Precious Nine, a Brazilian Girls’ Generation fanclub, recently interviewed Guilherme, a contestant on Mnet’s “Dancing 9″. Guilherme, a member of the “Blue Eye Team”, shared his experiences as a dancer as well as a fan of Girls’ Generation.
1. Firstly, congratulations, Guilherme! We are very proud to have a fellow Brazilian participating in a Korean variety show! Please do tell us, how did you get onto ‘Dancing 9′? What was the audition process like?
Firstly, thanks for the opportunity! Well, I have a South Korean friend who’s also a professional dancer. I met him when I went to ‘Se Ela Dança Eu Danço’ (If She Dances, I Dance) of SBT (Brazilian Television Station) with ‘Cia Kahal’ (name of the group). The producer of ‘Dancing 9′ saw videos of his group participating in the program and thought it was interesting to have a Korean as a contestant in a Brazilian variety show. They kept inviting him to participate in the program for about a month or so, but he didn’t want to participate. But one day I saw that he had posted on the site of ‘Dancing 9′ on Facebook. When I looked through the site, I was amazed to see that they were willing to pay for all expenses for participants to go to Korea! So I went to talk to him and we decided to go together. We went through 3 selection processes by video, but in the last round, unfortunately my friend hadn’t made it but I had.
2. You story is very interesting! Did you already have interest in Korean culture or is everything new to you? How was your arrival in Seoul? When you first arrived, did you notice any differences between Western and Asian cultures?
Well I had already liked listening to K-Pop and I had studied Korean for a while, but it was the first time actually experiencing the Korean culture! Even though I have a lot of Eurasian friends, it was still quite a different culture change. When I arrived in Seoul, I was amazed! The Mnet car was already waiting for me. I had always dreamed about someone waiting for me with a plaque/slab at the airport. (laughs)
And they gave me a great reception! Koreans in general are very polite; if you need something they can assist you very well. If you are lost, they can show you the way to your destination. The Brazilian culture is waaay different than the Korean culture! What impressed me the most was the formality between unknown people or people older than you. I took a while to get used to it, but I thought it was really nice. That is something I want my children to learn from.
3. You were already a fan of Girls’ Generation, right? How did it feel like to see Hyoyeon and Yuri in front of you and dance with Hyoyeon, our Dancing Queen?
Yes, I’ve been a fan since ‘The Boys’ was released! Hahaha, even before the audition, they held some interviews and they showed us some of the mentors from each team. They didn’t say Hyoyeon, Yuri, and Minwoo would be part of the judging panel.
Before getting onto the stage, I turned to Marco (the Italian guy) and said, ‘Imagine if Hyoyeon is here? I’d die!’ Then we saw her and I was like, ‘OMG SHE’S HERE! FOR REAL!’ And Marco started to cry instantly. (laughs) It was truly a unique sensation!
4. It must have been really thrilling! Did you have the chance to talk to them backstage? What are they like when the camera is off?
Well, let’s just say in Level 4 we spend ‘a lot of time together’. You have to watch the episode to see what really happened though! Haha, but yes, I talked to them and they are really nice and considerate to others. They are the same members we see in backstage videos! Hyoyeon is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met! (laughs)
5. Hyoyeon sounds like an amazing person! What was it that attracted you to Girls’ Generation as a group?
As I said, I started to like them after ‘The Boys’, but I had already heard about them since their debut. When they released ‘The Boys’, they really impressed me. As I had already had experience in regards to dance, I saw a totally different Girls’ Generation. Their dance and emotions really amazed me. But I started to really like the DANCE in particular when they released ‘I Got A Boy’, earlier this year. It was then that I realized that they have potential. It’s really hard to find people who can dance hip hop as well as match the flow of the song and express the feeling that they are trying to portray.
6. K-Pop has had a major influence in the global music industry lately. Have you heard about its influence here in Latin America? We’ve held some K-Pop concerts here, but do you believe that there are enough fans to be able to host larger concerts?
Brazil, in particular, is really complicated. The ‘musical culture’ turns around samba, pagode, funk, and so on. Brazilian artists of Pop, R&B, or even rap are just noticed a little by the international media. I do believe Brazil has the capacity to hold big K-Pop concerts, but the problem is that they don’t know how famous K-Pop is here. They even asked me in an interview how K-Pop is seen here, and when I said the amount of fans is giant, that there are K-Pop cover competitions and things like that, they opened their mouths and were like, ‘What?’ It was so funny!
7. We really need to show that there are fans here, and we believe your participation in this program is an excellent opportunity for them to learn about the popularity of K-Pop here in Brazil. But let’s talk more about you! How did you get interested in dancing?
I totally agree with you! I’ll try my best! Well, my interest in dance is really complicated because even I myself don’t really know. (laughs) I started dancing when I was 8 years old in a church I used to go to with my parents in Jundiaí, Sao Paulo. Around that time, there weren’t many dance teachers around. So an experienced dance teacher came to Jundiaí and gave us lessons. I liked to see people moving their bodies when they dance. Mainly because back then I listened to and watched a lot of Michael Jackson. I was always addicted to his music! Then that teacher invited me to dance in her group with a scholarship, so from that time on, my love for dance just kept growing and developing!
8. Do you suffer from or have you ever suffered from any prejudice because you’re a male dancer? And for liking K-Pop or Girls’ Generation?
Oh of course I have! I still experience it even up until today! Haha, but it’s something I got used to so I don’t really mind anymore. I practically grew up with this prejudice around me. But the most important thing to me was that my parents always gave me support in everything related to dancing. They’ve always supported me and encouraged me to dance, and I think it goes over any prejudice or hate I could receive.
9. Guilherme, thanks for your attention and care! Our team, and every Brazilian SONE, will be cheering you on in ‘Dancing 9′! Good luck and when you have the opportunity to, don’t forget to mention how much we love the girls!
That’s OK! Thanks for this amazing opportunity; you have no idea how grateful and amazed I am for all the positive feedback I’ve received! Once again, thank you!
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