Dancers battle it out in Tempe for a chance to compete on the global stage

by Steve Crane
  • Slug: BC-CNS-Dance Battle,590.
  • 11 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Drake Presto
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Jeia Gilliam, 27, started dancing in 2008 after being inspired by movies and TV shows like “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Looking back at the beginning of her dance career, Gilliam said she wasn’t very good but always thought that she was.

“I think the reason I thought like that is because dancing always felt good,” Gilliam said.

Gilliam moved from Virginia to Arizona a year ago. On March 18, she was one of about 80 dancers who auditioned in the Red Bull “Dance Your Style” competition held in the Galvin Plaza at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

The audition brought together some of Arizona’s best dancers to face off in one-on-one dance battles that included various dance styles such as popping, locking, krumping and hip-hop. The event is different from most dance battles as the audience decides which two dancers advance to the regional finals. Audience members are given cards with a red side and a blue side that correspond to the red and blue sides of the stage. After two rounds of battling, audience members raise the side of the card to show who they think won.

“Having the audience pick a winner is different than any other battle I’ve ever been a part of,” Gilliam said. “It’s not so much about having the cleanest technique, it’s now about being the most entertaining, most fun, all while having great dance moves.”

Modesto, California, native Shean Bautista moved to Arizona just over a year ago and made it to the final four of the Tempe audition. While living in Modesto, Bautista said he had to commit to making the drive to the Bay Area, an hour and a half away, or to Los Angeles, five hours away, to dance in livelier dance sessions that had more people.

Bautista said being in Arizona makes it a lot easier to find dance sessions nearby. “There’s sessions in Tempe, there’s sessions in Mesa, there’s sessions in Phoenix, there’s sessions almost everywhere you go,” he said.

Bautista competed against Ronnie Bradley, known as Deadend, in his final battle of the competition.

“He is one of the best krumpers in Arizona, if not the best krumper in Arizona,” Bautista said, noting Deadend had people hyping him up at the competition. “It was pretty intimidating knowing that I was battling this guy.”

Bautista said you have to know your opponent in order to compete against them. Deadend ripped off Bautista’s hat as part of his dance strategy.

“Going against the best krumper in Arizona, there is no way I am going to go up in his face and be aggressive,” Bautista said. “Krump is a very aggressive dance form, and they’re not afraid to get up at you, touch your shirt and pull your shirt.”

“I ended up losing, but that’s OK because I learned so many things,” Bautista said. “I love the community, I love being out here. It really is a blessing.”

He said when he’s surrounded by people he looks up to, including Deadend, some of their energy rubs off on him.

Deadend and Gilliam won the Tempe competition and will compete in the regional finals in Los Angeles April 1. The regional winners will advance to the national finals in Chicago in May. Those winners will then represent the U.S. at the world finals in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November.

“I know that this experience will only help me grow to become a better dancer,” Gilliam said. “I can’t wait to give it my all on that stage.”

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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Ronnie Bradley, known as Deadend, battles in the semifinal round of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. Deadend will compete in the regional finals in Los Angeles April 1. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

The crowd cheers on Jeia Gilliam as she battles in the semifinal round of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. Gilliam will compete in the regional finals in Los Angeles April 1. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Jeia Gilliam battles in the semifinal round of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Jeia Gilliam said the format of the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition – where the audience picks the winners – means it’s not so much about technique as “being the most entertaining, most fun, all while having great dance moves.” (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Jeia Gilliam was good enough in the semifinal round of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition in Tempe that the audience voted to move her on to compete in the regional finals in Los Angeles April 1. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Shean Bautista starts the second round of his semifinals dance battle of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

In one of the final rounds of the Red Bull Dance Your Style Tempe dance battle, Shean Bautista stays in his corner to avoid confrontation with opponent Deadend on March 18, 2023. He uses footwork and plays with the musicality of the house music to gain a technical advantage. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

After two rounds of the final dance battle of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition in Tempe, Shean Bautista, who was battling on the red side, loses against Deadend, as a majority of the audience votes blue on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Deadend battles in the semifinal round of the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Phillip Segura dances in a freestyle circle after the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Dominique Brown, known as Domo, reacts to another dancer in the freestyle circle after the Red Bull Dance Your Style Tempe audition. Photo taken on March 18, 2023, at Arizona State University’s Galvin Plaza in Tempe. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)