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Red Bull Dance Your Style brings the extra heat to Phoenix
Top dancers from all over the Western U.S. are heading to the desert to show off their different styles and skills to compete for a spot on the National stage.
For the first time ever, Red Bull Dance Your Style West Qualifier is bringing serious heat to Phoenix, Arizona on August 9 at The Van Buren. With only a few stops left before the National Final in San Francisco on August 23, 16 dancers will hit the stage to show what they’ve got — all for a shot at making it to the national, and ultimately, the world stage.
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As the West Qualifier approaches, three dancers share the stories behind their rise. “I started dancing at a very young age, basically mimicking music videos from Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, and Janet Jackson,” shares Brianna “Passion” Grey. “I also grew up watching all the ‘Step Up’ movies — I was inspired by all the battle scenes.”
Passion competing for Red Bull Dance Your Style West Qualifier
© Marino Oya
Like Brianna, Jerome “J-Noy” Cunanan also found his spark through the King of Pop. “I had a tape of Michael Jackson and I was watching ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Thriller,’ all his iconic videos,” he says. Born in the Philippines, J-Noy started dancing at 7 years old. “It was more of an environmental thing. There are a lot of dancers around where I’m from, so it was natural for me. Also, America’s Best Dance Crew was a big thing around then and that inspired me to just go for it.”
“J-Noy” competing for Red Bull Dance Your Style West Qualifier
© Tori Torsion
For Andrea “Rae Rae” Pentecostes, the journey started a little later — but once it began, it didn’t stop. “I started dancing in high school and then I got introduced to breaking, so breaking was kind of my first style,” she shares. That discovery opened the door to other forms, from rave to house, eventually leading her to form a crew, dive into choreography and enter the battle scene. Her dance studio, The Jukebox, is where she started incorporating street styles like popping.
RaeRae competing for Red Bull Dance Your Style West Qualifier
© Leah Roman
Style is the soul of any great battle dancer. It’s not just about movement — it’s about presence, identity, and storytelling. For the three dancers heading into the West Qualifier, style isn’t just what they do. It’s who they are.
Rae Rae brings a playful unpredictability to the floor. “I call my style funky buck – it’s raw, but I still have some techniques,” she says. “Just being real playful and unorthodox. I have one long loc that I’ve been growing since 2010, so it’s really long and it’s kind of been my signature thing, so I play a lot.” Passion, who was heavily inspired by the ‘Step Up’ franchise, describes her style as, “A very abstract hip-hop kind of feel. And I also get very inspired by stretching positions.” J-Noy approaches it with versatility. Although his main core is hip-hop, “I don’t stick with one style,” he says, “I want to make sure I’m a well rounded dancer.”
A well-rounded dancer in a one-on-one battle has to be more than just expressive—they need stamina. Returning vets like Passion and J-Noy know exactly what it takes to survive and thrive in this format.
“I’m super excited for Phoenix and just prepping for it since I know what I’m coming into now,” Passion says. “No sugar! Working out because having an audience takes so much more stamina. You’re performing and now you have to please the crowd and go into the mindset of that.” J-Noy can agree. “I have to make sure my body is okay, it’s very important in the battle environment. I have to make sure I have endurance and that I’m still strong.”
But preparation for a battle like this isn’t just physical—it's mental and musical too. Dancers don’t just train their bodies; they sharpen their minds and ears for whatever comes through the speakers. “Random playlists, just putting Spotify on shuffle and connecting with different kinds of music,” says Rae Rae when it comes to how she practices. J-Noy dives deeper, “I do my best to study even lyrics,” he says. “I’ll go to the top 100 list on Spotify. Slow songs, up-beat, any beat!”
A crowd-powered, freestyle-first format sets Red Bull Dance Your Style apart from other dance competitions. With no panel of judges, dancers have to make a real-time connection with the audience.
Crowd voting at Red Bull Dance Your Style
© Rene Lutterus / Red Bull Content Pool
“When it comes to a crowd and crowd voting, it’s not an internal thing – you have to give an external feel,” Passion explains. “You have to show them that you’re enjoying the music. You can’t fake anything, the audience will see that.” Connecting with the crowd is no easy feat, but being an MC and choreographer too, Rae Rae focuses on storytelling to draw people in and leave a lasting impression. “I have a pretty good experience with crowd control. Getting the crowd involved and not just battling the person in front of me, but really letting people into my world and my story.”
Having the experience of being both in the crowd and on the stage, J-Noy sees the advantage. “It gave me a cheat code—I know what to do,” he says. “First impressions are everything. Engage with the crowd, but at the same time, you’re battling this person in front of you.”
While some dancers might prepare a few choreographed moments to anchor their performance, Passion, Rae Rae and J-Noy choose to lean fully into spontaneity for maximum authenticity.
