Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1

America's Best Dance Crew

America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...

 of the show America's Best Dance Crew

America's Best Dance Crew

America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...

. Other members include Ben "B-Tek" Chung, Chris Gatdula & Phi Nguyen

Before America's Best Dance Crew

Phil "Swaggerboy" Tayag, Kevin "KB" Brewer, and Joe "Emajoenation" Larot began performing as a trio called "Three Musky" in Sacramento, California while wearing white masks and gloves. The mask and glove motif was adopted as a tribute to the 1960s San Francisco strutting crew Medea Sirkas.

Stylistically, the Jabbawockeez style of dance features an eclectic mix of various urban styles , primarily popping

Popping

Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...

 & b-boying

B-boying

B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...

. Along with a careful synchronicty to self-made instrumentals which one member dubs "Beat-Kune-Do"

Established in 2003 in San Diego, California, Jabbawockeez is the brainchild of the "Three Musky" who wanted to showcase freestyle dance. The name Jabbawockeez, coined by Joe Larot, was inspired by the fantastical monster from the Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...

 nonsense poem Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...

. The white masks and gloves from Phil, Kevin, and Joe's performances as Three Musky were adopted as the visual signature of the group. In San Diego, through Gary's connections, the Jabbawockeez added b-boys Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio and Chris "Cristyle" Gatdula to the group. The original seven member iteration of Jabbawockeez began performing as a group in 2004. This lineup consisted of Gary, Randy, Phil, Kevin, Joe, Rainen and Chris.

Jabbawockeez rounded out their numbers with additional members, bringing their total to eleven. Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

 native Jeff "Phi" Nguyen had met Rynan Paguio at various Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 area auditions and performances, and earned a spot in the Jabbawockeez by battling Kevin Brewer. The Jabbawockeez also brought Kaba Modern

Kaba Modern

Kaba Modern is a dance group originating from Irvine, California. Kaba Modern is a spin-off of the University of California, Irvine Filipino cultural club, Kababayan, which means "countrymen" in Tagalog. Created by Arnel Calvario in 1992, Kaba Modern began as dancers that performed the hip-hop...

 alumnus Ben "B-Tek" Chung and b-boys Eddie "Eddiestyles" Gutierrez and Saso "Saso Fresh" Jimenez into the fold.

ABDC

The Jabbawockeez auditioned a seven-member contingent for the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, because of crew member limits imposed by the show. Originally, the ABDC group was supposed to consist of Gary Kendell, Phil Tayag, Kevin Brewer, Joe Larot, Rynan Paguio, Chris Gatdula, and Phi Nguyen; however, Gary died that year, and Joe suffered a knee injury during the audition rounds. The group chose Ben Chung to replace Joe on the show and left Gary's spot vacant, proceeding with six members.

