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Street dance, which is an umbrella term for different dance styles such as breakdancing, popping, locking, house dance, waacking, etc., evolved during the 1970s. The name says it all, but its origin comes in part after African American and Latinx people facing injustice, oppression, and racial profiling weren’t accepted into dance studios. They took their art to the biggest stage — streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, schoolyards, raves, and nightclubs.
Historically, the street dance started to offer young people a sense of freedom. Today we can’t talk about the new generations of dancers without acknowledging those from unrepresented communities who paved the way. However, there’s another group of people making space in a male-dominated scene.
They are talented, creative, intelligent, articulate, and above all, breaking barriers. According to history, the most accomplished dancers in any style were male, but things started changing, especially in Hip Hop. A pioneer and now dubbed as the 1st Lady and Mother of Hip-Hop, Cindy Campbell, used her vision and talent to organize a back-to-school party, not knowing that her contributions to the genre would become known as The Beginning of Hip-Hop. Thanks to her, girls realized that whether it was rapping or dancing, they could also have a chair at the table and eventually build their own.
Fast forward to modern times, despite female rappers and dancers being more present in radio and tv and today can build a successful career, there’s still a noticeable gap between genders, especially regarding salaries and support.
And support is precisely what Red Bull offers female artists who want to work their way up in the dance industry. The Red Bull Dance Your Style one-on-one street dance competition gives top dancers worldwide the opportunity to face each other in different qualifiers events from all corners of the world.
After touring in Miami, Boston, Washington D.C, and other countries, the best in hip-hop, house, waacking, popping, krumping, locking, and more will meet again at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 4-5. Here dancers will have another chance to perform against a spontaneous soundtrack - from mainstream hits to timeless classics — and take home the coveted trophy.
Among those dancers, there’s a group of women leaving everything on the dance floor. HOLA! USA had the opportunity to travel to Miami, Florida, meet and witness live the magic these female dancers spread across the entire venue. From now on, we want to continue elevating their voices, saying their names, and supporting their art and the newcomers.
Find below female street dancers you might want to keep an eye on.
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