A 28-year-old Lao dancer, Phetnilan “Golf” Keovongsi, better known in the breakdancing world as Bboy KA-G, has brought home a victory from the Cloud Jam China dance competition held on 9 August in Kunming, China.
Competing in the Team Open category, which allows dancers of all ages, Golf was part of Unique United, a diverse group of breakdancers hailing from across Southeast Asia.
The team, featuring one Lao dancer, two from Thailand, two from Vietnam, and three from Malaysia, clinched first place in the Team Championship against fierce competition from the region.
A Rocky Path to the Finals
The road to victory was far from smooth. The team had little time to rehearse, and their lineup changed unexpectedly just before the event.
“In the beginning, two Vietnamese guys were going to join us. We rehearsed everything from the rhythms to team dancing moves, but their visa didn’t get approved,” Golf said.
This meant last-minute changes.
“That’s why the two Malaysians came in, replacing the Vietnamese. This forced us to go over everything from the beginning, and we had to rehearse at the event before the show started.”
It was also a challenge keeping the group consistent.
“It’s been a year since we’ve established our team, but members aren’t so consistent, a mixture of old and new,” he added.
“We use this name [Unique United] because we’re from a different country within ASEAN.”
Still, the Lao dancer’s confidence grew during the semi-final when Unique United defeated the team that had eliminated them last year.
“They were quite a challenge, so when we beat them, I was sure the finale would be a cakewalk because we didn’t go all out during the semi-finals, we still had moves hidden, waiting for the perfect moment.”
Winning Through Friendship, Communication

It was the second time Unique United has claimed victory at this competition.
“The most memorable thing throughout all of this is the friendship I have made along the way with my teammates, who are amazing dancers. Some people I’ve danced with before while others we just met. When you get to dance with them you feel like you’ve known them forever.”
Good communication proved to be one of the team’s strengths.
Using English as their main language, the dancers quickly adapted to each other’s skills.
At 28, Phetnilan has been dancing for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2014, after competing in Vietnam’s “Battle of the Year 2014,” an experience he called “one of my biggest dreams”, that he began to pursue it seriously.

But his journey hasn’t been without setbacks.
The first time he thought of quitting was back in grade 9 when he broke his arm during rehearsal. “It made me want to quit, but I slowly recovered and returned.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was also difficult. “We couldn’t dance at all, and there was little to no one that’d dance with me.”
Despite the challenges, something always pulled him back.
“My body just wanted to move. At one point, after a long hiatus, you could just feel your body craving for some movement because you’re just so used to it. Dancing is basically a part of my life.”
For aspiring dancers, his advice is simple:
“Stay focused on what you do,” he said. “You gotta keep practicing, and one day, the success will be yours.”