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Meet the 2025 Red Bull Dance Your Style Wildcards
Find out which invited dancers are ready to rock the stage in Los Angeles, USA, on October 11 for the fifth edition of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final.
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Hip-hop and breaking may have started in the Bronx, but Los Angeles carved out the blueprint for freestyle. Early West Coast styles like locking – created by Don 'Campbellock' Campbell and popularised on Soul Train – and popping, pioneered by Sam 'Boogaloo Sam' Solomon and the Electric Boogaloos, laid the foundation for a distinct Cali movement. In the '70s disco era, underground gay clubs birthed punking and waacking – bold styles rooted in self-liberation. By the early 2000s, Krump erupted from South Central as a raw, emotionally charged genre forged in the face of poverty, gang violence and creative scarcity as documented in the celebrated film ‘RIZE.’
Together, these styles became vital tools for storytelling and self-expression –dominating battles and music videos across the nation, and helping shape LA’s freestyle scene into a dynamic force that continues to influence hip-hop dance worldwide.
Now, that legacy comes full circle. The Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2025 will bring some of the most elite freestyle dancers on the planet to LA. These are the eight invited wildcards for Red Bull Dance Your Style 2025.
01
The Crown
The Crown at Red Bull Dance Your Style Seoul 2025
© Jae Geun Lee/Red Bull Content Pool
Being chosen as a Wildcard this year means everything
The Crown, started dancing at 11 in his bedroom – just him, the music and the mirror, trying to find the courage to be seen. Growing up in Minnesota as a shy, introverted kid, dance became his outlet, his therapy, and ultimately a lifeline – allowing him to express what he couldn’t put into words.
After a year of grinding alone, it was friends who caught him freestyling on the bus that encouraged him to step onto the school stage and start battling. Surrounded by his crew, they sharpened each other’s styles, vibed to the music, and pushed their boundaries. The Crown’s movement quickly evolved into a powerful blend of hip-hop, animation, popping, breaking and krump –fueled by raw emotion and lived experience. He draws inspiration from everything around him: his friends, his family and his roots – half Liberian, half Korean and raised in the Black community.
Driven by music, The Crown lets the beat, rhythm and even the silence in between shape his movement. Outside of dance, he channels his creativity through fashion, singing, anime, gaming and breaking down dance battles on his Twitch channel.
Asked about his most intense dance memory, he said: “The dance memory that hits deepest for me is winning Red Bull Dance Your Style USA Nationals in 2022. What people didn’t see was the pain I was carrying – my dad had just passed a month before. I almost didn’t go to the qualifier in Chicago… but at the very last minute, something pushed me to do it. That win wasn’t just for me – it was for my father. He was there with me. That victory will always stay with me.”
02
Silent
Silent
© Pow Roussely/Courtesy of Silent
Every dance moment brings something special, and LA holds a special appeal for me because it’s where Krump was born
Silent grew up in the small Italian village of Bellagio, on the shores of Lake Como. Surrounded by a family of dancers, she was introduced early on to hip-hop, contemporary, dancehall and ballet. At age 10, she moved to Paris – where she immediately fell in love with Krump and connected with the city's vibrant dance community.
Krump became a way for Silent to tell her story, express deep emotions, and reveal sides of her personality she couldn’t show in everyday life. She credits her crew, Demolition Crew France, for helping her grow and teaching her the codes and culture of the style.
Silent’s long hair also plays a unique role in her movement, adding another layer to her expressive style. Her influences include her sister Dafne Bianchi, Naab, the crew Real Underground, Lil’G, Bruce Ykanji, Diablo & Stalamuerte, Mamson and many more. Beyond the battle scene, Silent is passionate about music history, beatmaking, creating original tracks, as well as drawing, reading, crocheting and exploring new places.
“Every dance moment brings something special, and LA holds a special appeal for me because it’s where Krump was born. Red Bull Dance Your Style is an exciting experience and opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m grateful to be part of it – and to challenge myself in the battle with so many amazing dancers.”
