FALL'IN: A Dance Battle

A term commonly used in street dance or many forms of mixed disciplinary battle competitions to denote that dancers of any styles, or many styles, a fusion of styles, or even dancers who have their own unique style, are competing in a freestyle battle and share the same floor.

All-Styles events are usually a diverse range of dance styles from House, Breakdancing, Hip Hop, Popping, Locking, and a dance style mixture of everything and anything pulled from a wide variety of dance traditions and communities, brought together in one space through freestyle competition and shared dance circles.

Open community participation is encouraged as we all groove to the music throughout the event. It’s not just a show, get involved on the floor!

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Registration / Sign-Up

12:45 PM – 1:00 PM
House Rules & Event Introduction

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
32-Person Showcase Round

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM
Judges’ Deliberation / Music & DJ Set

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Top 16 Battles

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
Short Music Break / Announcements

2:50 PM – 3:20 PM
Top 8 Battles

3:20 PM – 3:30 PM
Transition / Judges’ Deliberation

3:30 PM – 3:50 PM
Top 4 Battles

3:50 PM – 4:00 PM
Short Break

4:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Judges’ Showcase

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Finals

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Awards / Announcements / Open Vibes & Cypher

Format Details:

• 32 Battlers *(Registration 32 max competitors + wait list / first come first serve basis)
• Showcase Solos Round
• Top 16 Bracket Battles to the Finals

Space Respect:

• Respect the space and the access needs of others
• No bags should be left on the floors from participating artists
• Competitors have a safe space to leave their belongings on site at registration

Kwasi Obeng-Adjei is a Brampton-based multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator whose practice is rooted in traditional African forms and African street dance. With over a decade of experience in the dance community, Kwasi has built an impressive performance and creative resume, including appearances with the Pan Am Games, Giants of Africa Gala, Raptors Halftime Show, Asake Canadian Tour, AfroFest, Luminato Festival, Kultureland Festival, and many more.

Kwasi’s choreographic journey expanded in 2023 when he presented an original work at Night Shift, produced by Citadel + Compagnie and co-presented with Fall for Dance North. Drawing on a free-form, exploratory approach, his work is driven by connection, cultural lineage, and curiosity.

Abel Hagos is a Street Dance artist, curator, and community organizer whose practice is rooted in House dance and freestyle. He is a co-founder of House of Sole and Groove House, through which he has helped create spaces for House dance in Toronto through sessions, workshops, battles, parties, and performances. His broader artistic practice explores improvisation, musicality, and interdisciplinary performance. Recent curatorial projects include Feed-Back with Dancemakers, an experimental Street Dance performance bringing freestyle dancers into conversation with live music, lighting, and projection, and KUDA, the official after-party for Luminato and Fall for Dance North, bringing together Street Dance, live music, DJs, and freestyle exchange. His work has also included IMPACT Festival, Vancouver Street Dance Festival, Unity Charity, and Toronto Dance Theatre.

Iced Misto (part of Funky Facilitators, T.O. Hustle Sessions, 2u4u Toronto, and Cypher Playground) is a Toronto-based DJ and community organizer deeply connected to the street dance world. Known for wearing many hats (organizer, advisor, promoter, DJ, and dancer) she brings a dancer’s perspective to the music she plays.

As a dance battle DJ, she crafts sets that feel fun, progressive, nerdy, and responsive to the dancers while staying grounded in the culture and context of each dance style.

DJ B BAD is a Toronto-based DJ who’s been connected to street dance culture for many years. His love for music goes way beyond just playing records—he’s always digging for sounds, studying different styles, and finding the right track for the moment.

You can expect a mix of Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul, R&B, and anything else that makes sense for the floor. When he’s DJing a battle, his focus is simple: read the dancers, keep the energy moving, and give people music they can really work with.

For an all-styles battle, DJ B BAD brings an open mind, a deep appreciation for different dance styles, and a genuine love for seeing what dancers can do when the right song comes on.

Knives is a Toronto krump veteran and leader who’s been in krump for over 10 years. She was a part of competitive dance teams in her early years as a dancer but found and fell in love with krump after high school. Since then she’s traveled to teach, judge and battle in the style. She’s taught internationally in the US, India and Latin America in hopes to inspire women to take more initiative in krump. Along the way she’s made sure to remain a student of the dance to be able to enrich her community back home with knowledge from the culture. 

In 2024 she started TKL, a krump league to teach the new generation about street battle culture and educate in a safe environment. Community is at the heart of Knives’ mission and she believes with a strong community, growth will always follow.

Mariano “Glizzi” Abarca Palomares’s journey into the world of dance began with the vibrant rhythms of Latin music that filled his childhood home every Sunday. Surrounded by the pulsating beats of salsa and merengue, he was introduced to Cumbia by his mother, a native of Colombia. This early exposure led him to perform with Club Caribe Colombia, showcasing his talent at Latin festivals throughout the city.

Mariano’s world expanded when he discovered Hip Hop through his cousin’s eclectic cassette collection. The rhythmic beats, clever rhymes, and futuristic sounds ignited a passion for Hip Hop culture that would shape his future. In 1991, Mariano joined the renowned Canadian bboy crew Bag of Trix, adopting the bboy name Glizzi. His involvement with Bag of Trix elevated his Hip Hop and bboy skills, earning international recognition and championship titles at prestigious events such as The Battle of the Year in Leipzig, the UK Bboy Championship, and the World Hip Hop Festival in Seoul.

As his career progressed, Mariano collaborated with influential teams like Unsung Bboys, Back II Basiks, Abstract Breaking Systems, Conscious Soles, Albino Zebra, and Twisted Ankles. These affiliations enriched his street dance repertoire, incorporating Popping, House, and Locking into his performances.

With over 30 years of experience, Mariano stands as one of Toronto’s leading street style dancers and educators. Known for his exceptional footwork and innovative fusion of popping, b-boying, and Hip Hop, he remains a favorite among audiences. Currently, Mariano teaches across the Greater Toronto Area, MCs dance events, co-directs FOOTNOTES ACADEMY, organizes workshops nationwide, competes with Twisted Ankles Crew, and is developing a full-length stage production.

Raoul Wilke, a multifaceted 2x Dora Award winning artist, is the co-founder of The Moon Runners dance crew and dance faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University. As a black emerging artist, he’s accolades extend within different communities, opening doors for new collaborations.

As a leader of street dance community within Canada, he has mentored various companies and dance schools over the years, on the importance of the historical context, within these vernacular street forms and the value of themselves. He has learnt under the mentorship of Moncell Durden, Chester Whitmore, Travis Knight, Lisa Latouche, and many more inspiring artists, who define themselves as educators, as well have doctorates in this work. As a student of dance, he continues to live by the quote, “See the music, Hear the Dance” by Balanchine.