Season 1 performances

Week	Challenge	Music	Result
Live Audition Special	None	"We Came Here to Party (Remix)" by Tony Yayo Tony Yayo Marvin Bernard , better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is a Haitian American rapper and member of the hip hop group G-Unit...	Safe
1: Crew's Choice Challenge	None	"Apologize Apologize (song) "Apologize" is a song written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud. A remix version was included on the Timbaland album, Shock Value and on the deluxe version of Dreaming Out Loud... " by Timbaland Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....  ft. OneRepublic OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...	Safe
2: Video Star Challenge	Crews must duplicate choreography in assigned music video	"Ice Box Ice Box (song) "Ice Box" is the second single from Omarion's second album, 21. The song features backing vocals by Timbaland. The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his most successful solo single to date. The liner notes credit the production to Timbaland, King Logan, and Johnkenun Spivery... " by Omarion Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...	Safe
3: Dance Craze Challenge	Crews must create the illusion of defying gravity	"Lean wit It, Rock wit It Lean wit It, Rock wit It "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" is a song by Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz from their album On Top of Our Game. It features Lil Peanut and Charlay and it is produced by Maurice "Parlae" Gleaton.... " by Dem Franchize Boyz Dem Franchize Boyz Dem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group comprises four members: Parlae , Pimpin' , Jizzal Man , and Buddie .-History:...	Safe
4: Movie Character Challenge	Character: Thieves	"Ayo Technology Ayo Technology "Ayo Technology" is the fourth single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. The song, featuring Justin Timberlake and uncredited vocals from Timbaland, who also produced the song, was a hit in the United States and United Kingdom, where it charted at #5 and #2 respectively, amongst other national... " by 50 Cent 50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...  ft. Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...	Safe
5: Thriller Challenge	Incorporate Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... 's moves in their routine	"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) "P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,... " by Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...	Safe
6: Broadway Remixed Challenge	"Partners:" Kaba Modern Kaba Modern Kaba Modern is a dance group originating from Irvine, California. Kaba Modern is a spin-off of the University of California, Irvine Filipino cultural club, Kababayan, which means "countrymen" in Tagalog. Created by Arnel Calvario in 1992, Kaba Modern began as dancers that performed the hip-hop... Status Quo BreakSk8	"It's the Hard Knock Life" (mastermix) from the musical Annie Annie (musical) Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...	Safe
	The Charleston Charleston (dance) The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one...	"All That Jazz All That Jazz (song) "All That Jazz" is a song from the 1975 musical Chicago. It has lyrics by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander, and is the opening song of the musical... " (mastermix) from the musical Chicago Chicago (musical) Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...	Safe
7: Evolution of Street Dance	Crews must tell the history of hip-hop dance using the same five songs	"Funkytown Funkytown "Funkytown" is a 1980 disco hit song by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the singer's pining for a metaphorical place that will "keep me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy". It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Dance charts in 1980, also reaching number 1 in Germany,... " by Lipps Inc Lipps Inc Lipps Inc. was a studio band that achieved two significant hits, "Funkytown", in 1980 and "Designer Music", in 1981.The group was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Steven Greenberg, who wrote and produced all of the group's music, and who also played several musical instruments... "It's Like That It's Like That (Run-D.M.C. song) "It's like That" is a song by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C. It was first released in 1983 on a cassette backed with the track "Sucker M.C.'s". The release marked the start of Run-D.M.C.'s career and is widely regarded as ushering in a new school of hip hop artists with a street image and an... " by Run DMC & Jason Nevins Jason Nevins Jason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's... "Push It Push It (Salt-N-Pepa song) "Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA... " by Salt N Pepa "Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye "Bye Bye Bye" is the first single released from American boyband 'N Sync's second album, No Strings Attached. Released in early 2000, it is a reference to the group's break from their manager Lou Pearlman and their record label, RCA... " by N'Sync "Get Buck in Here Get Buck in Here "Get Buck in Here" is a single by DJ Felli Fel. It features Diddy, Akon, Ludacris and Lil Jon. The track was released July 4, 2007.The song features Diddy rapping the first and third verses, Ludacris on the second verse, Akon singing on the chorus, and Lil Jon on the outro. Unlike most DJ-led... " by DJ Felli Fel DJ Felli Fel James Andrew Corrine, better known by his stage name DJ Felli Fel is a club and radio DJ for L.A.'s Power 106, record producer, and a recording artist recently signed to So So Def/Island Urban Music. He is also a member of The Heavy Hitters DJs....	Bottom 2
	Encore Round	"The Red Pill" (mastermix of "The Time Is Now (Bambino Casino Remix)" by Moloko Moloko Moloko were an Anglo-Irish electronic/pop duo consisting of Róisín Murphy from Wicklow, Ireland and Mark Brydon, from Sunderland, England.- Origin of band name :...  and "Red Dragon" by Swollen Members Swollen Members Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada consisting mainly of the duo Mad Child, and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only and producer Rob the Viking, an official group member since 2002... ) by District 78	Safe
8: The Live Finale	"Partners:" Kaba Modern Kaba Modern Kaba Modern is a dance group originating from Irvine, California. Kaba Modern is a spin-off of the University of California, Irvine Filipino cultural club, Kababayan, which means "countrymen" in Tagalog. Created by Arnel Calvario in 1992, Kaba Modern began as dancers that performed the hip-hop... Fysh N Chicks	"Tell Me When to Go Tell Me When to Go "Tell Me When to Go" is the first single from E-40's BME/Warner Bros. debut, My Ghetto Report Card. Keak da Sneak is also featured on the track. It was produced by Lil Jon, and one of the first singles to kick off the hyphy movement on a national level... " by E-40 E-40 Earl Stevens , better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in November 1992, after The Click's debut...  ft. Keak da Sneak Keak da Sneak Charles Toby Bowens , commonly known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is a rapper from Oakland, California . At the age of 16 he was known as Z-Kush but became known as "Keak da Sneak" at 17, best known for his scratchy, gruff rapping voice and coining the term "hyphy" in 1994.-Career:Keak da Sneak...	Champions
	"Partner:" Status Quo	Step routine
	Champion's Encore	"Stronger Stronger (Kanye West song) "Stronger" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album Graduation. It was produced by West and contains an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean... " by Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

