Following their win of Street Dance Girls Fighter Season 2, Baby Jam opens up about their time on the show, favorite performances, having Jam Republic as mentors, and more.
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Street Women Fighter 2 was the talk of the town when it aired in 2023. The new season of the hit dance competition show saw eight female dance crews battle it out, with their performances routinely going viral and breaking the internet. Bebe, Jam Republic, 1 Million, and more in the same season? Talk about epic.
As such, its spin-off, Street Dance Girls Fighter 2, had big shoes to fill. But quickly, these teen crews proved that they had what it takes, and none did it so quite like Baby Jam. Under the mentorship of Jam Republic, Baby Jam danced their way to the top. And while their journey on the show wasn’t the smoothest, with Miyabi’s injury being a notable example, they made it work and proved themselves worthy of the Jam Republic mantle. They are a crew who move together like it was nothing while still retaining their individuality on stage.
Photos by CJ ENM
Baby Jam comes from different nationalities, but all the members spoke the love of dance, which is no wonder they were crowned the season’s champion. “Everything we went through flashed before me, and I was just so proud of our members who stayed strong even through all those hard times. But overall it felt amazing that everything paid off,” shares team captain PK. It was a journey worth keeping for a lifetime, but also the start of a very promising path for these talented young teens.
We recently got the chance to chat with PK, Sienna, Bella, Ria, and Miyabi as they look back on their time on the show, their experiences in the limelight, and more. Read on below for what they had to say.
What was your reaction when you learned that you won the season and how does it feel to be the overall champion?
PK: As the camera captured it, I was not expecting it and was in fact in my own world when it was about to be announced. My eyes were the ones that reacted immediately, and then my legs started to loosen up. But after it kicked in, all these emotions started to come up which made me sorta cry. Everything we went through flashed before me and I was just so proud of our members who stayed strong even through all those hard times. But overall it felt amazing that everything paid off.
SIENNA: I started crying, the feeling was unbelievable, I still feel emotional when I think about it now, as it’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me and to experience the win with 4 of my best friends is even a better feeling. I will never forget this memorable moment.
BELLA: It came as a huge surprise! I feel so proud to be team Jam Republic. We went through a big journey together and we have become so close, like sisters. Winning was an amazing feeling but the real win is the strong relationship we have developed with each other.
RIA: I was so happy when they announced it that I couldn’t help but jump from joy. It was as if I was dreaming, especially when I received messages from fans.
MIYABI: The whole process was a bit overwhelming in all aspects so I couldn’t help but cry! It’s something we worked so hard for and it felt like a dream came true so I couldn’t believe it. Even till this day I think back to that feeling and I’m filled with so much joy
Looking back, how would you describe your experience on the show?
PK: Everything was new to me. Being a leader, dancing in an international team, being on TV, choreographing and so on, but this experience has opened up a whole new world to me. I got the chance to meet these amazing girls from all over the world and competing against the best teenage girl dancers from Korea was in itself an unforgettable experience. This show was a new start for me!
SIENNA: Looking back, I would describe my time on the show as an insane roller coaster ride that just got better and better and I never wanted it to end.
BELLA: Sgf2 was a life changing experience for me. I enjoyed the whole experience from the beginning to the end and I made so many friendships and memories that I will keep forever. I was inspired by every dancer on the show and it was a privilege to dance alongside so many talented dancers. I feel very grateful to have had this experience.
RIA: Firstly, being able to be part of this show at the age of 14 has already been an insane experience. It was tough at times with the pact schedules but being able to make performances with my teammates and completing our goals together is something that will benefit my life as a dancer in japan. As well as being able to interact with those affiliated and involved with the show.
MIYABI: It was truly a life changing experience. It’s not an opportunity that everyone gets so some areas were overwhelming but nothing compares to the special bonds we made and the realization that dance can help us overcome any barriers.
Photos by CJ ENM
What was your favorite performance from the show?
