Based out of Soundbox Studios, Riot Squad has certainly made one heck of a name for itself. An unstoppable dance crew from Houston, Texas, Riot Squad nailed a perfect score set at World of Dance Dallas in 2013 and recently took first among youth teams at World of Dance Dallas 2017. In fact, here’s Riot Squad at the comp they won.
Sure, you can keep up with Soundbox on Facebook or Riot Squad on Instagram, but we had to know more about the crew and how they deliver. So we chatted up Riot Squad’s Andrew Nguyen, who was kind enough to provide us with insight into his first place team.
Can you give us a little background about the crew? How long have you been together/how did you meet?
AN: Riot Squad began as the junior team to Wyldstyl. We had a few classes at our studio a long time ago, and this same group of, like, seven kids kept showing up. So we asked, “Hey, y’all form a team and do shows?” Haha. They said yes, and from this group, in 2009, Riot Squad was born. Riot Squad is a junior team, so when they turned 18, they had to move onto other things. But they left a legacy and the new generation of Riot Squad is doing an amazing job of keeping it alive.
How were you feeling going into the competition?
AN: Nervous! We are always nervous, excited, and anxious because you never know. But we do our best to just be together. We take every competition on with the goal to outdo ourselves. [We aim to] make it the best yet, because anyone can come with the fire and take the win. But if we outdo ourselves, then we have accomplished our goal. That’s the one thing we have absolute control over when it comes to competition.
What was your favorite part of competing in World of Dance?
AN: Getting to see everyone live it up on stage! World of Dance has become a wonderful platform and there is always a drive to do better and better, every year.
What do you think it was about your performance that helped you win?
AN: The hype, the energy, the mutual understanding amongst our whole team; we are blessed to have an incredibly encouraging group of kids and we push them. But more importantly, they push each other to new heights. Also, the chemistry among the directors is solid and we are able to play to each other’s strengths and supplement [each other’s] weakness. I think the absolute trust between us all is the thing that helped us the most.
What exciting things will you be doing or focusing on in the next year?
AN: World of Dance Houston! Thats a big one because it’s our hometown, and the fight for it is stronger here, ya know, ‘cause it’s home. We really want to hone in on more foundation styles and getting proficient in that, to add to our arsenal of movement. It’s also been a while since we’ve done local shows, so we want to do more festivals and not focus so much on competition. Oh, and Disney World! We wanna go to Disney World to perform and compete. When are you going to do a World of Dance Disney? HOP ON THAT ALREADY, OMG.
Why do you think dance is important to the world?
AN: People who dance are generally passionate people, and when you see people doing what they love, it’s inspiring. Whether it’s dance, painting, underwater basket-weaving, the love for what they do pours out of them. Also, dance teachers like to teach people to be themselves, to be free and comfortable with themselves, to present the best version of themselves, and that’s powerful. I have seen kids and people walk into dance with slumped shoulders, looking so unsure of themselves, and over time, they stand taller, speak louder, and are more upfront with what they want. And that’s the best thing, to see someone start making choices for themselves and being absolutely strong enough to believe in themselves.
What’s your favorite part about being in a crew?
AN: The comradery. Being surrounded by like-minded and equally hard-working people just makes you want to be better.
Final thoughts about pursuing dance?
AN: Do what you have to, so you can do what you want to. And when you get the chance to do what you want to, pursue it and enjoy it to the fullest.
Led by choreographers/teachers Andrew Nguyen and Aaron Medina, Riot Squad is Abi Moran, Akayla Gardner, Alexis Palominos, Ana Rodriguez, Asia Miller, Brianna Gonzalez, Cameron Giles, David Menchaca, Fernando Salguero, Grace Guzman, Ivan Garcia, Ivy Tea, Jacqueline Nguyen, Jasmine Lopez, Jayden Tran, Justin Guntalilib, Justin Nerona, Kamryn Mckinney, Karen Garcia, Kayla Lang, Lily Flexon, Max Helman, Michael Garza, Miguel Martinez, Natalie del Puerto, Raymond Nguyen, Trevion Bass, and Trinity Poole.
Love music and dance as much as us? Tune into NBC’s World of Dance Tuesdays at 10/9 central to see the world’s best dancers battle it out for a whopping $1 million prize. The premiere properly kicked off the competition! Don’t miss exclusive interviews, performances, and more from the definitive source for all things NBC World of Dance.
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