The highly anticipated auditions for the world’s largest one on one street battle competition have kicked off in the country for the fourth time. In a bid to celebrate the popular street battle, the top national dance finalist will get a chance to represent Kenya in the world finals.
The Red Bull Dance Your Style competition will allow local dance talents to showcase their prowess through 1 vs 1 dance battles, where the crowd decides who the best dancer is.
The competition will run in five regions nationwide, namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Nakuru. Concurrently, this year’s auditions will also be held online in a bid to reach dancers all over Kenya. The top 16 street dancers will qualify for the national finals in Nairobi.
The audition is expected to bring some of Kenya’s best dancers to to the international stage. They started in March and are currently ongoing. Speaking at the event, Chiki Kiruka, the founder of Dance Shagzz, told the ¬¬¬¬participants that they should use the occasion to display their passion for dancing.
“Your emotions have to be very strong. When you know your craft and style and connect with the crowd, you are judged comfortable in your moves.”
Collins Owade and Ian Tiko represented Kenya in last year’s final of Redbull Dance your Style, held at the Montecasino South Africa,.
Reflecting on his participation in the global event, Collins said his focus was on the finals of this year’s competition.
“It was shocking since it was my first time on an international stage to compete with the World’s biggest names. I believe I have what it takes to reach the finals.”
Despite the tough competition at the competition, Japanese hip hop dancer The D Soraki was crowned after a tightly contested showdown with King Da Vinci from Nigeria.
The regional qualifiers will be held as a precursor to the National Finals that will be held in Nairobi on August 5, 2023. This year’s winner will represent Kenya globally at the World Finals to be held in Germany later in the year.
