The Philippine DanceSport Team is coming off a one-week dance camp in Italy as it ramped up its preparations for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the country hosts from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 2019.
But it doesn’t end there. This week, the team gets to be trained by a certified world champion in Polish coach/athlete in Alina Nowak, who only last Oct. 19 won the Adult Latin Division of the World Open Championship with dance partner Edgar Marcos Borjas.
“’Yung mga athletes ko, they just came from Italy, where they attended a dance camp, they are in rigid training. And then I have a coach coming in this week, si Alina Nowak. They are focused on their training now, they are all passionate about the sport, they are dedicated,” said DanceSport Council of the Philippines president Becky Garcia.
DanceSport swept the two gold medals at stake when the Philippines last hosted the biennial meet in 2005, but Garcia refused to give a figure as to how many golds her dancers will deliver for the country out of the 12 medals at stake this time.
“We are the hosts and it’s not right (to predict). All I can say is we always hope for the best. The last SEA games that we hosted here, we had 2 golds and 2 silvers. We had a very good showing then. Now, our athletes are really doing their best, training hard, magagaling naman talaga tayo,” Garcia said.
Philippine Sports Commision (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez, meanwhile, said he is elated with the outcome of the athletes’ foreign exposure.
“Our athletes have shown determination to improve,” Ramirez said. “There are reasons to be hopeful of a better performance when the Sea Games come.”
Leading the charge for the team will be Sean Micha Aranar and Ana Leonila Nualla in the Standard Discipline, and Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo for the Latin Discipline.
“Sila talaga ang mga pambato natin, plus ‘yung couple from Cebu,” added Garcia, referring to Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Caneda, also in the Latin category.
Others in the team are Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen (standard discipline event.), Yer Lord Ilyum Gabriel (Bboy Breaking) and Alyanna Talam (BGirl Breaking).
The leading pairs will compete in 3 dance events, while the supporting tandem dances in 2 events in competitions that will be held in Clark, Pampanga.
