Red Bull Dance Your Style Took Over L.A. with a Block Party Like No Other
Freestyle dancers gathered at Los Angeles Center Studios on Sunday, March 9, for the Red Bull Dance Your Style open qualifier, showcasing top street dance talent in an event that captured the authentic spirit of neighborhood block parties.The market and dance competition, organized in partnership with Storm DeBarge and Black on the Block, recreated the feel of those community gatherings where neighbors come together to celebrate special occasions.Sacramento native Mosi won Sunday's competition hosted by dance force Storm DeBarge. Mosi defeated Koncept in the final round after facing ShortSircuit and Taktic. All four dancers will advance to the city qualifier in Salt Lake City on July 18.As the competition intensified, the festival streets came alive with energy. Attendees browsed merchandise from more than 100 Black-owned small businesses and enjoyed Jamaican cuisine while watching the freestyle battles at the Red Bull stage. Some explored the vendor stands, others remained fixed at the dance floor, but everyone felt the impact of DJ Ash B's music selections that energized the entire block party.Dance powerhouse Storm DeBarge celebrated with her own pop-up, Storm DeBarge's Family Function, within the event, representing L.A. culture and hip-hop dance with a custom-decorated lounge area. It featured live mural painting, a tie-dye station, and on-site hair styling."To represent L.A. is really important to me, because a lot of people don't get to come to L.A., or they just hear bad things about it. I'm like, no, we need something positive, good energy, good vibes," she says about combining the Red Bull Dance event with her family function series. "With Black culture, we love dance. That's what we do. I think to just put everybody's vibe together is definitely important to me, and just important for the youth to see as well."Red Bull Dance Your Style gives dancers from all backgrounds a chance to display their best freestyle moves. It serves as a connecting point for those in the L.A. street dance scene to meet established figures and perform for an appreciative audience."When I get to the space, I just be filled with joy, because I enjoy people watching. The fact that I'm having fun, they're having fun, I enjoy the joy of it," says dancer Rob ShortSircuit. "That's why I lose nervousness, because I'm having fun and the crowd's having fun with me." His playful movements and cheerful personality made him a crowd favorite.
Without pre-planned choreography or music, spectators decide who dominates the dance floor by holding up red or blue signs to support their favorite performer. Of the 16 dancers at the qualifier, only Mosi, Koncept, ShortSircuit and Taktic will proceed to the next round in Salt Lake City.Xavier Misbehavior stood out among the competing dancers. He relocated from Philadelphia just a year ago. Though this marked his first Red Bull Dance competition, not even a broken hand prevented him from participating. He wore bandages on his right hand during our conversation."I haven't danced in like two months because I've been injured. But today I just want to enjoy the love of movement and the love of my culture," he says.While he's participated in dance battles in Philadelphia previously, nothing compared to this scale. "This is probably some of the highest stakes in the U.S. when it comes to street dance culture, because the platform is so large and there's so many opportunities to go across the world and be seen in mainstream media."Beyond the dance competitions, the event functioned as a community gathering with vendors, families, friends, and children dancing to music throughout the venue. On an unexpectedly sunny winter day in Los Angeles, Red Bull kept attendees refreshed by distributing free cans."Being able to be here with so many Black and Brown women—seeing what they got on, seeing the swag, seeing how they walk, how they talk, it's amazing—it's very Black culture," says Teebus James, 30, who attended with her friend Ayedonnie, 32.Given street dance's cultural significance, it makes sense that the Red Bull dance competition would visit L.A. twice during the 2025 season. The city stands as a crossroads of culture, creativity, and diversity."L.A., the West Coast, is home to a lot of bass styles. So, like Boogaloo, Stratton, a lot of popping elements were born in L.A. on the West Coast," says Misbehavior. "You can really feel a difference in the way that West Coast natives approach the swag, approach the pocket and approach the attitude of the style."With its influence on global street dance, Red Bull Dance Your Style's return to Los Angeles for the U.S. World Final at the Intuit Dome on October 11 confirms the city's status as a cultural landmark. The 2025 USA season will feature qualifier events nationwide leading to the U.S. National Final in San Francisco on August 23, hosted by 2025 Super Bowl halftime choreographer Charm La Donna.
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