PK: Ooh that’s hard because I loved every performance!! I would say the most unforgettable stage personally, was dancing with the masters because when am I going to have a chance to dance with Jam Republic?! To this day, I am still honored. But I would have to say my favorite performance was the girl group K-pop choreography mission, where we performed Unforgiven by Le sserafim. It was definitely tricky with having 2 less people than the other teams but we proved ourselves. I think it was the first time all of us felt each other through the soul and truly bonded. We felt like team Jam republic!
SIENNA: I have two Unforgiven and See You Again.
BELLA: It’s hard to choose! I loved Unforgiven, but our final performance was really meaningful. After the obstacles we overcame leading up to finals it was pretty special to have all of us onstage together.
RIA: The final performance with our mentors.
MIYABI: The final performance was definitely my favorite. My favorite performances where I wasn’t injured were the Unforgiven performances. We had lots of thoughts with this piece and it was filled with everyones passion and strengths, displaying it all. Even till now I will rewatch the video as it was so fun to dance and watch.
What would you say is the most unforgettable part of being part of the program?
PK: I would say the fact that I learned that there’s nothing you can’t do. Numerous problems and obstacles got in our way and before I was in this program I had such a low confidence. But if you put your mind to it, what you thought would be impossible becomes possible so never doubt yourself or underestimate your ability. Most importantly, the new relationships and the bond I had with all of the amazing people I met there, really gave me the chance to become myself and shine. I would be forever grateful for them.
SIENNA: The most unforgettable part of the program was getting to dance on stage with Kirsten, Audrey, and Emma. I have looked up to them along with Latrice and Ling for so long and to be able to dance with them on stage was a dream come true for me I will never forget.
BELLA: All of the amazing people I met! All of the girls who participated on the show were the kindest and most positive people to be around.
RIA: My audition round at the start of the show. I entered as a soloist form japan and i had mixed emotions of excitement and nerves, but that initial feeling of joy of being chosen by jam republic has stayed with me.
MIYABI: It was when I got chosen to be part of the 7 members of Team Jam Republic. It was a nerve wrecking moment and my name was announced first so I was shocked yet ecstatic and was filled with all kinds of emotions as I started to think of the journey ahead.
Photos by CJ ENM
Whenever you perform on stage, what goes through your mind?
PK: I don’t think I really think about anything. I just got really hyped up and excited to show our performance to the audience. I’ve never ever thought about being eliminated. I was confident that we deserved to be in the finals, and was sure that we were gonna slay every bit of it. The only worry I had was someone getting injured during the stage, and I prayed nobody would hurt themselves while going hard on it.
SIENNA: Why my hands sweat a lot, I don’t know why but they do.
BELLA: When I perform onstage I feel so much joy. Doing what I love, alongside people I love is honestly the happiest feeling in the world!
RIA: I constantly remind myself to dance with my all of my soul
MIYABI: I dance knowing that this is a one time opportunity so I want to dance with my all and have no regrets. I also got lots of encouragement and power from the fans cheering and hearing them, so it was really fun whilst dancing.
The road to your win had its bumps and challenges. How were you able to overcome those?
PK: Us team Jam Republic had a tough journey. On every mission, we would have new problems and obstacles which was hard, but it also gave us more opportunities to develop and grow as a dancer/person. We were the only team that had to choreograph using all 7~4 people formations, which is still crazy thinking about it. Having less people than the other team was a big disadvantage, but nonetheless we pushed through it relying on each other and the mentors. Everyone was so strong and positive minded that we were able to take that and make it into a chance for us to shine brighter. Positivity for me, was the most important key for us to break through.
SIENNA: When the team learned of Miyabi’s injury we could not stop crying. All of us members wanted her to be on the stage for the final no matter what. Miyabi worked so hard during the show she deserved to be there with us until the end. I considered Miyabi to still be a part of team Jam no matter if she is injured or not. So, all of us members had to think of a way to incorporate Miyabi in the dance for finals. Team Jam had to change the original choreography, so we all put our thoughts together and decided the safest way to bring Miyabi on stage is on a chair, so that Miyabi can share the stage with us all.
