"JabbaWockeeZ is an all-male hip-hop dance crew from California who gained fame by appearing on the second season of America's Got Talent, and later becoming the inaugural winners of MTV's hip-hop dance competition America's Best Dance Crew."

"The 13-man group was formed in 2003 by members Joe Larot, Kevin Brewer, and Phil Tayag. They are known for their intricate synchronization, precise dances, and mime and kabuki styled theatrics while wearing white masks and gloves during most of their performances."

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JabbaWockeeZ

MTV Video
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/208177/j ... de-1.jhtml

Love these guys. So clean and inventive. The rest of the the dance world could learn a lot by watching the first season of America's Best Dance Crew. Every single performance they did was flawless, fully invested, well-rehearsed and creative. I wish I could say the same about the world's ballet companies.

I know you do. You actually picked up on this group and this show more than a year ago.

http://www.ballet-dance.com/forum/viewt ... 77&start=0

(see Oct. 14, 2008 post for reference to this SF Chronicle article dated Oct. 13, 2008)

"As entertaining as all the crews are in this vaudeville show for a new millennium, JabbaWockeeZ - named after Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky" - is the crew with superstar charisma. Outfitted in their spooky Michael Myers-like masks, white gloves and sharp costumes, the six men of the crew move with a fluid elegance that separates them from the pack. Oh, they pop and break and do some incredible head spinning, but they elevate street dance to art form...."

"Sacramento native Phil Tayag has been with JabbaWockeeZ since it was formed in 2003 and says his crew is focused on the musicality of their dance.

"We feel like what we do is progressive because we want you to see every little part of the music," says Tayag, 24. "That's why we wear the masks. It's not about individuals or egos. We are the music. You know how with the Invisible Man you have to throw a blanket over him to see him? Well those masks are our blanket. You don't see gender or skin color. We want you to see what's invisible."

"Choreographer Rosero McCoy...."These dancers aren't in the background anymore. They're the stars, the headliners. It is the best time in the world for dance right now." "

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 12&sc=1000


[typo correction]

For anyone who made it to MTV Video Clip 4, is that spin at the end possible ?

http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/217748/j ... id=1583841

I have actually seen dancing similar to this on internet video clips from Korea and Japan, white faces, white gloves and all and it's pretty good! This is not too strange, considering the popularity of American pop culture across the world and the theatrical dance tradition in the Far East. Some of the break dancing involved is quite amazing and it can get fairly artistic. In this particular style, who got there first and who is better, who knows ?