We Are Heroes


We Are Heroes is an all female popping dance crew best known for being the first all-female crew to win America's Best Dance Crew with their title in Season 4. The winning prize amount was $100,000 in cash as well as ABDC's Golden B-Boy Trophy. Their styles of dance is popping, locking, tutting, and waacking, and also Nichelle and Ali are trained in gymnastics and can do flips.
The crew as a whole likes to represent diversity as the five members come from two entirely different sides of the globe. Both Hiroka "Hiro" and Mami are from Japan, Ali is from New York, Riquel is from Idaho, and Nichelle is from California.
WWW weareheroesonline.com

America's Best Dance Crew

Style

The girls came on the show as popping dancers and choreography that they coined "glam style". Lil Mama often referred to their style as a "Refreshing Harajuku" style.

Injuries

  • Starting Week 3, during the Martial Arts Challenge, crew member Mami Kanemitsu suffered a torn ligament in her back. She was still able to perform for the rest of the season.
  • During rehearsals for Week 5's Dance Craze Challenge, crew member Nichelle Thrower fell while attempting a flip on the built-in trampoline on the ABDC stage. She was rushed to the emergency room, receiving six stitches. Her doctor instructed her not to perform while the injury recovered, but she performed nonetheless.

Community work

We are Heroes and fellow finalists Afroboriké took a trip with Shane Sparks to Culture Shock LA. Culture Shock LA is a non-profit hip-hop dance troupe that works to educate dancers, students, and audiences about the rich history of hip-hop, as well as its cultural relevance and relation to other art forms. Founded in 1993, Culture Shock has grown from its home in San Diego to cities that reach all across the US and Canada. While there, the crews taught young students new dance moves. We Are Heroes taught popping while Afroborike taught salsa and how to perform lifts.

Career

Television

Music Videos

  • The ladies, minus a temporarily replaced Hiroka McRae, appeared briefly in R&B singer Omarion's music video for his single "I Get It In".
  • All 5 members made a cameo appearance in a music video called Not The Only One by Skyline.
  • All 5 members made an appearance in the music video of "Eenie Meenie" by Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston.
  • Founding member Hiroka McRae appeared on the music video of Teach Me How To Dougie by Cali Swag District.
  • Member Mami Kanemitsu and original We Are Heroes member Marie Poppins appeared on the music video of C'mon by Tiësto vs. Diplo ft. Busta Rhymes.

Other appearances

  • All 5 members appeared in Paris by Night Divas, a Vietnamese variety show, as guest dancers in the final song.
  • All 5 members are current performers at elecTRONica @ DISNEYLAND, CA. They have two shows every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for three weeks.

Charity

  • The crew created a charity "Pray...Hope... for Japan" to help people who are suffering in Japan after the incident.