200 pairs to join Cebu Dancesport Open

More than 200 couples from different parts of the country and abroad will be joining this year’s Cebu Open Dancesport Championship 2014 and 7th Dancesport Sa Sugbu on Aug. 9 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

This is a 14-hour competition where 232 couples will compete in 24 categories.

According to Cebu City Sports Commission chairman and dancesport patron Edwar Hayco, this tournament is a chance for young participants to watch amateur dancesport couples, especially those from foreign countries.

“This is a good opportunity for our juvenile participants to witness amateur participants perform because they can learn from them and inspire them to improve their craft,” said Hayco.

Hayco and his team successfully changed the notion of dancesport over the years. Before, it was regarded as a competition for elites. But DTCC’s efforts to make the sport available to underprivileged kids through training in the grassroots level had erased this notion.

“We have bridged the two worlds and used dancesport as a way to transform these kids in a positive way. We have conducted several dancesport grassroots programs over the years in different barangays such as Pasil and Tejero, among others. We have identified talents in this area and turned them into world champions,” said Hayco.

Among the more popular graduates of this program are dance partners Pearl Cañeda and Wilbert Aunzo, who used to join the grassroots program. They were discovered, trained, and have been reaping medals not just in national events but in international competitions as well.

Recently, Cañeda and Aunzo took the gold medal in the Grade A 5 Dance Latin of the Open Youth Division of the 68th Australian DanceSport Championship in Melbourne.

“This is one of the examples we want to show not only to the Cebuanos but to the whole country, that we have the potential. Several foreign dancesport couples are impressed by how our young dancesport couples can easily dance with rhythm right away when others would take them months to master their piece. I consider this musicality in every Cebuano as an asset and that we should take advantage of,” said Hayco.

The DanceSport sa Sugbu is touted as the “Friendliest Competition in the World.”

Being the home of the Guinness World Record for the Largest Dance Class, the event promotes tourism as more than 2,000 participants from the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region will not only witness the event but also enjoy the sights of Cebu.