The IDL Vancouver Series featured two Head Judges, five Pro Division judges, and four Community Division judges, each selected for their mastery of technique, artistry, structure, and performance. Here's who was at the judges table. 

Head Judges

Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens

Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens has spent more than two decades at the center of hip hop dance culture, as a performer, organizer, educator, and advocate.

He is the founder of Kaba Modern, one of the most iconic hip hop crews in the United States, a former Executive Director and Board President of Culture Shock LA, former President of Culture Shock International, and a member of Kinjaz. He managed Kaba Modern, Fanny Pak, The Beat Freaks, and Kinjaz through their runs on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.

His global education programs, including ROOTS B4 BRANCHES and LEADERSHIP TOOLS for the DANCE LEADER, have served more than 300 dance leaders worldwide. Beyond the stage, Arnel is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy who co-directs Awesome Shock LA, a hip hop and street dance therapy program for neurodivergent youth. He has lectured at Stanford, UCLA, Cornell, Princeton, and USC, and was a closing TEDx speaker at UCIrvine's 2024 conference.

He is the former U.S. Elite Judge for the Hip Hop International World Dance Crew Championships and co-Head Judge of the World Dance Crew Championships (WDCC).

Nicolas Bégin

Nicolas Bégin started his career as a b-boy before becoming one of Canada's most respected dance organizers and competition judges.

He appeared as a b-boy on So You Think You Can Dance and competed as a finalist on America's Best Dance Crew with Blueprint Crew. In 2010, he founded Hit The Floor, now one of the most recognized street dance festivals in the world, and has served as its Head Judge for more than 15 years. He has also led extensive judge training programs focused on consistency and fairness across the global competition circuit.

Nicolas is a board member of No Excuses No Limits Movement, a Canadian organization dedicated to inclusion and social impact through movement and education.

Pro Division Judges

Comfort Fedoke

Comfort Fedoke is a Nigerian American dance artist, choreographer, and Emmy Award winner whose career spans competitive dance, concert touring, film, and television.

She gained national recognition on So You Think You Can Dance Season 4, returning across multiple seasons as an All-Star, choreographer, and judge. She is the Associate Choreographer for Universal Pictures' Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu. Her stage and tour credits include H.E.R., John Legend, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Kanye West, Drake, Beyonce, and Harry Styles. She has also served as a judge on Nigeria's Maltina Dance All.

Handy "HYA" Yacinthe

Handy Yacinthe's introduction to street dance came through his older brother's crew, Illusion Breakers, and the Haitian folkloric dance traditions carried by his mother, a former professional dancer.

Over more than three decades, he has worked as a dancer, choreographer, short film director, producer, composer, mentor, and event organizer. He is the founder of the JOAT Festival, presented at Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles and Place des Arts, and recognized as one of the world's most celebrated street dance festivals.

Carlos Irizarry

Carlos Ivan Irizarry grew up in the Bronx in a Puerto Rican family and began training at age 11 with La Luz, a Bronx-based performance company, studying jazz, ballet, salsa, flamenco, Afro-Cuban, and street dance.

In his teenage years, he discovered voguing, a dance style that originated in Harlem's ballroom scene in the 1980s. He is a proud member of the West Coast Chapter of the House of Basquiat and holds the title of Overall Father of Kiki House of FUBU. He teaches vogue across the United States and internationally, including Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia.

His performance credits include Madonna, Beyonce, Sam Smith, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, and Lady Gaga. He appeared on HBO Max's Legendary as Assistant Choreographer and Co-Host during Season 2.

Cheyenne Kibblewhite

Cheyenne Kibblewhite has been directing, dancing, teaching, and judging competitions around the world for more than 20 years.

She is the Head Judge for World of Dance and the owner of Legacy Entertainment Group, which manages Keone and Mari, Daniel "Cloud" Campos, Melvin Timtim, Shaun Evaristo, Jaja Vankova, and others. Her work spans Broadway, Disney, Universal, Nike, NBC, Fox, and world tours including the Karate Kid European Tour and productions for Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Omar Apollo, and Bryson Tiller.

Stephen Grey

Stephen Grey made history as the first New Zealander to be certified as an Elite International Judge at the World Hip Hop International Championships, where he judged for over a decade across events in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Arizona.

He served as New Zealand's National Technical Director and Head Judge for Hip Hop International from 2011 to 2022, and most recently as Head Judge and Technical Director for the 2025 WDCC World Dance Crew Championships, following leadership across the WDCC International Qualifier Series in Manila, Sydney, and Los Angeles. He has also served as Head Judge on television productions including The Stage and This is Street Dance.

Community Division Judges

Zuce Morales

Zuce Morales was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, where she discovered hip hop and street dance at 15. Four years later, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional dance career, earning certifications in choreography and dance teaching at Glendale Community College while training at studios in North Hollywood that would later invite her to join their faculty.

She has since taught at renowned studios in Los Angeles and shared her knowledge across multiple countries. Her classes combine foundational training, cultural context, groove, individuality, and self-expression. A dedicated practitioner and teacher of Campbellocking, Zuce is committed to honoring the history and culture behind every art form she teaches.

Alekz Samone

Alekz Samone began his dance career training hip hop in community teams, local festivals, and competitions in Louisiana, where he developed a deep connection to music and performance. After more than a decade of training, he built a career as a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Los Angeles, where he is a regular faculty member at Movement Lifestyle.

His performance credits include Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Lil Nas X, Chloe x Halle, The Weeknd, Khalid, BTS, and Suga, as well as brand campaigns for Gucci and American Eagle and appearances on multiple award show stages.

Marie-Odile Haince-Lebel

Marie-Odile Haince-Lebel, known as "Mao," has spent more than a decade building an international presence as a choreographer, entrepreneur, and performer with a creative signature recognized across the global dance community.

In 2005, she founded District.Mao (DM) and DM Productions, leading her company to perform in Paris, Shanghai, New York, Dubai, and Los Angeles. Her competitive work has earned eight medals at the Hip Hop International World Championships and multiple World of Dance titles. She has appeared on NBC's World of Dance (Seasons 2 and 4), America's Got Talent (Seasons 10, 11, 14, and 16), and Canada's Got Talent, and performed on stages including the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Her work has also taken her to Dolce & Gabbana's The Great Show in Shanghai, a 28-show tour in Dubai with DM Nation, and collaborations with Cirque du Soleil and brands including Red Bull, Sephora, and Formula 1. She received an Emmy nomination at the 73rd Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming.

Jerome Esplana

Jerome Esplana is a Vancouver-based choreographer, educator, creative director, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in the global dance industry. He has taught in more than 20 countries and performed at World of Dance, Body Rock, and Hip Hop International, among others.

He has choreographed for K-pop artists and contributed to productions for Disney+ and Paramount+. Committed to growing dance culture in his home city, Jerome founded The Release Dance Competition in Vancouver, aimed at raising the standard of performance and creating pathways for dancers at every level.

The next IDL Series takes place June 20 in Sydney, Australia. Tickets are available now.