Cebu group celebrates 10th anniversary with unique dance concert

The Exporters. | Photo Contributed by Ryan Canda

CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Exporters, a Cebu-based dance group, promised to “rock” the local dance scene as they celebrate their 10th year anniversary with a theatrical dance film concert scheduled on Sunday, August 25.

Ryan Canda, the group’s leader, said that their dance concert which they call “Atmosphere” will be the first of its kind in Cebu and the Philippines. It will be staged at the Rudolf Rahmann Cultural Center located at the University of San Carlos South Campus along J. Alcantara Street in Cebu City.

Canda said that their dance concert was supposed to be scheduled in February 2020 but they decided to hold it this month instead since several senior members of their group are set to travel abroad to work before the year ends.

“Dili ra cya dance performances but naay short film nga among gi combine. Bali ang main show namo is one hour. Non-stop na siya nga story with live dance performances” he said.

(What we are doing is more than just a dance performance, but something that is combined with a short film.  The main show is expected to last for an hour. It will involve non-stop dancing and live dance performances with a story component.)

The Exporters started with only 10 members in 2010 with the purpose of joining inter-school competitions. The group consisted of selected high school students from the University of San Carlos-South Campus.

Canda recalled that their first dance performance was a hip-hop which they offered as a birthday gift for their school principal Sr. Remedios Socorro D. Aunzo, SSpS.

Since then, The Exporters was recognized by the school administration as a dance group which they would also tap to perform during their different school activities.

But when most of the group members started to graduate from high school, Canda said they were faced the threat of being disbanded.

Not wanting to give up on their group, Canda said that they expanded their membership to already include college students and USC alumni members.  They now have between 30 to 40 members.

Canda said that they also started to join inter-school competitions and local and national level dance competitions.

“We started competing  way back 2010 in Baguio.  Then from then on, we competed for various competitions where we emerge victorious,” he said.

The Exporters became a familiar name in the country when they joined the qualifying rounds of ABS-CBN’s dance competition, World of Dance PH Season 1: World Supremacy 2019  where they were also picked as the country’s official representative in the Battleground Championship in Australia.

“The edge of The Exporters from the other dance groups is that we don’t just dance for the sake of performing but we dance to be an inspiration and to spread social awareness which our mouths cannot express.”

Canda said “we have used our art, our choreography and the brilliant minds of our choreographers to tell stories, to tell facts that the general audience can relate to.”  “That is why our art is known here in Cebu as story makers.”

Catch The Exporters as they give their Cebuanos fans and supporters a treat like no other can. | dcb