Battle Grounds brings Dallas street dance culture to Deep Ellum

Battle Grounds – 1 vs 1 Open Styles and Breaking Battles is hosted every second Thursday at Ruins in the Limbo Room, bringing Dallas street dance culture to the heart of Deep Ellum.

There are open sign-ups for any dancers brave enough to take the stage. Three dance experts are the judges. The event’s host goes by the name SoulBot, who also busted some moves on the stage during the night.

In Open Styles rounds, each dancer got a 45-seconds turn in a one to one battle, which is then voted on by the judges. The Breaking Battles were also one to one, and the dancers got two rounds each before being judged.

Dancers of the night included Angelo “Rock Solid” Salas, Taj “T. Soup” Campbell, Alex “Lex Groove” Geck,  and Adrian “Areté” Ortega. All told, there were over a dozen performers. The venue was full of dance lovers eager to watch the head-to-head battles.

“T. Soup” Campbell also hosts his own Hip Hop Foundation Sessions event Monday 8:30pm – midnight at UTD around the Founders Building on campus for those interested in learning street dance basics and techniques.

Find more information on the Battle Grounds Instagram Page.

A crowd gathers in front of a stage while a dancer performs a break dance move

Dance culture lovers gathered at Ruins in the Limbo Room for the Battle Grounds – 1 vs 1 Open Styles & Breaking Dance Battles. Angelo “Rock Solid” Salas performs. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer spins on his head

“Skinny” shows off his head spin moves at Ruins. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A man break dances on stage

Alex “Lex Groove” Geck performs at Ruins during the warm up. Photo: Jessica Waffles

Two people smiling on stage

A moment of laughter in a fun-filled night at Ruins. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer on stage

The open styles battle contestants had 45 seconds each to show off their skills. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer on stage

The battles were heated with dancers going head to head on stage at Ruins. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A man in a beanie in a break dance pose

There were many dance style to appreciate during the event, as dancers moved from head to toe to gain the votes of the judges. Photo: Jessica Waffles

Two DJs behind the booth

DJs AL METRO & PAWLFO provided music for the Battle Grounds – 1 vs 1 Open Styles & Breaking Dance Battles event. and Photo: Jessica Waffles

A performer on stage in a break dance move upside down standing on their hands

Angelo “Rock Solid” Salas performed many difficult maneuvers on the stage at Ruins. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer on stage

There were three judges for every round, with open styles and break dance styles judged by two different groups of judges. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer in a break dance pose on stage

Adrian “Areté” Ortega performs during a break dance battle at Ruins in the Limbo Room. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer on stage

“Open style” battles are open to any style of dance, as long as it helps the dancer stand out and shows off their skills as a performer. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A dancer in a full headstand

The host of the night SoulBot busted some moves on stage at Ruins in the Limbo Room. Photo: Jessica Waffles

A break dancer on stage

Taj “T. Soup” Campbell battles in the break dance portion of the Battle Grounds – 1 vs 1 Open Styles and Breaking Battles event at Ruins. Photo: Jessica Waffles


Jessica Waffles is a freelance photographer/videographer and regular contributor to KXT. 

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