Getting injured makes you a more creative dancer

SK: Like most people of my generation, I was inspired by Michael Jackson. When I was young, I would try and imitate his moves. Then, in secondary school, it was all K-pop. I only got serious about dance in 2014 because Natasha Studio had this $100 unlimited package and I would take four classes every day [laughs]. Then, in 2017, I injured myself during National Service and had to downgrade my PES status, so I was able to throw myself into dance.

Z: Talking about injuries, I once broke my arm playing football. As a breaker, your arms are vital to you, so I was distraught. But, looking back, it helped me because it forced me to work on the other parts of my body. So I worked on dancing with my legs and also using my other hand to do moves.

SK: That’s the thing about hip-hop, right? A lot of B-boys get injured, but they don’t see it as the end. They just try to work around it.

Z: Yeah, it pushes you creatively. It’s a bit like Daredevil, the superhero. He’s blind but his lack of sight heightens his other senses.

(Related: The Peak Next Gen: Tay Eu-Yen)

SK: What was your defining moment?

Z: It was in 2002, a year after I’d started dancing. This was before YouTube and Instagram, and they played music videos on TV. I remember seeing Justin Timberlake’s ‘Like I Love You’ and was mesmerised by the dancing. So I borrowed my mother’s camcorder and waited for days for the music video to be shown again so I could record it and mimic the choreography. To this day, that video keeps me focused on what I want to achieve: to show people the music through dance.

SK: For me, my long-term goal is to understand as much as I can about the different genres of dance and their histories. Hip-hop is not our culture. We are borrowing from it, so I want to be able to respect history and still build on it.

Z: Is dance something you want to pursue as a career? You placed in a few online global battles during the lockdown.

SK: Well, I hope to teach and also represent the country in competitions. But, honestly, dance might not be something that I want to pursue 100 per cent, in the sense that teaching could be my main job but I would have other skills to back it up as well. Being a professional dancer is cool, but it’s important to contribute to the scene in other ways, too. For example, in marketing or business. Honestly, the OGs like you and the rest are so willing to share your knowledge when it comes to this.

Z: Yeah. Back when I started, we didn’t have a lot of resources. I had to do a lot through trial and error, and take all the wrong turns. For younger dancers like yourself, you’re already walking on a path we paved. All the paths are laid out and you just have to choose. There are no right or wrong paths. Truthfully speaking, I don’t know how long I can continue doing this, so while I can, I’ll pass the knowledge down. But I won’t just give it to anyone. I am quite selective because there are people who become complacent if things are so easily available. I’ll only pass on my knowledge to those who demonstrate that they are willing to work hard, like you.

SK: Thank you.

(Related: What it takes to be a successful violinist in Singapore)