On Sept. 20, dance team GRV captured the World Championship trophy of the inaugural International Dance League, the world’s first professional league for dance. The Southern California-based team clinched the title with a score of 94.00, just 0.43 points ahead of the runner-up dance crew, Brotherhood.
The IDL is a series of 5 dance competitions ending with a championship round to finish off the season. This season, 6 pro teams, 1MILLION, Brotherhood, GRV, Jam Republic, Quick Style and Royal Family were invited to compete in New York, Vancouver, Sydney, Seoul and Los Angeles. Each series is made up of 2 rounds. The first is composed of three one-on-one matches, with the match-ups decided based on their ranking points earned in previous matches, deciding which three teams continue on to the second round. Points are earned each series through placement as well as a public vote.
Heading into the final at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, the favorite was undeniably Brotherhood, who went undefeated across all five series since the season began in May. On the other hand, GRV had a rocky regular season run, suffering three first-round exits. However, they managed to find their rhythm in time for the final.
“I wanted Brotherhood to win,” said sophomore dance team member Avah Tolentino. “[But] GRV deserved it. They were super in sync, and they gave it their all.”
The structure of the IDL allows any qualifying team to put together an outstanding performance and capture the championship, with no regard for their regular season results. This format left Brotherhood, as the regular season champion, without any significant advantage during the post-season.
“[GRV] statistically deserved it, but Brotherhood’s championship set was very heartfelt … so that’s why people are even more upset about [the outcome],” said senior dance team member Jaxon Aquino. “They had brought back a really old set from like 10 years ago, and I thought it was cool.”
The dance crews participating in the IDL spend months preparing their choreography sets, having anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks to choreograph, practice and clean their routines. IDL operates under an “open-style choreography” format, but because of the background of the competing teams, routines are often a mix of hip-hop, commercial and urban street/club dance styles. As a whole, each team must give its all in order to compete at the highest level.
“They all offer something unique in how they approach their dances,” said dance teacher Marisa Castillo. “All of them have to be at that level of technique and commitment … working towards the same goal, giving that 100 plus percent effort to be where they’re at.”
Still, after months of dedicated preparation, there is always a chance that something goes wrong. In these cases, crews must be able to act quickly and adapt.
“Brotherhood had an issue during the [Sydney Series], when their music wasn’t getting cleared,” said senior dance team captain Megan Hugo. “They had to scratch their entire [choreography] for one song and make a new one two weeks before the competition.”
The IDL has connected dance communities around the globe, with the Sports Business Journal confirming that the league surpassed one billion views worldwide.
“The [league] brings a lot of people together because when they’re all watching IDL, it becomes something relatable,” said sophomore dance team member Kylie Wong. “Such good choreography inspires dancers to be more motivated [and] train to get to that level so that they can also achieve [their] dreams.”
The IDL and its competing dance crews have also influenced the Aragon dance team’s style, simultaneously expanding its membership.
“Brotherhood, GRV, we’ve definitely taken inspiration from their choreography,” Hugo said. “[We] hope that in the future [there] will be more diversity in the team, and that can start with people becoming more familiar with IDL … The team is open to everybody.”
As the first dance league of its kind, IDL opens many more possibilities for the next generation of dancers, especially those chasing a career in the industry.
“A lot of people just want to go into a job that’s like engineering or nursing because that’s all they’re comfortable with,” Tolentino said. “But having a dance [league] like IDL influences young dancers and shows them that [they] can do so much more. They can go into acting, dancing, singing, whatever [they] aspire to be.”
With all of the IDL dance crews originating from different parts of the world, people are getting the chance to see their own ethnicities represented on the big stage.
“In [Los Angeles], Brotherhood did tinikling … and I thought that was really cool,” Aquino said. “[Since] I’m Filipino, I felt really connected to that set.”
Overall, the first season of the IDL has made an impact on dance communities around the world, though improvements can always be made as they prepare for the next season in 2027.
“[The IDL] is still a little bit flawed because it’s new,” Aquino said. “But I think it has a really bright future ahead of itself. There’s definitely exciting things coming up.”
