Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition Davao Leg Was a Blast!

Iron Horse Super Club, Davao City | Davao Bloggers Society

I have three left feet.

But none of that mattered when I found myself at Iron Horse Super Club in Davao City for the Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition Davao leg, with the Davao Bloggers Society and a crowd of dancing, cheering, voting fanatics who were all in absolute awe of what unfolded on the dance floor.

The event kicked off at 4PM and by the time 7:30PM rolled in, the afterparty was well underway.

What started as a qualifier event turned into one of the most electrifying evenings I have experienced in this city — and boy, does Iron Horse Super Club know how to put on a show.

What Is Red Bull Dance Your Style?

Red Bull Dance Your Style is the world’s most entertaining one-on-one street dance competition that celebrates individuality, versatility, and performance at the highest level.

Open to dancers from all street dance disciplines, the all-styles battle format creates a level playing field where musicality, presence, and adaptability define who will rule the dance floor.

The unique twist?

There are no judges.

The crowd decides everything.

After each round, audience members raise colored Red Bull cards — the dancer with the most votes advances.

The crowd is encouraged to base their vote on four things:

• Rhythm — how well the dancer interprets the music
• Movement — the quality and control of their physical execution
• Creativity — how original and unexpected their choices are
• Charisma — how much they command the room and connect with the audience

The DJs spin unpredictable mainstream tracks — ranging from funk to pop, hip-hop to garage, old-school classics to current chart-toppers — so dancers cannot prepare choreography in advance.

It is pure freestyle.

It is pure soul.

And it is absolutely riveting to watch.

Red Bull Dance Your Style: A Global Phenomenon

Since launching in 2018 with 14 countries and 29 events, Red Bull Dance Your Style has grown into a truly global movement now spanning 50+ countries and 160+ events worldwide.

Past World Finals have been held in Paris (2019), Johannesburg (2022), Frankfurt (2023), and Mumbai (2024), where Vietnamese popping sensation MT Pop took the title. The 2026 World Final will be held at Hallenstadion Zurich, Switzerland, on October 24, 2026. Here is a quick look at the World Champions:

Year	Champion	Location	Style
2019	Shinshan	Paris, France	All-Styles
2022	THE D SoraKi	Johannesburg, SA	All-Styles
2023	Waackxxxy	Frankfurt, Germany	Waacking
2024	MT Pop	Mumbai, India	Popping
2025	Jaira Joy	Los Angeles, USA	TBA

The Philippines on the World Stage

The 2025 season was a proud one for the Philippines.

Nemesis represented the country at the World Final in Los Angeles, USA, reaching the Top 16.

That is no small feat on a global stage packed with elite dancers from every corner of the world.

Now, the 2026 season is building toward something even bigger.

Qualifiers are taking place across the Philippines with the National Finals scheduled in Manila in April 2026.

The big question everyone is asking: who will represent the Philippines at the 2026 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final in Zurich, Switzerland?

Based on what I saw in Davao, we have some serious contenders.

The Davao Leg: Iron Horse Super Club Lights Up

Iron Horse Super Club was the perfect venue for this.

Energy, lighting, music — everything was dialed in.

I was there with the Davao Bloggers Society and we had so much fun watching and voting for our favorites as they competed.

We were not passive spectators.

We were participants — raising those cards, cheering, and being completely swept up in the vibe of every battle.

Even I found myself dancing along to the music as the competitors showed off their styles.

There is something infectious about this competition format; it does not let you sit still.

Standout Performances of the Night

Square One — 21 Dancers, One Spectacular Moment

Aahhh Square One.

I tried counting and I got to about 21 dancers in that group.

Their portion of the show was nothing short of spectacular.

When that many bodies move in synchronized, high-energy precision — it is theatrical, powerful, and completely mesmerizing.

Square One brought the house down and set the energy bar sky-high for everything that followed.

Harem — The All-Girl Group That Commands Attention

One of the highlights of the night was a performance by Harem, Davao’s all-girl group that is signed to Sony Records — and yes, that is as impressive as it sounds.

These ladies are not just local talent; they are the kind of act that, given the chance, can compete with local and international acts in their genre.

Their Sony Records deal is a testament to that.

Watching them perform was a reminder that Davao’s dance and music scene is producing world-class talent right in our backyard.

The Competitors: Spot and Doodsie Roll Win Davao

When the one-on-one battles started, I had my sights set early on a dancer called Spot. He danced with energy and somehow his moves spoke to me as if it was a physical conversation.

He was funny, very entertaining, and because I know so little about the technical side of dance, I relied on the crowd’s reaction and what I personally felt about his moves to keep voting for him to move forward.

Spot has a gift — the ability to make a crowd feel like they are in on the joke, in on the moment, and completely invested in his next move.

He eventually went up against Doodsie Roll, who was an equally incredible dancer.

