UAE | General
The sultans of swing
They shake, twist, move back and forth, fly in mid-air or simply dance to the music. They do it with passion, precise execution and winning choreography.
- Text and pictures by Patrick Masahud
- Published: 00:00 March 17, 2002
Breathtaking performances enthrall audience during Inter-GCC Filipino dance competition
They shake, twist, move back and forth, fly in mid-air or simply dance to the music. They do it with passion, precise execution and winning choreography.
That is what made dynamic Filipino dancing duo, Jeff Jover and Fely Reamillo, hard-to-beat champs in the inaugural Inter-GCC Ballroom Dance Competition which was held recently at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai.
The First Inter-Gulf Cooperation Council (Inter-GCC) Filipino Ballroom Dance Competition and First Batch 2002 Dance Clinic Graduation Ceremony were held recently, attended by Manila-based actress Angela Velez as one of the judges.
More than 400 visitors from the Filipino community and other guests packed the Rashidiya Grand Ballroom in Al Bustan Hotel, Dubai. The event was witnessed by officials of the Philippine diplomatic corps in the Gulf, including Amable R. Aguiluz III, Philippine ambassador to the UAE, and Rodolfo Dumapias, Philippine envoy in Bahrain.
The regional competition was hosted by the Filipino Dance Club-Dubai (FDC-D) under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy Office of the Labour Attache-Dubai and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Participants included top Filipino ballroom dancers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. A total of five dancing pairs showed their skills in various dance forms: rumba, jive, cha-cha and swing.
Giovani De Guzman and Shalini Alimon Pulido from Abu Dhabi, bagged the second place while Maria Marife Cabaluna and Aeron Pilola, from Kuwait landed the third.
Other participants were Mariceli Hernandez and Roberto Bautista from Bahrain and Imelda Gotico Victoriano and Edwardo Soltes who represented the Filipino community in Qatar.
 Angela Velez does the swing with Emil of FDC-D... a treat to watch. |
Benjamine Zabat and Wenie Armitage won the first place in the dance clinic's Top Five Graduates Ballroom competition.
During the main part of the programme, Ambassador Aguiluz III expressed his appreciation to the organisers of the competition for coming up with the idea of holding the First Inter-GCC Filipino Ballroom Dance Competition among Overseas Filipino Workers and thereby, not only manifest the Filipino talents and skills but also promote camaraderie among Filipinos.
He also noted with gratitude the organisers' objective of contributing part of the proceeds of the project to the Bantay OFW Foundation.
The evening became a night to remember as each dancing pair displayed their skills in breathtaking performances, bring the audience to its feet.
Fely Reamillo, who got the top award, was a treat to watch as she danced gracefully. She manifested the traits of the real Terpsichorean, Muse of the Dance.
The night was enlivened by the presence of special guest Angela Velez, TV personality and actress, who was also one of the judges in the competition. She treated the delighted audience with her impromptu rumba and swing dance numbers.
During the awards ceremony, Dumapias announced that the next Inter-GCC Filipino Ballroom Dance Competition would be hosted by Bahrain.
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