Dance
9 popular street dance competitions
Street dance is about showcasing creativity and character. Check out how these street dance competitions do just that.
Breakers are the first to admit it’s hard to explain how they move. By definition, street dancing is energetic, expressive, and improvisational– but in practice, 2021 Red Bull BC One champion Amir says breaking is an art.
“It is important to me that my dance is creative, aesthetic and unexpected,” he explains. “For me, breaking is an art form and I want it to look like a painting.”
B-boy Amir and Mighty Jimm at the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
Street dance styles include hip-hop, breaking, popping, locking, and krumping. B-boying is another sub genre of breaking that has catapulted into popularity over the past two decades. As a result, street dancing events and competitions for b-boys and b-girls like Red Bull BC One. Street dancing is also making its mark in traditional dance competitions to reflect its growing influence and recognition in the broader dance community.
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Red Bull BC One, various locations worldwide
Thousands of breakers compete for a chance to perform on the Red Bull BC One stage. With 20 World Finals and over 85 qualifier events in more than 35 locations, Red Bull BC One is a great place to see the marriage of unorthodox movement combined with music, rhythm, and culture. The competition starts with regional contests worldwide where dancers attempt to make the World Finals. The international qualifiers are extremely intense as only 16 B-boys and B-girls are chosen to participate in the World Finals.
At Red Bull BC One, battles are judged by a panel of experienced b-boys and dance experts, who evaluate the dancers based on criteria such as musicality, technique, creativity, and overall performance.
Red Bull BC One World Final 2022
Breakers from across the globe will do battle to be crowned World Champion in NYC, the birthplace of hip-hop.
Additionally, the Red Bull BC One E-Battle allows people from anywhere in the world to compete online to become their country's champion.
As if that weren’t enough, Red Bull BC One also has a program called the Red Bull BC One Cypher, which aims to develop and support the local breaking scene and street dance competitions in various cities around the world. The program involves hosting events and workshops that bring together local breakers and provide them with opportunities to learn from more experienced dancers and improve their skills. The Cypher program has been held in more than 20 cities around the world, and has helped to nurture the talent of many aspiring breakers.
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Battle of the Year, Various Locations Worldwide
Battle of the Year — also known to some as the World Cup of Dancing — is widely regarded as one of the most competitive break dancing competitions globally. In 2022, the competition was held in Japan for the first time in its 32-year history.
BOTY has a preliminary round in which 24 teams participate in five-minute face-off battles. From this round, four teams move on to the main tournament. The main tournament includes semifinals and finals rounds, in which the four teams participate in a seven-minute semifinal and an eight-minute final where the winner of the final match is determined as the champion of the competition. We’d argue that the real winners are the fans, as they get to experience an action-packed b-boy extravaganza.
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The Notorious IBE, The Netherlands
This more than 25-year-old festival promotes hip-hop dance, music, and togetherness over a three-day span at indoor and outdoor sites. The purpose of The Notorious IBE is simple: to promote hip-hop. The festival's creators embody this by encouraging attendees to dress fresh, look their best, and honor hip-hop in every way. The festival features various street dance styles, but the main focus is on breaking.
The winner at The Notorious IBE is determined through a series of elimination rounds and battles. The competition typically starts with open qualifying rounds, where dancers can showcase their skills in hopes of advancing to the next round of competition. The next round consists of group dance, where dancers of different backgrounds and styles improvise together in what’s known as cyphers, with the best dancers selected to move on. The event continues with a series of 1-on-1 battles, where dancers compete against each other in a head-to-head format. In the finals, the last remaining dancers face off in a final round of battle, and the judges determine the winner. Audience voting is also considered in the judging.
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Red Bull Dance Your Style, various locations worldwide
2 min
Here’s how a Red Bull Dance Your Style event works
Get the lowdown on how global 1v1 street dance competition Red Bull Dance Your Style works.
Red Bull Dance Your Style is a global dance competition that allows the audience to vote for their preferred dancers to determine the winner. Dance Your Style is a mixed-style dance competition, which means it showcases a variety of street dance styles. In 2022, 60 dancers from over 30 nations, who emerged as champions from two seasons, competed for eight spots to face the wildcard invitees in the World Final held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 2024 Red Bull Dance Your Style arrives in India for the first time in competition history. Examples of the styles one can expect to see performed are breaking, popping, hip-hop, and locking, among others. The dance styles can vary from year to year and from competition to competition, as Dance Your Style aims to showcase a diverse range of street dance genres from around the world.
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Hip Hop International, Los Angeles, California
Hip Hop International produces live and televised street dance competitions and events. Founded in 2002 to promote and celebrate street dance and hip-hop culture, HHI's competitions and events are known for being some of the largest and most respected in the world. The company strongly focuses on honoring the traditions and origins of street dance, and it works closely with dance originators, respected street dancers, and other professionals to develop and maintain standardized judging practices used at its competitions worldwide.
Hip Hop International allows competitors to compete as a solo act, duo/trio, group, or crew. HHI also boasts some of the most unique hip-hop dance styles the world has to offer, such as breaking, popping, locking, and even house dance. HHI even hosts international judging workshops to ensure its regulations are upheld. Recognized as a leading authority in hip-hop and street dance, HHI has a presence in over 50 countries.
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United Dance Organization, various locations worldwide
The United Dance Organization (UDO) is a global street dance competition with 19 regional events throughout the UK for all ages and skill levels. For those not located in the UK, UDO hosts international championship events in the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and other countries. The competition lets dancers compete in various street dance styles, including hip-hop, breaking, popping, and locking. It’s been held annually for over two decades. UDO is known for its inclusive atmosphere, making the competition a celebration of street dance culture.
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Starbound National Talent Competition, various locations in the U.S.
Starbound National Talent Competition joins Red Bull BC One as one of the biggest dance competitions in the U.S. With regional and national events, the competition caters to a wide range of dance styles, including street dancing. Starbound provides a platform for dancers of all ages and skill levels to showcase their talent in various genres, from hip-hop and contemporary to jazz and ballet.
The competition consists of professional judging panels and positive reinforcement. It offers dancers the opportunity to gain exposure and recognition in the dance community.
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The Dance Summit, Orlando, Florida
The Dance Summit, hosted by Varsity All Star, is a national competition that takes place at Disney World, focusing on all-star dance teams from the U.S. The summit marked its 10th anniversary in 2024. While the competition includes traditional dance styles such as jazz and contemporary, it also celebrates street dance genres, specifically hip-hop. Held annually at Walt Disney World, the Dance Summit is an intense competition with strict time limits and teams judged on criteria such as technique, synchronization, creativity, and rhythm.
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USA Hip Hop Dance Championship, Los Angeles, California
Hip Hop International’s USA Hip Hop Dance Championship is the national qualifier for the World Hip Hop Dance Championship. Previously held in Phoenix, Arizona, this competition attracts the top street dancer crews from across the U.S. The championship features intense battles in six divisions: junior, varsity, adult, minicrew, JV megacrew, and megacrew. The top five teams earn the right to represent the country at the World Championship, making this competition a crucial step for dancers aiming to achieve global recognition.
Conclusion
B-boying and street dance are about more than random movements; they’re about showcasing creativity and character. B-boys and B-girls spend countless years honing their craft to compete in international street dance competitions to represent themselves and their hard work all while helping the sport continue to grow on a global scale.