Live Audition Special & Weeks

Live Audition Special

The JabbaWockeeZ performed to an instrumental mastermix of We Came to Party by Tony Yayo, a track they had used frequently used in previous performances, including a deleted scene in Step Up 2: The Streets. They received positive reactions from all three judges. JC Chasez praised them for their interpretation of the music and for how their masks allowed for solos without distracting from the whole. Shane Sparks complimented them on the overall skill level in the group.

Week 1: Crew's Choice

Performing to a mastermix of Apologize by Timbaland featuring OneRepublic that also featured "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" by DJ Shadow, the JabbaWockeeZ received unanimous praise from the judges. Shane Sparks described it as "beautiful" and likened the group to a "Boyz II Men" of hip-hop dance for their ability to hit every emotional note. JC praised them for taking a risk by choosing to dance to a slow song.

Week 2: Video Star Challenge

The JabbaWockeeZ were given the task of duplicating the choreography in the music video for "Ice Box" by Omarion. Their performances received a standing ovation from Shane Sparks and Lil Mama. Shane said the group had topped their previous two performances, and that Omarion and "Icebox" choreographer Roland "Ro Ro" Tabor should feature JabbaWockeeZ in their "next twenty videos." JC said the group was underrated and posited that their original choreography may have been better than of that in the video. Lil Mama complimented them for being both graceful and intense at the same time.

Week 3: Dance Craze Challenge

In week 3, crews were given the task of incorporating a popular hip-hop dance move into their performance. The JabbaWockeeZ were assigned the snap dance and "Lean wit It, Rock wit It by Dem Franchize Boyz. While rehearsing, the JabbaWockeeZ were informed that they also had to include the illusion that they could defy gravity. Performing with their white masks painted black facepaint designs, they received a loud ovation from the studio audience upon unveiling their illusion of a long JabbaWockee body floating in mid-air at the end of their number. Shane called the JabbaWockeeZ "the sickest crew [he'd] ever seen." JC, however, criticized what he believed to be a walking transition during their performance.

Week 4: Movie Character Challenge

Introduced to a stage transformed to look like a movie set depicting an urban street setting, the JabbaWockeez were given the challenge of portraying thieves in their performance. Performing to "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent featuring Justin Timberlake, the JabbaWockeeZ told the story of a band of thieves stealing a mystery object for a female client, only to be apprehended by police at the end. The object turned out to be a pink JabbaWockeeZ mask, which they gave to Lil Mama as part of the performance. The group also ran away and "hid" from host Mario Lopez after the conclusion of the song. JC wondered if their choreography was too simple, while Shane argued that the group had made the right decision to put choreography secondary to storytelling.

Week 5: Michael Jackson Challenge

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, each crew performed to a different song from the album. The JabbaWockeeZ were assigned "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." The performance featured a Michael Jackson-inspired solo section by Kevin Brewer, in which he executed an exaggerated crotch grab. All three judges gave the performance high praise. Lil Mama remarked that while she felt that she was watching Michael Jackson on stage, she never forgot she was watching the JabbaWockeeZ. JC admitted that even though he had been critical of the group previously, he had nothing to criticize this week. He complimented the group's showmanship. Shane also praised the group for concentrating on entertaining the crowd in the performance.

Week 6: Broadway Remixed Challenge

With the Broadway theme of Week 6, the JabbaWockeeZ were treated to a live performance of "All That Jazz" from the L.A. cast of Chicago. They received a lesson from the Chicago dancers in the Charleston, the dance they had to incorporate into their routine. Their performance featured several illusions involving dancing circles as props, most notably the entire group turning into a car using the circles as wheels. The performance ended with all six JabbaWockeeZ posing as musicians in a band.

Once again, the judges' reaction was positive. JC said they had successfully incorporated Broadway elements into their performance, but also that he believed they had started slow. Lil Mama made the observation that JabbaWockeeZ had been starting their performances in the same formations they had ended the previous week's, to the delight of the group. Shane highlighted the group's band pose at the end, which may have escaped the audience's notice, and stated that Broadway was "the future of hip-hop."

Week 7: The Evolution of Street Dance

With three crews remaining, JabbaWockeeZ found themselves in the bottom two crews for the first time on the show and faced elimination. Their next performance would be a battle against Kaba Modern for a spot in the finals. The crews were given the task of telling the history of hip-hop dance to mastermixes of the same six songs.

The JabbaWockeeZ' hard-hitting performance ended with members of the group going into the audience to hype up the crowd. Kid Rainen remained on stage and hit an extended headspin that continued long after the music had ended and host Mario Lopez had come out on stage. The crowd gave the group a standing ovation. JC stated they had "let it all hang out" and that the group had taken all of the judges' feedback and created a number that had "everything." Lil Mama pointed out Kid Rainen's "three minute headspin." The highest praise of all came from Shane, who declared that JabbaWockeeZ had "set the standards for the next ten seasons" of America's Best Dance Crew, and that if future crews on the show did not bring the same level as JabbaWockeeZ, they were better off staying at home.

Despite a spirited performance from Kaba Modern, the judges saved JabbaWockeeZ, giving them a spot into the final two. For their final number, the group worked with producers District 78 to create original music for their performance. The resulting collaboration produced "The Red Pill", a remix of Moloko's "The Time Is Now (Bambino Casino Remix)" and Swollen Members' "Red Dragon", both songs the JabbaWockeeZ had used previously used in live performances. The Red Pill was dedicated to the memory of Gary "Gee-1" Kendall, the group's late member and mentor figure. At the end of the number, the group all got down on one knee and pointed to the sky in tribute to their friend.

Week 8: The Live Finale

The JabbaWockeeZ teamed up with Kaba Modern and Fysh N Chicks, the other two crews from the West region, for a performance set to hyphy standard "Tell Me When to Go" by E-40 featuring Keak da Sneak. They also performed with the other finalist, Status Quo, in a step routine created by Stomp the Yard choreographers Dave Scott and Chuck Maldonado.

At the end, JabbaWockeeZ were crowned winners of the inaugural season of America's Best Dance Crew. For their victory performance the group performed unmasked for the first time to "Stronger" by Kanye West. The performance featured solos from all six JabbaWockeeZ and ended with them joining hands for a final bow.
[edit] Special appearances

After winning the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, the JabbaWockeez also made special appearances on later seasons of the show.

Live Audition Special (Season 2): The JabbaWockeeZ performed to a remix of "The Boss" by Rick Ross featuring T-Pain at the end of the episode.

Battle for the VMAs Special (Season 2): At the beginning of the episode, JabbaWockeeZ and Season 2 champions Super Cr3w performed to a remix of Queen's "We Are the Champions" choreographed by Shane Sparks.

ABDC Top 10 Performances of All Time (Season 4): On August 2, 2009, to promote its fourth season, America's Best Dance Crew aired a special hosted by Randy Jackson called "The Top 10 Performances of All Time" where Jackson chose his top ten favorite performances from the first three seasons. He ranked the JabbaWockeeZ' performance of P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) at number one.

ABDC Champions for Charity Special (Season 5): On a special episode featuring the winners of the past five seasons of America's Best Dance Crew, JabbaWockeeZ performed in support of Josh Sundquist's LessThanFour.org, a social network for amputees. At the beginning of the episode, the group joined with Super Cr3w, Quest Crew, We Are Heroes, and Poreotix and performed to "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled. The group's individual performance was to a remix of "The Final Countdown" by Europe and The Bangerz' "Robot Remains".