Robotic histrionics

MANILA, Philippines - The nation’s Bieber Fever culminated with droves of hormonal pre-teen girls flocking to the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. But before it completely cools off, you’ve got to warm up to Poreotics, the Asian-American dance crew who fronted for the floppy-haired pop prodigy on May 10 in Manila.

Poreotics — a portmanteau of the group’s signature popping, choreography, and robotics — is composed of Filipinos Lawrence “Law” Devera, Justin “Jet Li” Valles, Chad Mayate, and Vietnamese Matt “Dumbo” Nguyen, Can Nguyen, and Charles Nguyen (although the trio claims no relation). The group shot to popularity after being crowned America’s Best Dance Crew in the show’s fifth season in April 2010 and Team of the Year at the World Dance Awards in January 2011.

“We were like the Power Rangers morphing… mightily,” chuckled Dumbo during their SM Megamall press conference on April 6, bemused at how far the group has come since forming in 2007.