His time is now: ‘Klockwise’ bops his way to world dance finals in India

MANILA, Philippines – Kenneth “Klockwise” Martinez saw the Red Bull Dance Your Style as an artistic avenue. He never thought it would propel him to being one of the best in the world. 

Martinez ruled the national finals to earn his spot in the Red Bull Dance World Championship in India on Saturday night, September 28, at the Kilometer Zero in Luneta Park, Manila. 

“It was surreal. Since the auditions, I never thought of this. I only pushed myself to go just to dance,” Martinez, who hails from Valenzuela City, said in Filipino.

“There was no pressure to win. I really just wanted to dance,” the 25-year-old dancer added. 

A master of the locking funk dance, Martinez went through the Quezon City auditions before winning the Manila qualifiers and strutting his way to the 16-strong finale with qualifiers and wildcard bets from all over the country — all with different dance backgrounds, styles, and accomplishments.

In the final showdown, he outlasted Cebu’s krump star Sam “Nemesis” Rivera in a clash of styles, which Martinez thought added fiery force to their dance. 

“There was a lot of pressure on stage during the final round. For me, it was just about controlling that fire so I can still let the music flow through me, and let my dance speak for myself,” he said. 

“I just had to relax my mind and heart.”

He also basked on the symbolic landmark of the stage, which utilized the Rizal Monument as the backdrop for their dance battles. 

“It really feels good to dance in front of the Rizal monument. It captured who we are, and the country we are representing,” Martinez said. 

Always an artistic pursuit

Martinez was fond of colors and drawings at an early age until he finally found his niche in dancing through an elementary friend, who taught him different styles, leading him to fall in love with the sport. 

According to him, it started as mere mimicking of other dance groups, but it grew into a passion, which fueled Martinez to eventually build a name and career in funk dancing. 

He also makes a living out of this, working as a choreographer for corporate events and competing against other dancers in various local competitions. 

“As time passes, I learned to love what I do. I feel my heart happy every time I do this,” Martinez said. 

Now the lone Filipino dancer on the world stage in November, he aims to continue that dance devotion when he represents the Philippine flag in Mumbai, India. 

“It’s more than just representing myself or the Philippines,” he said. “It’s about representing my city, my family, my community, and my dance style.” – Rappler.com