Fans got a treat this past Thursday during the grand finale of the first ever American Samoa’s Best Dance Crew (ASBDC) competition, when world famous singing sensation Paul Ieti took the stage for a special performance.

Paul, of Aoa, arrived in the territory on Monday and is here for three weeks. His mother and biggest fan, Akenese Ieti, accompanied him to the ASBDC finale.

After all the performances that night, and before the official standings were announced, Paul was given the chance to perform two songs.

Paul made headlines several weeks ago when he became the first Samoan to ever make it to the semi-final round of the popular NBC hit show, “America’s Got Talent”.

On Thursday, Paul sang “God Bless the Broken Road,” the song that landed him in the AGT semi-finals. He followed up with a John Legend hit, “All of Me”.

While Paul was singing, some of the female audience members just couldn’t resist, as they ran up on stage to strike a pose behind him and snap photos.

At the end of the night, Dept. of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA) Deputy Director Pa’u Roy Ausage thanked Paul for his performance and told the audience and those watching from home that Paul is living proof of the talent that is abundant in the territory. Pa’u said, “If Paul can do it, so can you”.

ROCK SOLID 2 WINS BEST DANCE CREW COMPETITION

The small western village of Afao had something to celebrate this past Thursday evening, after their pride and joy — Rock Solid 2 — garnered a total of 888 points to win the first American Samoa’s Best Dance Crew (ASBDC) competition.

The finale was held in front of huge crowd at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium as well as the hundreds who tuned in from home on KVZK-TV channel 2.

Major sponsor of the competition is McDonald’s American Samoa, whose CEO Tautolo Charlie Tautolo spoke on behalf of his company and presented a sponsorship check of $13,000 to DYWA Deputy Director Pa’u Roy Ausage.

Tautolo said he is satisfied with the preparations that went into the ASBDC program and said regardless what he has heard and what people have been saying, “We are very organized.”

All of the top six groups that made the cut last week were given the chance to perform again during Thursday’s finale, and the final standings were based on the combination of scores for both nights.

The evening started off with a performance by Mount Zion of Leone, a group of 5 boys and one girl who came ready to entertain. Dressed in black pants, white shirts, and suspenders, the group featured the youngest performers of the night.

Their routine included the infamous “Twist”, “Footloose”, and the “Tootsie Roll”. They even incorporated a little Latin flavor through music and dance moves. Judge Ursula commented, “you guys did old skool justice”. Judge Princess added,  saying that the performance was very animated and brought a lot of smiles to everyone.

“Whatever happens tonight, you guys are the best,” she said.

The second act of the night was Flower Power, a group of eight fa’afafine who Judge Ammon described as “very entertaining”, before commending them on the “acrobatic risks” they incorporated into a routine that fused contemporary and old skool moves.

The stage lit up as the girls, dressed in hot pink and florescent green leggings and tops with matching umbrellas, showed off their agility with flips, tosses, and even the splits.

The girls took “Vogue” by Madonna to a whole ‘nother level and transitioned to classic old skool with Mc Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”. In the end, Judge Princess said, “You girls did me proud.” She described the girls are “true performers” and their routine as “seductive”.

She said their costumes added a lot to the routine and told Flower Power that they were “definitely coming for the gold.”

Air Gear Studio, representing the Bay Area and trying to make up for a very poor performance last week, came ready to battle.

The group of five guys who donned green satin shirts, black ties, and white facemasks wowed the crowd with a lot of robotics and illusions. This is the same group that performed a levitating act two weeks ago and had everyone picking them as a favorite to win. But their lackluster performance last week contributed highly to them falling short of winning it all.

Following their performance at the finale, Judge Ursula said the group “rocked it” and she used words like “slick”, “mesmerizing”, and “awesome dynamics” to describe their final routine. Judge Ernest told Air Gear Studio that he is their biggest fan and although he was disappointed with last week’s showing, the group stayed true to their form and proved themselves in the end.

