Rise of a dance champion: Alberton’s Riaan strikes gold at Dance World Cup in Spain

From the streets of Florentia to the world stage in Spain, 23-year-old Riaan van Wyk is fast becoming a name to watch in South African dance.

The Alberton-born performer recently returned from the Dance World Cup 2025 in Burgos, Spain, where he helped bring home two gold medals and a silver across three adult hip hop crew divisions.

Making history in Spain

Before stepping onto the international stage, Riaan competed in the 2025 Dance World Cup South African Qualifiers held in March.

There, he placed first in the Adult Small Crew hip hop division and earned the overall best mark across all entries in the country. This performance secured his spot at the finals in Spain.

Dancing as part of the Mario Gomes Hip Hop Academy based in Roodepoort, he competed in three different crews: Precision Crew, Empire and Squid Games.

His group, Precision Crew, scored 94.7 percent in the Adult Small Crew division, winning gold and being named overall World Champions in that category.

Empire clinched gold in the Adult Large Crew category with a score of 95.7 percent and walked away with three thousand euros in prize money.

Squid Games took silver in the Showstopper category with 94.5%.

“It is hard to describe what that moment felt like,” said Riaan. “We were standing backstage, knowing it was a gala evening and everyone already knew who we were. I was not nervous. I was ready to attack that stage and show them why South Africa was there. Then you stand on stage and see the lights and the crowd and hear them calling your number. It was insane.”

Riaan was one of approximately 30 dancers from the academy who travelled to Spain for the competition.
Excluding parents, the group formed part of a powerful South African contingent that dominated the event and brought home numerous medals.

From Bronwynne’s to Burgos

For Riaan, the journey began almost two decades ago. He started dancing at the age of four at Bronwynne’s Dance Academy in Randhart. While still there, he also trained at Reemicks to broaden his skill set.

At 13, he represented South Africa at the American Dance Awards in New York, where he earned Ultimate Gold for a hip hop solo and golds for hip hop duets, trios and groups.

He attended Laerskool President Steyn in Alberton and completed his high school years at Hoërskool Dinamika, matriculating in 2020.

After dancing at Bronwynne’s until 2022, he opened his own studio, Riaan’s Hip Hop Academy, and now teaches hip hop at Alberview Primary School. He still continues to perform and compete.

Training at the highest level

In December 2024, he auditioned for the prestigious Mario Gomes Academy and began training with them in January.

It was the opportunity he had dreamed of, and it led to his selection for the World Cup stage.

“My schedule is packed,” he said. “I work during the day at a primary school in admissions and social media, and then train three to five hours a day. Training includes intense boot camps, cardio, and mastering styles like old school hip hop, new rap, and amapiano.”

Precision in performance

The group’s competition routines featured a variety of musical influences.

One piece began with a Michael Jackson intro, transitioned into old school hip hop, moved into new school rap, then into dancehall and amapiano, and ended with a powerful crump sequence.

Each style was choreographed by different instructors and mastered over a few weeks of focused training. The pieces were high intensity and demanding, both mentally and physically.

“Sometimes the hardest part is just staying focused and blocking out the hype,” said Riaan. “There is so much excitement around South Africa and sometimes it is easy to get caught in that energy. But we had one job, bring home the gold and we did.”

A dream come true

When asked about his role in the crew, Riaan described himself as more of a motivator than a lead dancer, but he hopes to grow into a leadership role in the academy.

“It has always been a dream of mine to dance with Mario Gomes crews. To now be part of Precision Crew, Empire and Squid Games is surreal.”

His mother Leigh-Ann could not be prouder.

“We have watched Riaan grow from a little boy dancing in the lounge to a world stage performer. To see him return from Spain with medals for South Africa was incredible.”

Passion with purpose

Looking back at his earliest inspiration, Riaan recalls watching So You Think You Can Dance as a child and being influenced by his parents dancing playfully around the house.

“They are not professional dancers, but just seeing them happy and dancing made me feel connected to music.”
Now that he has performed against dancers from 51 countries, his outlook on life and his career has changed.
“You learn not to take opportunities for granted. Any opportunity that comes your way, grab it.”

While in Spain, Riaan visited the historic cathedral in Burgos, went sightseeing in San Sebastian and took part in bus tours with fellow dancers.

As for what comes next, he plans to compete as a soloist in the next Dance World Cup.

His long-term goal is to grow his academy and help South African children reach international stages.

“There are so many talented kids in South Africa,” he said. “They just need someone to believe in them. We support rugby and boxing. I want to see the same support for dancers. We deserve to be on the map too.”