Albert Saguil wasn鈥檛 quite sure what he was going to do as he walked onstage for his finale performance at the Youth Talent Search BC contest a week and a half ago.
The 17 year old dancer had nothing formally choreographed, but as the beat of Barbie Girl/Super Smashed came on, his body took over, whirling him right into first place.
鈥淚 do practice, but when I go up and perform, if you were to video tape me three times 鈥� or even twice 鈥� you would see a difference between the first performance and the second,鈥� said Saguil, a Grade 12 student at R.E. Mountain Secondary.
鈥淚t鈥檚 usually stored in my head, and then the moves come out.鈥�
Up against 24 other semi-finalists between the ages of nine and 18 from across the Lower Mainland, Saguil鈥檚 improvised routines earned him a headshot session, consultation with a top film/TV agent, a prize pack from YTV show Some Assembly Required, a radio interview and a guest performance on Shaw TV.
A performer of popping 鈥� a street dance where dancers use muscle contractions to pop their bodies 鈥� most of Saguil鈥檚 skills are self-taught in his mom鈥檚 dining room from YouTube videos and America鈥檚 Best Dance Crew episodes.
It started with learning 鈥渢he shuffle鈥� from LMFAO鈥檚 song Party Rock Anthem when he was 14 years old, followed by Gangnam Style by Psy.
鈥淢y style is popping,鈥� Saguil said. 鈥淚 spent my first two years dancing without any formal instruction. There are different types of dances that are not recognized, but they鈥檙e out there on YouTube and on the streets. So I grab those pieces and put them together to make my own freestyle.鈥�
Although he is mastering his moves, Saguil never choreographs his routines, preferring to let the music guide him on the spot.
鈥淚 love dancing because I can practice at any time 鈥� I don鈥檛 even need music,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 just able to express myself. I get to show a different side of me that my usual friends don鈥檛 get to see in me. One of my closer friends likes to call me weird, and when I dance I like to show my weird personality. It鈥檚 just an expression of what goes on inside my head.鈥�
Performing as ALone, Saguil says his stage name the reflects his independence both onstage and at school.
鈥淚n our school, dancing is not a huge thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淒ancing is something that helped me work my way into being an individual within my friends and the people around me, rather than conforming with the rest of the social groups.鈥�
He also has a strong connection to the number 鈥渙ne,鈥� with many nicknames over the years to reflect this.
鈥淪ome people can interpret my name as alone and others as AL one. Being alone is being unique as well.鈥�
Now in his final year of high school, Saguil is switching his focus to academics, with the hope of studying kinesiology in post secondary.
But that鈥檚 not to say he鈥檚 giving up on dance 鈥� at least, not yet.
Saguil still plans to perform for friends and to continue with competitions after his final exams in May.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure if this can be a solo career, but I do love to dance,鈥� he said.
