In April, Waackxxxy and Siu Sa met at the top floor of Soho House Hong Kong in a photoshoot for Red Bull. Both women are internationally renowned whackers, a subcategory of street dance that stems from punking in Los Angeleno gay clubs during the 1970s disco era. It highlights rotational and elaborate arm movements, posing and self-expression.

Uphill Battle

Jeong Si Yeon, better known for her moniker Waackxxxy (pronounced wack-see), was a judge for the Red Bull Dance Your Style Hong Kong qualifiers just a week ago, handling the fate of aspiring dancers as celebrity choreographer, dance studio owner and instructor as well as repeat champion across countless dance battles around the world.

Despite her fame today, Waackxxxy remembers the grueling days of taking a two-hour bus ride from her home in Busan to the dance academy at just 15 years old and rehearsing during summers so unforgiving that eczema would blotch her petite, sweat-clad frame. She'd return home to disapproving parents, who'd make her stand with heavy books atop her head as punishment for taking on a hobby that was synonymous with delinquency back then. The academy's tuition was sponsored by the headmaster who, thankfully, saw her talent.

Waackxxxy also admits her struggles in understanding disco music until recently, previously relying on tunes of other genres for inspiration. Such a distinguished style garnered her countless victories in whacking battles and beyond, but she was dubious of her craft.

"I thought my dancing wasn't interesting or good enough. It felt like nobody in Korea understood me," she recalls.

Hong Kong-born Yuet-Ling Chan, or Siu Sa, shares a similar childhood with prejudiced parents who backed her dancing career so long as she kept to ballet but denied her passion for jazz funk, contemporary and modern dances and especially whacking.

Yet, Siu Sa persisted, keeping her dreams afloat in the early years by taking on part-time work at the now-defunct Wan Chai bar, Ophelia, and Maggie Choo in Central. Today, Siu Sa's moves can be seen next to superstars like Aaron Kwok and Fish Leong; she's since taken the throne in a number of worldwide competitions, some reaching as far as Peru, and is the founder of the "Let's Get Waccked" whacking competition in Hong Kong.

Test of Wills

In 2020, when Hong Kong was clouded in the COVID-19 pandemic, Siu Sa's dance career came to a halt, when what she calls "bad experiences in competitions", including that of the Hong Kong Street Dance Championship, spoiled the "sanctity of dance".

"Those experiences made me realize that hard work and talent aren't enough compared to so-called luck and nepotism. Dance, to me, was tarnished," Siu Sa said. During her two-year hiatus, she learned to shed the rigid bucket list she's set for herself and to relearn her love for her craft sans the embellishments of accolades and recognition. Eventually, she was persuaded by fellow students and colleagues to rejoin the battlefield; and in the 2022 Hong Kong Street Dance Championship, she won.

"I remember walking into the competition that afternoon and thought nobody had wanted me there; but to my surprise, everyone welcomed me with open arms, congratulating me for taking the stage once more," she said. "I wanted to pick myself up in the same spot where I had fallen; and I did it. Dance has since taken a 180-degree turn for the better."

Waackxxxy's road to self-acceptance, meanwhile, was found in France, in the 2016 edition of hip-hop and freestyle competition, Fusion Concept, where the melting pot of dancers, styles and choreographies cranked open a window of boundless possibilities for both her and whacking itself.

"I saw that there's a world beyond Korea who recognizes my performance and style even if it's not 'conventional'. I began to trust myself and my own instincts," says Waackxxxy.

Despite her myriad hats and time spent on the road, the Korean dancer says battles remain her fuel, calling them the "real tests" to her relentless practice. Battles can also vary by event: some are categorized by style, others by number of competitors in the round, to name but a few. The contenders at Red Bull Dance Your Style, for instance, don't know the music they're dancing to until they get on stage.

"Even to this day, the nerves still get the better of me before every battle, but it's a feeling that gets my blood pumping, reminding me that I'm alive," says Waackxxxy.

Dance, Dance Evolution

Compared to when she started 17 years ago, when competitions would see merely 30-odd dancers, Waackxxxy says the Korean whacking scene has since exploded. Nowadays, most whacking events would draw up to 600 contenders. She attributes the growth to the development of art universities nationally, the global stardom of K-pop and TV programs that advocate street dancing. Still, she hopes that Koreans could be more vocal in their support and that dancers can be true to their passion.

"Don't be afraid," she advises.

Siu Sa, however, says Hong Kong's street dancing scene still has room to grow. Though the 2024 Summer Olympics turned breakdancing into a household name, she said whacking remains foreign to most, adding that street dancers are still thought to be mercurial and standoffish by most commercial outlets. This also explains why she spends most of her time spreading the gospel of whacking through hosting events, judging competitions and making appearances in all sorts of public-facing campaigns. "I have been fortunate enough that my varied dance background got my foot in the door, but most street dancers and whackers must work extra hard to prove their versatility and team spirit," says Siu Sa. "Being good at my craft isn't enough, we need events and competitions – stages on which we can let our hard work shine."