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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Sayson: Cebu waltzes to Dancesport’s elite
By Homer Sayson
Secondovertime
CHICAGO — Being the free spirit that he is, a tireless optimist who plows through life with an open heart, it doesn’t take much for a cherub’s smile to crease across the face of Cebu City Councilor Jack Jakosalem.
But when he called me at home last night from California, Jack “The Wack” wasn’t just smiling. He was the voice of ecstasy, and as he proudly raved about Cebu’s golden haul in the 38th International Grand Ball Championships in San Francisco, I could see his baby face morph into pure bliss.
“Watching them mow a large field from at least 10 countries was a weird, indescribable feeling. It was also so satisfying because our dancers proved that their previous triumphs all over Asia weren’t just some one-act wonders that couldn’t measure up against the word’s best. Yes indeed, our dancers are among the world’s cream of the crop,” Jack said.
ELEGANCE. The competition, Jack told me, was held at the San Francisco Marriott, in a dancing floor that was carefully detailed to meet international standards. And banking on the same grace and elegance that has carried them through the years, the Cebuanos turned the Marriott dance floor into their personal stage.
When it was over, Ed and Eleanor Hayco, Cebu’s beloved Dancesport Couple, had to look for a wheelbarrow to carry the nine-gold, one-silver and one-bronze haul of Dancesport Team Cebu City (DTCC).
Jojie and Jonah Del Rosario led the Cebuano romp. Dancing with a flair that dropped countless jaws, they garnered golds by dominating in the following categories: Amateur 4 Dance, Amateur Standard 3 Dance, Open Gold Adult 1 Waltz and Open Gold Adult 1 Tango.
Eleanor Hayco, a DTCC directress whose beauty could launch a thousand ships, wowed the huge gallery with her feet. She moved so effortlessly that people assumed she could walk on water.
Well, she couldn’t, but Eleanor and her partner, DTCC head coach Loloi Rendon, did dance for gold in Senior Latin 5, Open Gold A2 Tango, Foxtrot, Chacha and Rumba.
Not to be outdone, Ricca Gatal Alix, who wore a glowing deep blue dress in one of her performances, paired with Renante Saldua to snatch gold in the Open Silver Waltz, Foxtrot and Quickstep. Lowell Barnados and Jeanen Bargado topped the Open Gold Latin Chachacha, while Jimmy Noel and Karla Fornolles struck gold in the Amateur Latin 3 Adult Division.
HAYCOS. “We wouldn’t be on top of the dancesport world now without Eleanor and Edward Hayco. We can’t thank them enough for winning golds for Cebu and for teaching dancesport down to the barangay level.
“The sacrifices that the Haycos have made through the years are inestimable, but it’s so nice to see them rewarded with all these golds in an international event. What a feel-good story,” Jakosalem explained.
DTCC will take a brief respite as it heads to Los Angeles to perform with the Fil-Am community at the Dance Village on Aug. 4. DTCC will also have another show in Las Vegas on Agug. 5. After that, though, the team will dig for more gold as DTCC heads to the Big Apple for the Empire State Dancesport Championship in Manhattan on Aug. 10 to 14.
Though dancesport isn’t as mainstream as boxing and basketball, the triumphs of DTCC gives our country and our people the same sense of pride. As I browsed through the pictures Jack e-mailed me after our chat, I now confess to being a dancesport fan. Go Cebu! Go DTCC!
P.S. While in San Francisco, the DTCC members stayed in a house provided for by Mario Rolloda, owner of the Xenon Dance Club. The house, which is a stone’s throw from downtown with a magnificent view of the Bay, provided the comforts of a home away from home, so unlike a hotel setting where they can’t cook their own food.
“The Filipinos in San Francisco were so supportive and in behalf on DTCC and the City of Cebu,” I’d like to thank them deeply.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 2, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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