TED.com – always inspiring, never fails to drop my jaw. But this time, it has surpassed itself with the following performance from the LXD (The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers). The group’s coordinator is Hollywood Director Jon M Chu. Chu explains his fascination with the relationship between the Internet and Dance:

“Online videos and social networking … dancers have created a whole global laboratory online for dance, where kids In Japan are taking moves from a YouTube video created in Detroit, building on it within days and releasing a new video, while teenagers in California are taking the Japanese video and remixing it with a Philly flair to create a whole new dance style in itself. And this is happening every day.

“…And from these bedrooms and living rooms and garages, with cheap webcams, lies the world’s great dancers of tomorrow. Our Fred Astaires, our Gene Kellys our Michael Jacksons are right at our fingertips, and may not have that opportunity, except for us.

“So, we created the LXD: the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. A Justice League of dancers that believe that dance can have a transformative effect on the world. A living, breathing comic book series, but unlike Spiderman and Iron Man, these guys can actually do it:”.

Click here if you cannot see the embedded clip above.

The LXD recently performed at this year’s Oscars ceremony and were a huge hit with the audience. You can view the full clip of the performance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94ah1u1ypBY&feature=player_embedded

Imagine two rival factions – one good, one evil – squaring off in an epic battle … an epic dance battle.  The LXD delivers just that in it’s a new online adventure in which heroes and villains combat each other with dance superpowers. With stunning choreography, dancers float over the ground like marionettes or crush the laws of physics beneath their feet when they perform breathtaking aerial maneuvers and transcendental step sequences. Think Matrix meets West Side Story meets Crouching Tiger and multiply it by a zillion.

The series hopes to do more than follow the dance-battle zeitgeist that rules today’s TV ratings. In addition to live performances, The LXD reveals dance superheroes on both sides of the screen—viewers can learn dance moves from instructional videos, and even become part of the story by participating in the web community. The LXD is written and directed by Jon Chu, a veteran of dance productions, including the box office sensation Step Up 2: The Streets and the Internet phenomenon, The Biggest Online Dance Battle.

You can also find out more about the LXD by following them on Twitter @theLXD or by becoming a Fan on Facebook.

It’s also well worth passing by their excellent website: http://www.thelxd.com/