'America's Best Dance Crew 2' Auditions: Shhh! was robbed, Super CR3W + Supreme Soul deliver

The second season of MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew" got off to a rough start when Shhh!, an all-female crew of Latina dancers from North Bergen, N.J., was promptly eliminated from the first round during a live taping in Burbank on Saturday.

Being die-hard fans of this street-dancing reality competition ...

Jevon and I were on the scene to witness Shhh!'s unexpected elimination. Were you surprised at home? Because let me tell you, the reaction in the audience was shock, awe and a chorus of angry "Shhh!s."

Clearly detecting the disappointment in the room, an audience wrangler came out immediately after Shhh!'s untimely end to try to hype up the crowd. He tossed some free T-shirts into the bleachers and organized a quick (if sloppy) audience dance-off. It took some persuasion to get everyone back in the game.

Here's what I recall happening. In the East Coast heat, Shhh! was competing against Sass x7 (a perky Jersey girl crew from Rutgers in knee socks and booty shorts); Phresh Select from Philadelphia; and the Boogie Bots (best-named dance crew anywhere).

Dubbing themselves the "first all-Latina group,"Shhh! brought the caliente in black Selena-esque bustiers (whose limits were tested during some deep back bends). All in all, the judges responded unanimously well.

Shane Sparks said Shhh! "turned it up"; JC Chasez complimented their deep back bend; and Lil Mama noted Shhh! could "bring a whole 'nother demo to the show." This is where the voting got odd. A similar level of positivity did not greet Sass x7 after their limp-smile dance routine, filled with hair flips and high kicks.

The judges seemed to agree. Shane Sparks said Sass x7 was "really cute" but noted they were like cheerleaders and certainly not as good as last season's Fysh N Chicks. Lil Mama said Sass x7 was like "a cheerleader team for a basketball game." Only JC Chasez offered kind words, saying Sass x7 was a "little cheery" but "look great as a group."

And that clinched it. JC Chasez's vote for pert and cute clearly trumped Shhh!'s apasionada. Most remarkably, Chasez's vote seemed to outweigh Lil Mama and Shane Sparks' protests that Sass x7 was too cheery.

Can we get a recount?

Why should one judge's vote for cute outweigh two dissenting votes? All three judges had warm words for Shhh! so how did they end up eliminated? Is it a North Jersey vs. South Jersey conspiracy? Something ain't right with those ABDC2 voting machines. Is Diebold counting ABDC2 ballots this season?

Highs and lows from the rest of the episode:

• Two Jersey girl dance crews must be one too many for ABDC2. But, I'm telling you judges, the wrong one was eliminated.
• The Boogie Bots have a name we like saying and retractable toy moves we like watching.
• Phresh Select, from Philadelphia, is really playing up the City of Brotherly Love angle. This we can roll with, but multiple mawkish references to a crew member's father, who's in a coma, is a little too 'reality-show manipulative' -- even for Show Tracker, home of "American Idol". (That said, we still can't take our eyes off that little tiny dancer who fits inside a suitcase.)
• A.S.I.I.D., out of Detroit, loves its completely deaf team member, Joey, and has a stylistic affinity for neon keffiyeh scarves.
• How outrageous was that Super CR3W surf stunt? Those b-boys are in it to win it. (See our video player above for the surf stunt Super CR3W performed in the nationwide casting audition.)
• Fanny Pak. I. Don't. See. The. Appeal. This '80s dress-up act seems a little thin on novelty and skill. Yet somehow, inhaler jokes are evergreen.

What was your favorite line in the show? Vote now.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Photo: First season winners the JabbaWockeeZ performed at the end of the "America's Best Dance Crew 2" special audition show.

Comments

[jozielee]

Saw a bit of the show last night on a repeat broadcast. LOVED IT!! This dance show rocks.

Watched last year. JabbaWockeeZ won hands down last season. They hit moves I've never seen before and will never attempt to reproduce in this lifetime, but my money was on Fysh N Chicks. Girl Power RULEZ!

I'm a hopelessly devoted fan of America's Next Dance Crew.

[Matt]

Best line from the show:

Suburbia represents!