Post-ABDC career

The win earned the crew $100,000 (USD) . Since ABDC they appeared in a Pepsi and Gatorade commercial, performed on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

, So You Think You Can Dance

So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)

So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...

, The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...

, and on Live with Regis and Kelly

Live with Regis and Kelly

Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...

, made a cameo in Step Up 2 The Streets

Step Up 2 the Streets

Step Up 2: The Streets is the 2008 sequel to the 2006 film Step Up from Touchstone Pictures. It was directed by Jon Chu, and choreographed by Jamal Sims, Hi-Hat and Dave Scott...

, toured with New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...

, and launched their own clothing line. Along with the ABDC season 2

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 2)

The second season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on June 19, 2008. The live auditions special took place on June 8, 2008. It was hosted by Mario Lopez and featured Layla Kayleigh as the backstage correspondent. The judges included rapper Lil Mama, former *NSYNC singer JC Chasez, and hip-hop...

 winner, Super Cr3w

Super Cr3w

Super Cr3w is a breakdance crew from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew.-Early history:Before their popularity on ABDC, Super Cr3w was formed from three different b-boy dance crews and formed a "Super Crew" of their own.-Connection with...

, Jabbawockeez were the opening act for the Battle of the VMAs ABDC special. The group also made an appearance on Cycle 13

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13 is the thirteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the seventh season to be aired on The CW network. It premiered on September 9, 2009. This cycle's catch phrase is "'The Lineup Is 5' 7" And Under. Not The Usual Suspects. BOOK 'EM!", and the promotional song...

 of America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....

during the episode "Dance With Me" to help the girls learn how to convey emotions with their bodies.

On February 15, 2009, they accompanied and danced with NBA All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...

 in his NBA All-Star Game player introduction. On October 16, 2009, they performed in front of a crowd of 35,000 at the University of Florida

University of Florida

The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

's Gator Growl

Gator Growl

Gator Growl, produced by Florida Blue Key, is a student-run pep rally at the University of Florida that was founded in 1932. It marks the culminating moment of Homecoming Week at the university. Designated the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the show is held annually in Ben Hill Griffin...

.

Full Service Tour with New Kids on the Block

They were the opening act for the Full Service Tour with New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...

.

Australia Tour

The Jabbawockeez toured Australia from August 28 to August 30, 2009. The three-day tour was for Australian fans who were unable to see the crew due to the cancellation of the Australian leg of New Kids on the Block's Full Service Tour. The group performed in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, and Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

 and made several appearances on MTV Iggy.

Las Vegas show

In May 2010, Jabbawockeez debuted their own live stage special at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas, entitled "MÜS.I.C". The show ran from May 7 to May 26 and combines also the talents from America's Best Dance Crew

America's Best Dance Crew

America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...

 Season 2 Champions Super Cr3w

Super Cr3w

Super Cr3w is a breakdance crew from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew.-Early history:Before their popularity on ABDC, Super Cr3w was formed from three different b-boy dance crews and formed a "Super Crew" of their own.-Connection with...

 as well as original music from The Bangerz.

Since its initial run at the MGM Grand the show has been moved to the Monte Carlo where it runs five nights a week.

External links

• Official website