Judge Princess said the group made a strong comeback and their techno-infused style made her the “happiest girl in the room” that night.

But it was Rock Solid 2 of Afao that was definitely the crowd favorite.

The group of nine guys who incorporated every genre from old skool to modern age in their final performance didn’t disappoint. Not only was their choreography on point, the group members had everything going in their favor. From the high energy level to the attitude, the music selection, and even the use of black light, it was no secret that Rock Solid 2 was gunning for the title.

Judge Ammon told the group that they “deserve good results”, while Judge Ursula commented, “this is what a dance group is all about!”

Judge Princess said it best when she said Rock Solid 2 wasn’t “awesome”, they were “Afaosome”.

The three guys and one gal calling themselves ‘Humble’ took the stage next, giving it their all by moving around the stage with confidence and what Judge Ernest called “raw power”.

The night concluded with a performance by Petesa’s very own New Boys, representing the youth of Ierusalema Fou. The group of five guys who sported biker gloves, blue and black flannel shirts with white ties and black hats had the crowd - even the judges - from the beginning of their routine to the end.

The group’s performance two weeks ago landed them in sixth place — on the verge of elimination — but they came back last week and showed everyone that they were true contenders, and they had what it takes to be in the finale.

The New Boys started off with a silhouette, depicting the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and one of his popular hits “The Way You Make Me Feel”. Samoan songs were also incorporated into a routine that featured hit tunes by Gloria Estefan and Ariana Grande.

The guys even threw in a little audience participation when they formed a group tree and picked a flower off the top, a flower that was presented to Judge Ursula who called that little segment their “most impressive move of the night.” Judge Princess said “Michael Jackson is rolling in his grave, happy with this performance.” She added that the ‘versatility’ of the group and their consistency in maintaining eye contact with both the audience and the judges was ‘awesome’.

Judge Ernest, who is a local artist, told the New Boys crew that he would love to have them perform in a music video with him. He said the ASBDC program is all about the youth and talent, and the New Boys have definitely showcased that, through their growth in climbing up the rankings as the program progressed.

When it was time to announce the winners, OPI Director Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, and Rev. Alapi Eti joined Tautolo and Pa’u on stage to present the awards.

Tapumanaia informed the crowd that the groups who place fifth and sixth, along with the four that were eliminated two weeks earlier, are allowed to enter next year’s ASBDC competition.

Those in the Top Four, all of whom received cash prizes, will not be eligible to compete again next year.

In sixth place with 721 points was Mount Zion, followed by Air Gear Studio who came in fifth place with 732 points. Both groups received consolation prizes, including gift bags from the DYWA.

In fourth place, with 749 points was Humble, who received $500 cash from McDonald’s and gift certificates from DYWA.

With 790 points, Flower Power came in third place and went home with $1,000 cash, in addition to other goodies provided by DYWA.

New Boys came in second place and received $1,500 while Rock Solid 2 took home the title, bragging rights, and the grand prize of $2,000.

The ASBDC was hosted by DYWA’s youth representative DJ J-Smooth Iosua who was assisted by DJ “Z”, a movie producer, filmmaker, and director of the popular “Seki A Oe” movie.

The evening started with Dept. of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA) Deputy Director Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr. thanking all the ASBDC supporters and sponsors. Rev. Alapi Eti of the Ierusalema Fou Church offered both the opening and closing prayers for the evening.

Special guests included American Samoa’s singing soldier Paul Ieti, who was a recent semifinalist in America’s Got Talent (AGT), Director of the Office of Public Information Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, and CEO of McDonald’s American Samoa Tautolo Charlie Tautolo (the major sponsor of the event).

DYWA Director Jonathan Fanene was not able to make it.

The panel of judges included Ernest “Ice Cream Man” Seva’aetasi, Ursula Martin, Princess Ariana Auva’a, Lologa Olo, and Ammon Johnson.