Passion dancing at Red Bull Dance Your Style
© Matt Mroczek
RaeRae dancing
© Lam Doan
J-Noy at Red Bull Dance Your Style North USA Qualifier 2024 in Chicago
© Tori Howard / Red Bull Content Pool
“That would stress me out!” Passion says about preparing moves. “I love going straight freestyle with it. Whatever the music is telling me.” J-Noy takes a similar approach. He chooses full freestyle to keep it real, trusting his instincts. “The music can be so unpredictable, you have to freestyle it out and make it fit and look good.” For Rae Rae, freestyle isn’t just a style—it’s a mindset. “Just being in the moment and really connecting with the music. I have combos and signatures, but just being in the moment is what I’m excited about.”
Red Bull Dance Your Style crowd
© Jose Duch / Red Bull Content Pool
When stakes are this high, staying calm before the beat drops can be a challenge. The lights, the crowd, the silence before the music hits—it all builds pressure. That mix of nerves and hype is what makes freestyle so electric. It's not about being completely calm—it's about being ready.
“I feel like the nervousness doesn’t ever really go away,” Rae Rae shares. “But as soon as I step into it, something just takes over and my character comes out. The years of battle tactics and performance kind of takes over my body.” She credits her years of experience for the calmness. J-Noy also credits his years of experience, but “I’m still human and we will get nervous and anxious, no matter what,” he shares. “The crowd, it can get a lot in your head. But there’s always that snap button when it’s game time. J-Noy is my industry name and once I step in that space, I’m J-Noy and it’s game time.”
From breathing exercises to visualization, Passion has developed a routine to keep nerves in check and energy high. “I definitely do a prayer and give myself some motivational words. ‘Breathe, remember why you’re here, what’s your purpose.’ And honestly, don’t take it too seriously because if you do, then it’s not going to come out right,” she says. “Bring all the energy and adrenaline out when the beat drops. And not hold back. I’ve held back before in other competitions and I felt sad over the next few months. So, I don’t want to hold back anymore. I want to go for it – win or lose – I’m going to feel good knowing I gave it my all.”
Regional styles bring real flavor to the national stage, and no one understands that better than the dancers themselves. For Rae Rae, the difference between coasts is more than just movement—it’s in the energy and approach.
“I feel like sometimes the West does have a little more performance quality and the East is more street and gritty in that way. But I mean, a battle is a battle.”
Passion, on the other hand, sees another layer to it: the crowd. And that can be just as unpredictable as the music. “Sometimes a crowd would favor a certain type of dance style because they came from there. You don’t know what the crowd is going to like, they can favor a style.”
They might not know who will be in the crowd—or how that crowd will respond—but both Rae Rae and Passion know they’ll have at least one familiar face in the building.
“One of my students got invited,” says Rae Rae. “We’ve been training her since she was 10 years old and now she’s turning 17 and she’s a heavy hitter! Just so proud of her, so I just want to see her. This has been one of her dreams, to be invited to Red Bull. I just want to be in her corner and cheer her on.” Passion knows a few dancers that are competing and one of them is her company member. “That’s really going to be helpful for me because I have someone in the company and it’s going to feel like someone is supporting me.”
Winning is more than just a title. It’s a validation of years of hard work, battles fought and styles sharpened. It’s proof that their artistry, their individuality and their ability to connect with a crowd truly resonate.
“It would mean everything because I’m going in again and this is another chance compared to last year,” Passion shares. “I don’t want to keep waiting, I want to give it my all with this one, so it would mean a lot to represent and go again. Represent myself the best I could because the last couple years it’s gotten better, but I feel really good this year to give it my all. I’m in a better mental state now.”
For Rae Rae, an Arizona local, it’s about representation as well. “I rep Arizona wherever I go. Winning it would mean a lot because I get to tell my story and represent Arizona, represent The Jukebox and be able to reach a wider audience. Just being able to represent for women, queer women, my generation of women who are still doing this.”
In 2024 at the USA National Final, J-Noy got hurt right off the bat. “I thought I broke my ankle,” he shares, “but I wanted to keep pushing. Last year was not meant to be, so maybe I can do it again this year.”
J-noy competes at Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final
© Alex Harmon / Red Bull Content Pool
Whether aiming for the World Final in LA or a global platform beyond Red Bull, their eyes are set on making a lasting impact. “I want to share the beauty of this culture with more kids and give them the torch to continue this dream of mine and still be able to pass it on to future generations too,” Rae Rae expresses. For Passion, it’s about more than dance, it’s “for the world to see who I am, not just a dancer, but an entrepreneur and a business person.”
“Dance is so big,” J-Noy says. “I still have a goal to go back (to the Philippines) and give back to people.” “You can do anything, don’t let anyone label you. ‘Oh, he’s a freestyler, he’s a choreographer’ – no, you’re an artist.
With a blend of passion, purpose and performance, Rae Rae, Passion and J-Noy are poised to leave a mark not just on the Phoenix stage—but on dance culture itself. Stay tuned to see what’ll go down at the Red Bull Dance Your Style West on August 9!
