Dance
Meet Boogaloo Freak, the champion of Red Bull Dance Your Style Ukraine
Find out how Boogaloo Freak got his name and how he’s preparing for the big final Paris.
They say good things happen for a reason and in Boogaloo Freak’s case, that was dance. “I didn’t even think of becoming a dancer, everything happened by itself, he says. "I thought it looked interesting, so I decided to try it and then boom – it just went off.”
Like most dancers, Boogaloo Freak tested a couple of different names at the beginning before settling on his current moniker. “When I started out, I had weak technique," he admits. "I did only the basic moves like rolls, fresno, neck-o-flex, twist-o-flex, and in general I danced a boogaloo style. The 'Freak' part of my name came from the type of strange character I play in my dance and life.”
A stand-out popper who usually wears a black wide-brimmed hat, Boogaloo Freak delivers a distinct performance on the dancefloor. “I guess winning Dance Your Style Ukraine shows I’m not dancing as badly as I thought,” he says. “But it's been my biggest accomplishment and it means that I not only represent myself but now also my country. I'm super proud.”
Boogaloo Freak shows some precise shapes in his popping
© Wheel Bree/Red Bull Content Pool
With such a huge back catalogue of playlists, Boogaloo Freak doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind on what songs he’d pick for his rounds if he had the choice. “Oh there are so many good tracks in the world that I'd love to play, but if I were the DJ, maybe I would put on something like Fergie, Fergalicious, or Так Шумно by Cream Soda, or OMG by Usher.”
When it comes to the practice regime he's employed during the build-up to the Dance Your Style World Final, Boogaloo Freak explains: “I don’t have any elements that I need to focus on – the biggest challenge for me now is to win with such a high level of poppers. But it can also be anyone's game.“
Boogaloo Freak is also keen to pass on his experience to other dancers. “I can’t really give young dancers advice because I am one," he says. "But I know that you need to learn to wait. Be patient. After that, I think that the main skill to master needs to be to become a good teacher. If you develop the new generation by your own knowledge – wow, that’s very dope and important.”
