In a city where dance dominates the entertainment scene, competition can be fierce.
Red Bull Dance Your Style made a stop in Las Vegas on Saturday night so the best of the best could battle it out for the chance to earn a coveted spot at the upcoming Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final in Tampa.
This isn’t your typical dance competition. This 1-on-1 competition blends a mix of hip-hop, house, locking, and popping, with dancers relying on freestyle, musicality, and pure charisma while performing to unpredictable tracks. Plot twist! The audience ultimately gets to decide who owns the floor after each round.
The Blast was on hand for the high-energy competition, and got the chance to talk to some of the dancers who gave it their all in the hopes of making it to the Final round.
Dancers Brought Battle Energy To KAOS At The Palms On Saturday Night
On Saturday night, high-energy action danced its way into KAOS Nightclub inside The Palms, where top talent competed for a chance to move on to the next phase of the competition.
During the Red Bull Dance Your Way West Coast Regional Qualifier, two standout dancers were selected and joined four LA City Qualifier winners and 10 wildcards to create a Top 16 bracket. From there, it was all about crowd votes, with the top dancer earning a spot at the Finals in Tampa.
Two dancers go up against each other at a time and dance two rounds before the audience decides who continues on to the next round. Each audience member is given a light-up bracelet upon entering the venue and they choose the dancer they think should move on by selecting either red or blue on the bracelet after each round.
Dance Major Andrea Rodriguez Entered Red Bull Dance Your Style For The First Time
Andrea Rodriguez, who’s originally from Queens, NY but is now calling LA home, was part of Red Bull Dance Your Style for the first time Saturday night. The 21-year-old college student said going into this competition that she was just “trying to get my mind right and trust myself.”
While this was her first time in this type of competition, she’s far from new to performing. As a dance major at USC, she’s done many performances and competitions, just never freestyle.
While she didn’t advance this time around, she said she’s “absolutely” going to try again.
When asked what the hardest part about the entire experience was, she said, “being in my body and being present.”
“I did my round and I was like, wait, what did I just do?” she shared. “I think if I was more mentally prepared, I think I would have felt more in tuned with what was going on.”
Andrea said she’s new to the dance battle scene, and she now wants to do more of that.
“I’m trying to throw myself into the uncomfortable to feel comfortable,” she shared.
Andrea’s Friend Also Entered The Competition
Her friend, Nissrine Elasraoui, 22, from San Diego, who’s currently residing in LA, also joined the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition. This was her second Red Bull competition with the first being less than a month ago in LA.
Going into the competition, she said she was thinking about how to represent herself in “her own style” with a goal of “not to imitate but to create my own lane and my own path.”
“I feel like the stage is like a pretty big stage to have the opportunity to do that,” she added. “That’s how I approach life.”
She said that when she gets on stage and sees all the people watching, she can’t just block them out and focus on what she’s doing because the audience votes on who continues in the competition.
“You have to be in tune with the music, you have to be in tune with the crowd, you have to be in tune with yourself, your opponent,” she said. “Those are the main things I’m thinking about, which is a lot already. But the crowd definitely helps but it can hurt if you let it.”
What’s next for Nissrine? She plans to continue entering dance battles because she “loves to battle.” And every loss is looked at as something to push her to the next battle.
“I wish people knew that this style of dance comes from self-expression and it comes from a place that everyone can connect to it,” she said about this type of dance. “It’s not a feeling, it’s not a technique. It can be something you’ve never seen before and you can feel it and know it like the back of your hand. I would say don’t be afraid to enter the culture because it has so much to give to this world.”
And The Winner Of The Red Bull Dance Your Style Vegas Qualifier Is…
Jabari Gooding of East Stroudsburg, PA, was voted the winner of the Vegas qualifier and will advance to the Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final stage in Tampa on September 19, 2026.
When asked what this win means to him, he simply said, “It means a lot.”
“I know a lot of people do stuff for status and they see themselves as a kid, and this is one my kid dreams,” he said. “I just wanted to go to Red Bull and just win the trophy and hold the trophy and be like yeah, this is a big accomplishment. It means everything to me.”
Jabari isn’t planning to do anything different to get ready for the Final competition.
“Do the same thing I did before,” he said. “Get in the garage studio and act like I’m there already and put myself through it over and over and over again with different scenarios and pray and put God first and see where it takes me.”
He competed in many different cities for Red Bull Dance Your Style, but Vegas brought a different vibe. And having lived in Sin City for a few years, it felt like “home” for him.
“Vegas was such a good vibe. It feels like home,” he said. “Vegas has always been a lit city, always an appreciative city. I love it. There’s a lot of love here in Vegas.”
Jabari Explained That Red Bull Dance Your Style Gives A ‘Spotlight’ To Those Who ‘Don’t Really Get A Chance To Be Seen’
Last year was Jabari’s first time competing in the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition, going from prelims to nationals, so going into this year, he already had a “feel for what it’s like.”
“I’ve been here before and now it’s time to make the tweaks and I’m a little more comfortable so I can show more of myself,” he said. “I was happy that I could just show myself.”
His plan for now until the Final round is to keep adapting and “keep doing what I’m doing and showing love.”
He also shared that Red Bull Dance Your Style puts the “spotlight on a lot of people that don’t really get a chance to be seen.”
“The further goal for me is to hopefully be a scout for Red Bull and get the chance to bring people to where I am,” he said. “I’ve done it and that’s the proof. I think Red Bull is a good opportunity for any dancer.”