Meet THE D SoraKi, a talented dancer who’s always pursuing originality
Influences
Let’s begin this interview with questions about your personal life. Is it true you’re a big anime fan?
I'm an anime nerd. I've been following One Piece since elementary school. My Hero Academia as well. I like all anime in general! Also, I love Samurai Champloo for its stylish soundtrack. Oh, and Super Crooks is great, too. Teasing Master Takagi-san and Mr Osomatsu are also great. I like watching anime that I find comedic.
THE D SoraKi shows many outstanding shapes in his style
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
What kind of music genres do you listen to?
I listen to almost all genres. I was into music from way back, so I have all sorts in my music room.
I love KID FRESINO! If asked which Japanese artist I like the most, I'll go with him. As for non-Japanese artists, I like grooving to The Notorious B.I.G.
I also listen to DJs from the Boiler Room a lot. The guys going absolutely nuts is really entertaining. I definitely recommend checking them out.
And you like I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross?
That's right. This song pulled me through a rough patch in my high-school years, so it felt like destiny when it came on in the semi-finals of Red Bull Dance Your Style. At that moment, I knew I was going to win the competition. Another track that I really feel is Mo Money Mo Problems, by the Notorious B.I.G.
Did you get nervous at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final ?
Only during the Top 16. I didn't have time to get nervous in the later rounds, because the breaks in between were so short. All my focus was on getting my energy back. The finals started way too quickly after the semi-finals. Performing a dance routine is like running at full speed for a whole minute. It's exhausting. After the third move, King DaVinci lifted me off the ground, but my throat was parched and I was about to throw up.
Are there any dancers or artists you would like to collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with P. Diddy. He's dope. My dream is to dance as the main performer for the Super Bowl halftime show. If that ever happens, I'll definitely reach out to him.
You're also involved in modeling. Do you think collaborating with fashion is important in developing the dance industry?
I think it is. For example, dancers collaborating with a high-fashion brand will give dancers a more trendy and high profile image. Dance and fashion are both methods to express oneself, so for a dancer, fashion always goes hand-in-hand.
If it wasn't dancing, what would you have aspired to be?
I've never thought of doing anything other than dancing. I was a real loser back then. Like, no joke, a hopeless case (laughs). But since I love the 'streets', I think I would’ve become a beat maker or a rapper.
So you would've taken the path of hip-hop either way?
Yes, I think so. If not hip-hop, I would have probably pursued soccer. I actually played soccer in kindergarten and apparently showed some talent, as I became a regular member of an elementary school team made up of second and third-graders when I was only five.
If it weren't for hip-hop dance, THE D SoraKi would play soccer today
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
Early beginnings
More about dance
When did you start dancing?
I don’t remember clearly. I was born when my mum was on her way to my older sister's dance contest, so I was quite literally born into a dance environment. I started dancing at a very young age, but it wasn't until I was four-years-old that I started to take it seriously and learn from my older sister. By the time I was five, I was competing with my sister.
Was your first dance teacher your older sister?
That's right. She taught me the basics. She herself started taking dance classes when she was just two-and-a-half. It all started when she met a kid at a park who invited her to a dance lesson, even though they had just met. Can you believe it? The whole thing is just absolute nuts. She certainly is one of a kind.
She's still one of my biggest fans, along with my mum. When I won the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final, she took a photo of me and I now have it on a shelf in my room. If I didn't have the support of my family, I would never have been able to come this far.
Can you describe how your family supported you?
You know how some parents push their kids with strict training? Mine were different. They supported me from behind the scenes without being overly controlling. They drove me to dance classes, but never interfered with my training. Thankfully, I had full reign of my dance life, although they did scold me often about my personal qualities.
THE D SoraKi always had the support of his family
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
Maintaining an authentic approach to dancing
What was the first genre of dance thatyou practised?
I think it was hip-hop, since that was what my sister was doing. I guess you could say it was more freestyle, though, as I was mixing things up. I was practicing most genres.
Which genre suited you the most?
I think pop fits me best. I still practice it and I feel like hip-hop needs pop. My dance master is Yoshie so, of course, soul is also important, but I feel fortunate to have a pop background.
