# The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers
**The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers** (commonly **The LXD**) is an American scripted web series created by director [Jon M. Chu](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-m-chu) and produced by Chu and Hieu Ho in partnership with Agility Studios, in which rival groups of dancers discover superpowers activated through dance. It premiered on Hulu on July 7, 2010, ran for three seasons and 30 episodes until September 22, 2011, and was one of the early original series produced for a streaming platform.[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Run | July 7, 2010 (season 1, "The Uprising Begins") to September 22, 2011 (end of season 3)[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) |
| Creator | Jon M. Chu, director of *Step Up 2: The Streets* and *Step Up 3D*; produced with Agility Studios[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) |
| Reach | Season 1 repeatedly hit #1 on Hulu; international distribution from September 30, 2010 to a network of more than 350 million viewers[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and story
The series follows people who appear ordinary at first but come to realize they possess exceptional abilities, and who face a decision about which side to take in a grand battle of good against evil.[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) Chu described the concept as a "Justice League of dance."[2](https://www.fanboynewsnetwork.com/tag/web-series/) The story spans several centuries, beginning in the 1920s and extending to the year 3000.
Chu explained the power system in dance-magazine terms: "Every dancer has an energy, we're calling it 'The Ra.' When they know how to hone that energy, they can go beyond the physical." In the series, a trained dancer's kick can extend power beyond her body to affect someone far away, a mechanic he compared to the Force in *Star Wars*.[3](https://dancespirit.com/its_a_bird_its_a_plane_its_the_lxd/)
Season 1 introduces individual characters in self-contained episodes. The premiere, "The Tale of Trevor Drift," follows a teenager who discovers his abilities at his senior prom; later episodes cover two friends who unleash powers from warehouse artifacts ("AntiGravity Heroes"), a man who learns to control robotic tics ("Robot Love Story"), and unassuming hero Elliott Hoo, who finds a pair of magical shoes ("Elliot's Shoes").[4](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers/allseasons/official) Season 2, "Secrets of the Ra," shifts to the assembled Legion: recruits train in the secrets of the Ra, the Dark Doctor builds his army of Umbras, and the season closes with a two-part rescue mission, "The Good, the Bad and the Ra."[4](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers/allseasons/official)
## Production and choreography
Chu, a filmmaker rather than a professional dancer, created the series after the Adam/Chu Dance Crew's 2008 online battle with [Miley Cyrus](https://www.edgepedia.org/miley-cyrus) and Mandy Jiroux's M&M crew drew more than 20 million YouTube views and a live dance-off at the 2008 [Teen Choice Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/teen-choice-awards). He wanted to give background dancers a spotlight and to add narrative to dance rather than stage crew-versus-crew battles. The group is deliberately not a fixed crew: Chu, [Harry Shum Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-shum-jr), and Christopher Scott invite participants who bring something new, welcoming specialists in hip hop, tricking, krumping, and even ballet.[3](https://dancespirit.com/its_a_bird_its_a_plane_its_the_lxd/)
**Choreography process.** When Chu sends a script, Scott and Shum create the choreography, working closely with dancers who freestyle in rehearsals to generate ideas; the dancers reported that this approach wove dancing and story together and improved them as performers.[3](https://dancespirit.com/its_a_bird_its_a_plane_its_the_lxd/)
The visual style borrows from comic books, with bold visual storytelling, split screens, and quick cuts.[5](https://dancespirit.com/the-lxd-at-new-york-comic-con/) Roger Aaron Brown narrates the series.[6](https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/the-lxd/umc.cmc.5v2i6iqhvxngepcs97nky3mc7)
## Release and reception
Season 1, "The Uprising Begins," launched on Hulu on July 7, 2010 with ten episodes of roughly eight minutes each.[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) • [7](https://insidepulse.com/2010/07/07/new-superhero-show-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers-to-debut-on-hulu-preview-within/) It consistently hit the #1 slot on Hulu, achieved weekly rankings in the top 10 most popular television programs despite being a web original rather than a TV show, and exceeded viewership expectations by several times projections.[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) Breakout cast members included Harry Shum Jr. (*Glee*, *Step Up 3D*) and Chadd Smith (*Step Up 3D*).[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec)
