BY: DECIDA /// PHOTO: OSCAR STENBERG

NOT WHAT YOU WEAR, IT'S WHY YOU WEAR IT! How do you want to be seen upon and is there any
stereotypes on the other hand, you fear to be considered as by others? How does this affect the way you look?

Born and raised in Sweden but currently based in the Netherlands, where 22 year old dancer FREDRIK QUINONES
now is entering the Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy after receiving a Schoolarship. After just been dancing Street
Styles some few years of his life, Fredrik started out at one of Sweden ’s best vocational training schools for
dancers, he learnt ballet and jazz for the first time but never really felt comfortable in the environment, but not
because of the new disciplines:

“The problem was it wasn’t OK to stand out, to take the front row in the dance classes too often, or
practice too much. Everything was supposed to be “fair” – this in a dance business that’s nothing
like fair!!!”
 
”I’ll be back in Stockholm in 5, 6, 7 … eh ok maybe 10 years haha… then I’d love to help build the
scene of dance that I feel…  But I don’t miss Sweden right now.... there’s these small things;
this summer in NYC, me and a friend where fooling around and I did a pirouette randomly on the
street to illustrate something, an ol’ lady passing me by proclaimed “Oh that’s beautiful!”. In
Sweden people most likely would have given me the side eye..."

It's 2faced story also for Fredrik:

“There was actually a teacher here in Holland that seriously accused me for lying when I said I
was Swedish… My classmates are so used to people questioning where I’m from so they often
answer in chorus “he’s Swedish but his parents are from Chile” before I open my mouth”.

Still he worries of being mistaken for the non-urbane Swede wandering around any big city, like his Persona 2

“I'd hate to travel to other countries and directly become
spotted as a Swede straight out of Götgatan Stores or
Swedish Style blogs, looking lost in that Swedish trendy
uniform... Don’t get me wrong, I’m always repping Sweden
when I travel, but I do it full out."

It's about being all one can be, for Fredrik that opposite personal
alter ego became a typical sporty dude from your high school, eager
to blend in even though all he wanted to do was to dance...

"I appreciate uniqueness, people who can and have the
courage to carry themselves"

It’s not only about being brazen, vibrant and fast forward as a
Swede, Fredrik is definitely stretching the idea on what a man could
be like. He’s into the dancing styles of Waacking and Vouging,
dances that strongly are connected to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender) –community, and when we in a prejudiced
manner ask him if there ever were thoughts of Vouging and
Waacking not being appropriate in some way, he just simply
shrugs his shoulders unconcerned:

“Yep it happens that people think I’m gay, and I can
understand that some of them think so because of what
they think of these dance styles, but seriously I can’t
care that much of what narrow minded people think”

“I just wanna be fierce and have some money hahahahahahaha!”

Cause Fredrik doesn’t give a shit, or honestly he still does in some aspects, but he says he's working hard on not to. And he constantly gets inspired by other people, it could be Swedish old school Vouger Apollo, his crew House Of Silvia, friend and dancer Patrick Verbond, the nine year old Diva Davanna on Tyra Banks show or Archie Burnett, who's over 50 and still makin’ it swirl like no other. This legendary 50+  Vouging and Waacking-pioneer is one of Fredrik's biggest inspirations. Archie Burnett formed Breed Of Motion in the 80ies along with the late Willie Ninja and Tyrone "The Bone" Proctor, and is another straight man in the game who actually happens to be married to Tyrone's Proctors sister. But source of inspiration  can come from everywhere, even where you least expect it

“I was watching a beginners class, there was this young guy totally feeling the music and not caring of anything else in the room but the music, I got sooo much energy out of watching him!

Did you tell him?

 “Of course I told him!”

Energy does spark energy.

*VIDEO* - Fredriks winning one of his first Waacking Battles! WATCH HERE

Fashion assistansts: Zelam Fezzahaye & Linn Marcusson