EDINA, Minn. — A Minnesota hip-hop dancer known as "the Crown" is heading to Paris next month to compete in the 2023 Fusion Concept World Final.
David Stalter Jr. and Chicago-based dancer, Kid Nimbus, will compete as a team after winning the national qualifier.
This comes just months after Stalter made it to the Top 16 in the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals in South Africa.
"Japan took me out," Stalter said. "But I believe it was very close and I'm not mad at it because he went on to win the whole thing."
Out of 64 dancers, spectators selected D SoraKi as the winner. Yet in a way, Stalter won. His social media videos now have millions of views.
"Gaining all of the things I've gained so far has been really cool," he said. "Ever since then, I've been training a lot. I've been doing my thing."
Paris will be Stalter's third international competition. Held August 24-27 at Cirque d'hiver Bouglione, the Fusion Concept World Final is expected to bring together over 10,000 people, according to its website.
This year, hip hop's 50th anniversary is also being celebrated worldwide.
"I know a lot of people that are definitely like black and white," Stalter said. "They like the old school, like, 'This is the truth,' and then there are people like, 'No, the new age. You guys are old.' Me? I'm just very open-minded."
"And then being lucky enough to travel, I realize the impact that it really has on the world."
Speaking of anniversaries, Stalter teaches at House of Dance Twin Cities in Edina, which is turning nine this year and is hosting a festival with battles and workshops Aug. 19-20 to celebrate.
Stalter also teaches at Hothouse in Minneapolis.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: