Born To Dance.

I wanted to type a quick review for Born To Dance, I recently purchased it on Ebay from a place in Australia as I've been a fan of Parris and the Palace since 2010 and just couldn't wait!

I'm really unsure where to start with this as I have a love / hate relationship with the movie, don't get me wrong, its still tons better than all Step Up movies, but I feel as if it lacks in some places. One thing that concerns me especially with things like ABDC or the Got Talent series is cutting away from the routine to see things like judge and audience reactions, and the movie had quite a lot of that during "nationals" towards the end, I am curious why Parris went with the HHI type of story line~
Another thing that kind of got me is, usually in movies like step up, there's a lot of story line between each dance routine, but this had a battle at the beginning, some rehearsal stuff and then ALOT (perhaps too much) dancing towards the end, all of which I wish was longer, which may sound odd saying its too much but I want more, what I mean is that it should have been spread out throughout the movie and also the routines should have been a bit longer than 1 minute.

I really liked the story line, so props to Parris for it, Tia's not the best actor but he did well enough to keep me engaged in the movie, the real surprise was Onyeka, when seeing youtube stuff in the past, or even when I went to see Skulls and Crowns in Barking last year, Onyeka seems like the sort that is very, whats the word, I wanna say bitch, but in a good way? I guess she seems like the type of person you don't wanna mess with, but it was surprising because her relationship with "Tu" was kind of cute, and I she seems like a really good actor, and the name calling she was throwing at Tu was fun.
Kyra, also a bitch, when she pushed past the one girl when the dude was saying who was in K Crew, I thought "Damn, Kyra you bitch" she talks with her eyes I guess, I remember calling her "crazy eyes" with Sorority's 2013 routine as soon as those masks come up over the face and she stares into the crowd, and the sdnz routine when she's "gone with the wind fabulous" Kerrington was also a pretty good actor, OH and I loved Mikey in this, again not the best of actors but, he's cute and his character is like that guy that everyone wants to be friends with and loves, and I loved his story of the other guy having problems with "Tino's" sexuality~ when he came for Mikey, and Mikey got him in an arm lock, I was like FUCK YES!!! that was awesome, so props again to Parris for this part of storyline.

So I guess I'll go into the routines, the first battle, It seemed as if picture was a little off sync during this battle in some places, maybe too much switching between the camera's and stuff, the rehearsals too, when some of them were dancing, I wondered what they were dancing to, I think it was around the part where people are showing off their moves for "K Crew" and the O'neil twins were dancing and I wondered what they were dancing to, I also noticed Kiel's piece for "No Flex Zone" was used for the track that "Queen Bee" Kyra was dancing to, so I felt that was a little lazy to not use new material.

Neon Faction - Bill Gates
This is a catchy song, the routine was pretty good, it had that sort of choreo that brotherhood use at HHI each year, I really enjoyed it.

K-Crew - Ayo
I really didn't like the thing with the hood when Tu was doing it, it seemed pretty cheesey, but K-Crew's version seemed a little bit better, though its still a bit silly imho when they're holding the sides and just going in and out with the build up of the song, there was some krump but not much happening other than that.

Freaks vs 2PK - Not Many (The Remix)
This was a pretty good routine, though the whole part with Tu cutting them down the middle seemed a bit cheesey, but other than that, I liked it.

K-Crew - Semi final (unsure of the song name)
I guess I'll call this "click click click click ehhhhh" I loved the popping / robotics in this routine but, it literally lasts 45 seconds and 33 seconds of it is sound effects, again, too short, way too short and I feel as if theres not enough music in the routine, the choreo itself when the dubstep part starts reminds me of that choreo we see from Identity at HHI, but the camera is zoomed in way too much to see what else is going on in the routine so for me, it didn't make much sense.

Imminence - Its Ovah
Ok, can I just say how disappointed with the lack of Kiel, Todd and Joseph in this movie, when seeing the trailer, I was expecting to see more of them, this routine was pretty fun, it was gay, I loved it, but didn't last too long, the song itself is a little ehhhhh, meh? but the routine was fierce, hot, sexy.

Infamous - Semi final
No idea what this song was, but... wondering where Parris had gone, was she kicked from the crew? she was there earlier for the routine in the club to "Let It Go" this routine was pretty good, but when they were doing the sexy thing with their hips, again the camera panned away to some guy in the crowd.

2 Freaky - Two Times A Charm
I really liked this routine because Mikey got to be in charge of the girls, but some of the angles, I didn't get the opening with the one guy running towards the camera, then running back, but loved the rest of the routine, the O'neil twins dancing, is that the same choreo from their rehearsals over at K-crews studio? I'm unsure, this song too, good, but odd good perhaps?

