WITH A score of 84.2%, the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS) won third place in the college division of this year’s Skechers Streetdance Battle 9 held in the Mall of Asia Arena on November 23.

The Skechers Streetdance Battle is an annual streetdance competition where high school and college dance crews compete for a P100,o0o grand prize.

The CADS Skechers team won P30,000 for placing third.

Members of the CADS Skechers team expressed their sentiments about their victory: Camille Vicencio said that she was grateful to have their performance recognized during the competition.

“We put so much of not only our hearts but our souls into the piece that it feels fulfilling that people are able to understand what we’re trying to say through the art of dance,” she said.

According to CADS President E.G. Bautista, joining the competition was not solely about bringing home a title for the team; rather, the competition also served as a challenge for the members to reinvent their choreography.

A new coach

This year, CADS chose Jesse “Reflex” Gotangco as their coach for their competitions held outside the Ateneo.

Gotangco is a CADS alumnus and is currently teaching two PE classes in the Loyola Schools, namely “PE 141: Foundation and Fundamentals of Breakin’” and “PE 142: Street Dance 101.”

Bautista and CADS Street Head Noel Narciso, who were both part of the CADS Skechers competition team, approached Gotangco last summer to offer him the position. According to Gotangco, CADS needed help managing its competition teams.

Aside from Skechers Streetdace Battle 9, the competitions CADS is involved in include the Smart Jump-In Dance Off, Maximum Groovity: The Ultimate Interschool Dance Showdown and RX 93.1 Rhythm Street: Intercollegiate Dance Competition.

After being appointed coach, Gotangco said he felt pressured to get the CADS Skechers team recognized as a strong and original dance crew during the contest.

However, he was confident that the team would pull through in the end because of the dancers’ teamwork, something he saw during training. He also shared how he brought the passion and love for dancing back into the Skechers team.

“Yes, it was a competition and we were in it to win, but beyond that, it was also an opportunity to dance our hearts out with [a piece] we wanted to dance with,” he said.

“I would always tell [the team that] to win is one thing, but to win with something that you can call your own and something you believe in is far greater,” Gotangco added.

STREETDANCE SUPREMACY. Coach Gotangco led CADS to a bronze victory in Skechers Streetdance Battle 9. (Photos by Apa M. Agbayani)

Changes within the team

Some of the competition team members shared their views on the changes made by Gotangco during their training.

CADS Skechers team member Suzie Agustin said that Gotangco helped the team deal with the pressure of the competition. He also motivated them to give a great performance on the day of the dance battle.

Meanwhile, Bautista said Gotangco taught the team members discipline. According to him, Gotangco enforced a time table to be followed as regards the completion of the competition piece. He also included cardio and strengthening exercises in the team members’ training regimen.

Narciso shared, “What Jesse did was that he developed our skills even more, not just as a team but as individuals of the Skechers team as well.”

Some of the Skechers team members also shared their post-competition insights.

Agustin said that, during their preparation for the competition, she learned the meaning of “pagsalô” or the concept of supporting her fellow members.

“[The Skechers team] really made an effort to be more understanding of each other and any conflict within the team was handled maturely,” said Agustin.

For Bautista, he learned that it is much more rewarding to inspire people with their performance than merely receiving a championship trophy.

Vicencio, meanwhile, said that what she truly took to heart was being open to continuous growth.

“I’ve learned that being humble, grounded and knowing that you have so much to learn is key in improving as a dancer,” she said.