Baguio native to represent Philippines in global street dance competition
MANILA, Philippines — Former "World of Dance Philippines" contestant and Baguio native Mickey Yatar will represent the Philippines at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in December.
Yatar bested 15 other dancers of various styles, beating four on his way to the crown, literally even climbing a metal support during the final battle at the first-ever Red Bull Dance Your Style National Finals last July 23 at the Bonifacio High Street Ampitheater in Taguig City.
Unlike most dance competitions, Red Bull Dance Your Style sees the crowd choosing the winner during a battle between two dancers instead of a panel of judges, with an extra round often called to break a tie — Yatar faced two tough tie-breakers himself.
Speaking to members of the media after his crowning moment, Yatar said that as someone who constantly overthinks, he made sure he only had the final round and the subsequent World Finals on his mind to achieve victory.
"To be honest, 'yung feeling na nanalo ako... ang bilis ng mga nangyayari!" Yatar said, gathering himself before telling the press that he initially felt grateful.
He also thought of God and asked for guidance from his mentor, the late Tyrone Proctor — a pioneer of Waacking which is Yatar's base dance style.
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Waacking is mostly associated with disco and jazz, but Yatar had to fuse it with other styles like hip-hop, house, and Latin ballroom to better fit the random music being played during battles.
Going forward, he intends to consult his fellow dancers in order to prepare for the World Finals in December. "They all have great ideas kung ano ang mga puwede kong i-improve — some of them are really my teachers and closest friends," he noted.
Apart from that, Yatar also plans to do more physical training given the weather contrasts between the Philippines and South Africa, with conditioning to be done in Baguio while practicing techniques in Metro Manila to train with mentors.
The champion admitted that he never really planned on joining dance battles, but his friends and colleagues pushed him to do so.
"'You just have to do whatever you want.' Those were the key words [that got to me]. And now here I am doing this," Yatar shared. "So listen to the people closest to you. They know when you have the capability. You just have to start dancing."
Yatar will face off with more than 60 dancers from 30 countries in South Africa later this year.
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