K-Crew - Fresh
This song is bangin' I really like it, I think this camera angle in the opening works with the guy and the face paint, I think it should have zoomed out a bit quicker when more things started to happen, again I was a little let down when Kyra was walking on the guys backs and there wasn't much else happening apart from "walk walk walk walk" and then at some point Kyra does something kind of cool looking with her hands in the air, but the camera cuts her hands off so~

2 Freaky - Baddest
Didn't think too much of the drum solo at the beginning, the routine was good though, it had that royal fam dance hall stuff and some of that "little movements says it all" thing, I didn't think much of the lighting at the beginning with Kaea, but yea, the bottles were good, the whole routine was pretty spot on.


Extras:
So at some point, I did wonder whether this Bluray was a fake or not, mainly because the menu fonts weren't too great and was a little confusing, when going to subtitles, it was english, or off, but the only way to get off of this part of the menu was to scroll down passed off to get back to the menu, turning it off? how do I know whether its going to be on or off when clicking doesn't inform me whether it is or not? in the Extra's part we have a trailer, featurette, screening with cast~
There wasn't enough in the extra's to be honest, but I noticed in the featurette  that that was a clip where Kerrington was dancing and Kiel and Todd were to her left and right, I thought I had missed something at the end of the movie after the credits, but there was nothing, so it left me wondering where this routine was, also extra's should have had 1 shot camera's of each routine, like in those j-pop music videos, sometimes they'll have a close up shot and sometimes a "dance shot version" so again, I was a little disappointed where I had thought there would be some cool extra's.
If Parris does decide to make another movie in the future, I hope she gets camera angles right, doesn't cut away from routines and remembers to include something cool in extra's, Also want to say, I mentioned earlier there wasn't enough Kiel, there also wasn't enough Parris, she did such a great job in Step Up All In with her acting, she was funny, so thats another thing to include, more of yourself!

Hope this review doesn't offend / upset anyone~
~Aar

HHI and Other Stuff.

So, I'm not going to link to videos for this, but will just discuss, It's been a long while since I last posted because theres not been much to look at, sure theres been some cool videos but I usually like reviewing routines and stuff on TV shows, thought I'd post about HHI, seeing as I done it last year but didn't do it this year, kinda just been busy with other stuff.
So, lets get started.
Bubblegum:
Bubblegums semi finals performance was great, I remember I was on skype with a friend and I watched it, and was smiling and impressed with the routine alot, the whacking in the beginning was cool, then the krumping was amazing, was really impressed by the krump V: then there was that footwork to the house song that was cool, and then there was like a sexy part, and I was like "wow, they're young but thats really brave" there was a few things I would have liked kept in the final peice where the one at the front does the leg thing, then the 2 behind do it and so on, but I also liked the final peice in place of this where they were all leaning on each other and moved up and down, it was amazing, I do feel somehow the choreo for the Single Ladies part in the final peice was lacking because it just seemed to be clapping.
the whacking to the electro house part in the final peice was done nicely, although one of the girls seemed to be a little far to the left, but I loved it, was amazing.

Sorority:
So, Sorrority's semi final peice also wow'd me, I had seen their routine for SDNZ and was impressed anyway, then it was removed, then... seeing the semi final peice was amazing for me, I like seeing all the little differences and was sad to see my favourite piece from the semi final go in the final.
the part I'm talking about is just after the lyrics "some of dem say they gazza RAH" and they tilt their head, move it slowly and then they did a hand piece which worked marvelously and the "TSH" sound in the song, they moved their hand up to it and it was SOOOO effective, seeing the semi final routine and hearing the crowd go wild for that part was amazing, it was replaced with them leaning forward and coming up slowly in the final piece, which I didn't like so much, the rest of the choreo for the final was amazing, the whacking TRF do is always amazing and they're so in sync with each other its ridiculous, the 2nd song was cool, the choreo was FRICKING AMAZING and SEXY AS HELL, the chest moving in that part was sooooo siiiiiiick, loved it, I was a little dissapointed with the following part where they pulled the masks up, well not that actual part itself, that was amazing because the girl (Kyra i think?) she has Crazy eyes... not in a bad way, she seems funny too (sdnz performance gone with the wind fabulous part)
It was just how they all moved to the right as one, it didn't feed me with amazment, I think they probably should have done some choreo to the vocals rather than just... sliding right.
not much a fan of the J-lo song but hey, still entertaining <3 Kiel is amazing... if I could dance like anybody it'd be him, I like the way he can switch it up between feminine and manly :P

