Prior to the formation of Quest Crew in the late 2000’s, many members of the team performed with the SickStep dance troup; after they disbanded, the dancers came together to form the hip hop group which they are known as today. Prior to attaining widespread fame in America’s Best Dance Crew, they performed on the funraiser campaign, Idol Gives Back in 2008. The following year, they competed and later won the championship title in the MTV dance competition series.

Aside from having participated in America’s Best Dance Crew, a few members of Quest Crew also appeared on the Fox dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance in the late 2000’s. More specifically, Hok and Ryan auditioned for the first season; Hok later auditioned for the second season once again alongside Victor and Steve.

Although Hok was a tough contender in the show, issues with his student visa later caused him to be dismissed from the contest. Persevering, he later tried out again for the third and fourth seasons, although he never got past the top ten. Many years after they first showed off their dance moves to the world, Quest Crew was recognized with a Prime time Emmy Award for the category of “Outstanding Choreography” for their brilliant routine in Runaway Baby/Take U There in 2016.

Six years after being declared the winners of MTV’s hit show, Quest Crew once again competed in the eighth season of America’s Best Dance Crew, which premiered on the network in the summer of 2015. After countless dance offs with other crews such as Kinjaz, Super CR3W, We Are Heroes, and Elektrolytes, they once again proved themselves to be the best, having received the winner’s crown during the sixth and final episode. Since then, they’ve been featured as guest performers in a number of popular TV programmings such as The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Dancing with the Stars, and at the 2016 Creative Arts Emmys. In 2010, a few of the crew members even performed as back up dancers for Usher’s performance during the NBA All Star Game.

So what has the award-winning hip hop dance group been up to recently? Are they still actively performing on television? What new projects or endeavors have they been busy with as of late? What happened to Quest Crew? Where are they now in 2018?

The History of Quest Crew and its Members

Named after the Quest Learning Center, an institute where they spent much of their time practicing, a few of its members originally performed as part of a dance troupe called SickStep. Following their disbandment, they decided to recreate another group and thus the hip hop crew was born. Although their dance line up has changed many time over the past years, their current roster consists of nine members- Hokuto Konishi aka Hok, Steve Terada, Ryan Fend, Dominic Sandoval, Ryan Conferido, Brian Hirano, Rudy Reynon, Aris Paracuelles, and Joe Lee. Some of their past members include: Victor King, Lydia Paek (who was the only female in the group), Andy Luo, Aichi Ono, Nick Teti, and Adil Khan.

Created in 2006, Quest Crew was created through creative drive, friendship, and a thirst to perform. Since they first started dancing together, they’ve crossed many achievements off of their list- one of the most well known being that they attained the winner’s title on the MTV reality dancing competition, America’s Best Dance Crew in 2009. Following several scattered auditions and performances in various other shows such as So You Think You Can Dance?, they once again emerged as the winner during the eighth season of America’s Best Dance Crew. Most recently in 2016, Quest Crew was nominated for a Prim etime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Choreography”, which they later ended up winning- which is a huge feat for the group.

Quest Crew on Season Three of America’s Best Dance Crew

The brainchild of Howard and Karen Schwartz, America’s Best Dance Crew originally premiered on February 7, 2008. Produced by American singer Randy Jackson- a former American Idol judge, each season features a group of competitors, all of whom showcase their talents in front of a panel of judges for a chance to grab the winner’s title, a golden ABDC trophy, and a $100,000 USD cash prize. Each week on the show, the crews are presented with a different challenge; although the challenges differ for each group, they typically all share a general theme. At the beginning of every episode, the show’s host Mario Lopez starts off by revealing which dance crews are safe, and which are at risk for elimination- those placed at the bottom then perform their dance routines, after which the judges will decide which will stay, and which will be eliminated.

Another noteworthy aspect of America’s Best Dance Crew is that each dance crew has their own banner that represents their members; it is often shown during their respective performances and interviews. When a group is eliminated from the competition, their banner logo, which is usually hung from the top of the stadium falls to the ground. Prior to departing the show, the eliminated team also gets a chance to dance it out a final time as they “walk it out” to the song played on stage.

One of the contestants of the third season, Quest Crew went up against numerous talented dance groups including Beat Freaks, Boxcuttuhz, Dyanamic Edition, Fly Khicks, G.O.P. Dance, Ringmasters, Strikers All-Stars, and Team Millennia. Originally premiered on MTV on January 15, 2009, its panel of judges that season consisted of Lil Mama, Shane Sparks, and JC Chasez. Hosted by Mario Lopez, the season also featured television host, Layla Kayleigh as the backstage correspondent. During the series premiere, each group was given the opportunity to perform to tunes of their own choosing, after an eventful episode, Quest Crew found themselves safe from elimination while G.O.P. Dance were eliminated from the show.