BELLA: We were obviously all heart broken when Miyabi became injured, but we are a strong team and we support each other and health always comes first. We always wanted to support Miyabi being on the final stage because it was important to us. We overcame the challenges by working together as a team to find a solution.
RIA: I focus on thinking positively and believing that we as a team are capable of winning.
MIYABI: Our team had struggles when it came to communication due to language barriers. But we used translators to communicate and if we ever had an issue we made sure to really talk it out together with everyone.
Photos by CJ ENM
How would you describe Jam Republic as mentors and what was the best advice they gave you?
PK: I would say they are like shepherds. The person who guides sheeps. Unlike other teams, they would open up various paths for us to explore, more than giving an exact path and saying that’s the correct answer. There was never a no, but always a ‘yes, and~’ to our opinions. They were giving us advice and knowledge by showing how they talked, acted, danced and so on. But my favorite would be having fun while choreographing. We would sometimes be stressed while preparing for missions but seeing them playing around with music, movements, pictures, etc was the best mentoring I could have ever gotten.
SIENNA: The most memorable advice given by Kirsten, Latrice and Audrey is when team Jam first lost one member in the beginning due to injury. Kirsten said that we need to believe in what we have as a team of 6, and that we are 6 strong and can still move forward as a team and accomplish anything.
BELLA: They gave us so much amazing advice, but more importantly they showed us what it means to be a team and they were the very best role models.
RIA: The mentors are my idealistic dancers. Despite their knowledge on dance, I have so much respect for their love and who they are as a person.
MIYABI: I really look up to the mentors. Every move they did was so impactful and I could watch them endlessly. They always reassured me and gave me compliments. Looking back the way they mentored us really helped us grow as dancers. Rather than making the dance and telling us what to do, they would give us advice on the feeling of the piece. This kind of stuff is what really made me think they are professionals.
Now that you won Street Dance Girls Fighter Season 2, what’s next for you?
PK: This experience has opened up my eyes to a different page of life. I want to learn different styles and genres to find what I like and furthermore even travel abroad and learn their culture and dance. I’ve discovered many new things about myself, and I’m excited to find more! Most importantly, I want to get back with my team Jam girls and dance together again someday.
SIENNA: I don’t know what’s next for me, but what I do know is that I will continue with my dancing and education, try to take in and learn as much as possible to make me a better person and a better dancer.
BELLA: I have some big personal goals for 2024. I would also like to challenge myself and grow more as a dancer through experiences and I hope to have more international experiences.
RIA: I hope to share my dance skills that I’ve spent time training on to others. I hope to continue training and improving myself as a dancer aiming to dance in other countries and future fans to share my craft.
MIYABI: Sadly it will take a year for me to fully recover from my knee injury. But once I recover, I hope to travel abroad and continue teaching in japan.
Photos by CJ ENM
What advice would you give to other girls out there who want to learn how to dance and even start their own dance crew?
PK: I think the most important thing is having trust in yourself and your art form. You have to know you are the one and only one on this planet, and how much you show you love your art is how people are gonna get inspired. Always be kind and open minded, for who you have around you will have a big impact on you.
SIENNA: Just GO FOR IT, you just never know what will happen from taking a chance and risk.
BELLA: Be true to yourself, take every opportunity to learn and to grow, get outside of your comfort zone as much as possible as you’ll never regret challenging yourself. And most importantly surround yourself with good positive people.
RIA: I feel that dancing is listening to the music and following your body’s movement. The primary focus is to have fun so don’t think of how hard it may be. When you have fun, you end up meeting people and finding your people. I’m so grateful to be part of the Jam Republic Agency especially cause they all treat me like family. They’re truly something that I treasure. Dance is an amazing thing so as long as you keep on dancing you’ll find a family like I did with them.
MIYABI: There may be dancers who have felt like giving up due to an injury, or feel scared. But like I danced in the finals, there is always a way to express yourself and continue on. I received messages from fans that they saw my performance and wanted to start dancing and it really made me so happy. Age is just a number and as long as you have fun, nothing else matters whether it be your physical state or age. I hope others can never forget to have fun whilst pushing themselves in dance
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