew!) and Quest Crew (love that they are Asian and Hok rocks!) if the audience voters don’t mess up. Though strong contention would be the Strikers All Stars.

This season has been refreshing because you saw various new stuff never seen by the main stream and were absent the first two seasons-clumping, striking and the stuff with their body contortionist moves by the just ousted Ringmasters (last week).

This time around they did not show the auditions. But from the first episode, they went to more places and had more people try out for the top 9 crews to perform. The first episode was sudden death. The crews really brought their game. Second episode was the FIT TEST, meaning each crew had to do a difficult move incorporated into their dance routine. This last episode was the Britney Spears challenge creating a routine on a Britney hit and given a difficult task. I was very impressed by the challenges and the new dance crews ingenious ideas!

There is more entertainment, cleaner routines, variety and amazing choreography that I am looking forward to each week.

Who know that the very masculine and powerful  Quest Crew for the Britney challenge input a convincing “feminine sequence” but not seem “effeminate” either. On top of that, they had to do moves “blindfolded”. WOW! Amazing!  Or that Strikers All Stars did the mirror image and the effective use of their prop-amazing. Even the usual boxy and baggy bboy dancing group Beat Freaks really brought their femininity out (not their usual comfort zone) for their dance routine-it was hot! Even Shane was not expecting them to bring it and breaking out of their usual bboy shell.  I think an all female crew is finally going to make it to the final three or two this time.

Episode 1-Ousted-G.O.P Dance (Puerto Rico)

Episode 2- Boxcuttuhz (reminded me of last season’s Fanny Pack but not as good)

Episode 3-Team Millenia were ousted (though this time they were better than their first outing).

Ringmasters (only East Coast Crew) They made Lil Moma cry but in a good way during the first episode. I think that these kids from Brooklyn are a positive role model to try to avoid the streets in a positive way. Their moves are gravity defying and scary to watch.

I am waiting for the fourth episode (this weeks to be on line).

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Pics from MTV

So the ballroom dancing craze has also hit South Korea. Currently there is a KBS Special show called “Shall We Dance” 아련알섬님.where they get some entertainers-singers/dancers/models to compete. I watched some clips of the January 27th show. They show some clips of them getting ready but instead have the group sit down and then head off (a pair at a time). I saw clips of 빅뱅 Big Bang’s Seungri 승리Samba (wowed) and Seeya’s Nam Gyu Ri’s남규리 Tango (was not as good) performances. I noticed that Solbi 솔비 and M (Lee Min Woo 이민우) are also in this show as well.

Currently the MVP is Seungri 승리 with a score of 94 and he topped Solbi’s 88. I wish my Korean was better to understand all the comments and discussions. But it was fun to watch! I was glad that Seungri’s 승리 94 topped Nam Gyu Ri’s 남규리 93. (He really is the better dancer of the two.) By by the end of the night his MVP status was usurped by  백지영Baek Ji Young’s performance. (I have seen limited clips here and there.)

Dance order for 1/27/09 show:

1. Goo Hara – Quick Step
2. SS501 Kim Hyung Joon - Waltz
3. Brown Eyed Girls GaIn – Paso Doble
4. ShinHwa Andy – Jive
5. Solbi - Rumba
6. ShinHwa Lee Minwoo – Paso Doble
7. SeeYa Nam GyuRi - Tango
8. Baek Ji Young - ChaChaCha

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Source for some info of the show- Sookyeong’s site here

Pics from Popseoul-seungri and nam gyuri

Family Outing  패밀리가 떴다  (episode 32-33)had special guest Daniel Henney 다니엘 헤니(19th guest) on their show for the special Lunar New Year show. (Henney is currently filming XMen in Vancouver.) I have watched the first part (broadcast 1/25/09) and the last part (broadcast 2/1/09) I have not caught yet. I had fun watching it though my Korean leaves a lot to be desired.

The “Family” comprised of a few celebrities, singers,entertainers,models come together for a weekly show and they go somewhere for 2 days and 1 night. They do the tasks the occupants usually do, have some games/challenges and take care of the house they are staying at. There are only two females (show regulars) Park YeJin  박예진 /(she is very knowledgeable about food and cooking) and pop diva  이효리 Lee Hyori and this show has only had 2 female guests thus far.  Others are 김수로  Kim Su Ro, Kim Jong Gook 김종국  (new since SEPT), Yoon Jong Shin 윤종신 ,While the “Family” is together, they separate into teams for sports competitions and various tasks. In every episode they have to cook their own meals. I have only seen two episodes so far—-Rain 비 (real name: Jun Ji Hoon 정지훈 back in the fall).

In two episodes, Daniel learned how to dry squid, how Korean rice cakes are made as well as do a Korean wrestling challenge and he had a chance to cook breakfast with Lee Hyori. I love the bit where he snuck in the ramen powder while making the seafood soup. Even the discussion about their first loves and kisses was cute. Lee Chunhee 이천희  (aka Chunderella) cracked me up when he said his first kiss was in a “video bang” while watching a Stephen Chow 周星馳 movie. Dae Sang 대성 adds the cute comic relief.

When they did the New Year’s greeting their antics were funny. MC Yoo Jae Suk  유재석 trying to imitate Daniel’s cool model stare walk was hilarious. Or doing the physical sports challenges both Kim Su Ro and Yoon Jong Shim (called themselves the 40 guys). I must admit, I cracked up when the cast was using their Konglish on Daniel.

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Pics from SBS