In the second episode known as the Fit Test Challenge, each crew was given a physical exercise to incorporate into their respective dance routines. For the Quest Crew, they were tasked with incorporating kickboxing into their routine, which they successfully pulled off. After all the groups performed on stage, Team Millennia and Boxcuttuhz ended up being in the bottom 2, with the latter being subsequently eliminated from the competition. Over the next four episodes, the hip hop group buzzed through the different rounds, never once having fallen to the bottom. During the seventh episode, which originally aired on February 26, 2009, the crews competed against one another in a Last Chance and Hip Hop Decathlon Challenge; following the event, Quest Crew fell to the bottom two for the first time since the start of the competition.

During the live grand finale, which was broadcasted on March 5, 2009, Dance Crew performed to Theo Flo Rida’s, Right Round and ultimately came out as the winner of the season; Beat Freaks were the runner-up.

Quest Crew on Season Eight of America’s Best Dance Crew

Six years after this initial win on the show, Quest Crew once again auditioned for, and made it onto the eighth season of America’s Best Dance Crew. Unlike previous seasons, the eighth season is unique in that it welcomed back five of the show’s previous winners. Premiered on MTV on July 29, 2015, Jason Dundas served as the host while Frankie Grande, Teyana Taylor, and T-Pain served as the Judge’s panel. One of the six dance crews competing against each other, the hip hop group went up against Kinjaz, Super CR3W, We Are Heroes, Elektrolytes, and I.aM.mE.

During the first episode, all six groups incorporated songs from MTV Video Music Award-nominated artists into their dance routines; while they all went to the next round, We Are Heroes were faced with possible elimination after falling to the bottom. The following episode, each dance crew was assigned a VMA Icon and told to perform to a track from their catalogue; Quest Crew ended up dancing to Chris Brown’s Turn Up the Music, which proved to be a success as they once again avoided the bottom two.

Quest Crew on So You Think You Can Dance

Throughout the years, several of their members have also appeared on the Fox dance competition series, So You Think You Can Dance. For instance in 2005, both Hok and Ryan auditioned for the first season of the show with a former crew member from Sick Step. Although the former did not end up making it onto the show, Ryan ultimately made it to the finals, before falling out of the competition.

The next year, Hok, Victor Kim, and Steve Terada all auditioned for the show’s second season, it being Hok’s second try for the show. While Victor and Steve both ended up being eliminated in the choreography challenge, Hok successfully made it to the top twenty- although complications with his student visa ultimately rendered him ineligible to be employed, causing him to be subsequently dismissed from the show.

What’s Quest Crew Doing Now in 2026 – Recent Updates

Quest Crew is expected to continue touring globally, sharing their talents with new audiences and inspiring a new generation of dancers with their passion and creativity. The crew has also been actively engaging with fans through social media platforms and online workshops, allowing them to maintain a strong connection with their supporters despite geographical boundaries.

In addition to live performances, Quest Crew has also been making waves in the digital space.

They have been producing high-quality dance videos that showcase not only their extraordinary dancing skills but also their ability to tell compelling stories through movement. These videos have amassed millions of views online, further solidifying their status as an influential force in the dance world.

Not only that but several members have also been thriving in their personal careers. Some have ventured into acting, choreography for music videos and live performances, and even hosting dance workshops globally. Their individual successes only add to the collective achievement of Quest Crew as a whole.

The post What Happened to Quest Crew – Now in 2026 appeared first on Gazette Review.

Putting himself out there on stage, Ebina continued to amaze judges and audience members over the next few weeks. Before long, he was competing against other competitors during the show’s live finale. Following a stunning mime performance, the dancer was announced as the season winner on September 18, 2013- making him the second foreign act to have ever won the talent competition. As the champion of the eighth season of America’s Got Talent, Ebina was given the top prize of $1,000,000. A year after his win, he was also invited to perform during the Quarterfinals of the show’s ninth season. While he was competing in the NBC reality series, he also appeared in a handful of TV specials such as Crossroad (2013), Home & Family (2013), and the Japanese documentary, Jonetsu Tairiku (2014). Known around the world for his unique performances, Ebina has also appeared on television in China, South Korea, Brazil, and the UK, among many other countries.

