Cebu moves a step closer to becoming dancesport mecca

Spanish dancers Edgar Marcos Borjas and Alina Nowak win the Open Latin category of the World DanceSport Federation championship. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)

With the hosting of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Open Championships here on Saturday, Cebu is one step closer to becoming the Mecca of dancesport in Southeast Asia.

“It seems like a faraway dream, but I strongly believe that Cebu’s warmth and passion for sports and dance is a unique value proposition that many competitors love,” said Edward Hayco, chairman of DanceSport Team Cebu City (DTCC) and of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC).

Spanish pair Edgar Borjas and Alina Nowak finished first in WDSF’s Open Latin category, while Australian couple Brodie Barden and Lana Skrgic-de Fonseka bagged first place in the Open Standard category.

Barden said he will never forget Cebu. Seeing children happy to be dancing also made Cebu special.
“It is only in Cebu that the cheering sends chills to my bones,” he said.

Ronald Hoorn, an adjudicator from the Netherlands, said Cebu is a wonderful place to compete.

“In Cebu, it’s more than just the competition, it’s about the heart and soul, something that many competitors cannot find in other places,” he said.

Nowak agreed.

“Honored is what I feel after winning in Cebu, Philippines. It’s because you can see that it’s more than just competition here, there’s also passion, and there’s also love for the sport from the children, the audience and from all the competitors,” Nowak told Cebu Daily News.

Hayco said having international dancers over allowed Cebuano dancers to “form important bonds.”

“These are bonds that make competing worthwhile,” he added.

Other international dancers who joined the WDSF were Australians Chris Boon and Brook Elise Matthew, Christopher Christensen and Megan Leese; Malaysia’s Randell Lim Xiu Zhen and Alexis Jap Hsiao Tding; Poland’s Arthur Kozun and Kamila Wierzynska Kozun; and South Korea’s SangDuk Park and BoYoung Moon.

FAVORITES
Cebuano favorites and homegrown dancers, 22-year-old Wilbert Aunzo and 18-year-old Pearl Cañeda, finished fourth in the WDSF Open Latin category. Last year, Aunzo and Cañeda finished 2nd in the same category.

“This year is a different experience because we are competing with world-class dancers in our own home. The best part of this competition, however, is children we trained from the barangays are able to experience this kind of prestige,” Aunzo said in Cebuano.

Over 200 out of 600 estimated performers and participants in last Saturday’s competition were from DTCC and CCSC’s Barangay Grassroots Program.

Aunzo and Cañeda are both volunteers of the Barangay Grassroots Program of the DTCC and the CCSC, housed at the Abellana Sports Center.
“This is a competition for a cause, and this cause is for helping other children who have gone through terrible things in life, find joy, and find hope, just like I did,” added Aunzo.

Dancesport coach Crisaldo “Loloi” Rendon said he was proud of the Cebuano participants and the wins they have bagged for the city in the 8th Dancesport sa Sugbu.

CEBU WINNERS
Eleven-year-old Jannah Pugoy and Niño Salve bagged first place in the Juvenile 3 Latin category and placed third in the Juvenile 3 Standard category.

John Lloyd Leyson and Ouie Rendon triumphed in the Juvenile 5 Latin category by placing first.

In the Youth Latin categories, Cebuano pair John Paul Mocorro and Mary Joy Dumosmog placed first in Youth 3 and second in Youth 5, while Andrew Ysla and Noelyn Pedrano won first in the Youth 5.

In the Junior Latin categories, Junior 3’s top spot was taken by Cebuano duo Crispin Sato and Yeddah Castañares, while Jake Emmanuel Corro and Anndreah Capangpangan ranked first in Junior 5.

The adults also raked in several wins for Cebu.

Jay Navarra and May Pabuaya topped the Adult 3 Latin Category, and Bert Diluvio and Jam Flores ranked highest in the Adult 4 Latin Category.

In the Senior 2 Latin Category, Charlie Camacho and Marisse Reyes placed first.

For the Teacher-Student Category, Romeo Jay Cialbo and Mae Pabuaya ranked first in the third round.