The Royal Family:
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR this was amazing... opening with a song that... made me laugh because I had watched the "how to sing like" video by Nigahiga and he was singing the drake song... that opening... it was sick, its like "we're here, we're gonna getcha" and somewhat scary, then BOOM that choreo was amazing, I loved the way Parris then looks at the crowd and nods her head like "yea, we're here doing our thing, WHUT D:<" and then they all swing their arms, and its soooooo in sync and amazing :D then they create a thrown for that guy... which was sexy, then all go out crawling and this was also very sexy, Ori's awesome, I'm so glad she was a part of this because she wasn't at HHI last year, and she's my 2nd fav dancer next to Parris, those ropes... damn... some more whacking / vogue'ing, maybe... tutting, seems similar was all amazing, then they create the crown... which was awesome, then we get that awesome housing by TRF to Big Bad Wolf, I always love it when they do the house stuff, wish I could move my feet like that D:
then some reggae, and cool choreo, and Parris doing some sexy stuff with girl from sorority and Bianca (ionno the girls name) and then they pause, and the opening to PLAY starts and they all move SOOOO slow, tbh... I think Parris could go to HHI and get away with doing their Candy routine for their HHI routine, anyway... one thing the HHI youtube captures in this segment that The Palace's video does not is the guy walking in from the right really slow, which is amazing...
next was the krump peice, which Ori seems to be incharge of and DAAAAMN, ever since these guys started doing krump, i've loved it, they do it better than Street Kingdom (sorry SK) and then Kiel comes in and BAM, theres that Manliness I was talking about, and then BAM again, he goes back to feminine for lead up to the ending, I think the beginning of the beyonce part is a little confusing, the way they all walk forward is sexy as heck but then... kiel goes, the next 2 follow, and onwards, I can see the pattern going backwards like a wave, but I think it can be somewhat confusing if you don't know where to look, but damn, the following choreo is good, then we have that small movement with the hips swaying, which is very effective :P then more awesome choreo <3 and then... the ending...
the boss thing, and the sound that ends it, and the pose to finish it... its just wow... fucking ace.

some other bits~
ElecoldXhot's performance looks REALLY fun, its really fun to watch.
Flip's choreo seemed somewhat messy, just seemed to be the tricks that were the wow moments, how this beat bubblegum I have no idea.
Sorority's performance was better than Sol-T Shine, Sol-T's performance seemed like a follow up to last years routine, and some bits felt like some of the choreo was the same, how they beat sorority confuses the front door out of me, and same with last year, sorority's footwork for where have you been ... that alone was better than sol-t's performance.
Brotherhood's performance was amazing, I don't know if sorority should be first or brotherhood, I'd say sorority but i think i'd pick them because I'm a sorority fan lol, one thing i will mention also about sorority's performance, the pussycat dolls part, seemed kinda boring, only interesting part there was kyra's leg going up.

So, Step Up 5 next year, apparently Parris is a choreographer and damn... it will have alot of good people in it, when So You Think You Can Dance was on, they were saying about how Emilio will be in it (sorry if I've not typed that properly) and I also saw a pic of Adam Sevani with with Jaja, so Jaja will be in it too, Chadd... also Phillip will be in it, hoping Moon too, and hopefully Chachi coz haven't seen her in ages, and Brandon also, I also want to see other members of the Royal Family, like Kiel, Oriana, Kyra, Bianca... just to see TRF in it would be amazing, all my favourite dancers in one movie... what I'm expecting is Phillip and Moon to make some crazy 30 person brain bang, some krump... I want amazing krump by Parris, that hard hitting RF choreo...
Robotix, Popping... damn, I'm excited.
I watched Step Up 4 again recently and... yea it is dissapointing, 3 was a much better movie and had much better choreo, I'm hoping they don't fuck up with this one... if theres tutting, or a brain bang, show it from the front, TUTTING is not good to look at from a side view, unless people are back to back doing tutting... to make something where it should be recorded from the side, ABDC always fucks up, Dance Showdown when watching a Mike Song peice they fucked up coz I couldn't see that awesome mike song tutting... LXD fucked up ... I think the IaMmE episode had some weird camera angles... I don't want weird camera angles for favourite style of dance D:<
Jon M Chu better not mess it up, or i'll be mad :3
I'm hoping that... if theres a part where Chadd does robot stuff again with more people, its better than what we saw in Step Up 4... he's a treasure and he deserves more than a 20 second scene where he's a cop, he's awesome... so treat him awesomely!!!
uuuuugh, I really can't wait D8 Parris, Chadd, IaMmE, Poreotics... Javbbawockkeez better be there too, and Quest, I saw a pic with one of the guys from Elektrolytes too so maybe they're in it, I wouldn't be suprised if all the ABDC winners are in the movie, so a reunion would be awesome.
and when they release it to DVD... I'd really love to see like... extra stuff, routines that crews have done and all that, I think crews should do that on their youtubes... like... IaMmE, Poreotics, other winners should record in their studios their ABDC routines, so we can see the routines from the front, I also think this should be done with HHI routines, like... I'd really like to see ReQuest's routines from HHI, and all that :P
anyway, thats my post for now.