AN apparent underdog at the start, Valenzuela’s Kenneth Martinez, known by his moniker Klockwise, just got better with each round with his free-wheeling yet calculated crowd-pleasing moves to win the popular vote and emerge as the national champion of the Red Bull Dance Your Style finals at the “Kilometer Zero” overlooking the Rizal monument in Manila over the weekend.

Under a clear evening sky and in front of a lively motley crowd who were just a stone’s throw away from the Rizal Park’s life-size carabao statue, Klockwise wowed the audience with his dance routines, including his signature “campbelllock,” named after the late Soultrain disco dancer Don Campbell.

Making the competition more challenging was the fact that each entry was limited to a single breakdance move, or else face disqualification.

By the time he faced Nemesis (Kenneth Matinez) in the championship round, Klockwise, clad in a colorful bright red waist coat and bow-tie ensemble, purple pants and topped off with a black beret, had the audience eating out of the palm of his hands with his dynamic yet fluid repertoire.

There was no doubt about who had won as the crowd of 2,000 lit up their battery-charged ballers and turned the scene around the stage in a sea of red in Klockwise’s favor.

Besting 15 other finalists from across the country, Martinez will be the country’s bet in the Red Bull Dance Your Style World finals scheduled on Nov. 9 at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, India. 

“I’m so happy. I’ve gone through a lot from the Manila qualifiers, to the finals. I’m so grateful that I got to experience this. Thank you, Red Bull. Thank you to the whole dance community!” exclaimed the champion.

But he acknowledged that he had some anxious moments, especially in the quarterfinals when he and his rival, the drag-looking and energetic Ponla (JP Ponla), were deadlocked after their first two one-minute rounds, paving the way for a 45-second, winner-take-all faceoff.

“That time, I felt lighter and my nerves were calmer because it was already the middle of the competition,” Martinez said of his convincing win over his foe in the faceoff. “I was getting fired up. I could hear the music so clearly, and I really just wanted to dance.”

He said he would take some time off before focusing on his preparations for the Red Bull Dance Your Style World finals.  

“I can’t think about it just yet. It might take some time for it to sink in. But the opportunity is mine, so I will grab it fully. I will happily represent the dance community, and the entire Philippines in the World Finals,” he said.