Monday, January 12, 2009 Hopes high for Baguio cheer dancers
THE University of the Cordilleras (UC), Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) and Pines City National High School cheer dancers is keeping their hopes alive to land a decent spot in the March 9 national qualifier of the National Cheerleading Championship (NCC).
"Our focus will be on competing with the country's premiere cheer dance squads in the nationals and we will no longer join any local cheer dance competition until March," UC Dance Squad Coach PJ Natiola said.
Natiola said that since their team is under the UC Center for Creative Productions (UC-CCP), which will also represent UC in the Panagbenga Festival street dancing parade next year, UC-CCP Director Engineer Alec
Mapalo decided to separate their stable of dancers into two, one to focus on cheer dancing and the other on street dancing.
"Our next plan in the succeeding months is to beat our current score in the regionals and maintain our momentum up to the finals," Natiola added.
The UC dance squad leapt their way to the top last October 5 to lead Northern Luzon Qualifiers of the NCC.
Mariano Marcos State University and Union Christian College also qualified for the national finals slated on March 9, 2009.
In the high school division, Brain and Heart Christian Educational Institution from San Fernando, La Union, Baguio City National High School-Main and Pines City National High School-Main also qualified for the nationals.
More than 100 participating cheer dancers coming from as far as Tarlac, Pangasinan and Ilocos participated in the half-day cheer camp in October last year, which involved NCC coaches from Manila teaching various aspects of international competitive cheerleading.
"The NCC is committed to raising the standards of competitive cheerleading in the Philippines through its competitions and camps with the utmost emphasis on safety," NCC Administrative Director Hannah Roa said.
Roa added that the NCC focuses on technique and skills, rather than brute strength and mere showmanship.
NCC Director Paula dela Llana-Nunag said the NCC yearly hires international coaches from the US to judge the national finals participated by top cheering squads in the country.
The NCC is the country's first and only competitive cheerleading organization modeled after the American competitive cheerleading competitions.
The 2009 National Finals, which will see American coaches and judges participate, is expected to be the biggest NCC competition in its short history. (Roderick Osis)
