Photo courtesy of Jefferson Pimentel and Mary Desiree Seraga
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A budding dancesport pair is furthering Cebu’s name on the map of dancesport champions nationwide and worldwide.
Cebuanos Mary Desiree Seraga and Jefferson Pimentel, products of a dancesport clinic in Cebu City since they were kids, and now dancing for a team in Manila, is the country’s newest champion in the Amateur Latin competition, the highest event for the Philippine Dancesport Federation (PDSF) 2nd Quarterly Ranking and Competition.
Dancesport couple Seraga and Pimentel won against ten other pairs during the event held in Lingayen, Pangasinan, on June 10, 2023.
(Second pair from left) Mary Desiree Seraga and Jefferson Pimentel| contributed photo
With their recent feat, their pair will represent the country during the 3rd Hanoi Stars Open Prog Cup Championship in July this year and on the World Dancesport Championship- German Open Championship 2023, to be held in Germany on the first week of August.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the two had different dancing partners.
“Sa among part man gud is bag-o pa mi na couple, so naay thrilling sa kana nga competition,” Seraga said.
Seraga and Pimentel’s pairing only started around September 2022.
While they both were already good at dancesports and had known each other for years, they acknowledged that it was a challenge to develop chemistry at first.
“It takes years for the chemistry to [work]. It wasn’t that hard, like we were able to blend, but even our coaches here or our friends, they’ve been telling us when we started competing, I think both of us can really dance well,” Pimentel told CDN Digital.
However, they proved that no matter how new the partnership is, as long as there is hard work and dedication, they can achieve the results that they are aiming for.
“Everyday practice and every single day counts, so it doesn’t matter [how many] months [you danced together],” he added.
When they were kids, Seraga and Pimentel were scouted by the vaunted Dancesport Team Cebu City.
Pimentel, at the age of about 10, became part of the first batch of Team Cebu Kids, while Seraga was one of the dancers who composed the second batch.
With their talents, the two have gone to various places already, including Japan. Pimentel shared that at 18, he was offered to dance for Singapore.
As a member of the LGBTQ, Pimentel said he loves how dancesports challenges him.
“I like dancing, because I have to act like I’m the man. My everyday life is ‘I am gay.’ But when I am dancing, I feel like I am the man. So, it’s acting somehow, but I am enjoying it,” he shared.
Meanwhile, since childhood, Seraga has loved to entertain people through her talent for dancing.
“Bata pa hilig na ko musayaw. Kanang dayang-dayang nga music, pasayawon ko ana sa akong papa sa kilid sa dalan unya hatagan kog sinsilyo,” she recalled with joy.
For the dancesports couple, just like other sports, dancesports requires discipline, preparation, and dedication.
Preparing mentally is as important as preparing physically or being fit.
“Dancesport is a sport because you need to be athletically prepared. We have to do fitness. We have to make sure that our body is prepared for that kind of sayaw because it’s not just the usual man gud na sayaw,” he said.
“Even before you start joining competitions, you have to understand that there will always be losers and there will always be winners. You just have to be ready mentally because anything can happen,” he added.
/bmjo
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