The Norwegian dancers are getting international attention, but in Norway no-one knows who they are. We've followed Main Guys' road to their dreams - and a stop by Wembley Arena.

It's the first weekend of June and a packed Wembley stadium is boiling with excitement.

This Saturday the Korean popband BTS is about to go on stage in front of an exhilarated audience of 120.000 people.

Tickets were blown away after an hour, follow by yet another sold-out extra show Sunday. People have travelled from all corners of the world, Norwegians, Koreans, Americans - everyone wants to be there when the seven lads of the hugely successful band enters the world metropolis that is London.

Foto: Eileen Røsholt

Behind the stage stands five Norwegian guys, making themselves ready to go up on the stage, while the enormous screams underline the seriousness of the situation.

The boys from Oslo, Norway have spent the past days practicing for the performance of their lives, and now they're here. Soon the videos from the concert will be spread with the speed of lightening in social media.

ENJOYED THE MOMENT: Jan Erik Santos (26), Kevin Vasquez (22), Arvin Go (23), Yasin Tatby (24), and David Leung (29) at the Wembley Arena stage with BTS in front of 120.000 happy people. – We just enjoyed the moment, says Kevin. Foto: Jeanett Sæther

From Maridalen to Wembley

Rewind a month. The spring is underway in Oslo, but there's still dark in the evenings and a chilling wind outside.

When Nettavisen step over the threshold to the Quick Style Studios right by Maridalen in Oslo, we meet five seemingly normal boys; polite, humble and very easygoing.

Little will tell you that these boys in the matter of a month will stand in front of hundreds of thousands as a part of BTS' concerts in Europe. They don't even know that the venue is sold out two nights in a row and that so many will see them perform.

In the studio Arvin Go (23) leads a dance class for twenty-something teenagers, and Kevin Vasquez (22) sits in the adjoining office. Together with Yasin Tatby (24), Jan Erik Santos (26) and David Leung (29), he's planning the next month.

EXAMS AND CONCERTS: Maybe Arvin (from left) and Kevin should worry about their exams which is only weeks away, but their calendar says that there isn't any time for reading. Therefore they have to study late night at the university, between their dance missions. Foto: Rikke Monsen

Aside from studying and regular jobs in Norway, the boys have dance classes in Oslo and travel the world to do workshops, make choreography and perform. In addition to this they train together four times a week, with 2-3 hour sessions.

So maybe it isn't weird that you won't have time to google «Wembley concert capacity», then.

– How will it be to stand on stage in front of several hundred thousands with BTS?

– Is it that many? We...didn't have a clue. We though it could be a bit more than in Spektrum (Norwegian concert hall with a capacity of about 10.000 people), says the boys and laugh.

Asia mentality

Main Guys is a group sprung out of Quick Style studio. They do dance classes, but are often away traveling because they're invited to do dance workshops around the world.

– We should be better at asking to do workshops, but we have a bit of the Asian shyness, so usually we get booked by someone. If anyone would like we surely will come and do a workshop, Kevin says.

The last years it has taken them, as a group and individually, to places like China, Canada, The US, Denmark, Japan, Korea and Russia, to mention some. Much of the attention they get from Instagram.

– We have a very Asian mentality, which means we can work at nighttime, daytime - whenever, so we're very flexible. We perform because we have a big dream, and it demands that we work for it, says Kevin.

Have gotten a piece of the band everyone wants a piece of

The Korean boyband BTS, that the boys from Oslo collaborate with on occasion, is a phenomenon hard to understand. The same way The Beatles paved way for rock, BTS is now making the billion industry and genre k-pop household outside of South Korea.

BTS: RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook, Suga, Jimin and Jin are the seven mega stars of BTS, here at a recent performance in the US. Foto: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Many dream to have a bit of the success of the boyband. Talkshow hosts scream to have them as guests, artists like Taylor Swift and The Jonas Brothers are lined up in their selfie queue, and they can pick collabs amongst the coolest artist at present, such as Halsey and Khalid.

If you haven't heard of BTS on beforehand it might seem weird that they are the worlds biggest band without being more publicly known.

It is first when you get know about their fans, called ARMY, an unusually well organized and conscientious fan group, that you can understand why it has evolved the way is has. ARMYs can to a large extent be credited for their success.

– They really want to and always give us the best they have, and we give back to them, and that's how it goes on repeatedly, says Jeanett Sæther (20).

She is one of several administrators of the twitter account «Norwegian BTS Army Squad Northern Lights». Their job is to bring news on BTS to Norwegian ARMYs, and even though they come from places with wide geographical spread, such as Bodø, Kristiansund and Kristiansand, the Korean boyband has joined them together. Every week they spend hours on their idols.

This was how it looked outside of Wembley before the concert on Saturday:

Wasn't accepted

The billion-making machinery in Seoul seems far away from the dance studio in Maridalen. What the seven stars have in common with the dancers from Oslo, is the hard work and extreme dedication.

For Kevin dancing has been an unavoidable road, with two parents being a part of a Philippine dance crew. For Yasin it was something he discovered as an adult.

– I didn't have much support for dance earlier. I played soccer and ice-hockey and that was just fine, but dancing was regarded as a hobby at the club after school. It sort of wasn't accepted, because music and dance wasn't really a thing back then, but I continued, he tells of his first years exploring dance.

– My parents started to see how much it meant to me and how much time I spent on it, and what bad influence I didn't have to go through because of it, because you never know, right. Dance is a positive road. Throughout the years different milestones were reached; first time on TV for instance, winning some competitions, and they starte to see that things were happening, that people looked up to me. Then they trusted it more and realized what it consisted of.

