Josiah ‘Siahnara’ Go: PULSE MVP and Red Bull’s BC One Calgary Champion

Fresh off his Red Bull BC One Qualifier win in Calgary last month, we got a chance to connect with Josiah ‘Bboy Siahnara’ Go to discuss his dance origins, upcoming mentorship program, and vision for the future of the Calgary dance scene. And in honour of Asian Heritage Month, we also asked how much of his Filipino roots play into his Breaking. Enjoy this super fun read!

Josiah "Siahnara" Go - Calgary's Red Bull BC One Champion 2024

Siah! First and foremost, congratulations on your BC Red Bull One win.

Thank you so much! Honestly, I didn't expect to win and even surprised myself with my performance. 

For those who may not know, what is Red Bull BC One and what happens next?

Red Bull BC One is the top international Bboy battle in the world. Outside of this year’s Olympics, the best Bboys and Bgirls across the globe train for this event every year. 

The battle I won here in Calgary was one of three preliminaries to determine who’s representing Canada in the world finals. It takes place in Rio de Janeiro this December. 

The ultimate prize is the title of World Champion. Along with the title, you get a trophy, cash prizes, and sponsorship opportunities. It’s a significant boost to your Bboy reputation within the global breaking community and opens up opportunities for future collaborations and performances.

My crewmate, Phil Wizard from Vancouver, represented Canada last year. So, to follow in his footsteps is a big honour because I look up to him and have a chance to follow a similar path.

What was going on through your mind while you were winning round after round until they finally crowned you champion? 

My battle mentality doesn’t focus on the competition too much. I came in with a calm mind and tried to connect with the music as best as I could. 

To be honest, I thought I was going to a concert that weekend with my siblings, but got the dates wrong. I contemplated whether to enter but figured, what do I have to lose?

You definitely made the right choice. Now you and fellow PULSE MVP, Frescy, are 2 of the top 16 Bboys in the running to represent Canada at the World Finals. 

Yeah, you could say that. There are a lot of heavy hitters on that list and I’m proud that both Frescy and I are in that mix. He's my crew mate so a lot of love to him.

We interviewed Frescy last month! If you haven’t read it, click here to learn about his journey. But let’s back it up before we get too ahead of ourselves. Tell us about your dance origin story.

My name is Josiah  (‘Siah’ for short) and I've been dancing for 17 years. Reppin’ ‘Juice Box Crew,’ ‘Team Mayhem’ (along with Frescy), and ‘The Wizards.’

I've always been into music and dance at a young age. My siblings and I would even jam out to musicals and things like that. Anything that had a song and dance in it, we would copy.

Then, my dad introduced me to a movie called, ‘You Got Served.”  It was the first time I've ever seen dancing like that. That's also when I found out that my dad was a Bboy in the Philippines! 

He wasn't really in tune with the culture but he knew enough to do windmills and some locking and popping. He taught me how to windmill at the age of 9 and it was awesome. 

Jump to 2008, I met another mentor by the name of Aaron Lumapas. We hit it off and had sleepovers at my house. One night he hit a Bboy freeze called an invert and it blew my mind! He wasn’t very fit so to see his out-of-shape body perfectly lit from the streetlights was like a movie in slow motion. I was inspired. He taught me about the Bboy culture and introduced me to Gomo’s Bboy videos on YouTube, opening my eyes to the Calgary scene.

That summer, Aaron practically lived in my house and we practiced day and night. He would teach me something and we would practice it for hours, all while having fun with it.

And that’s how my dance journey began.

Siah's first invite only battle (2009)

So would you say your dad, Aaron, and Gomo were your Bboy mentors?

My dad helped early on, but I credit Aaron and Gomo as my true mentors.

I also look at Tara as another mentor. She first saw me dance in 2009 and was so impressed, that she came up to me and said, “When you turn 18, come find me and I will give you a job.” And that’s what I did.

She’s been a guiding light for me when it comes to teaching and encouraging me to be me.

That's amazing, Siah! What’s it like being part of the PULSE family?

I've been a part of PULSE for such a long time that I have seen many dancers come and go. What stays consistent is how PULSE makes you feel like you belong. That's one of the biggest things that stick out to me. 

PULSE means so much to me that I refuse to teach anywhere else. PULSE is always rooting for me, giving me opportunities and I’m super grateful for that.

Talk to us about your breaking philosophy or ideology.

