THE COMPANY of Ateneo Dancers (CADs) showed heart but missed the podium, finishing at sixth place in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Street Dance Competition on Sunday, March 11 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.
Ateneo’s premier dance group dropped from last year’s score of 78.5 to 69.00 and scored an average of 34.5 in both the performance and skill categories without incurring any deductions.
The team of eighteen was composed of Joe Morabe, Ethan Lim, Mike Roa, Eldrick Margate, Vinney Leuterio, Julia Tameña, Kat Espedido, Martin Perez, Macky Manlutac, Shayn Ting, Lance Tan, Anton Fausto, Jesse Cabero, Erica Dee, Andie Uy, Gabriella Lorenzo, Peterni Coloyan and Kim Velasco.
Prior to their performance, Street Coordinator Ethan Lim felt that they were ready to take the stage saying, “Honestly, I think this is the most prepared we’ve ever been coming into a competition in the last few years.”
Despite the fall in points, Street Head Joe Morabe expressed his and the team’s acceptance of the results, maintaining confidence about the troupe’s performance at the end of the day.
“I can’t speak for the judges,” shared Morabe. “I can’t speak for the score, but I can say that we are happy with what we put out.”
Foregoing a specific theme, the team used the opportunity to highlight the power and style of their moves rather than rely on a gimmick. Lim also expressed that although the specific lineup was different, the solidarity they felt with each other kept the group in total sync in the spotlight.
With 11 out of the 18 performers graduating, Lim hopes that the seniors leave with the values acquired throughout the years spent together as a team. “Dance is so much more than just performing on stage,” Lim said. “[It is] all about discipline and bringing that discipline along with you everywhere you go.”
Among the several departing senior dancers on the team, Morabe kept a cheery disposition despite the unexpected outcome, looking back on the squad’s journey to the competition with a positive mentality.
“Of course we aim for the best, we hope for the best, we train for the best but this is what we ended up with,” admitted Morabe. “We could at least say we are happy with our run and we are happy with our team.”
