Red Bull Dance #5000Ft Freestyle: Street Dance
Red Bull Dance recently introduced its latest video content series, #5000FtFreestyle, showcasing top street dancers from across the nation. Filmed against breathtaking backdrops in Salt Lake City and Denver, these videos capture the raw talent and creativity of street dancers amidst awe-inspiring scenery.
The Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition provides a platform for skilled street artists to express and celebrate their passion for street dance. These videos and competition not only demonstrate the ingenuity and innovation of street dance but also underscore its evolution over time. From its origins in urban neighborhoods to its current global presence, street dance continually pushes the boundaries of artistic expression. It possesses the ability to transcend linguistic and cultural barriers, uniting people in moments of shared joy and expression. These videos encapsulate this essence, showcasing the diversity and elegance of dance in all its forms.
We had the opportunity to interview the Red Bull Dance Your Style team, along with one of the featured dancers, Buddy Love, to gain insights into this competition, latest video content series, and street dance in general.
What is the concept behind Red Bull Dance’s #5000FtFreestyle video series?
The top dancers from Salt Lake City and Denver showed off their dance skills at iconic locations in the region to announce the return of the global, all-styles street dance competition, Red Bull Dance Your Style. The #5000FtFreestyle videos brought recognition to talented dancers in the scene to kick-off the local Red Bull Dance Your Style season and encourage other dancers to audition for the competition.
Where were the #5000FtFreestyle videos shot, and what makes these locations unique?
Selected artists took their street style talents to the Utah Badlands at the iconic Factory Butte, Moonscape Overlook, Bentonite Hills (near the Mars Desert Research Facility) and Goblin Valley State Park – celebrating a universal love for dance against an out-of-this-world landscape.
Who are some of the featured dancers in the #5000FtFreestyle series?
Buddy Love – World of Dance contestant
Big Mijo – Pioneer of Krump / Currently on tour with Mariah Carey
Lisa Li – Cultural Ambassador of Hip Hop with the U.S. State Department
Mahalya Rose – Multidisciplinary artist
What is the significance of showcasing street dancers against unconventional landscapes in the #5000FtFreestyle videos?
The #5000FtFreestyle videos not only showcased the participating dancers but also served as a call to action for the local dance community to gear up for the Red Bull Dance Your Style City Qualifier, which took place in Utah earlier this month. “Stopping the scroll” in a world where content is king requires creativity and unique settings to capture the hearts of audiences.
Buddy’s Responses
What message do the #5000FtFreestyle videos convey about the evolution of street dance over the years?
The evolution of street dance conveyed is that it’s not just one style. It’s multiple styles and genres of music that are this beautiful blend. Even in trying to describe my style, I think of myself as an artist that fuses dance and I don’t need to conform to one style to show who I am. That’s a general message anyone can relate to – there’s no need to conform to one style. Be who are!
What role does street dance play in transcending language and culture?
Dance is so culture-based. I love to see is how it’s growing within different cultures and brings communities together. Before the prevalence of street dance, there were various silos of dance styles. Now it’s more fluid and open and dancers move easily between communities and through it, experience different cultures.
What opportunities does the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition offer for participating dancers?
Honestly, it provides me the opportunity to showcase my authenticity through dance. I was a freestyle dancer to start, where I learned choreography, but Red Bull Dance Your Style offers an environment to express the way I dance rather than learning choreography, which is developed my someone else. It’s all me by me.
Can you provide a brief overview of your background and contributions to the dance community?
I have been dancing for 8 years, starting when I was 20. I began with choreography and freestyle dance and started getting into the battle scene within the last 2 years. I teach at Millennium in SLC and at dance studios around the state periodically. I have also danced for Anderson.Paak on a television show and participated in World of Dance with Boom Crew in LA for the last 2 years.
Red Bull Dance Your Style and the #5000FtFreestyle series offer a remarkable opportunity for street dance artists to showcase their talent on a grand scale. These videos bring dancers together to collaborate and celebrate their love for street dance amidst the stunning landscapes of Salt Lake City and Denver. Below are some of the featured videos from the #5000FtFreestyle content series.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4G7tlWOj91/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3khNP-rqEa/