Dance
Cutting through the noise: dancers on social media
Five of the greatest street dancers discuss how they've used social media to flex their talents, elevate others and find fame.
Breaking out of the surreal madness of a global pandemic, dancers are ready to tear apart floors, connect, hear thunderous applause and push street dance culture to incalculable levels. After a year glued to mobile phones, laptops and endless live streams in lockdown, fiercely raw genres such as krumping, hip-hop, popping and the freedom of expression have never felt more vital. The level of talent and creativity has reached meteoric heights, and thanks to Instagram and TikTok, the art forms are more visible than ever.
Five talented dancers kicking down doors are hip-hop greats Jackson, Dassy, Kida the Great, French krumper Akamz and the reigning Red Bull BC One B-Girl World Champion Logistx. They've lit up social media platforms with their jaw-dropping moves and choreography, built a fanbase across the globe, and proved that dance has the power to elevate the spirits of the masses.
We caught up with each of them to find out how they use social media to level up their passion and where they're taking their fame beyond the screen.
Logistx on the Red Bull BC One World Final stage
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
01
Jackson – Jaywalk Challenge to the moon
Jackson was one of the breakout stars of 2020 and a pivotal player in bringing joy to dance fans on social media. But the 21-year-old multi-genre hip-hop dancer is far from new to this online world, having uploaded his first video on YouTube when he was just eight.
Initially, he wasn't taking dance too seriously, but that all changed when he saw videos of Marquese 'NonStop' Scott doing his stuff online. Inspired by NonStop, Michael Jackson and other dancers like Kida the Great – who he watched on social media – Jackson levelled up his skills and eventually unleashed his own outrageous talent.
He created a move called 'The Jaywalk' which World Star HipHop reposted and went viral. It prompted dancers worldwide to post their own version in the 'Jaywalk Challenge' and after that, the phone didn't stop ringing.
Fast forward to 2022 and Jackson has danced at the hugely hyped hip-hop festival Rolling Loud, in a video with Lil Uzi Vert and delivered breakout performances with Da Baby and Chance The Rapper on Good Morning America. Not only that, he's also jumped in the recording studio to perform his own music and appeared on TV and in commercials in Japan, Spain and Brazil. Jackson's danced with everyone from his mom and dad and news reporters to comedian Gabriel Iglesias, all while earning co-signs from Paris Jackson and the late Virgil Abloh.
"TikTok and Instagram were important to my art in that they both showed me how to do it. Seeing how all the dancers were operating on the platforms and making money helped me. They taught me the strategy behind the posts and how to get people to participate in them," explains Jackson. "I got the hang of it fast, and suddenly I was superseding what they could do, and the fame was first hitting me; it felt crazy, no doubt.
"But in 2022, it feels even crazier. I'm more appreciative of it now because I know what I'm doing with my music and dance, and I can see how far I can go with it. This is the big time! I'm performing on stages, I'm jumping on jets and flying across the globe. My dream has manifested itself to something real."
And the fan feedback seconds that. "Some people have sent me messages saying how happy my dancing has made them, or how I've inspired them, or that they're proud of me," he says. "Honestly, when I've been at my highest or even low, I'll be feeling like some of these people are angels. I know I opened a world to let others into it, to be in my life, and I don't take that lightly. I want to bring people together with my dance. I care a lot about who's watching, and no matter if I had 200, 2,000 or two million like I do now, I'm always keeping them in my mind, and I'm always thankful for how blessed I am."
02
Kida the Great – from the grocery store to Kida's Kitchen and beyond
Kida the Great made the jump from dancing in a grocery store and in Kida’s Kitchen – a series of Instagram dance clips that were viewed millions of times – to dancing on TV and choreographing for famous faces around the world.
"I'm in a place now where I feel like a veteran," explains the American dancer. "I've done dance videos on Instagram, I've done TV, I've done battles, competitions and music videos. I feel like an OG. It would be easy to sit back and chill. But honestly, I'm still a student. I still have so much to learn. I'm still taking classes and soaking up knowledge like a sponge so that I can push myself to new levels and evolve more and more.
