SonLam named 2024 U.S. champion of Red Bull Dance Your Style
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Red Bull Dance Your Style, the global, all-styles street dance competition with a unique battle format, concluded its 2024 U.S. season with the Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final USA in Atlanta, a city renowned as the capital of hip-hop and viral street dance. Over the weekend, the country’s top dancers gathered in the A to celebrate diverse dance communities and the city’s role in shaping innovative street dance as the birthplace of some of the world’s most iconic dances, such as the Bankhead Bounce, the Dab, and the Nae Nae.
Dem Franchise Boyz performing at Red Bull Dance Your Style Atlanta 2024
For the return of the premiere one vs. one competition, the national final stage at Underground Atlanta came alive with a vibrant display of all dancing styles, from hip-hop, to waacking, to locking, to popping, and more. Fan favorites, including two-time Red Bull Dance Your Style finalist Kid Nimbus, freestyle dancer and 2023 Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final runner-up Daisy VMZ, and hip-hop extraordinaire Beasty, returned to showcase their skills and battle their way to the top. They joined a lineup of 16 elite dancers, who put their freestyle and musicality skills to the test, dancing to unpredictable mainstream hits, to wow the crowd and vie for the National Final title.
Atlanta legend and GRAMMY®-nominated artist, Soulja Boy, took the stage, energizing the crowd and helping the dancers “Turn Their Swag On” for the grand finale. His performance, which included smash hits like “Kiss Me Through the Phone” and “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” his multi-platinum single that popularized one of the biggest dance crazes of all time, set the perfect tone for the thrilling conclusion.
I feel grateful that so many components play a part in this achievement.
“This feels like a dream,” he says. “I feel grateful that so many components play a part in this achievement. It’s a flashback of family from my home country, Vietnam, to my crew mates and mentors in Vietnam and the U.S. I’m lucky to have this support—I wouldn’t be able to express myself this way otherwise. I won ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ in Vietnam. I’m super excited to go to the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final. There’s nothing more I can do than be me and enjoy how I feel and share that with the audience. That is what I focus on. It’s purely belief in myself.”
SonLam competes during Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final in Atlanta
During the weekend, Red Bull hosted a series of workshops and battles to immerse the community and attendees in the world of street dance. Highlights include a voguing workshop by Renaissance Tour dancer Honey Balenciaga and a 5v5 showcase between Team Africa and Team USA, which featured afro-dance icons such as Hooliboy and Kananelo, as well as freestyle favorites Toyin and The Crown.
The Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final USA follows a 2024 season that amplified dance scenes from all corners of the country, with competitions held in Tampa, Baltimore, Salt Lake City,Charlotte, Kansas City, Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, Memphis, and Chicago. After taking place in countless cities across the globe, Mumbai will host the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2024 on November 9, marking the fifth edition of the World Final and the first World Final event in India.
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Meet your national champion, SonLam
SonLam Nguyen is a popping sensation who has been dancing for thirteen years. His dance is a form of self-mastery, embracing inclusivity and generating curiosity. For SonLam, Red Bull Dance Your Style is an opportunity to represent his Vietnamese identity and unique approach to popping, while connecting with the global dance community through the universal language of dance. His modern, innovative approach to popping incorporates contemporary dance to create dynamic movement patterns, physically challenging himself with tension and entanglement.
As a returning competitor to the Red Bull Dance Your Style circuit, he previously won the Red Bull Dance Your Style Oakland Regional Qualifier in 2022 and participated in the 2022 Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final and Weekender USA.
The evening was emceed by OG 106 & Park host, Free Marie Wright, and dancer, Ladia Yates, with sounds by DJ Domo.
The crowd was treated to a special performance by Soulja Boy, Atlanta’s own hip-hop group Dem Franchize Boyz, and a trend showcase celebrating viral Atlanta-born dances featuring Toosie, known for inventing the Toosie Slide, and Jalaiah Harmon, creator of the Renegade. The sounds for all the evening’s battles were brought by Phillips.
