Meet Two Talented Young Black Women Making Global Strides In The World Of Dance

ESSENCE caught up with dancers Angyil and Mavinga as they headed to Paris to compete in the first-ever Red Bull Dance Your Style final.

Last year, the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition traveled to over 30 countries to give the best dancers in the universe a chance to compete at the highest levels. The culmination of the competition saw a diverse group of talented dancers from around the world unite at the stunning La Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris for a once in a lifetime opportunity that was the first-ever Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final.

Among the many extraordinary dancers who competed for the chance to take home the title of Red Bull Dance Your Style champion were two amazing young Black women by the names of Angyil and Mavinga.

Angyil’s dance journey took her from her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri to an internship with the prestigious Alvin Ailey dance theater that ultimately landed her in New York City. Shortly after, she made the decision step away from her formal dance training to pursue her passion for a more “raw” form of dance that allowed for more self-expression and freedom to let her hair down–literally.

Hailing all the way from Belgium, Mavinga fell in love with dance through her affection for old school Hip Hop. Her Congolese heritage shines bright through her name, while her stage presence as a dancer demands the attention of everyone in the room.

Check out the video above to meet these two phenomenal young Black women and hear more about their inspiring journeys thus far.