Ballroom realities

Dance Sport, or ballroom dancing, as it is commonly known, is at a major crossroads in the Philippines. It has reached a point wherein it will either grow tremendously in the next few years, or be mismanaged and stagnate into a half-baked leisure activity.

This was the sentiment expressed by Nils-Hakan Carlzon, president of the International Dance Organization (IDO). Visiting the country to investigate the state of dancing here, Carlzon was impressed with the caliber of dancers he has seen. He predicts that, with the accelerated training being given by groups like the Philippine Professional Dance Sport Association (PPDSA), we may have world champions in the next two to three years. However, he has cautioned that taking it to the next level will actually take the enjoyment out of it for most people.

"I’ve seen it happen in other countries. When you mix trained professional dancers with amateurs who only do it for leisure, it kills the fun," he warned. "There must be a way to separate them. Let there be places or times when only leisure dancers will be on the floor."

Carlzon goes on to debunk the notion that ballroom dancing will soon be an Olympic sport. He says it’ll never happen, and cites many reasons.

"First of all, the Olympics are cutting down sports; there are simply too many. Secondly, the trend now is to bring the sport to the masses, like what we and the International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF) are doing. They’re trying to get away from the long eyelashes, expensive dresses and coattails in traditional ballroom dancing, and competing in aerobics outfits and sweat suits," he reveals.

Furthermore, the Swedish dance veteran of forty years adds that the potential lies in the more contemporary dances, an area where Filipinos have more than even chances to beat more experienced countries. Dances like street Latin have the rhythm, creativity and spontaneity that Filipinos have as a natural advantage. And there are many competitions to enter.

"We have more than a hundred competitions a year, and in each division, there are about fifteen categories. So there is much room for Filipinos to do well in."

Carlzon was prompted to come to the Philippines to investigate the simmering feud between two large dancesport associations here. However, he sees no need to force the two groups to work together.

"This has happened in many countries before," he explains. "In most cases, it would be best to get the two groups together under one. The PPDSA has sent me all the documents I have asked for. They have even proposed working with the other group. But now, I think they should just go on with what they are doing. Soon, they will have maybe 500 couples in training."

The problem facing most dancesport enthusiasts in the country, the IDO president elaborates, is that many dancers here try choreography when they don’t even have the basics. In international competition, for example, it is a no-no for the female partner to open her legs, something commonly seen among ill-trained dance professionals here. Aside from that, very few Filipino dance practitioners are licensed to teach. Some merely have certificates from one-or two-day workshops. Abroad, a teacher’s course in Level 1 of ballroom dancing takes six months to master, and you still have to pass an exam administered by licensed professionals.

"The best thing for Philippine professionals – and I will help them with this – is to go to Europe and the United States to train. Then they can bring back the latest trends in dancing here," Carlzon continues. "Otherwise, they will not really progress."

Carlzon, who runs a dance school in a small town in Sweden, encourages dancers here not to give up, to keep striving, because they’ll never know how far it can take them.

"I come from a small town of about 120,000. And yet, look at me, I’ve become the president of a world body. If they stick to it, they have the talent to be the world’s best."

* * *

Don’t miss this week’s episode of The Basketball Show, 12 noon over RPN 9. The program features the latest developments on the RP Youth Team to the SEABA Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, next week.