Breaking
Dance
“The Crown” talks training, artistry and being battle ready
Find out how the 2022 Red Bull Dance Your Style USA National Champion stays ready.
The dance community knows David “The Crown” Stalter Jr. as a force to be reckoned with. The 2022 Red Bull Dance Your Style USA National Champion has traveled the world–teaching, competing, earning various world and national titles. But how, amidst a congested schedule that requires him to be ready to go at all times, does this budding hip-hop icon ensure he’s not only able to adequately prepare for his battles but also prioritize the type of self-care that allows him to wow audiences?
David Stalter Jr. breaks down how he keeps not only his body but his mind in peak performance.
How do you mentally train and prepare for battles? Do you meditate or do breath work?
I listen to a lot of music to get me in the zone. I also tend to be very quiet and focused just so I can feel that connection. I like to focus a lot on my breathing–specifically when I wake up, I'll meditate in the shower while listening to music. It helps me to remain present and not think too much about the past or future.
David "The Crown" Stalter Jr. in Da Nang, Vietnam
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
When preparing for a dance battle (or season of competitions), what does your training regimen look like?
I don’t train for specific competitions. I’m a believer of staying ready so you don’t have to get ready; but I always try to be as fresh as possible–making sure I dance at least two hours a day in the morning and condition my body right after. I do this before any other dance or activities I have going on. I’ll also usually dance again at night followed by a long stretch.
Are there particular kinds of workouts you’ve found yourself enjoying – boxing, yoga, HIIT?
When it comes to conditioning, depending on what my body needs, it changes. If my style changes as well, I have to condition my body along with my movement. I used to do a lot of Track and Field as my conditioning, and in the last few years, I’ve focused on boxing / Muay Thai. Nowadays, I’ve transitioned to more calisthenics and catering toward my style of movement. I still prioritize cardio, but I am a lot more focused on lifting body weight, working on balance exercises like pistol squats, or running footwork drills and different variations of push ups and pull ups, etc.
How do you change your diet to ensure you’re in peak performance shape?
I naturally eat fairly healthy. I’m not into sweets or super heavy foods, and I love fruits; but as I’ve gotten more into athletics, I cut out a lot of the little things I didn’t need anymore–spicy chips, dairy products, etc. I believe that as any athlete that strives to be great, you should treat not just your diet but yourself as an elite athlete; so that’s the standard I continue to try and give myself. And every year, my body feels elevated.
David "The Crown" Stalter Jr. in Da Nang, Vietnam
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
What do you say to yourself on the days you struggle to train – whether it be from scheduling conflicts or being tired?
I do believe it’s important to have a balance between hardcore, athletic training and realizing that the most challenging part for most dancers is the artistic side. So a simple answer is I’m kind to myself a lot of the times when I don’t want to train. I don’t force it because for me, it can take away from what I really want to do as an artist. Sometimes that’s simply to JUST dance or to play with a concept or to work on storytelling through my movement. All of these things are still forms of training, but it’s more conscious as an artist, which in the long run, helps both sides of the coin. At the end of the day, you just have to be honest with yourself. Some days, it’s ok to drill and go hard; other days, it’s ok to express and be free. The balance is everything to me. This helps someone to not burn out. Instead of stopping all progress, a person can continue by following their feeling, which can also make training more enjoyable.
What motivates you to remain in performance shape?
I never want to dance and feel as though I didn’t properly express myself. This is my main motivation to train. In my world of course you can still express yourself and not be in performance shape, but for me, I like to look good, feel good, play good. I want full control over the way I shift my weight and transition through my movement.
David "The Crown" Stalter Jr. in Da Nang, Vietnam
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
What makes you feel most successful during and after your training sessions?
I would say if my dance felt good–as long as even just one round felt good–it’s successful to me when I train and condition. I’ll sweat my entire shirt out–that’s the standard every time–but that doesn’t mean it was successful. I’ll ask myself: did the artistry feel good? Did I do whatever challenge I had for myself today and even if it didn’t go exactly as planned, did I at least try my best? Truly? To me, if I can answer those questions with a yes then it was a successful training day.
