The 2018 Red Bull Dance Your Style contest in Triton Square last night was hands-down the definitive moment for the Maltese dance scene this year.

With rival crews, dedicated solo artists, and fan favourites pumped up in front of a roaring crowd and ready to go head-to-head with each other, Maltese dance fans were treated to an energetic and talented dance tournament the likes of which Malta had never seen.

16 competing dancers took the stage – Mark Scerri, Dave Duong, IJ Altriki, Leonel Viloria Aquino, Rebecca Millo, Pitre Marius, Cheryl Lofreda, Christian Cali, Mariah Cutajar, Zeo James, Lawrence Mifsud, B Boy Nadeer, Antonio Whyte, Martina Borg, Luke Mizzi, Matthew Cilia – though one of them, B Boy Nadeer, had to pull out last minute due to an injury as DJ Depth kept the music going.

Some of the battles were intense – Christian Cali vs Zeo James got especially heated, with Zeo James casually lying down on the floor as Cali span in front of him to the delight of the crowd – and there were multiple moments went the crowd went wild. But there could only be one winner.

Cheryl Lofreda, the Earth Mother herself and local fan favourite, was crowned the winner at the end of the gruelling contest, even though she was suffering a fever. She competed with IJ Altriki for a fierce four-round finale that left the crowd hooting and chanting.

While both dancers received love from the crowd, impressing with their different dance styles but mutual respect, the show ended with an emotional speech by Cheryl and a free-for-all dance that saw everyone on stage, partying in their own style.

Photos by Andrew Large – MCP Photography

The dancers proved their skills in the opening rounds, with a flurry of different dance styles that included popping and locking, breakdancing, posing, twisting, twerking, and all manner of flipping

It wasn’t always easy for host David Leguesse to determine the winner by scanning the sea of red and blue votes, but it was fun watching him try

Apart from the dance battles, the crowd were treated to some all-girl choreography

The final round between Cheryl Lofreda and IJ Altriki took a lot of twists and turns, with IJ pulling some sweet poses

But the Earth Mother herself emerged victorious at the end of the tournament, to the crowd’s delight

Which dancer was your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]