But I have to say — in that final battle, Doodsie Roll seemed to give a little toward the end.

Maybe exhaustion?

This Doodsie Roll gave everything he had in every round, went up against clear crowd favorites, and defied the odds over and over again.

What won people over was his delivery. The passion was undeniable. He was in tears toward the end of the night, and the crowd felt every bit of that emotion with him.

Both Spot and Doodsie Roll will represent Davao City at the National Finals in Manila in April 2026.

These guys are amazing dancers and I genuinely believe they have what it takes to make Davao proud on a national — and potentially international — stage.

I would recommend checking out the crumping and dance lessons that both Spot and Doodsie Roll offer on their own platforms:

Dancer	Facebook	What They Offer
Spot	facebook.com/scoutspazzout	Crumping lessons & dance content
Doodsie Roll	facebook.com/jake.solano.5	Dance lessons & freestyle content

 

The Dance Styles: What You Need to Know

Crumping

Crumping — sometimes written as krumping — is an expressive, high-intensity street dance style that originated in South Central Los Angeles in the early 2000s, largely credited to dancer Tommy the Clown and popularized by Tight Eyez.

It is characterized by powerful, exaggerated movements — chest pops, arm swings, stomps, and aggressive gestures that look almost battle-like. But despite the intensity, crumping has deep emotional roots.

It began in communities dealing with hardship as a way to channel anger, frustration, and pain into art rather than violence.

Each move is raw, honest, and deeply personal. When you watch a crumper like Spot perform, you are not just watching a dance — you are watching someone process emotion in real time through movement.

Side note: back in 2012, an officemate of mine tried to teach me how to crump. Oh man did he fail big time. Not because he wasn’t a good teacher but he chose the hardest student to teach. hehehe

Breakdancing (Breaking)

Breaking — commonly called breakdancing — is one of the original four elements of hip-hop culture, born in the South Bronx of New York City in the early 1970s, pioneered by DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and dancers known as B-boys and B-girls.

Breaking combines intricate footwork (toprock and downrock), power moves (headspins, windmills, flares), and freezes — moments where a dancer holds a physically challenging position as a stylistic exclamation point.

Breaking became so globally recognized that it was included in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is a complete physical discipline: part acrobatics, part music theory, part street philosophy.

In the context of Red Bull Dance Your Style, breaking elements often appear in battles as crowd-stopping moments that shift the energy of an entire room.

Davao City and the Richness of Dance Culture

Davao City has always been a city of culture.

Home to the Kadayawan Festival, a vibrant arts scene, and a community that takes pride in expression, Davao has been quietly building one of the most dynamic dance cultures in the Philippines. Street dance here is not just a hobby — it is a lifestyle, a community, and a form of identity.

There are so many dancers in Davao that most people outside the scene have no idea just how deep the talent pool runs.

We have crumpers, breakers, poppers, lockers, house dancers, and waackers operating at national and international levels. Events like this Red Bull qualifier are important because they shine a light on what has been growing right here in our city.

I am happy to say that Davao’s dance culture is very rich and that there are guys and girls here who can give the rest of the world a run for their money on the dance floor. The talent is real, it is deep, and it deserves to be seen.

Pros and Cons: An Honest Take on the Event

Pros	Cons
✓ The crowd-voting format makes everyone feel involved — you are part of the competition, not just a spectator.	✗ The crowd can get loud and overwhelming, which might not be for everyone who prefers a quieter viewing experience.
✓ Incredible local talent on display — Davao has dancers who are absolutely world-class.	✗ The event can run long, and by the final rounds, some of the earlier energy can dip for those not used to standing events.
✓ All-styles format means you get to see a beautiful variety of street dance in one night.	✗ If you don’t know the dance styles, you may not always understand why one move is more impressive than another — but honestly, the crowd tells you.
✓ The addition of group performances (Square One, Harem) elevated the event beyond just a competition.	✗ Could benefit from more context or hosting between battles to educate first-time attendees on the dance styles.
✓ The afterparty kept the energy going — Iron Horse Super Club was the right venue for this.

 

See You in Manila

If you missed the Davao leg, I genuinely feel sorry for you — and I say that as kindly as possible. What unfolded at Iron Horse Super Club was more than a dance competition. It was a celebration of identity, community, and the incredible artistry that lives right here in our city. The Davao Bloggers Society had a fantastic time, and I can tell you with complete confidence that the energy in that room was unlike anything you get from watching a competition on a screen.

Spot and Doodsie Roll will carry Davao’s colors to Manila in April 2026.

After that, one dancer may carry the Philippine flag all the way to Zurich, Switzerland for the 2026 Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final. If the passion and skill I saw in that room is any indication, whoever goes will be more than ready for the world stage.

Davao’s dance culture is rich, it is real, and after this night, I know it is ready for the world. I wish I didn’t have three left feet — but even I couldn’t stop moving.

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