Since the beginning of his career as a performing artist, Ebina has taken to the stage at sundry events; for instance, he has performed at a Cirque du Soleil Special Show, an NBA Basketball Halftime Show Tour, as well as a private party held for various big-name celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Madonna. A one-of-a-kind dancer, the Japanese-native has amassed a number of awards under his belt and has choreographed and directed numerous projects for a number of theater and dance companies throughout the years. As a dance instructor, he has also taught in well over thirty different countries around the world.

So what has the former winner of America’s Got Talent been up to these days? What has been keeping him busy as of late? Can we expect to see him once again on screen in the near future? What happened to Kenichi Ebina? Where is he now in 2018?

Kenichi Ebina’s Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on May 25, 1974, Kenichi Ebina was raised in Japan, where he spent most of his early life. At the age of twenty, he made the trek over to Connecticut to study abroad at the University of Bridgeport, where he later earned an Associates of Arts in General Studies in 1998. From there, Ebina eventually attained a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the same institute in 2000. Although dance was never something that he had explored as a child, he developed a keen interest in the art while attending university. A self-taught dancer, he started out with Freestyle Hip Hop before later branching his style to Contemporary dance, Jazz, Mime, and Lockin’. Eventually wanting to create his own dance group, he formed BiTriP with a team of Japanese dancers.

After performing together for several months, they auditioned for Apollo Amateur Night where they later emerged as the grand champions- making them the first Japanese performers to have ever achieved the title. In addition to his achievements on stage, he was also invited to speak at the annual TED Talks in 2007- a conference attended by thousands of big-name celebrities; at the event, he was also joined by former US Presidents, Nobel Prize Winners and a number of other prominent figures. Aside from being a dancer and speaker, Ebina is also an instructor and choreographer, with dozens of credits to his name all over the world.

Kenichi Ebina in Showtime at the Apollo

Prior to achieving fame in America’s Got Talent, Ebina had participated in the Amateur Night Competition several times- an event made popular the Manhattan’s famous Apollo Theater. The highlight of Showtime at the Apollo, a syndicated music TV show, it saw a number of contestants from comedians to singers during its run. Upon taking to the stage, competitors perform their routine after which they are judged by the audience; while talented individuals receive vigorous applause, the opposite were often harshly booed. Originally premiered on September 12, 1987, Showtime at the Apollo was a long-running series, having been on air for over two decades.

As mentioned previously, Ebina and his Japanese dance crew BiTriP took home the winner’s title at Apollo Amateur Night in 2001. But that’s not all that he’s accomplished on the show. As a solo performer, he also successfully won the competition two consecutive times in 2006 and 2007. To date, he remains to be the only competitor who has won the grand championship title two times.

Kenichi Ebina on America’s Got Talent

The brainchild of Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Ken Warwick, and Simon Cowell, America’s Got Talent features a number of performers from dancers to magicians, all of whom compete for a chance to win the big prize of $1,000,000. From season three onward, the winner also received an opportunity to headline a show on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Although the show consists of a judging panel who are responsible for choosing talents, it’s unique in that audience members also have a say in the results via a public vote. A popular format, it has been used successfully in a number of similar shows both in the UK and the US.

A competitor on the show’s eighth season, Ebina faced off against a number of fellow contenders such as Jimmy Rose, Cami Bradley, Taylor Williamson, and the operatic trio, Forte. The season’s judge panel consisted of Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, and Mel B- the last of whom replaced Sharon Osbourne following her departure.

Like the seasons before it, a number of auditions were held at various cities across the country including New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Antonio; Ebina ultimately tried out in Chicago, having performed a Matrix-inspired “dance-ish” routine on stage that immediately wowed the judges, he eventually left the stage having received an unanimous “yes” from all of the four judges present. Unlike the majority of the other competitors, Ebina was then automatically advanced to the live rounds held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall; he did not have to participate in the second round of competition coined as “Las Vegas Week”.

For the Quarterfinals which kicked off on July 23, 2013, Ebina performed an impressive mime, which saw him swimming, conquering a robot, fighting monsters, and stumbling upon a fire breather. Also wow-worthy was the fact that he utilized a video screen behind him, to feature the characters that were all acted out by himself. During the round, he went up against several competitors including the Chinese-American dance troup, Mitsi Dancing School, the brother-sister music duo Brandon & Savannah, singer Deanna DellaCioppa, and impressionist Jim Meskimen, among numerous others. At the end, he alongside opera singer Jonathan Allen and show choir American Military Spouses Choir made it to the next round.