03
Jean-Michel Cruel
Jean-Michel Cruel, previously know as Diablo, in Hong Kong
© Brian Ching See Wing/Red Bull Content Pool
Dance is about knowing and loving yourself and putting that into it – because dance is not going to lie
Jean-Michel Cruel, previously known as Diablo, is a French hip-hop dancer and Juste Debout champion who grew up in the Les Moulins neighbourhood of Nice, in the South of France. He started dancing at age nine, when his friend Tellax spontaneously invited him to learn a few hip-hop steps – before Diablo even knew what the genre was called.
By 12, he was entering battles, and at 15, he tore up his first serious competition – and hasn’t looked back since. He says nerves have never been part of the equation. Jean-Michel's movement is shaped by life itself: his hood, his family and his crews Genesis and Los Diablos De La Muerte.
With a sharp fashion sense, over 40 tattoos and a unique dance language all his own, Jean-Michel Cruel has toured with artists and performed in front of packed arenas. But for him, dance isn’t a sport – and being “good” is irrelevant. Success in dance, he says, doesn’t come down to technique or fame, but self-love and truth: “Dance is about knowing and loving yourself and putting that into it – because dance is not going to lie.”
“Red Bull Dance Your Style is a new challenge for me. I’ve never battled in LA, and the concept is totally different from what I’m used to. I’m not the type of dancer who loves every genre of music – but sometimes, you have to step into what you don’t like to unlock something unexpected.”
04
Hooliboy
Hooliboy
© Little Shao
Dance awakens me
Hooliboy carries the pulse of the Bronx and West Africa in every step. He infuses the raw energy of African dance styles with the fluid precision of Michael Jackson, woven into a freestyle built on feel. Raised in a Ghanaian-American family between the Bronx and Yonkers, he found dance early and never let go. A natural freestyler, he shapes narratives with loose-limbed control, following drums, melodies and the silence in between to bring the crowd with him.
Hooliboy’s path runs from college house-party showcases with Hooligan Entertainment to viral moments and global stages. After early inspiration from MJ’s Thriller, he studied the YouTube era greats, then deepened his voice through Afrodance lineages from Ghana, Ivory Coast and Congo. A near‑death encounter in 2016 crystallised the mission. He doubled down on creating, taught sold‑out classes and his #doitlikehooli clip to Drake’s In My Feelings exploded. It became a launchpad to choreographing Davido’s Blow My Mind, appearances on So You Think You Can Dance, work on the BET Awards and collaborations with Burna Boy, Asake and more.
Rooted in community, Hooliboy credits peers and mentors across New York’s Afro diaspora, among them Izzy Odigie and Ghana Boii. Hooliboy advocates for dancers’ visibility and value, as more often then not fame and visibility goes to music artists, while the dancers play an essential role in the success of music online. This season, he brings his unique energy to Red Bull Dance Your Style, aiming to light the way for the next wave of Afrodancers.
05
Hirokoboogie
Hirokoboogie
© Ryusuke Watanabe/Courtesy of Hirokoboogie
I’ve been very blessed and given so much, so I’m motivated to give back through dance
Hirokoboogie is a locker from Osaka, Japan. As a teenager, she left her junior high volleyball team for dance club – and fell in love.
She honed her locking style in a rich environment, learning from the many OGs in Osaka – most of whom are still active today. Seeing them dance at parties and battles deeply shaped her understanding of the style.
Hirokoboogie’s influences include Toni Basil, TETSU-G and Roaddoggz(CiO/Masato). She blends feminine energy from waacking and heels into her masculine locking style, while also drawing inspiration from comedians. Outside of dance, her passions include comedy, cooking, fashion and beauty.
“I’ve been very blessed and given so much, so I’m motivated to give back through dance. I’m looking forward to the high energy of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final – and I hope to meet some of the OGs who live in LA. Red Bull Dance Your Style is one of my dream stages, and a good chance to let more people discover who I am.”
