The second I landed in Sydney, my heart was already racing.

Not because of the flight.
Because in just a few hours, I was about to take my VERY first class with Popin Pete.

And honestly? The whole weekend felt like stepping into a dream.

Day 1

As soon as I arrived, I went straight to the hotel, dropped my bags, and got ready as fast as possible before heading to class.

When I got there, the room was PACKED.

But I mean… of course it was. It’s Popin Pete — an actual legend.

I was nervous, excited, hyped… basically every emotion at once.

During class, we learned a combo that was SO cool I couldn’t stop practicing it later back at the hotel. Every time I thought I had it, I’d do it again.

What I really liked about Popin Pete was that he was funny and chill, but also super serious when it came to teaching. You could tell he really cared about everyone learning properly.

After class, I went back to the hotel, had a hot shower, and completely crashed into bed ready for Day 2.

Day 2

The next morning was battle time: Just Dance It Out.

And there were SIXTY-NINE battlers.

The second I walked in, I started seeing familiar faces from Brisbane and Sydney, which made me feel a little less nervous. After signing in, I got number 10.

At first, I thought each round would only have around 10 dancers.

Nope.

TWENTY people per round.

I was like, “WAIT… WHAT?!”

And somehow it got even crazier because one of the judges was Popin Pete himself.

No pressure or anything…

I went out, did my best, and gave it everything I had. The judging system was based on points, which was different from what I was used to.

I didn’t make it through, but honestly, watching everyone dance taught me so much. Sometimes battles are less about winning and more about leveling up.

After the event, I headed back to the hotel, grabbed some food, rested a little, and then got ready for ANOTHER Popin Pete class that night.

And this class was special.

We learned the original Twist O Flex, Neck O Flex, and the Walkout. Then we combined everything into a combo that felt super satisfying once it all connected together.

At the end of class, Popin Pete talked to everyone and shared advice about dancing, learning, and staying true to the culture.

That moment honestly stayed with me.

Afterwards, I walked back to the hotel exhausted… but in the best way possible.

Day 3

Final day.

Final battle.

DanceKool Comp Battle — kids division.

By this point, I was tired, sore, and running on pure adrenaline… but I was ready.

I battled hard and made it into the “7 to Smoke,” which is basically the finals.

I was SO happy.

Not just because of the result, but because I felt like I had grown so much over the whole weekend.

Huge shoutout to Rían from New Zealand for winning the comp — he was insane!

Right after the event, I had to rush straight to the airport to catch my flight back to Brisbane.

No extra time. No relaxing. Just straight from battling… to the airport.

Honestly, the whole weekend felt unreal.

I got to learn from a legend, battle incredible dancers, meet new people, and push myself harder than ever in just a few days.

Sydney… I’ll definitely be back.