During week two of the Semifinals that took place between September 3-4, 2013, Ebina once again performed a mime. Utilizing a projection, he fought a battle against himself, a performance that quickly garnered votes from audience members; before he knew it, he had been voted into the Top 12. Aside from him, the acrobatic group Chicago Boyz, singer Branden James, Comedic hand-balancing duo KriStef Brothers and country singer Jimmy Rose also advanced forward in the competition.

The next round that took place on September 10, 2013 saw two guests- Olate Dogs and Terry Fator. Going up against eleven other competitors, Ebina performed tenth which saw him putting together an interpretative dance routine about death, love, and the afterlife. After everyone’s respective performances during the Top 12, only six contestants remained including Taylor Williamson, Collins Key, Cami Bradley, and Jimmy Rose.

For the long awaited finale, each of the six competitors performed two acts; the first was an updated version of a previous performance while the second featured entirely new material. For his new routine, Ebina performed a matrix-inspired martial arts dance; he then went on to dance and interact with himself as eight different characters on a projected video screen behind him. He was later joined by guest performers Heather Headley and the classical crossover vocal group, Il Divo. Following the two dance routines on September 17, 2013, it was announced that the Japanese mime was the winner of the eighth season of America’s Got Talent. Not only was he the first winner of Japanese origin, but was also the first dance act to win the whole reality competition. As winner of the show, he was given a cash prize of $1,000,000.

Kenichi Ebina After His Win on America’s Got Talent

A year after his win, the Japanese performer was invited to the Quarterfinals of the show’s subsequent ninth season, where he gave a performance similar to that of his audition dance routine. According to the dancer himself, the routine was also a demonstration of an app that he was working on at the time- called “Dance-ish Me”, which was later released in 2014.

That same year, he also released his first book- albeit in Japanese entitled 見せ方ひとつで世界でも勝てる. Making his first appearance on television since his win, he later also appeared in the Japanese TV documentary show, Jonetsu Tairiku.

What’s Kenichi Ebina Doing Now In 2026 – Recent Updates

Kenichi returned to television in the first season of America’s Got Talent: The Champions in 2019. A spin-off of the original, it involved a variety of participants taken from the Got Talent franchise, including finalists, winners, and other notable entries. Despite putting on a great performance, however, he didn’t receive enough votes to go to the finals. He ultimately finished in fourth place.

Since then, he hasn’t been back on the show. Rather, he’s been performing across Japan. According to his official website, he will be performing in the Saga and Mie prefectures later this fall. He also performs many corporate events, however, they’re not listed on the site.

For those who’d like to book an event, you can do so via his website here. Kenichi is also on Cameo for those who are looking for a customized video (starting at $90).

You can also find the performing artist on Instagram at @kenichi_ebina_ebiken and on Twitter at @kenichiebina).

The post What Happened to Kenichi Ebina – What He’s Doing Now In 2026 appeared first on Gazette Review.

Before we take a look at the latest regarding Perez, let’s first revisit her life and her journey towards stardom.

Rosie Perez’s Early Life

Rosa Maria Perez was born on September 06, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents Ismael and Lydia left their respective spouses and lived together in an apartment for a couple of months before calling it quits. Shortly after giving birth to Perez her mother dropped her off to her aunt Tia and disappeared. Perez was raised by Tia for three years before her mother came back to take her and had her live in an orphanage ran by nuns, and the kids there weren’t treated kindly. Sometimes she was allowed to visit her mother who subjected her to further abuse.

Perez left the orphanage in her early teens and lived with her paternal aunt Ana. Perez studied at Grover Cleveland High School and the bullying she experienced there made her move to Los Angeles to help her struggling cousin who raised two kids. The experiences she had during her childhood contributed to the development of her speech disorder.

Rosie Perez the Dancer

The living arrangement with her cousin proved to be more stressful than Perez expected. She moved out and supported herself with different jobs while pursuing a degree in biochemistry. Perez found full-time employment as a babysitter and secretary and things became pretty much stable for her, but fate had other things in mind for her direction.

Perez frequented nightclubs to let off steam by dancing. During one of these seemingly ordinary nights talent scout Chuck Johnson saw Perez and was impressed by her dance moves. Johnson then invited Perez to perform in the variety show Soul Train in 1982 and this served as her television debut. She had to adapt to a lot of changes like a new set of wardrobe and doing a different dance routine aside from hip-hop which she was familiar with. She performed for a few years; however she had a heated disagreement with the host Don Cornelius which led to her storming out of the show.

