So You Think You Can Dance‘s Season 16 winner was announced last September 16. It was none other than Bailey Muñoz, a 19-year-old Filipino American breakdancer who is also known as Bailrock.
Aside from the title of “America’s Favorite Dancer” he will also be receiving $250,000 (around Php 13 million) in prize money.
(Pixar’s next short is going to be by a Filipino and about Filipinos)
Though Muñoz is still quite young, his dancing career is one he’s been building from an even younger age. At just 9 years old he had already made it to the semifinals of America’s Got Talent. He has also toured with Bruno Mars, been in a Chris Brown music video, performed with Justin Bieber, and danced with Beyonce.
Contrary to the belief that his experience meant an upper hand in the competition, he explains that he actually went in with “zero experience of technical dance.” He explains to Dance Plug: “As a b-boy, we don’t really do a lot of choreography, so doing choreography and stuff that you’ve never done before was a challenge for me. I’m just so grateful that I get to represent hip hop, b-boying, Filipinos, Bay Area, Vegas, my family, just all of it.”
(We asked 5 dancers about why they love dancing, and here’s what they said!)
In the same interview he dedicated his success to his family.“For them to support what I love to do and my passion is just such a blessing to me. You know, most Filipino parents would be like […] ‘You’re not a doctor, you’re not good,’” Munoz said. “[Their] support means the world to me. I want to make them proud.”
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