Madison dance crew wins first place in USA Division at World of Dance

Barrio Dance Factory , led by owner AJ Juarez and partner Nicole Nelson, won first place in the USA Division at the World of Dance Summit competition that takes place in Los Angeles from July 28-31, 2024.

The first-place win on July 28 comes after the hip-hop dance crew's 2023 win in the Chicago division, where they performed a chef-themed routine . The USA Division win was clinched with a janitor-themed routine . The next day, Barrio Dance Factory placed 11th in the international division. Judges gave Barrio a "wild card," which gave them another chance to get on stage on the third day of the competition. On July 30, they competed among the top 20 dance crews from around the world, and they were the only USA team to compete on the last day.

According to a news release, Juarez and his team have had their sights set on putting Madison on the dance scene map. "Then they can go out there to L.A., New York, overseas and be able to say, 'Yeah, I trained in Madison and now I'm able to work in the industry,’” says Juarez, who opened Barrio in 2019.

Barrio Dance Studio is located at 834 E. Washington Ave. Madison Magazine profiled Juarez in the January 2024 issue , and he appeared on that issue's cover.

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