It’s changed over the years. These days, I don't treat Breaking as just Breaking. Instead, I treat dance as dance and want to use all dance to my advantage. The best part about dance is that there is no mastery. You can be great at one dance, but there are other dances to learn from and that's super cool.

When I was younger, I was a total practice junkie. It’s a big reason why I progressed the way I have.

But as I got older, it became draining and new priorities started to emerge. I had to practice balance and define what it means to be an adult Breaker still representing in these battle circles.

Finding motivation, staying sharp, and staying ready – this makes up my philosophy because you never know when you’re going to get called out or enter a battle last minute, and in my case, win.

Do you do other dance styles other than Breaking?

Yeah, man. I'm interested in so many dance styles. I like Hip Hop and dabbled in choreography, entering choreo competitions back in the day. I’m inspired by choreo dancers like Ian Eastwood and Brian Puspos. 

I also love locking, freestyle, and house. I connect to the different energies they bring out, y’know?

There are a lot more Breakers in Calgary that are open to learning other styles and it really benefits us. I feel it sets us apart from the other Canadian cities. Dancers like Frescy and Lady C are holding it down for us with their multi-style approach. 

Siah in his element with Frescy, Eli, and Team Mayhem

The difference between you and the dancers you mentioned is your Asian heritage. And since May is Asian Heritage Month, have your Filipino roots influenced your artistic expression?

A lot of the dancers that I've looked up to are Asian and of course, there's that stereotype that all Filipinos can sing and dance, and that gives me natural fuel and confidence.

Filipino music constantly plays in the house. My dad sings karaoke and my mom would sway to certain songs. I would love to be more in tune with my Filipino culture and I'm very respectful of the customs that I do know. I tend to see music and dance through the lens of my family and absorb their inherent rhythm. 

I feel very lucky growing up in the Filipino community where you're always around singing and dancing.

That sounds like a fun household! One thing Tara is excited about is your upcoming coaching program. What can you share at this stage of development?

For sure. This program is an intimate 1-on-1 experience called ‘See You Later.’ It’s a play on my Bboy name, Siahnara – I would give students a list of tasks to do and then say, ‘See you later.’ Lol.

Anyway, this is a mentorship program where I assess these students’ base skill levels, set individual goals, and work towards their goals through customized planning, progress, and practice.

I hope to create an army of Breakers in the long term. I love this dance, man. It’s not just about competing and winning but for the love of dance and the culture.

Siah with one of his one of the students, Bboy Note (2024)

When does this program start?

I am in the process of finding prospects and assessing the younger classes to see who I can offer mentorship.

Tara and I are looking at selecting 5 to 6 dancers to start and make sure we emphasize quality over quantity. 

We can’t wait to see ‘See You Later’ up and running. So what’s the vision – for yourself and the Calgary dance community?

Calgary is home, man. I see myself helping to build our dance community here. Through teaching, this mentorship program, and creating an army of Breakers that embody the positivity and culture I try to bring when I dance.

Any advice for aspiring Bboys and Bgirls?

My advice comes in the form of three P's.

The first P is practice. As I mentioned earlier, I used to be a practice junkie and finding time to practice, whether it’s five minutes, ten minutes, or an hour, should be a priority. If you can figure out how to efficiently work with the time you have to practice, your dancing will go a long way.

The second P is patience. Not just in your dancing, but being patient with yourself and the people trying to help you. No matter what challenge or task you are given, understand that it’s coming from someone who wants you to succeed. 

And that goes into the final P: perseverance. Keep going. Don't give up. If you are performing and mess up on stage, you don’t stop in the middle of the performance while the music plays on. Even if you have to you fake it til’ you make it. It goes for battling too. If you crash in a battle, you move on and keep going. Let the flow happen.

On top of the 3 P’s, be 100% you, believe in yourself, and have fun doing it. 

Siah competing with The Wizards in his biggest battle to date. Siah beat Thaiyo and N.O.N. in the tie breaker for the win.

Siah is an upbeat, positive light of energy who was so generous with his answers. Be on the lookout for Siah’s ‘See You Later’ Mentorship Program sometime in the Fall of 2024. 

For now, he is prepping his army of Bboys and Bgirls for the upcoming PULSE show on June 15th and 16th. To see a full list of Siah’s notable credits and the classes he offers at the studio, click here.

Thank you, Siah!! And good luck to you and Frescy at the Red Bull BC One Canadian finals! We’re all rooting for you.