COMING OFF a bridesmaid finish in last year’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines Street Dance Competition, the bar was set high for the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs) as they represented the Blue and White this Season 78.
Another spot on the podium was not in the cards, however, as the team came in fourth behind the University of the Philippines (UP) Streetdance Club, De La Salle University (DLSU) Dance Company, and University of Santo Tomas (UST) HYPE.
Drumline and dancehall
“Our theme is drumline and school spirit,” explained Lance Tan, one of the performers from CADs. With the goal of representing both the Ateneo and CADs, their routine started off with an Atenean cheer before transitioning to their usual dance routines.
One of the styles that CADs used in the performance was dancehall, which the team used to contrast from their start of hard street. While other teams in the competition may have also used dancehall, what set CADs apart was their mastery of the style. “[It] is one of CADs’ strengths. A lot of our members have really expanded their knowledge on that skill of dancehall, so I think that’s one of the advantages of CADs.”
While the Blue and White were able to put on a stunning display, the performance did not come without difficulties. The squad had to deal with the student-athlete balancing act between academics and training, all while choreographing a routine without a coach; the piece was a collaborative effort between the creative inputs of the team under the leadership of Gaby Zamora and DJ Morales. “That’s why despite us not bagging a spot, we really had a sense of fulfillment,” Tan said. However, unexpected challenges would later arise on the night itself.
Overcoming challenges
Come competition day, a mix-up with the production team of ABS-CBN–the broadcasting company of the event–forced the Atenean dance crew to stop their performance prematurely. According to CADs President Lorraine Adarme and CADs Logistics Head Dana Ledesma—who were stationed in the control room and in the audience, respectively—instructions were for the teams to greet a camera stationed backstage before taking their positions onstage.
As the first team slated to perform, CADs greeted the camera and situated themselves onstage.
Seconds after they started performing however, a representative from the ABS-CBN production team rushed to Adarme and demanded that CADs stop their routine immediately, as the broadcast was not on-air.
Adarme recounted how, despite her outrage at the apparent lapse on the part of the production team, she had no choice but to accede. The music was faded out, and the performers left clueless about the situation backstage. Ledesma explained that, from her vantage in the audience, she could see the confusion on her teammates faces as they were kept onstage with no instruction on how to proceed.
Moments later, the event organizers called for an immediate repeat performance, which Adarme fought against, arguing that the team’s morale had surely taken a beating. The CADs president eventually negotiated a reshuffling of the program flow, with her team being slated to perform last.
ABS-CBN could not be reached for comment as of press time.
On to the next one
The fourth-place finish marks just the second time that the Ateneo has failed to reach the top three in the Street Dance competition. Despite the heartbreaking result, they still managed to see it as an honor for each and every dancer on the team to take the stage.
“It was really a great privilege to be part of the event,” Tan says. “It was really a fun event din. Now they really focused on like street dance itself and the art and they took it on stage.”
CADs Roster – Cha Buenconsejo, Stefano Castillo, Mikki Cortez, Erica Dee, Gabe Ferrer, AG Gatmayan, Dani Ibañez, Jake Lanada, Ethan Lim, Billie Lorenzo, Joe Morabe, DJ Morales, Mike Perfecto, Gaby Reyes, Mike Roa, Alesi Salvador, Lance Tan, Lex Tanganco, Shayn Ting, and Gaby Zamora
Rankings
1. University of the Philippines Street Dance Club
2. De La Salle University Dance Company
3. University of Santo Tomas HYPE
4. Company of Ateneo Dancers
5. Far Eastern University Dance Company
6. University of the East Armada
7. Adamson University CAST
Editor’s Note: The National University Underdawgz did not participate in this year’s competition.
Additionally, the article was updated as of May 1, 2016 to reflect additional interviews from Lorraine Adarme and Dana Ledesma.
