The LXD & Step Up 3D Arrive

Now that we're in early August 2010, it's safe to say that the media maelstrom of The LXD and Step Up 3D have arrived. Hulu has hosted the first season episodes of LXD while today many dance fans are flocking to theaters to see the third film of the Step Up trilogy. What does this all mean for the millions of aspiring dancers around the world? We now have new role models in the public spotlight.

Aspiring poppers will want to wait through the end credits of Step Up 3D to watch popper Jsmooth's finger tut solo. Madd Chadd stands out among the cast for his dimestopping and robotic isolations. And Pandora gets the full 3D treatment, delivering a fast-paced tutting solo right in front of the audience's faces. We get the feeling that aspiring poppers will be rewatching these scenes over and over on DVD or via downloaded versions of the film. That's especially true of Jsmooth's solo which extends for several minutes.

Surprisingly, it's the poppers who will stand out and likely influence a new generation of dancers. Our mainstream audiences have been saturated with bboy tricks for over three years now via America's Best Dance Crew. It's the poppers who haven't been seen in the forefront. And now, folks are finally going to see poppers who have street credibility in the underground scene. None of them got famous from any of the popular reality TV shows.

In 2003, You Got Served sparked public interest in the whole dance crew battle scene. And young teenagers got their first feature film glimpse of abstract dancer Elsewhere. Will Jsmooth, Madd Chadd, and Pandora become the new role models coming out of Step Up 3D? We're in a different time now where dance fans can quickly Google and Youtube their favorite dancers. We can learn about their past accomplishments and see them performing or battling in grainy videos online. Seven years after You Got Served, dance fans are information-saturated every day all the time.

That's where The LXD comes in. This progressive online series features the power of soloists whether it's bboyin', poppin', krumping, contemporary, or hip hop freestyle. Aspiring dancers now have more frames of reference to study and connect with their idols. Despite early negative reviews from some of the audience, the LXD series has been welcomed by its target audience. And it looks like the whole machine is going to keep going. This is a good thing for aspiring dancers who are hungry for inspiration and role models.

Will this empower street dancers more in the entertainment industry? It certainly gives them more exposure. It's kind of cool to be on the cusp of a new wave of inspiration coming from this online series and feature film because it's starting a whole new cycle. Young dancers in their teens are going to be consuming these moving images and will be influenced. The dancers of The LXD and Step Up 3D can be proud that they're already making a difference on a new generation.