It’s almost a month since K-John, the street dance and hip hop expert from the Philippines, took Gold’s Gym Indonesia by storm! Teaching not only dance classes like Hip Hop and Zumba but also Body Combat, RPM, and Body Balance at Gold’s Gym Mall of Indonesia, Summarecon Serpong, and Baywalk Mall, some of you might have seen him around. But let’s get even more up close and personal with him! Read more to get to know K-John!
Some would say K-John was born to dance. He started having interest in dancing at an early age after hearing Michael Jackson’s Bad. He started getting more serious with dance at grade 4, when he joined a small crew. That was also the first time he started choreographing, and, from that moment on, he never stopped.
Street dance and hip-hop were his first love. Both are not restricting, so he feels that he really can express himself and unleash his potential to the fullest. There was a small stage on the streets of Manila called Fiesta, where he and his crew would enter street dance competition there with other street dance crews. They would win some of the competitions, but not all the time; winning was not the focus, having a medium to express themselves and hone their dancing skills was more important.
Though he’s more known for his mad skills in Street dance and Hip Hop, but he actually did some ballet and jazz back in University. His dancing skills have always been remarkable. He joined the cheer squad in his university when he was still a freshman and even started competing with the team, which is really notably impressive, as no other freshman has ever been allowed to compete on their first year!
Still not convinced of how much of an extraordinary dancer he is? Get this: He was chosen as a representative from Gold’s Gym Philippines to join the Philippine International Competitive Aerobic Federation (PicaF) in 2003. He beat more than 2000 other skilled dancers in a cutthroat audition to be one of the pioneer performers in Universal Studio Singapore and was one of the 49 who were chosen! He had trainings and attended dance workshops in San Fransisco and L.A., and was also a guest instructor in San Fransisco and Orlando, Florida.
With all those astonishing achievements he got under his belt, Gold’s gym Indonesia is more than lucky to have him here! But his career hasn’t always been smooth sailing; there are definitely ups and downs throughout, like the incessant unfortunate discriminations due to his height. But all the adversities did nothing but made him stronger. None of the hardship he faced ever stops him from growing; he always pushes himself to learn from his failures and be the best version of himself in order to achieve his goals. His perseverance was awarded with countless of opportunities to travel to different countries to dance and teach dancing.
K-John with the other GGX Superstars and Gold's Gym Indonesia COO, Mr. Corne Van Zyl
He studied sports, recreation, and management in university, where he studied teaching physical education to the masses as well. So teaching is no stranger to him. He likes sharing all the knowledge that he has accumulated during his dancing career, and learning from his students and fellow instructors as well.
Dance in group fitness industry is different from performance-centric entertainment industry, especially in the end result that they want to reach. In dance exercise, you don’t really teach the techniques; the main idea is to motivate people to dance so they can get fit and be physically active in a more exciting way. Being the best dancer is not the main focus in class; he focuses more on giving them a fun workout. “That’s what I always say to my clients before I start class. You’re not here to be a Diva; you’re not here to be the best dancer in town. We’re here to have fun and workout at the same time!” he said.
Getting fit through dance-inspired group exercise is also different than getting fit through exercises you do alone, like running or weight training. “Dancing exercise is not only fun but you’re also moving every part of your body. Even your brain gets a workout. With running, you don’t have to think about anything much, but when you’re dancing, you’re exercising your mind by memorizing the routine,” he said.
What he loves most about teaching a class? His source of happiness is as simple as seeing his clients smiling when they get the routine right, or they feel happy because they can copy the movements correctly. “I also like it when people come to me and thank me because they’ve learned how to dance (from me) and they’re better now than they ever were,” he added. Some of his previous clients back in Philippines are now even dance exercise instructors themselves!
Want to dance with K-John and see what he’s all about? Join Beach Party Special Class at Baywalk Mall Atrium, Green Bay Pluit on Sunday, 20 September 2014, 15.00 PM onwards! Bring a friend, and get free XXI tickets, only while stock lasts!