Yoshie is one of THE D Soraki's strongest dance influences
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
Would you say that the person that had the most profound influence on you was Yoshie?
Yeah, Yoshie had a huge influence. She really changed my life and I respect her a lot. When it comes to freestyle and all-genre, it's Yoshie. For hip-hop, I look up to Takesaburo of XXX-Large, Tetsu and Meth. They're all from my hometown, too.
They are like dance parents to me. They show me what being the man means through their career. They teach me about music as well, so I'm still learning a lot from them now.
How do you think your environment influenced your dancing?
That's a good question. I wonder how it influenced me. It's difficult to explain in words, but there's something to be said about the feels I get from everyone in my life. When people dance, their personality, aesthetics, vibes and childhood environment inadvertently shows. That's something that you can't replace with technique or attitude.
I look up to people who don't lose their childlike innocence
Is there a theme you follow in your dancing?
I don't give it that much thought. I take the music as it comes and just let it flow through me into my moves. I want to keep my mindset towards music and dance fresh, like how a new student would approach them. It’s like how some say Michael Jackson's signature move is called a backslide and not a moonwalk, but I keep calling it the moonwalk anyway.
I do have a certain amount of ego, but I look up to people who don't lose their childlike innocence and not be afraid of seeming like a fool. You have to be pure to pursue something genuinely cool and that's what I always aim to be.
THE D SoraKi in the battle against Humuzza
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
Do you have any advise for up-and-coming dancers?
Not much. I feel like you've got to be true to yourself and not let others sway your style. Listen to your idols, sure, and dance in the way that feels right for you. Follow your heart. Chase after what you love. Never copy someone else's moves and always let your own unique style shine through when you dance.
Making a complete 180
This was the moment that saw THE D SoraKi go viral on Tik Tok
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
After winning Red Bull Dance Your Style did your life change in any way?
Hell yeah, it did! My life did a complete 180. I'm grateful for all the gigs rolling in, but now I barely have time to catch my breath. I'm talking four back-to-back meetings followed by a dance shoot, and I'm like, 'Yo, what the hell?' My inbox is blowing up with messages to reply to and invoices to send out. I have a hundred times more work than before I won that competition.
Do you get approached when you're walking around in the city?
Yeah, all the time. Actually, I don’t usually get bothered by small things, but I want to ask people to stop snapping pictures of me secretly.
The other day, I was shopping at a convenience store and when I was about to walk out, I noticed someone pointing a smartphone at me. This isn't flattering at all. Being spied on when you're out having fun is just creepy.
I love it when people come up and talk to me, but please don't do anything behind my back.
There is a lot more ahead for THE D SoraKi
© Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool
Ambitions as a dancer
Is there a routine you follow every day?
I do core and balance training every day. No matter how busy I am, I also clock in four hours of dance practice. I don't have a set time I practice, due to work, but I always make time to practice at home.
Are there specific things you work on to improve as a dancer?
I haven't really given much thought to that. I just work on honing my skills every day to discover a new side of me or a new style.
So you don't have any specific goals?
Exactly. Dance is constantly evolving and it’s fun because there's no right answer to anything. This gives me the initiative to keep challenging myself to try new things.
I've been this way ever since I was a kid. I never had one specific move I wanted to pull off. Also, I hate copying people.
Finally, what message do you want to relay through your dance?
It's my mission to elevate dancers' status in the industry. I always wonder why we're always relegated to being in the background instead of taking the main spotlight. Why do dancers work so hard just to be seen as backups and not the lead? I really despise the term 'backup'.
People always ask me why I don't do backup dancing even though I've won so many battles. And the answer is simple: I just don't want to. I even turned down offers from Madonna and Cirque du Soleil. My goal is to change how the world sees freestyle dancing, so that dancers like me can actually make a living off of just doing freestyle dancing. I don't want us to be stuck in this backup dancer or choreographer box. I strive to demonstrate through each dance and every action that this is possible.
We are looking forward to seeing more of THE D Soraki
© Mpumelelo Macu / Red Bull Content Pool