[Rick]

Ya I agree with most people. I liked S.S the best but I was really turned off by them at the end. During The Jabawockeez performance ALL the other teams were clapping, cheering and bobbin their heads EXCEPT you know who. And when when they were done everyone clapped and gave props except for, well, you know who. They just stood there with their arms folded the whole time.

Come on Supreme Soul. If you want respect you have to give respect. I'm from the Bay Area but I was a little embarrassed by their immature behavior. Represent the Bay with a little more class.

[Matt]

That was kinda funny when Lil Mama told Supreme Soul that S.S. stands for Second Season. Then Shane Sparks was like, nah, S.S. stands for Shane Sparks.

[Soul Sector]

i dont know about all that

I saw my family clap when they came in and clap when they performed...

I think you got it wrong...

people need to get over the fact that being competitive and Hungry is totally different from Cocky...

research history...

you will find alot of the dancers from SUPREME SOUL (SECTOR) are well respected dancers who have thrived in the Street Dance Circuit....

it's TV and people love to add rivalry to the show...its all the natural process of Reality TV...

If you saw...

my brother Bionic was trying to say some real ish but was cut off by shane sparx...he wanted him to just say things he really didnt want to push...

Bionic n Reinen of Jabba used to be in the same family crew...they have a strong comraderie for one another and so does many members of JABBA n SS...

that is whats not being told right now

lets gear up for 2nd season...

bottom line..

SS knows they have to work hard... and they give it up to Jabba for the 1st season win...they are just trying to get passed this and come for the win!

CONFIDENCE + HUNGER

dont get it TWISTED

[Dani]

East Coast was weak this year. I woulda kept all the Midwest or West Coast groups over any of those crews.

I reckon the judges gave it a think and felt that the East Coast Latina group wouldn't be able to keep up with choreography--they were hot, but a bit of a mess. Sass x7 can definitely deal with choreography--but they might just perk us all to death.

but, in the end...East Coast? *shrug*.

[Matt]

I was in the audience and I didn't see that with Supreme Soul but I wasn't down near the floor on the ring. One thing that did trip me out is how many Team Millennia fans were in the crowd. It's crazy they got kicked out because they have battled Kaba Modern and won.

[d]

TM got jipped & the show is rigged just like all voting shows where "fans choose the winner".

The dance communities are talking & aren't happy.

[Julie]

Team millenium shouldnt have gotten in! I got so mad, why did west coast have to be so good? I know alot of people are disappointed that Fanny Pak won over TM. No other crew had the SWAGGERRRR like them.

[jessie]

I agree 100% shhh was robbed,how can they loose with such great ratings..I was about to shut my tv off when i saw the unfairness....Who can we trust? Shhhhh you guys were better then those cheerleaders,don't give up!

[mac]

shane's new name is "SHAME SPARKS" he's the "real" version of hip-hop. so his opinion on bboying is valid.lol hahahaahah sorry it was hard to hold that in. this dude needs to get a belt and sit down i aint trynna learn how to walk it out when i can ask any kid in my projects how to do that. i just gotta be real for a sec. it sucks that jabba had to sit through that shame sparks expo. but im sure they got the loot for that. i just couldnt picture myself doing that, i got a whole culture to feed and i cant poison them with garbage by telling them lil mama's video is comparable to janet jackson's. but money is money. if i had that fame i'd use it to create my own show and promote realness. look at flava flave's show for example. that wak chick won the show and now has her own. we can do tha same. we as a bboy nation can flip this whole ** on them and create a bigger demand by doing our own thing and making them follow us instead of vice versa. if i sound too revolutionary im sorry but we've all been in situations were tv or media has misrepresented our true dance. this is why is see super crew on there, so they can wipe the eyes of the blind. thats why i say rip it and stay true. them judges aint ready for the rawness they got comin to them. like my boy says who dont even dance "what makes them qualified to judge??" also i was def feeling the comment Mike had said to answer SHAME sparks question on routines. shut that sucka up. hope the audience will understand how hard our dance truelly is. and someone please call this dude out on live TV get the ratings throught the roof!!!!- b-boy Mac,Losst Unnown

[Paolo]

The judges asked if SS battled Jabba. SS tried to be modest. They WON over Jabba... now they're cocky?

