The Philippine StarBall

The Philippines will be hosting an international event featuring some of the world’s best ballroom dance competitors. The Philippine StarBall will be held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel on Feb. 15 next year. Philippine StarBall organizing committee chairman Michaela “Pinky” Puno will make sure that the event will be comparable to the other StarBalls held in the US and Europe.

About 30 international, high caliber ballroom couples have already confirmed their participation. Among those in the Professional Standard division are the Number 1 ranked couple in the world, Mirko Gozzoli and Alessia Betti from Italy. Joining them are world Number 2 Katusha Demidova and Arunas Bizokas of the US, who were winners of the first Philippine StarBall last year in their category. In the Professional Latin division, Yulia Zagoruychengko and Riccardo Cocchi of the US will be back to defend the title they won here last year. They will be challenged by Latin Champions of Denmark, Russia, Lithuania, Canada and top US Latin dancers. The Amateur Standard division will see top competitors from Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria and Croatia dance for the title.

 The audience will also be treated to special performances by Latin Champions Max Koshevnikov and Beata Onefatur and American Smooth Champions Jonathan Roberts and Valentina. Many former champions will be judging these top competitors from all over the world.

 The Philippine StarBall is being organized by the Council of United Professional Dance Teachers of the Philippines, Inc. headed by Jose Cariño, with the support of the Department of Tourism, First Gentleman’s Foundation, Metrobank, SM Mart, Inc. and International Container Services, Inc. Proceeds of the competition will go to Kythe, a foundation which helps children afflicted with cancer. 

(For more information and ticket sales, please call Marissa at 812-8464.)

Déguste

Nokia showcased its passion for style through food and art in the Déguste exhibit held at the Ayala Museum, a unique experience that was to satisfy both the cravings for art and culinary delights. Nokia Philippines GM William Hamilton-Whyte says: “Style is not uni-dimensional but rather is wholistic.”

Déguste challenged dinner table etiquette, as it turned a buffet into a “non-buffet” where the food was simply grabbed from air and from the table. Artists Stéphanie Sagot and Emmanuelle Becquemin, together with executive chef Christian Werdenberg of Sofitel Philippine Plaza, created a journey of taste. Upon entering the Ayala Museum, guests were treated to three different kinds of art installations. On the left side was a forest of balloons, The Floating Buffet, seemingly suspended in mid-air. These balloons supported the lunch boxes that held the buffet’s content. The guests were invited to taste the food, which lightened the balloons and gradually set them free. On the right side of the room, Glory Holes, a wall of hands, offered sweet treats that included ratatouille tartlets, mini beef medaillons with truffle sauce, mini lobster thermidor, chocolate truffle cake and mini mocha eclairs.

The centerpiece of the majestic gourmet spread were Nokia’s new black technostyle phones — the Nokia 6300, Nokia 6500 Slide and Nokia 6500 Classic — art pieces themselves. Each mobile device is crafted with the stylish consumer in mind — adonized aluminum steel casing ensuring that no two phones are alike and smooth, clean lines, that complement any fashionista’s outfit.

Also on exhibit were prints that showcased the history of French photography through time. Entitled 100xFrance, the exhibit tells a story that began officially in 1839 in Paris and continues up to today’s conceptual photography.

Others seen at the event were the French Ambassador Gérard Chesnel, Ayala Museum director Maritoni Ortigas, Alliance Française director Olivier Dintinger, Sofitel GM Bernd Schneider, Nokia marketing manager Grace del Callar, Beth Day Romulo, Aurelio Montinola III, Lulu Tan Gan, National Artist Arturo Luz, photographers Juan Caguicla, Wig Tysmans and Rupert Jacinto, Annie Ringor, Fortune Ledesma, Leica Carpo, Frances Lim and Jeannie Golbourn.