"There's so much going on right now in the world that if you want to make it as a dancer, it's going to seem hard at first. If you come from a small place like Sacramento, like me, then you're already starting out with not much to build on. If you don't have the money to travel to conventions and battles, a plane ticket to Hollywood or dancing for some famous rapper is going to seem impossible. It can seem like nothing can come from dance, but that's not true."
For those looking to replicate the success of Kida, he has some words of advice, saying: "If it's your dream and your destiny, like it was mine, to be a dancer, then all you need to do is fight for it and never ever stop. Don't let anybody tell you anything and don't wait for anything. There's so much knowledge, inspiration, music, history and access out there now on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. So find your platform and tap into that whichever way works best for you."
03
Dassy – a Femme Fatale about the right approach
Born in South Korea but now based in the US, Dassy also leveraged the strength of social media to create additional visibility and hype for herself and her crew, Femme Fatale. Online, she shares her artwork, paintings, drawings, choreography and battles, and although she has 75,000 followers, she prefers to dance for a live audience and connect in real life. For her, it's important to know how to utilise technology and use it as a means to an end.
“I would never say social media is bad, but you need to learn how to make it work the most effective and honest way for your craft," says Dassy. "I dance on a crew called Femme Fatale and when we started out, we had no intention of being a crew, but we put together some choreography and a video which got 40 million views on YouTube. That video opened so many doors for us and put us on the map. But it’s about having the perspective and I just want dancers to know that social media isn't everything.”
Watch the video below to see Dassy perform with her crew at the Red Bull BC One World Final 2018.
5 min
Femme Fatale
Watch popping trio Femme Fatale's performance during the Red Bull BC One World Final Zurich 2018.
Dassy also quickly learned that the online audience is looking for different things, and simply posting real-world content doesn't give you the same results as tailoring the clips. She explains: “TikTok is really fun, but when I do dances on social media, I don’t put too much emotion into it. When I initially got on social media, I posted my battle videos and I noticed people weren't really enjoying it very much. When I put up silly dancing videos, then people started loving it. I think the two are very separate. When I do what I do, I want to really do it, and I prefer to deliver emotion and dance in the theatre, for a live audience, for myself, in battles and on a stage.”
04
Jojo Akamz – pranking Paris
Standing out even amongst social media stars is quick-witted Parisian krumper, actor, comedian and multi-skilled artist Jojo Akamz. He began pranking people as a way to get more visibility for his dance, fusing his jokes with top-tier dance skills, original flow and technique. One swipe through his Instagram or TikTok and you’ll be hooked in fits of laughter, while at the same time amazed by his fierce krump style.
"I became a dancer first and then pranking came into it," reveals Akamz. "My message, combining the two, is to spread love and happiness around the world. When you're in a battle, you spread love to only your opponent. But when you're on the streets and on social media, you spread love to everybody. We live in complicated times at the minute, and people need some kind of entertainment that lightens the mood and makes them live better and be happier."
But it's not only about spreading joy to others as dance also helps Akamz to stay balanced. "When I dance, perform, battle, it’s like therapy. There are so many emotions going through my body and I hope people watching are catching what I’m trying to communicate. Dance is like medication. When it comes to people who are stressed, anxious, depressed, or just frustrated and struggling, I think we can propose dance as the solution.“
05
Logistx – using fame to empower the next generation
Another intriguing character in the world of dance social media is the Red Bull BC One 2021 B-Girl World Champion Logistx. Despite her young age, she's a profoundly in tune artist and social activist. She's also part of a growing movement of elite performers speaking out about the importance of mental health, equality, representation and deeper societal issues beyond the floor.
See just why Logistyx was crowned the Red Bull BC One 2021 B-Girl World Champion by watching the video below.
7 min
Logistx's best moments at the World Final
The 18th World Final saw B-Girl Logistx crowned the new world champion. Check out her best moments here.
“I have so much love and respect for all the B-Girls and I hope I make them all proud. I’m thankful to be standing on the backs of other G.O.A.T. B-Girls who paved the way for me and created this for me. I’m going to continue that vision for the future and elevate the next generation," says Logistx. "I hope I send that message to every dancer, breaker, and aspiring artist that follows me. It’s so important that we stay united and look after each other and that the youth coming up – who are already so powerful – understand how important it is to take care of themselves, listen to their hearts and love themselves.”