to go out there and represent PNG and just learn different sorts of dancing.” David had already been training and mentoring his young cousin so he could join Buck Souljas, so to now see him at a professional level in Wan Squad makes him very proud. Back in 2018, Joel was studying for his Grade 8 exams so it was difficult to keep up with dance practice, but he passed and went on to complete Grade 9 at Badihagwa High School the next year. “Sometimes we miss our family vacations, and because we love Wan Squad, we put our commitments first,” Joel said. “Like school, for me I was doing exams while I was training and it was really tough but I had to, I chose dance over my schoolwork. I said, ‘I’m going to dance. I don’t care if I don’t make it, this is my passion’, so I had to sacrifice and that was like one of my biggest challenges, trying to juggle both.” Joining Wan Squad last year was an eye-opener
for Joseph whose previous dance crews – Autobots in 2018 and No Fear while living at home in Tubuserea village in 2019 – did not take practice seriously. “In the old days it would just be going out drinking every time we finished dancing, we’d get the coins (prize money) and buy alcohol. Wan Squad inspired me to stop all those negativities – going out and drinking unnecessarily, and dancing only to entertain people. I knew this is not just to learn dancing but to become a better person.” Pyan nods in agreement, and adds that the group has a no drinking rule, with every member expected to be role models in public. One wall of the dance studio is covered with floor-length mirrors which the crew use to synchronise with each other during dance practice. At the far end of the room, there are steel monkey bar- type structures which sometimes feature on Facebook video reels when the crew does pull-ups.
Fred and Joel at Venice Beach Skatepark, Los Angeles
Taking in the sights of Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles
“Dancing here, we don’t train like how we used to in our old crews,” newcomer Ajay says with a smile. “We were always just doing dance practice, but in Wan
Squad we actually train , like lifting weights.” Pyan points to the wall behind us which has a holding rack filled with metal barbells and disc weights. Lloyd
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