For five electrifying days, Red Bull took over Los Angeles for the Red Bull Dance Your Style Finals. Dance fans and pros from across the globe filled workshops, parties, pop-ups, and competitions leading up to the World Final, which was truly one to remember.
Early in the week, Red Bull leaned into the spirit of communal dance with workshops that honored the styles and histories that pulse through the Black diaspora. Amari Marshall broke down Cowboy Dance influences, King Charles repped Chicago footwork, Ladia Yates schooled dancers in Memphis Jookin’, and line-dancing expert Shakeema Prescott brought the house together in unison. In a culture where weddings, cookouts, club nights, and tailgates always involve everybody on the floor, line dancing stands as a universal language. Classics like the Electric Slide remain tim-eless, while newer dances to tracks like Tamia’s “Can’t Get Enough” and 803 Fresh’s “Boots On The Ground” reflect how today’s generation keeps the groove evolving.
For Shakeema, who has danced since she was two years old, her workshop was a dream realized. The performer—seen on America’s Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, and the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show—is also the co-creator of the viral “You” West Coast Line Dance, a cultural moment that opened doors far beyond social media.
“I never thought that it would take me this far,” she said. “I’ve always dreamt of becoming a professional dancer, but my ultimate prayer was for the world to know who Shakeema Prescott was.” She added that the viral dance allowed her to finally do what she’s always envisioned: “So now the world knows who I am, and I’m still dancing and changing lives in front of a lot of people.”
On Wednesday, October 8, the Pre-Final rounds launched a global showcase of styles: popping, house, waacking, krumping, locking, breaking, and more; which each dancer entering the cipher with their own story to tell. Among them was David “The Crown” Stalter Jr., a Minneapolis-born standout with Liberian and Korean roots. A two-time World Finalist and U.S. Champion, he’s beloved for his creativity and charisma on the floor.
“With competitions and freestyle that’s in the moment, it’s like I’m just putting it in the universe,” he explained. “It’s very authentic, off the top, truly off the dome.” For him, the key is honoring the basics of hip-hop—“the bounce”—then letting instinct take over. “All the in-betweens are just asks the question: ‘what can you do creatively to bend and break those rules?’”
All roads led to Saturday night at the World Final at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Hosted by Sway Calloway and celebrity choreographer Charm La’Donna, more than 10,000 fans poured in to witness a celebration of the global street dance community in a city that has shaped so much of its evolution.
The Top 16 hit the floor and brought the arena to life. The crowd held the power to choose who advanced—an energy that made every beat a suspenseful moment. In the end, it came down to Netherlands’ phenom Jaïra Joy and South Korean legend Waackxxxy in an all-female final that needed a fourth-round tiebreaker, and Jaïra ultimately became only the second woman ever to win the world title.
Matching the intensity was an arena-shaking halftime performance from Lil Jon, who ran through hits like “Snap Ya Fingers” and “Shots” with iconic surprise guests such as YoungBloodZ for “Damn!” and the Ying Yang Twins for “Salt Shaker.” And even after the lights dimmed, the party kept going. Rooftops, lounges, and studios across Hollywood—from Harriet’s to Poppy to Playground LA—turned into a huge reunion where. Dancers laughed, swapped numbers, and kept the night moving.
The craft of dance has always been about joy and freedom. It breaks language barriers. It builds confidence, and it creates community. Red Bull Dance Your Style’s Los Angeles takeover showed the world that dance is rebellion, and it honors individuality while pushing what’s possible.