SANTA MONICA, CA — MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew" ("ABDC") is searching the country to find the next group of crews who are ready to take their pulse-pounding and hard-hitting dance moves from the streets to the "ABDC" stage. Top hip-hop dance crews will have the chance to showcase their edgy and innovative moves to casting directors for the chance to become America's next best dance crew, and for the first time in "ABDC" history, auditions will be open to crews who have competed in previous seasons and are hungry for another chance at the title.

Season seven will be heating up the dance floor with an all new "Season of the Superstars," which will premiere in Spring 2012 on MTV. Each episode will center on the music of a popular recording artist as crews must push themselves to create astonishing performances inspired by the music and persona of that artist.



Casting calls are for crews of five to seven dancers. Auditions will be held in the following cities:

• Chicago, Illinois January 13

• Houston, Texas January 15

• New York, New York January 21

• Los Angeles, California January 28

Crews can register at ABDCCasting.com or e-mail ABDC@mtv.com.

Season six of "ABDC" averaged a 2.2 rating among P12-34 including all playback, up +16% from the fifth season average. The series delivered 2.6 million total viewers each week, up +22% from season five, and was Thursday's #1 original cable series with P12-34.

"America's Best Dance Crew" is hosted by Mario Lopez and shot on location in Los Angeles as dance crews perform their hottest moves for dance supremacy and a $100,000 cash prize. Every performance-themed episode gives insight into the crews' emotion, spirit and inspiration as they step up to the challenge and show-off their ground-breaking choreography and skills. Viewers from around the country choose their favorite crews via text messaging, phone and online voting. The two crews with the least number of votes will be up for elimination with judges making the final call on which crew will be sent home. One crew will be eliminated each week, ultimately revealing the nation's best dance crew.

"Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew" is executive produced by "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, Joel Gallen (Tenth Planet Productions), Josh Greenberg ("The Sing Off"), Hip Hop International's creators Howard Schwartz and Karen Schwartz, Rob Lee (Bayonne Entertainment), Harriet Sternberg and Abe Hoch (both of Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment). Craig Erwich and Brooke Karzen are the executives overseeing the project for Warner Horizon Television ("The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette," The Voice"). Lauren Dolgen and Kristina Edwards are the executives in charge for MTV.

Source: Nielsen. Live+7. Cvg Rtg. Ssn 6: 4/7/11-6/5/11; Ssn 5: 1/28/10-4/8/10.