[XxArSeNxX]

The reason Shhh! Didn't Make it was their prior contract with Fanta soda.

WANNA FANTA, DONTCHA WANNA WANNA FANTA.

And Blondie with the fat thighs was NEW 2 liter Beth.

[jenny]

SHH... should of stayed, i still cant believe that those little cheerleaders stayed !

i say they bring them back !

[Melissa Hecht]

SHH was great , bring them back !! I mean how hard is to junp around is not a cheeleader competion .

[Karina]

It's not about who won or who lost, it's the stupid faces that S.S. made when they got asked about Jabba. Sorry hun, understandable that it's your family, of course you're going to represent and stand up for them (I'd do the same thing) but be real. They were NOT clapping, I have the damn thing on DVR and I did rewind it several times (my son is a Jabba fan) and I agree with Rick. Not ONCE did they clap when they came out and they DID sit there with their hands folded the entire time. Understandable that's how most bboys or any crew who battles stands, but that's when you're battling. (I'm a HUGE hip hop fan, talking the 4 elements, REAL hip hop not rap crap).

I'm a dancer myself and I know what it's like to have passion for dance and to be competitive but the thing is, when you're modest that's what gets RESPECT. On that note, when I did watch S.S. I was actually very impressed with them and was like "damn they're going to take it this season." Then I was like, "coo, they did own up to who won and good for them" but once those smirks crossed some the members faces and then the arms folded at the end seriously killed it for me.

Here's the thing, go back, watch the way S.S. carried themselves in the first show, then go back and watch how Jabba carried themselves in the first season. Completely humble and had likeable personalities. THAT's why they have so many fans. If it's true that they respect Jabba then you know, they should address it on the show and squash all that noise that's being thrown around. It doesn't mean you have to like them, and definitely it's always healthy to be competitive. Take constructive criticism (from viewers) and run with it. Do I give S.S. props, yes, they're very talented and have a lot of potential but THINK about how the attitudes come off on national television. Remember first impressions can last a long time.

Oh. and I totally agree. That show is rigged. Otherwise the rollarskaters wouldn't have made it as far as they did last season. And the cheerleaders need to get kicked off. If it's something anyone can do it's not talent.

[t]

both the cheerleaders and shhh need to go. first of all, this show is about dancers not about cheerdancing. second, as a dancer, shhh failed miserably. i dunno. you, yes you [the writer], and your friend probably did not come from a dance training background. i had both classical training and hip hop with the best choreographers and shhh could not keep up with learning real choreography because their shit was probably rehearsed for weeks and they still did not have clean lines and sharp moves. imagine having to come up with choreography in just a week?! psh! no way in hell will they make it. it's just unfortunate that the cheerleaders stayed on but i think it was because they couldn't really kick both of them off. those chicks from houston were so much better. its unfortunate that those cheerleaders were safe due to votes. what do "votes" really mean? its a dance contest now, not a popularity contest.

[Jabba Baby]

SHHH! was robbed because they had a great chance to show versatility and J.C. Chasez wanted Sass X7. Sass was a joke and Shhhh would've been made the East Coast much stronger. The only strong East Coast dance crew for season 2 were Phresh Select and Boogie Bots, Sass was real weak and should've been sent home. Last season it was Status Quo and Iconic. The cheerleaders were a disgrace to dancing and Shhhh! should've advanced to the show. They would've mixed up the show that could've put both Femme 5 and Fysh and Chicks to shame.

For the west coast, Team Millenia was robbed of being on the show which they didn't deserve and I hope they can reaudition soon.

I really didn't care for History at all and was glad they were gone

[alex]

SHHH didn't get robbed i love them but however that dance was so so basically they weren't technically dancing because they were posing through out the whole time and things i consider dance were the back bend and salsa which got me happy. they were also sloppy and there jumps were off. Sass on the other hand was actually decent if u really think about it they were sharp, clean , and were in sync, but however there wasn't any fysh n chicks but had potential. Shh did good but Sass was better.