Jabbawockeez Call Michael Jackson The 'Foundation' Of Their Dance Style

In March 2008, the Jabbawockeez took the stage on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" and blew the crowd away with an astounding performance set to a remixed version of Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." The Southern California-based group went on to win the talent competition. After Jackson died on June 25, MTV News spoke with the Jabbawockeez about Jackson's impact on contemporary dance and the influence he continues to have on their live shows.

"I've been doing Michael Jackson since I was little," said Kevin "Keibee" Brewer. "He was the foundation for what I'm doing."

Brewer noted that Jackson modeled his moves on James Brown, and now a new generation of dancers — not just the Jabbawockeez — are fashioning their style after the King of Pop. "Michael Jackson had a pretty incredible impact on the world of dance," he said. "He set a lot of trends, mannerisms, how he got down. He was very charismatic in the way that he moved and how he entertained. I think that's something we as dancers pulled from him."

The group said Jackson influenced many styles of street dance, including breakdancing, popping and locking. And the Jabbawockeez continue to perform their "P.Y.T." routine while on tour with New Kids on the Block.

"We got a really good response to that routine, so we kept that in our set," said Ben "B-Tek" Chung. "That's one of the highlight pieces for our shows."

In fact, they got word of Jackson's death only an hour before they were set to perform last Thursday. "We were able to do that dance and dedicate it to him," Chung said. "The crowd loved it."