Tonini performing at the Dance Your Style World Pre-Final
© Little Shao
Dance

Find out who made it through the first Pre-Final of Dance Your Style 2019

Epic battles with various styles and an exciting soundtrack that mixed classics and hits: we were at the first Pre-Final of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final in Paris. Here's what happened.
Written by Yohan Huvelle
4 min readPublished on
The night was falling in Paris and street lights were coming on. Outside the Élysée Montmartre, one of the most prestigious concert halls in Paris, people were waiting for an exclusive show: the first Pre-Final of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2019.
The stakes were high, and as French hip-hop dancer Bruce Ykanji said in an interview: “the challenge is to challenge the crowd.” Because at Red Bull Dance Your Style, the crowd is the judge. The dancer who receives the most votes, in the form of lights signalled by bracelets worn by members of the audience, wins the battle. It's an effective motivation to encourage dancers to be ambitious with moves and techniques, and to stretch their potential.
At 7pm the doors opened and people entered the Élysée Montmartre, which has hosted Daft Punk, Cindy Lauper, Missy Elliott, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and David Bowie. It's a special place and an excited spectator, Samir, said. "This is the first time I come to such a place for an event like Dance Your Style. I love dance and I am excited to see good stuff tonight."
At 7:30pm the crowd stood around the stage, under the red lights, enjoying beats mixed by DJ Vinz. Youval and Angyil were the first to open the dancefloor in a friendly session and were later joined by Blondy. The two MCs (Redchild and Dandyguel) introduced the show and explained the rules. Vinz dropped beats ranging from Michael Jackson to The Blues Brothers to Shakira.
From the start of the evening it was clear that something special was going down – something different from a regular dance battle.
Maya Chou in action at Red Bull Dance Your Style Pre-Final in Paris.

Maya Chou from Taiwan is the only Waacking dancer in the line-up

© Tomislav Moze

The competitors were all outstanding characters. Mesie from Mexico wore a red suit with a classy black hat and mesmerised the audience with a tribute to Michael Jackson while also showcasing his own style. Boogaloo Freak from Ukraine rocked his oversized hat and stood out with great animation skills. Rebis from Slovakia showed a unique interpretation of the locking style, while Taiwan's Maya Chou was the only Waacking dancer in the competition and performed extravagant moves with smooth poses. Australia's K.O. presented a creative blend of styles and individual moves.
Panorama shot of the voting Mels vs Rebis

Mels won the voting over Rebis

© Little Shao

After every battle, the crowd voted by switching the light on their custom bracelets to red or blue.

Who is going to the World Final?

After two rounds of battles, the four competitors to advance to Saturday's Dance Your Style World Final had been decided.
Kofi poses in front of the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final Venue in Paris.

Kofi from the UK

© Little Shao

UK's Kofi, who rocked a solid combination of breaking and other dance styles, wowed the crowd from the first minute. He said he's enjoying the challenge of Dance Your Style as it's more unpredictable than regular battles: "In the moment of truth anything can happen. Things you can not account for. That's the X factor. You need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
In the moment of truth, anything can happen. Things you can not account for. That's the X factor. You need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Kofi
Portrait of dancer Mels, a finalist at Red Bull Dance Your Style 2019 in Paris, France.

Mels is ready for Dance Your Style in Paris

© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool

Mels from France bested her competition with an organic blend of hip-hop styles and precise musicality. For her, she would pick Jaja as an opponent on Saturday if she could choose – due to their differences in style, they are very unlikely to meet in any other battle.
Tonini posing in front of Grand Halle de la Villette, Paris.

Tonini from Italy

© Little Shao

Italy's Tonini brought a wavy interpretation of hip-hop dance to the dancefloor and shone with individual footwork. He enjoyed the unique energy and the vibe of the competition: "I felt a profound connection with everyone on that dancefloor and really enjoyed the exchange. The audience was so engaged that it pushed me to go far with my dance."
LMENT from Cuba poses in front of Grand Halle de la Villette, Paris.

LMENT from Cuba

© Little Shao

Cuba's LMENT (pronounced 'Element') convinced the crowd by presenting a fusion of multiple street dance styles, traditional Cuban dances and ballet. After securing his spot in the top 16, he's flying and is proud to represent Cuba. Being at Dance Your Style is the second time in his life he has left Cuba, the first time being a tour with the dance company Soy de Cuba.