MTV has announced Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew, a new So You Think You Can Dance-like reality competition series that will pit dance crews against one another for the chance to win a cash prize and touring contract, will premiere on Thursday, February 7 at 10PM ET/PT.
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Hosted by former Dancing with the Stars second-season celebrity participant Mario Lopez, Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew will begin with eight dance teams consisting of five to seven members.
During each episode, the teams will rehearse themed choreography for that week's showdown before competing against one another. Each crew's performance will be critiqued by Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew's two judges: former N Sync member JC Chasez and So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Shane Sparks.
Immediately following each episode broadcast, home viewers will be able to vote for their favorite crew via text messaging, the Internet or by phone. The two teams that receive the lowest number of viewer votes will then battle head-to-head for the judges and the chance to advance to the next round.
One team will be eliminated each week, and the crew left standing at the end will be crowned "the nation's best dance crew" and awarded a cash prize and touring contract.
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Prior to its premiere, MTV will air a two-hour "live casting showdown" on Saturday, January 26 at 2PM ET (PT tape-delayed), in which the American Idol judge will reveal the eight dance crews participating in the show. Twelve dance crews were initially selected following auditions in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew was originally announced by NBC in May under the working title World Moves and would pit dance teams from around the world against one another for the opportunity to land an international touring contract.
However recently-named NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio co-chairman Ben Silverman reportedly decided to not to move forward with the idea, allowing MTV to swoop in. MTV began production on the show in November.
Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew is executive produced by Jackson, Rob Lee, Howard Schwartz and Karen Schwartz, Harriet Sternberg and Joel Gallen. David Auerbach and Brooke Karzen are the executives overseeing the project for Warner Horizon Television. Drew Tappon and Lauren Dolgen are the executives overseeing the project for MTV.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio