This Saturday, Rio hosts a national urban dance competition

On World Dance Day, celebrated this Saturday (29), Rio de Janeiro becomes a great dance floor for the most talented urban dancers in the country to face off against. It is the national final of the global urban dance competition, which is worth a spot in the world to be played in November in Germany. 16 competitors participate in the national final: the two best placed in each selective (Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio), the winners of last year’s edition (Darlita and Tiiti), the winner of the 2022 Rio selective (Soran) and seven more guests. The event will feature DJ Tamy in pickup trucks and presentations by Aline Constantino and Zulu. In its second edition in Brazil, Red Bull Dance Your Style promises high energy, with iconic songs for the public not to stay still. One of the event’s curators, dancer and audiovisual producer Pedrin Brum, invites the public to be protagonists, along with the dancers, in a mutual construction of the event. In an interview with Agência Brasil, Brum said he expected “battles” at a very high level this year. “Because it is the second year of the project, in addition to the dancers, who are eager to show their talent, to show what they came for, the public is also anxious to be part of it, to live the experience of the competition, which is the coolest thing about the event. The public leaves the condition of spectators and decides who will go to the next stage, who will go to the final, who will be the big winner of the national stage to represent Brazil in the world cup.” According to Brum, the expectation for the second year of the project is very high and the “experience of the event will be unique”. Diversity and Plurality The idea behind the event is to celebrate the diversity and talent of urban dance, from popping to house, from passinho to locking, giving dancers the opportunity to showcase their skills in a competitive yet welcoming environment. “There is a very positive impact of this type of event on diversity and plurality, especially in Brazil. Urban dance is a set of dances with an African diaspora and a large peripheral profile,” he said. For Brum, the competition is a platform for enhancing diversity and gender parity. He highlights the participation of black transvestite Puma Camillê, specialist in capoeira and vogue, “which shows the space much more plural and diverse”. According to Brum, the contestants need to impress the crowd, as the audience will be the jury. After each battle, in popular vote, the one who advances until reaching the winner will be chosen. The competition is in a one-on-one format, without knowing which song will be played. Therefore, the dancer’s ability to improvise is a key element. Locking dancer Darlita Albino, winner of the 1st edition of Red Bull Dance Your Style in Brazil, and representative of the country in the world final, held in South Africa, in December, said that it was an incredible experience and that the competition opens doors for everyone who participates.“I hope that this year more dancers, especially women, will be able to participate. I intend to win again: I’m going to the stage to fight for the second championship, but, regardless of the result, I know that Brazil will be very well represented”, stated Darlita. She pointed out that the participation of women in the event is still small, but it used to be much smaller, mainly in prominent areas, both in the “battles” and as judges, MC and DJ of the events. In Darlita’s opinion, one way to reverse this scenario would be to include more women in the production, creation and idealization of dance events. “Most urban dance events in the country are linked to the image of a man in production or organization. A solution to this would be to strengthen events created or idealized by women”, said the dancer. The public will also have the chance to participate in a special program of dance workshops with French DJ and dancer Kapela Marna and African choreographer Badgyal Cassie, starting at 1:30 pm, focusing on passinho, in addition to several immersive activities on site. Registration can be made on the event’s website. Tickets for the national final are already sold out, but the competition can be followed on social media. *Intern under the supervision of Akemi Nitahara

Agência Brasil