Following the announcement of Red Bull Dance Your Style in the Philippines, the top 16 competitors will face off at the National Finals to determine the country’s representative. The major event is set to go down this July 23 at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater.
Red Bull recently took a deep dive into the top 16 and provided a closer look at each competitor. The diversity of the competitors in terms of dance style was shown, but their shared passion for dancing and drive to represent the country was evident.
“I think going into this battle, it’s more about representing yourself, being true to your style because you never know whom you could actually impact.” shares Jesse Gotangco, one of the Top 16 dancers, when asked about his mindset heading into the National Finals. “Getting into the battle on the 23rd, First of all, I just want to have fun, represent myself, do my thing and hopefully entertain the audience but at the same time, uplift all my fellow battlers to do their best, so (whether we) win or lose, we get a good match.”
Part of representing the country in the World Finals is showcasing a piece of the country to the world. When asked about the incorporation of Filipino culture into the dance styles, Hip-Hop and Locking dancer Kristina Cabochan explains, “I think something very different in the Philippines is we’re very raw, and we’re very expressive, so andoon lagi yung damdamin [the emotions are always there]. I don’t think you can get far as a dancer in the Philippines if you’re just pure technique because you’re not connecting with people. I think that’s something very Filipino that we bring into the people.”
The winner of the National Finals will move on to the culmination of Red Bull Dance Your Style at the World Finals at Johannesburg, South Africa in December, where the overall champion will get the crown and title as the best dancer in the world.
What is Red Bull Dance Your Style?
Red Bull Dance Your Style is a global dance competition set out to find all the best dancers from all over the globe. They’ll be gathering together in one place for an intense dance battle set to test the diversity of their move-set and prove that they are the best dancer in the world.
Unlike other major dance competitions with professional judges, the crowd will play a crucial role in determining the winner of each battle. The crowd participation means the dancers will really need to express their personality and passion through their dancing. They’ll need to win the crowd to move past their opponents.