Grooving to his own beat

Haslam Abdul Rahman, or Alam, never tires of dance, an activity he indulges in every day. Ask rising breakdance star Haslam Abdul Rahman, who is known as Alam to his fans, what he does on Sundays and the inevitable answer is a no-brainer. “I dance, of course,” replied this So You Think You Can Dance Season 1 champion who is now the star of his own reality show, Alam’s Story, which airs on 8TV every Sunday. With this, the 22-year-old bachelor who is currently taking a break from his hotel and management diploma, revealed his private hangout is the Cintabboy studio in Bandar Mahkota Cheras in Sungai Long, Selangor. This is where he gathers with the Wakaka crew, a b-boy dance outfit to hone his moves and to teach aspiring dancers how to breakdance for free. And when asked why Alam has decided to exempt payment, his promptly replied, “Break dance is about freedom”. This, he insisted, had nothing to do with keeping with the nice guy image. Rather, he pointed out, realistically, that the dance form had its basis in practice and it was up to the individual to look at the moves and then build up enough physical strength to perform the dance. Alam revealed that he himself learned the ropes this way and he guarantees that once the fitness kicks in, the moves will come au naturel. But there is the saying that goes, “One will get tired if served the same menu every day”. In Alam’s case when he thinks he needs a break, it’s time for a few rounds of salsa with his partner, Tengku Noor Fatimah Zaharah Tengku Zaimi Azlan, 27, his dance partner from SYTYCD. “Breakdance is rough, salsa is sexy. I feel that learning how to salsa has put a bit more polish and suaveness into my movements,” affirmed Alam who struck a pose for effect. The couple’s favourite dance spot would be none other that a club at Westin Hotel in Phileo Damansara.