Red Bull Dance Your Style Kenya announces Mombasa winner

Mohammed Mkuta topped the Mombasa region contest after beating Bill Wamala in an exciting showdown at Mama Ngina Waterfront at the weekend.

“I’m thrilled to have earned the support of a majority of fans, enabling me to win,” Mkuta said. “This victory has increased the desire to clinch the championship at the national finals. Red Bull Dance Your Style has been an eye-opener for the dance community in Mombasa, showing that dance is not just an activity to pass time.”

The next stops for the contest are the United States International University-Africa qualifier in Nairobi on 15 June and the main Nairobi region competition on 13 July. This will be followed by the national finals in Nairobi on 10 August, which will pit the two top dancers from every qualifier against each other. The winner will represent Kenya at the world finals in Mumbai, India, on 9 November.

In an interesting twist, the competition has decided to tap into the TikTok dance craze and is calling on dancers across Kenya to showcase their moves on their accounts with a 30-second video, tagging @RedBullKenya and including the hashtag #RedBullDanceYourStyle in their posts. The two TikTok videos with the most engagement will give their creators a chance to participate in the national finals.

Lilesh Bulimo emerged the winner of the Kisumu edition of the competition on 27 April, while Harrington Zachariah was the runner-up.

Red Bull Dance Your Style’s winner is selected through public voting after dancers’ creativity, freestyle and musical skills are put to the test in front of a live audience. All urban dance styles are welcome, except for breakdancing. A DJ plays unpredictable music to which the dancers must adapt, showcasing their moves and versatility in the hope of impressing the crowd. After each battle, the spectators hold up blue or red placards to choose the winner.

Red Bull Kenya is aiming to upskill local dance communities while exposing them to different levels of dance on a global stage. This year, Red Bull Dance Your Style is taking place in 51 countries.

To join the competition, sign up for your preferred qualifier here. Entrants must be 18 years or older.

Red Bull Dance Your Style Kenya dates:

• Mombasa – 25 May
• United States International University-Africa – 15 June
• Nairobi – 29 June
• National finals – 13 July