**International expansion.** On September 30, 2010, Paramount Digital Entertainment expanded distribution through a licensing deal with RedLever and the Joost Video Network, bringing the series to more than 350 million viewers worldwide, with further releases in Thailand, Malaysia, and remaining territories through 2010 and early 2011 via distributors including Joost, RedLever, Tsutaya TV, PPW, and Voddle.[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec)
Season 2, "Secrets of the Ra," launched in October 2010 and earned industry recognition including NATPE's Digital Luminary Award for Best Original Content, Ad Age's Media Vanguard Award for Best Web Series, and official honoree status at the 2011 Webby Awards for Online Film and Video.[8](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/d0501446-341e-4fa5-abd5-953c507b9a81) Season 3 debuted on Hulu on August 11, 2011 and ran ten episodes through September 22, 2011.[8](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/d0501446-341e-4fa5-abd5-953c507b9a81) • [9](https://socinety.com/en/show/the-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers-2010)
Critics responded favorably. The Los Angeles Times called The LXD "one of the most ambitious web series, a unique fusion of dance and trans-media"; Advertising Age called it "the most beautifully filmed, elaborately staged web series in the history of the medium"; and Vanity Fair called it "fully amazing."[1](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec) The series holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb.[10](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/serie/lxd-la-legion-des-danseurs-extraordinaires)
## Live performances and transmedia
The LXD cast performed at major industry events, including the 82nd Academy Awards, as the opening act of the "Glee" Live Tour for two summers, on *So You Think You Can Dance*, on CONAN, at YouTube Play at the Guggenheim Museum, and at the TED Conference.[8](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/d0501446-341e-4fa5-abd5-953c507b9a81) At TED2010 on February 2, 2010, the troupe previewed the series on stage; the talk's profile described The LXD as building an interactive web series in which viewers can learn dance moves from instructional videos and join the story through the web community.[11](https://english-video.net/v/fr/786) A season 2 preview was also shown at the 2010 New York Comic Con.[5](https://dancespirit.com/the-lxd-at-new-york-comic-con/)
## Availability
As of 2026, the series can be purchased on the Apple TV Store in France, with no free streaming option listed there; the series is cataloged as three seasons of ten episodes each.[10](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/serie/lxd-la-legion-des-danseurs-extraordinaires) Apple TV lists the show with seasons 1 and 2 and episode runtimes between 4 and 14 minutes.[6](https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/the-lxd/umc.cmc.5v2i6iqhvxngepcs97nky3mc7)
## References
1. [Paramount Digital Entertainment Announces International Expansion of 'The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers' (THE LXD), PR Newswire via Paramount IR, September 29, 2010](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/04350876-4edd-4d44-a60a-42748b989aec)
2. [The LXD, Fanboy News Network, September 8, 2011](https://www.fanboynewsnetwork.com/tag/web-series/)
3. [It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's The LXD!, Dance Spirit, March 31, 2011](https://dancespirit.com/its_a_bird_its_a_plane_its_the_lxd/)
4. [The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers – Aired Order – All Seasons, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers/allseasons/official)
5. [The LXD at New York Comic Con, Dance Spirit, October 10, 2010](https://dancespirit.com/the-lxd-at-new-york-comic-con/)
6. [The LXD, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/the-lxd/umc.cmc.5v2i6iqhvxngepcs97nky3mc7)
7. [New Superhero Show, Legion of Extraordinary Dancers to Debut on Hulu, Inside Pulse, July 7, 2010](https://insidepulse.com/2010/07/07/new-superhero-show-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers-to-debut-on-hulu-preview-within/)
8. [Jon M. Chu's Groundbreaking Original Series 'The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers' Returns for a Third Season on Hulu, August 11, Paramount IR](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/d0501446-341e-4fa5-abd5-953c507b9a81)
9. [The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, Socinety](https://socinety.com/en/show/the-legion-of-extraordinary-dancers-2010)
10. [LXD : La légion des danseurs extraordinaires streaming, JustWatch France](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/serie/lxd-la-legion-des-danseurs-extraordinaires)
11. [The LXD: In the Internet age, dance evolves, TED2010 (filmed February 2, 2010)](https://english-video.net/v/fr/786)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Early English-language web series (1997–mid 2010s)*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license