TURF dancing at Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final SF

TURF dancing was born from the rhythm of Oakland and developed in conversation with the world. An acronym for Taking Up Room on the Floor, TURF is a prominent dance style from the San Francisco Bay Area. It emerged out of generational pride, resilience, unity, and creative resistance.

Long-time dancers from the scene reflect: “The Bay has always made sure to put itself on the map… and made sure everybody remembers that we’re still here, and we’re not being overlooked every time.”

This summer marks a milestone for the global street dance movement—Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final comes to San Francisco for the first time on August 23, 2025. The event will feature a performance from Oakland’s own Too $hort, and TURF dancers will take the stage to perform and compete.

We spoke with dancers who continue to evolve and share the movement while honoring the generations before them—from innovators like Chonkie and Ice Cold of the TURF Feinz, who learned to “express dance through hard times,” to rising stars like Johnny 5 founder of TURFinc, or international battler Intricate, and new talent Daisy.

Rooted in African American creativity and community expression, the 1960s Oakland boogaloo scene was a funk-fueled, freestyle dance culture inspired by the music of the likes of James Brown and energized by the activism of the Black Panthers. Oakland’s youth created distinct movement vocabularies that brought the entire Bay Area together. Travelers passing through the city picked up moves that made them “move a little different.”

Dance conversations were unfolding at local events, schools, and youth centers like Youth Uprising. “It was a home for the youth in Oakland, period,” says Chonkie. “It was for youth to express themselves, find themselves, be themselves.”

Decades of underrepresented artistry shaped a strong sense of pride among TURF dancers. “TURF dance has always been unique,” says Johnny 5. “The beautiful thing about the style is that we can incorporate everybody. If we bring in other styles, I think it can bridge communities together.”

Today, a new generation is discovering and interpreting TURF’s expressive language. “One thing I’d say about the last 13 years—we’ve been consistent,” Johnny 5 says. “There’s been motion.

But what’s missing is a big boom. And I feel like it’s coming.”

Ice Cold also feels that momentum. A highlight of his journey was performing at Kendrick

Intricate, known for his precise tutting, says: “I’m just grateful to be the first TURFer to reach the national final. I’m really just out there to give my all and make an impact.”

Red Bull Dance Your Style has become a powerful global platform that celebrates and evolves street dance culture. Its blend of visibility, engagement, and international reach brings new energy to the community.

Intricate recently battled Daisy in a qualifier. “Everybody grows up in different battle scenes,” he says. “I grew up battling against so many TURFers. The Bay just has more flavor. When I hit those moves, it gives me worth.”

The Red Bull Dance Your Style National Final is returning home—to where it all began. “It gets me so excited that the finals are in my hometown,” says Daisy. “This is where I started. My family will get to see me dance for the first time—not through a screen.”

That hometown pride fuels the dancers’ performances. “That’s the best part about TURFing in Red Bull Dance Your Style—you just treat it like a street show,” one dancer shares. “It’s not about being the sauciest dancer—it’s how you perform and get loved by everybody.”

Daisy is already thinking long-term. “I want to be a choreographer, to have my own studio, to say ‘I did that.’ You don’t see a lot of Latinas doing that. I want to use Red Bull as my platform.”

What started as a social statement evolved into a movement of healing and resilience. Chonkie remembers early TURF videos: “We were dropping videos to pay homage and raise awareness… We were losing people we actually knew. Dancing was how we paid our respects.”

From mentorship to legacy-building, Daisy expresses her gratitude: “Johnny got me to do Red Bull. If it wasn’t for him pushing me to battle, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I always want to give back to those who helped me.”

From Oakland roots to a national stage, the TURF movement continues to evolve.

“I want it to be authentic,” says Ice Cold. “You can’t really explain what TURFing is, but you can recognize it when you see it. It’s a feeling. These young cats still have that pure essence… They’re themselves—but they’re keeping the culture alive.”

In the words of Chonkie: “The swag is really about storytelling. You create something and bring it to life through dance. That’s TURFing’s heart—community, resilience, and creativity shining together.”

And as for Daisy, who’s training every day with her eyes on the prize: “I just want people to say I won because I’m good.”

And this time, her family will be there to see it live.