Prior to her dustup with Cornelius, Perez was approached by Louil Silas, a representative from MCA Records. Silas offered her work as a choreographer for dancer Bobby Brown who was about to start a solo career. Perez accepted and soon enough she choreographed for other groups during the late 80’s when hip-hop was becoming a trend. Perhaps her most notable gig as a choreographer was during the early 90’s with the dance troupe Fly Girls for the first four seasons of the comedy series In Living Color, and for this she earned an “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography” nomination three times during the Primetime Emmy Awards in 1990, 1992, and 1993.

Rosie Perez the Actress

After her departure from Soul Train Perez decided to leave Los Angeles but not before paying one last visit to a nightclub named Funky Reggae for a farewell party of sorts. Director Spike Lee was also in the same club where he held a “butt contest” to promote his 1988 musical film School Daze. Perez was disgusted by it and decided to express her distaste by jumping on stage and shaking her rear end until the bouncers asked her to stop. Her effort wasn’t for naught as Lee found it amusing, and this earned Perez an invitation to audition for the director’s upcoming film Do the Right Thing. The film was released in 1989 and was Perez’s debut in the big screen.

In 1991 she was cast as one of the stars in the film Night on Earth which earned Perez a nomination for the “Most Promising Actress” award from the Chicago Film Critics Association. The next year she appeared in White Men Can’t Jump which again earned her additional nominations. Perez bagged five “Best Supporting Actress” awards for her work in the 1993 drama Fearless.  She finally had her lead role in the 1994 romantic drama Somebody to Love. After a few more films Perez ended the decade with The 24 Hour Woman (1999) wherein she both starred and was one of the co-producers.

During the 2000’s Perez appeared in a fair amount of movies. She also lent her voice in animated films like The Road to El Dorado (2000) and The Hero of Color City (2014). She made her debut in Broadway in 2003 with the play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

In the small screen Perez appeared in shows such as WIOU, Frasier, and Lipstick Jungle, with the latter earning her a “Best Actress in Television” ALMA award nomination. She provided voices for characters in the animated shows Go, Diego, Go!, The Cleveland Show, and Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero. She served as one of the co-hosts in the talk show The View in 2014 and left a year later.

In 2009 Perez suffered from a herniated disc while shooting scenes for the series Law & Order: SVU as a guest star. She was handled roughly by one of the extras which resulted in injuries on her back and neck, plus nerve damage. The injuries led to two surgeries and Perez had to stop working for a year to recover. She filed a personal injury lawsuit targeting the show’s producers which was settled in 2012.

Rosie Perez the Activist

During the onset of the 90’s some of Perez’s personal acquaintances have contracted AIDS. Since then she had become a staunch activist in support of AIDS victims and in the fight against the dreaded condition. Perez visited high schools in New York to give lectures about AIDS and the importance of practicing safe sex.

As the years passed by Perez participated in several fundraising events and donations. In 1996 she urged politicians to become more attentive towards the growing health crisis during the Central AIDS Walk, and this act helped raise millions of funds in support of the organization Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Perez even slammed certain celebrities for not utilizing their popularity in increasing awareness regarding AIDS.

In 2000 Perez’s mother Lydia suffered from deteriorating health due to AIDS. She supported her mother financially and was also present in Lydia’s deathbed. Perez continued her fight against AIDS with increased fervor, appearing and directing the public service announcement “Join the Fight” in 2006, and delivering a lecture in Hamilton College shortly after the PSA’s release.

For her efforts Perez was sworn into The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS by President Barrack Obama in 2010. Also, one of the awards from the Hispanic AIDS initiative Cielo Latino was named after her (Rosie Perez Fuerza Award).

Perez also supports educational initiatives and is among the members of the Urban Arts Partnership’s Artistic Board.

What’s Rosie Perez Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

Let’s see what Rosie Perez is up to now this year.

Perez was included in the cast of the upcoming drama Pure where she will be portraying a DEA agent. The show will start shooting in November and will be aired in 2017. She is also set to appear in the comedy film Active Adults, and in the documentary The Talk.

Perez appeared in the debut episode of Moltissimo alongside journalist Ben Anderson. The cooking show can be watched on the Munchies channel of VICE.

Perez joined several bigwigs in Broadway last June to record a version of the Jackie DeShannon song “What the World Needs Now Is Love”. Proceeds derived from the single were donated to Central Florida’s GBLT Community Center and to support the victims of the deadly shooting at the Pulse nightclub last June 12.

Stay updated with Perez by visiting her Facebook and Twitter accounts (@RosiePerezBKLYN). Her Instagram account (@rosieperezbrooklyn) isn’t active.

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