Joel leaves ‘Immortal’ impact at Red Bull competition

It was a moment that no one saw coming. Joel Immortal battled on pure adrenaline and defied gravity, climbing his way, literally and figuratively, to the top, emerging as the winner of this year's Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition.

"I needed something to wow the crowd. My name is Joel Immortal and my aim is to always leave an 'Immortal' impact," he told THE WEEKEND STAR. With 16 contestants from across the island vying for the crown, the trophy and the dancing glory, there was nothing but pop locking, wig flying and jaw-dropping excitement on display on Wednesday.

Di Lot was the official battleground and fans gathered to take in all of the revelry. The rules were simple, audience members were given colour coded cards, one side featuring red, the other side with blue. For each battle, they would be the judges who called for the winner by choosing team red or team blue. Every visible vote mattered. Dancers would go head-to-head for two rounds, three if a tiebreaker was necessary, to genres such as dancehall, hip hop and pop.

Joel Immortal's first matchup against Smilez proved to be one of the longest clashes yet, going three rounds, before Joel Immortal triumphed and head to the quarter-finals. He faced off with Wayne Fantastic, but there was no killing his vibes and he progressed to the semis. There he went up against his friend Omar Cleanstep. The latter had the crowd rocking from the first round. But Joel Immortal was not to be counted out. Omar Cleanstep danced on the sidelines, cheering on his challenger, which was followed by audience approval.

"It was hard to compete against friends. We all love what we do and we all have the same supporters. So putting them in a tough spot was difficult," Joel Immortal shared. In the final, it was the battle everyone was waiting for: Joel Immortal versus Maahjesty, who 'outflowed' Pure Flow in the semis. Joel Immortal's strategy for the finals was to deliver solid performances, be himself and have fun, all while entertaining the crowd. "I was nervous. But my plan was to stay focused," he said.

In the end, the plan paid off. Maahjesty lost the war when Joel Immortal scaled the scaffold to the sound of Vybz Kartel's Weed Smoker. Joel Immortal said it was a dream come true to win this competition.

"Red Bull is a big brand and they do great competitions for dancers. It's an honour to be a part of it and compete internationally among the best in the world," he said.

Joel Immortal and the 2021 winner Cautiion Flex will join forces to represent Jamaica in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the ultimate world title of Red Bull Dance Your Style Champion.