Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final 2025 Brought Fashion To Freestyle

The 2025 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles brought together the best freestyle dancers in the world for a global freestyle dance competition. A series of regional qualifiers in 51 markets led dancers from around the world to LA’s Inuit Stage on October 11, hosted by Hip-Hop and radio legend Sway Calloway, and celebrity choreographer Charm La’Donna, to battle for the coveted title of world champion.

More than just a competition, Red Bull celebrated the uniqueness of each dancer’s style, including their fashion sense, an aspect of dance intrinsic to the art. Freestyle dance culture and its connection to personal style are as diverse as the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion roster of competitors.

Supervsn brought the sartorial hype to the multi-day event, creating merchandise sold at a pop-up during preliminary rounds. Supervsn, a streetwear staple born in the Slauson neighborhood of Los Angeles, created box cut t-shirts, psychedelic hoodies, and a multi-fabric track jacket for dancers to wear and fans to collect. Besides dressing for their performance in personal wardrobes, dancers also adorned their names on the back of personalized Red Bull Dance jerseys.

At this elite level, a dancer’s fashion choices become a critical element of their performance, fostering a character-driven experience of storytelling through dance. Sartorial choice actively shapes each dancer’s movement and narrative on the world stage.

For the winner of the final competition, voted by the crowd of 10,000 people that night, Jairan Joy Luhulima, an 18-year old Indonesian–Dutch hip-hop dancer from the Netherlands, wore a classic black Kangol-style flat cap, with a black tailored vest and black leather belt accessory, black baggy trousers, and a black pair of patent leather, retro Jordan 12 sneakers. Luhulima fully embodied a mystique that complemented her coordinated, yet, erratic dance style, making her victorious on the night.

For these competitors, clothing is far more than an outfit. An active component within each of the performances, clothing is a tool for expression, a catalyst for movement, and a non-verbal language that communicates before any dance moves can be executed. The insights from four distinct dancers who participated in the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion event series reveal a shared philosophy that what they wear directly shapes how they move, leading to more dynamic and visually compelling art.

The draping, weight, and shape of a garment can turn a simple move into a dramatic statement, a delectable advantage in a high-stakes dance battle. Finalist David Stalter Jr, also known as The Crown, from Minneapolis, explains this technical relationship with clothing as a crowd favorite and cover star of the event, “I think about how different pieces affect my movement.”

Stalter Jr. continues, “Baggy jeans give a flowier movement, while skinny jeans let you see the hits and muscle contractions. It all makes a difference in my personal style in dance.” For him, the sartorial choice between baggy and tight is a strategic decision between showcasing flow and dramatic moves or showcasing precision and detail under the bright lights. “Or if I wanna wear puffer-type pants or flare pants,” Salter describes. “It all makes a difference in my personal style in dance.”

Similarly, Marlee Hightower from Orlando, focuses on the concepts of “flow and shape,” stating, “I make sure the clothes I’m wearing flow, but also that the shape sits right. I’m really interested in the shape of something rather than what it is or the brand.” She highlights how a garment’s silhouette contributes to the overall visual composition of the dance, avoiding the idea of a name brand for garment construction, ensuring her lines are clean and intentional for a global audience.

On the pressurized stage of the World Final, the right outfit instills a powerful sense of confidence and identity, which is directly translated into more authoritative and fearless dancing. Hightower prioritizes functionality with her go-to “cargo pant,” noting, “It’s gotta be a light, like, but a light material.” The weight and fabric are chosen specifically to allow for unrestricted movement and dynamic flow.

She pushes the idea further by experimenting with unconventional pieces. “I’m inspired by how you can take unconventional clothing that you wouldn’t necessarily see in a dance space and make it work. I might rock a certain jacket you wouldn’t normally dance in, or a vest you’d wear out to dinner.” This innovative approach is a dynamic act in itself, challenging norms and making her performance uniquely memorable among the world’s best.

Celebrating a global community, the event also highlights how fashion serves as an extension of cultural and personal identity. For these dancers, their style is a means of expressing their roots and their unique artistic voice on an international stage.

This personal connection to their clothing fuels a more authentic and passionate performance for Ghanian and a Bronx native, and Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final contestant, Samuel “Hooliboy” Kyei, connects his style to his heritage, seeing his battle attire as a “costume” for a cultural hero, drawing inspiration from the legendary performer and musician Michael Jackson.

“Everything he embodied was a statement,” Kyei ardently explains. “Before you even see me move, you’re going to appreciate this fit,” he notes in confidence. “I feel like that was a reflection of how he viewed himself.” His choice to incorporate statement pieces is a deliberate act of self-presentation.

“If I’m wearing velour right now, I feel comfortable. But velour also kind of gives a royal look,” references his heritage while detailing his options for a heavier fabric. “If I have little breathing things – it’s ’cause I want to breathe [in the clothes]. But then people might say, ‘He’s not afraid to show some skin.'” He demonstrates how the texture and design of the clothing [velour for luxury, or mesh for breathability/skin] contribute to the narrative and visual impact of his performance.

When a dancer feels their look is authentic and “fresh,” their performance level elevates, allowing them to command the space with greater presence. International dancer, Brooklyn native, and frequent Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion guest participant, Nicholas “Slick” Stewart, puts it succinctly, stating, “I feel like as a dancer, if you feel ‘fly,’ you’re going to dance ‘fly.’” Stewart highlights a feeling of “looking good, and feeling good” to maximize a dancer’s confidence in front of thousands in the arena, and even more on livestream.

He continues, “If you feel good about yourself, it’s going to show. I like to dress my best!” This direct link between self-perception and performance quality is foundational for each dancer. Salter Jr. also echoed this, affirming the mantra of “You look good, you feel good, you dance good.” This simple formula is a universal truth for these performers, where fashion is the first step in the chain reaction that leads to a heightened experience for viewers.

In the intense context of a head-to-head battle for the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion, clothing is a practical utility but also facilitates specific, dynamic moves. The right gear allows a dancer to execute their repertoire without hesitation. Describing his essential battle uniform, Stewart notes, “When I’m in battle mode, I’m rocking a durag and a fitted [cap]. That’s how you know everything is coming off. I’m protected; I’m not even thinking about my hair.”

“My whole style is to be fresh,” going into detail. “I’m not trying to crease my sneakers when I’m gliding. If you see the ‘durag’ and the[Nike] Foamposites, you should run,” he jokes with excitement. “That means I’m doing floor moves, hat tricks. Everything!”

For freestyle dancers competing at the 2025 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Champion, fashion is an active collaborator. Amplifying movement visually to captivate a global arena builds the confidence to perform fearlessly against the world’s best dancers. Each garment expresses deep personal and cultural identity, serving as a functional armor for physical execution. Their style complements their dance as an integral part of what makes their style and movement dynamic, authentic, and powerful marker on the world’s biggest stage for freestyle dance.