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JAÏRA wins Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final in Los Angeles
Dutch hip-hopper JAÏRA prevailed over former Red Bull Dance Your Style world champion Waackxxxy in an historic first ever all-female final that went to a tie-breaking fourth round in California.
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As a showcase of the best freestyle dancers from around the globe, Red Bull Dance Your Style has appropriately held its world final in a variety of international cities each year, but for its fifth in-person edition, Red Bull Dance Your Style came home to a birthplace of several dance genres: Los Angeles.
More than 10,000 fans gathered at the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome to watch the top 16 dancers – narrowed down from a field of more than 6,500 at the start of the season – compete for the trophy. In the end, Netherlands national champion Jaïra Joy was the last dancer standing, prevailing over the legendary former champ Waackxxxy in a ground-breaking first ever all-female final that needed a fourth-round tiebreaker before a winner could be declared.
Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final packed out LA's Intuit Dome
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
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Girls run the world
With her victory, Jaïra became the second woman ever to win the Red Bull Dance Your Style world title – the first was Waackxxxy herself in 2023. The 18-year-old hip-hopper rose to the occasion in dueling the South Korean waacking legend. Both demonstrated a variety of movement vocabulary and unrelenting energy, from showing off Latin-inspired footwork to Bad Bunny’s NUEVAYoL to ratcheting up the intensity during Kendrick Lamar’s TV Off (which involved a well-timed, climactic confetti toss from Waackxxxy). At the end of the final battle's three rounds, they were neck-and-neck.
JAÏRA threw down her best hip-hop moves
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
Waackxxxy electrified with her world-beating waacking
© Jon Shih/Red Bull Content Pool
"Guys, it's a tie," announced co-host Charm La’Donna, surveying the stadium of glowing red and blue wristbands. "We gotta go one more round."
"Somebody get them some water," called the other co-host, Sway. "DJ Hans, I want you to dig deep in the crate and pull out something nice for this one."
The needle dropped on Bad Bunny's Tití Me Preguntó and although Waackxxxy delivered another stellar performance, Jaïra pulled out all the stops, combining a variety of styles into a compelling closing statement that sealed her win.
Immediately after the tournament, the Dutch dancer was still in disbelief. "It was quite a mentally and physically intense day," said Jaïra, who had to battle through two days of pre-finals competition before Saturday evening's main event. "I'm still floating. I think I won't really recognise that this has happened until I'm back home in the Netherlands again. I think I will be awake the whole night of like, 'what just happened?'".
JAÏRA became the second ever female Red Bull Dance Your Style champ
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
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A global celebration
"Look at the diversity in this room," Sway exclaimed after the Top 16 round. "How many people came from different countries, different walks of life and different cultures, coming together all because of dance."
The top 16 dancers hailed from 11 countries and officially represented nine dance styles (many are cross-trained and nearly all blended a variety of genres onstage). In addition to DYS national champions from Slovakia, Brazil, Philippines, Japan and Germany, the world final also invited wild cards from the U.K., Czech Republic, France and the United States.
In all, three Americans were part of the Top 16: wild cards The Crown (2022 U.S. national champion) and Hooliboy, as well as SonLam, who was representing the host country after winning this second straight national title.
The Crown at Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final, Los Angeles
© Little Shao
Son Lam dancing at Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final, Los Angeles.
© Little Shao
03
Lil Jon turns it up
Before the semi-finals, hip-hop legend Lil Jon got the crowd breaking out their own moves with a spirited set that included surprise guests Ying Yang Twins and YoungBloodZ. The Southern rappers blitzed through a medley of Lil Jon's hits, from Snap Yo Fingers to Get Low, Yeah! and, of course, Turn Down for What.
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Watch the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final Los Angeles replay
Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final livestream
After the national comps, the best international street dancers meet in Los Angeles to battle for the crown.
As the confetti cannons blasted over an emotional JAÏRA onstage, Sway and Charm teased the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2026, which will return to Europe at Zurich's Hallenstadion on October 24. See you there!
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