‘America’s Best Dance Crew’: 8 Flavahz turning tragedy to triumph

MTV’s”Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” will crown its seventh champion Wednesday, and an all-girl crew made up of members from Los Angeles and Hawaii is poised to take the crown. The reign of 8 Flavahz could be upon us.

The dancers, who range in age from 10 to 17, met at a dance competition in Las Vegas. They clicked, so the Honolulu contingent -- that’s Tamara Rapp (17), Camren Bicondova (12), Summer Waikiki (12) and Tiara Rapp (17) -- invited their new friends from Los Angeles -- Kaelynn Gobert-Harris (16), Angel Gibbs (12), Charlize Glass (10) and Jaira Miller (14) -- back to the islands to unite and compete in another event.

Once the L.A. members returned home, it became more difficult to stay in step, so to speak, with their Hawaiian crew members. The youngsters took to Skype and used private YouTube links to continue practicing and choreographing moves as they prepared to audition for “ABDC.” Delays with video and video chats made it hard to perfect their timing, and though they only came together shortly before appearing in front of the show’s producers and casting personnel, the girls have progressed to the finale.

A huge obstacle that the crew has had to overcome, and is still dealing with, is the death of Angel’s mother, Carolyn Hinson-Gibbs, during the season. It was an emotional blow for the Hawaiian girls to see their new friend go through such anguish, and for Angel’s L.A. friends who saw her mom as a second parent. Angel herself wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue, but knew that her mom wished for her to complete the season and hopefully become a champion.

Before the coronation, though, there must be a battle. 8 Flavahz will have to compete against an experienced Arizona-based crew, the Electrolytes, and garner the favor of the millions of voters who will decide their fate. Crews from the West region have won every season of the MTV show, except last season when Houston’s I.Am.Me was named champion, and only one all-female crew has earned the title -- We Are Heroes. 8 Flavahz hopes to join them.

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