National dancesport championships up at Philsports

In a fitting prelude to the Asia Pacific tournament here next month, the Dancesport Council of the Philippines will be staging the sixth national championships at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Arriving to conduct workshops, adjudicate and perform a demonstration of the five Latin dances are many-time undefeated world professional Latin champions Jukka Haapalainen and Sirpa Suutari of London. Also due are international licensed adjudicators Scott Todd of Hong Kong, Mary Yeh, president of the Chinese Taipeh Dancesport Association and Suey Ming-ou of Taiwan; Naoharu Sawada, Japan’s Latin champion; and Milan Spanik of Slovakia.

Dance athletes from all over the country will be competing in the juvenile, junior, youth, one-dance, two-dance, pro-am senior, pre-amateur, amateur and ten-dance categories in both Standard and Latin disciplines, said DSCP president Becky Garcia, who is co-chair of the Asia Pacific dancefest with Philippine Sports Commission chair Eric Buhain.

The blue-ribbon affair will be sponsored by the PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, PCSO, Pagcor, Philippine Air Lines, Edsa Shangri-La, Dance Exchange, Pagoda Philippines, Carlines Transportation and ABC 5.

For more information, call Anna Faye at 635-0116, Dancesport Training Center, Philsports complex, Pasig City; or Ruby at 752-0435 to 36, 26th floor Pacific Star Building on Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, where tickets are also available.

Assisting Garcia, who has been president since 1996 of DSCP, the only amateur body for dance recognized by the POC, are board members Noel Laman, chair; Jun Herrera, vice president; Jo Saliva, secretary general; Gloria Alcala, treasurer; Andy Fornier, Marvie Cojuangco Yulo, Naomi Enriquez, Tonet Lagdameo, Sonny Yan, Ruby Co, Emma Nieto, Chona Mercado and Joel Ocsena.