Yes, they shall dance

The country’s biggest, grandest, and most anticipated ballroom dance competition takes center stage once again on Feb. 13 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel Ballroom. The high production level of the past two StarBall competitions put the Philippines on the map of the ballroom dance world. More and more world-class ballroom dancers are excited about being part of the third Phil. Starball and the Filipino warmth and hospitality also encouraged these dancers to join the event.

Chairman of the organizing committee Michaela “Pinky” Puno, wife of DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, personally invited the top competitors after she watched the Blackpool Festival and The Internationals competition in London. After months of preparation and careful planning, the championship event will prove comparable to other StarBalls held in the United States, Europe and Asia. It will be a spectacle — with glittery costumes and numbers — for the dancers and audience alike.     

About 80 international, high-caliber dancers have already confirmed their participation in the competition. They will be coming from all over the world — the US, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Poland, Australia, Germany, Serbia, England, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Canada, Norway, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Austria, and Asian countries like Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The competitors will show their skill in the five Latin dances, namely cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive; and the five International style standard dances, namely slow waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, and quickstep.

There will be a new format this year. The six finalists in the Professional Latin and Standard division will each dance a show number to their chosen music as part of the competition. The audience will be able to see them individually and appreciate their superb technique and mastery of this art.

Last year’s Amateur Latin winners and darlings of the evening, Kirill Belorukov and Elvira Skrylnikova, will be back. Not many people realize that they were the Latin Youth Champions of Blackpool the previous year. The evening will be tough for them as they will be competing against Jurij Batagelj and Jagoda Strukelj (Slovenia), Martino Zanibellato and Michelle Abildtrup (Denmark), Dorin Frecautanu and Roselina Doneva (Moldova), Timo Kulczak and Motsegetsi Mabuse (Germany), Zufar Zaripov and Anna Ludwig-Tchemodourova (Austria), Andrei Kazlovski and Kate Kapshandy (USA), Manuel Favilla and Yuliya Nikitenko (Australia) and Kovgan Roman and Sergeeva Marina (Russia).

Blackpool Amateur Standard champion Andre Ghigiarelli and Sara Andracchiio from Italy will be pitted against other finalists Federico di Toro and Genny Favero (Italy), and Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet (Denmark). Also coming are Salvatore Todaro and Violeta Yaneva (Bulgaria), Kashincki Petr and Sacal Iliyana (Russia), Dushan Dragovic and Ekaterina Romanshina (Serbia), and Gaetanoa Lavarone and Emanuela Napolitano (Italy).

Emcee of the third Philippine StarBall will be Gary McDonald, 10-time US national champion. The television special will be hosted by Charlotte Jorgensen and theater actor/singer Audie Gemora. Charlotte was a seven-time Danish champion and World and European amateur champion. She was featured in the very first season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and was the teacher of Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere in the movie Shall We Dance?

The third Philippine StarBall is being organized by the Council of United Professional Dance Teachers of the Philippines, Inc. (CUPDTP) headed by Jose Cariño, with the support from the Department of Tourism (DOT), First Gentleman’s Foundation, Pagcor, and PCSO. Proceeds of the competition will go to Kythe, a foundation that helps children afflicted with cancer. For more information and ticket sales, call Marissa at 812-8464.