06
Waackxxxy
Waackxxxy
© Little Shao
When I step on that stage, I want to feel alive and passionate
Waackxxy started dancing 17 years ago in Seoul and Busan, South Korea. Her passion for hip-hop first sparked her love for dance. While waacking is her core style, she’s also trained in locking, popping and house – always aiming to express different flavours and vibes through her movement.
When she first began, the waacking scene in Korea was tiny, with only about 30 dancers. Today, that number has grown to around 400 – a rapidly growing, united community. Wackxxy is deeply inspired by Korean culture and artists like BTS, BLACKPINK and Mr. Son, but the one who truly moved her heart is figure skater Yuna Kim.
A member of the Korea Waackers, Waackxxy is also a teacher and judge.
To Waackxxy, freestyle means freedom. She believes the true charm of a freestyler and the most exciting battles come from spontaneity and the natural flow of the body.
When she’s not dancing, she loves sleeping, playing with her cat and watching Korean dramas and variety shows.
“This is my second time battling at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final, and I know a wildcard is a precious, rare opportunity. That’s why I want to seize it when it comes. I’m nervous – and I’m thrilled. When I step on that stage, I want to feel alive and passionate.”
07
Viktor
Viktor
© Aneta Jaurisová / Courtesy of Viktor
I am really excited and curious to be a part of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final. This event is on this big scale and in LA, where waacking and punking came from
Viktor started dancing in front of the TV, copying moves from music videos. At 12, he was “dragged” to a local dance class – and the rest is history.
Growing up in a small Slovakian city with limited access to the wider dance world, Viktor and his friends would hunt down rare VHS tapes and DVDs to discover global styles and decode new moves.
His skills blossomed after moving to the Czech Republic. Between studies, he discovered waacking, then vogueing, and found a chosen family by joining a crew, where he could explore dance in a safe, supportive environment. Influenced by the ballroom scene and club culture, Viktor’s style has a rich, kaleidoscopic edge.
Having played piano in the past, Viktor uses that musical foundation to shape the dynamics of his movement.
His greatest strength is musicality. He loves playing with patterns and layers within a song – following multiple rhythms and instruments, even breaking the rules to create tension, drama and attitude.
“Music drives everything. Not just the movement but the quality and overall mood of a performance. That's why dance will never get boring. Even if you do the same moves twice, it's never really the same.”
08
Paris Crossley
Paris Crossley
© Fareez Hafiz/KUIC Studio
Music and frequency are key to the groove
UK-based popper Paris Crossley grew up surrounded by music, raised on the rich rhythms of her father, a musician and pianist. He introduced her to the moves of Michael and Janet Jackson through old VHS tapes – sparking a love of dance that began with copying their steps and later led her to join a dance company in Bristol.
By her teens, Paris had built a strong foundation across street styles, freestyle, theatre, performance and contemporary dance. From there, her professional career took off, and the bookings followed.
Her style is rooted in popping – abstract, groove-driven and steeped in storytelling. She draws energy from homegrown UK genres like grime and garage, music born from lived experience, not just listened to. One of her earliest inspirations was the London hip-hop festival Breakin’ Convention, which introduced her to powerful female poppers in the mid-2000s like DeyDey and Cathy.
Paris trained under renowned UK teachers Robert Hylton (popping) and Banxy (breaking), while her crew Fiya House keeps her spirit sharp. Her older dance sisters, including movement powerhouse Julia Cheng, have unintentionally helped shape her artistic identity as a woman.
Outside of dance, Paris is passionate about all forms of art that feed the spirit – from exhibitions to concerts. Her hobbies include yoga, rest, nature walks, reading, documentaries, sports and spending time with loved ones.
The greatest motivation that continues to guide Paris is her late father and paying tribute to his genuine compassion, dedication to his craft, and the way he shared that creative world with her.
“For the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final, I'm excited to be in a new space with a different energy. A challenge is always good for growth, and going out of your comfort zone can teach you a lot - so I'm ready for that lesson.”
Tune in to the livestream on October 11.
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