In addition to using all available time dancing, Yasin works with challenged kids at a school in Oslo. Jan Erik works with dance full time, and Arvin, Kevin and David are students.

– Could you economically depend on dancing?

– Yes, everyone in the crew make a living from dancing, but then we also live at home with our families. Had I made a habit of save more money than I spend, it would be fully possible to live on dance the way things are for us right now, says Kevin with a tiny laugh.

The career possibility came outta the blue

A couple of years back, The Main Guys get to contribute to the choreography of the BTS song «Save Me», together with dance crew The Quick Style. Little do they know that this will help them climb the ladder of their career.

– We didn't know about them, but after that song it felt like things really got out of hand. All of a sudden they blew up, they were everywhere, recalls Arvin.

Since then they've contributed with choreography for videos like «Blood Sweat and Tears» and «Best of Me» . Earlier this year they once again, through The Quick Style, get asked to do yet another choreography.

The launch of the new album «Map of the Soul: Persona» will be a brick in BTS continuing success, especially abroad, and for the boy band the choreography from the Norwegians is an important part of the dance towards world domination.

via GIPHY

Got the Youtube-record

When the music video for «Boy with Luv» was released, the fans had set a goal for what streaming records they wanted the video and song to have so that ARMYs around the world knew what job had to be done. Information circulated on how to get approved views on YouTube, for instance.

via GIPHY

On the day of the launch, ARMYs gathered in a global, digital collective and already after 15 hours the record was set with 74,6 million views. At present, the video has 341 million views, but new millions are added each day.

A mission like no other



Back in London, the Main Guys are gathered behind stage. At the stadium the atmosphere is electric, and Main Guys gets to dance to four songs - «Dionysus», «Idol», «Just Dance» and «Not Today».

– I rarely use the word massive, but this was the first time I got a good feeling for using that word. It was insane, Kevin tells Nettavisen by phone from London.

ELECTRIC: The mood at Wembley was something on its own. The concert was followed by millions when broadcasted on the app V-Live. Screen capture: V-Live

– When you stand up on stage there are waves of screams, it was really next level, he points out.

Kevin explains that because of all the sound it is a challenging job to keep focused on timing and being synchronized with the other dancers.

– Luckily the dance isn't too complicated, we've done more advanced stuff on Norwegian TV, so we get to look up and pay attention to the audience while dancing. It was fun to see, not one single person stood still.

None of the boys will admit to any nerves ahead of the show, but they surely note it as the highlight of their career so far. Together they've contributed to the first Korean performance at Wembley.

ON THE STAGE: The five dancers of Main Guys was amongst the hand picked dancers for the Wembley concerts. Foto: Jeanett Sæther

– Everything is worth it when you get to stand on that stage. What happens there is historic, and it happens on a stage where Michael Jackson and Queen has stood before us, Kevin says, like he just haven't grasped the fact that it's happened.

No divas

The dancers didn't get to hang with BTS underway, but they met them just before entering the stage.

– Then we give each other high fives and try to fire their enthusiasm before going on stage. It's sort of a ready for the game-feeling when we stand there, sort of like «it's happening now», says Kevin.

The Main Guys crew is full of admiration after seeing the seven k-pop wonders at work.

A DREAM: The boys of the Main Guys outside the huge arena. From left: David Leung, Arvin Go, Jan Erik Santos, Kevin Vasquez and Yasin Tatby. Foto: Privat

– BTS is extremely talented guys, and what's cool to see is that their the same age as us, and they've manage being world famous and they're still quite chill, Kevin points out and adds:

– We see that it takes a lot of training to be so good at dancing and singing live at the same time. I saw they had good control on things happening around them, they knew where to be and how to be as people. The energy they gave back to us was very genuin on their side, they aren't cocky or anything, just good style, he confess.

Jeanett, of NBAS Northern Lights, has taken the trip to Wembley with Daniella Jones (25) and Berina Jaganjac (22) who's also administrators for the Norwegian account, along with sister Linn (18).

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME: Linn (from left) and Jeanett Sæther from Kristiansund, Norway, almost couldn't believe they got to see BTS live. It was also extra fun to see the Norwegian dancers on stage. Foto: Privat

–It is a huge thing for Norwegian ARMYs to know that we're sort of represented there too. And they did good, it was fun to watch. I though underway «help me, it is Norwegians there, Norway represent!» It was a bit strange to thing about, but also amazing, Jeanett says enthusiastically.

After the Wembley concerts for 240.000 people, the BTS circus will go on to Stade The France in Paris, with two concert with a possible capacity of 162.000 more.

Goes to the US with an empty calendar

Even though things are looking up for the five guys of Main Guys, they continue to put money and time to achieve their dreams. To succeed in dance doesn't happen after one performance or one moment on TV, it is a continuous process.

For the Main Guys it has been sub-goals. First one TV performance, then another.

This summer they'll travel on their own expense to the US. No missions are booked, yet.

– Many might see dancing as a hobby and let it be with that, because it might seem scary to go for it. For our part we don't have any fears when it comes to this. We know there will be work for us to compensate with, so we take those chances; we travel there, even though we don't know when or where, but we know it will work to our advantage, Kevin says.

– For us it is like an investment, Yasin points out.

Dumbfounded some might say, but they do it with self-confidence.

Last time they did the same thing it was a success. In February the got a part in the huge, American TV-network NBCs competition «World of Dance». Jennifer Lopez is producer and judge, alongside Derek Hough and singer Ne-Yo.

– Why do you succeed?

– We dare to dedicate and sacrifice our time for what we want to do, and we dare to take chances. Many Norwegians don't dare to take that chance and jump into the unknown, and that's what I feel we've done and tried, and that has taken us places, Arvin finishes.