With skill and talent that belied their age, the best student dance teams from all over the country gave their all-out performance for the Smart Prepaid Jump In Dance-Off 3 finals at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last Saturday, with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa, Colegio San Agustin-Makati and Pasil Elementary School of Cebu bagging the top prizes in the country’s biggest and most prestigious interschool dance competition.
PUP’s ‘Power Impact Dancers’ edged out talented groups from nine other schools in the college category with their slick and feisty moves to a souped-up medley of Black Eyed Peas hits.
On the other hand, the CSA Dance Troupe’s impressed with their quick and well-coordinated formations to a beat-heavy mix, besting nine other teams in the high school category. Meanwhile, the Japanese-inspired routine of Pasil Elementary School’s Crew Evolution complete with breathtaking ninja stunts stood out from five other finalists in the grade school category.
This year’s Mega Crew theme required 16 to 25 members from each group, making it an even bigger and more challenging competition.
Nearly 300 schools from all over the country joined the online auditions this year the highest number of entries since the competition started in 2013- all vying for over P5 million worth of prizes, which is also the biggest prizes ever offered by Smart Jump In and any interschool dance competition in the country.
This year also attracted the most number of entries from outside Manila, enabling the talented youth from all walks of life to showcase their talent and pursue their passions on the Smart Jump In Dance-Off stage and
After a tough screening process, only 72 made it to the regional rounds, where they performed live at SM Malls in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Top 25 teams consisting of the Top 6 in the elementary level, Top 9 in the high school level and Top 10 in the college level got together in one big final showdown last October 31, with finalists hailing from Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Laguna and Metro Manila.
This year’s results tell of inspiring stories of redemption for the champion teams. While PUP had been a consistent Jump In Dance-Off finalist, it’s the group’s first time to land an award in the tilt this year. On the other hand, CSA and Pasil Elementary School both finished second last year.
“We were really determined to give our all this year with an improved routine,” said Alron Gamit, the team captain of PUP’s Power Impact Dancers. “We knew how tough the competition was and our goal coming on the stage was to give a great show and just hit the audience right in the feels. I think that made us stand out.”
“All our competitors are quite strong performers, so we really relied on God for inspiration this time,” said Erin Dimagiba, the team captain of CSA Dance Troupe. “It was not easy because we really sacrificed a lot to perfect our routine. In the end, it was all worth it!”
On the other hand, Mary Baylon, the coach of the grade schoolers of Pasil, could not be more proud of her students after their difficult preparation for the finals. “We only got to rehearse with a complete team just a day before the finals! It was just challenging because of the schedules of the kids and their parents. It got to a point when we even had to resort to rehearsing with one group on Skype!”
“It helped that most of them could not wait to fly to Manila again and experience performing on a big stage with thousands watching. They really got inspired,” she added.
The Smart Jump In Dance-Off 3 champions won P300,000 each half of which will be awarded to their respective schools. The winning teams also got gift certificates from Aeropostale, the contest’s official outfitter, and a chance to become Smart Jump In brand ambassadors.
The UPLB Jazz Dance Company and Notre Dame of Dadiangas University’s NDDU Generals from General Santos City also gave inspired performances, which earned them the second and third places in the college category with P150,000 and P100,000, respectively.
Meanwhile, the seasoned dance crews ‘LSGH Airforce’ of La Salle – Greenhills and the all-girl ‘Sayawatha’ of Miriam College High School clinched the second and third places in the high school level with P150,000 and P100,000, respectively. In the elementary level, ‘ A1’ of Wesleyan University in Nueva Ecija and the ‘Iloilo Unlimited Dance Crew’ of Jaro I Elementary School finished second and third, winning P150,000 and P100,000 respectively.
PUP’s ‘Power Impact Dancers,’ Miriam’s Sayawatha,’ and Saint Clare School Basic Education’s ‘DC Juniors’ bagged the Social Media Awards in the three categories, while the Texter’s Choice Award went to the UPLB Street Jazz Dance Company and the CSA Dance Troupe.
The final teams were judged based on their artistic expression, technical execution and musicality and overall effectiveness. Text votes also comprised 10 percent of the teams’ final scores.
“At this level, all of the finalists are winners in their own right. The talent is immense, and the results came down to which gave the audience a more creative and original routine,” said Lema Diaz, one of the founders of the two-time World Hip-Hop Dance champions, Philippine AllStars. “There’s no question that they all can perform very well. They are all a cut above the rest,” added Lema, who sat in the panel of judges along with Manoeuvers’ Jon Supan and celebrity choreographer Georcelle Dapat-Sy of the G-Force.
This high level of talent this year did not come as a surprise to Smart Prepaid Marketing Head Evelyn Jimenez, as mobile technology and innovations have brought many tools within reach of students who want to improve their craft and cultivate their skills.
“With their Smart-powered phones, students can now easily check out the latest dance trends on YouTube and other online video sites, stream the latest dance hits on mobile apps like Spinnr, as well as get real-time inspiration from their favorite artists on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram anytime, anywhere,” said Jimenez.
“This is why Smart continues to roll out meaningful innovations and services that empower the youth to jump into the Smart Life, as well as provide them with concrete avenues to pursue their passions without fear or hesitation.”
Hosted by the Boom Gonzales and Rizza Diaz, the star-studded finals was graced by Smart endorsers James Reid and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, as well as the multi-awarded dance group A-Team which recently bagged the third place at the mega crew division of the World Hip Hop Dance Championship.
To view videos and photos from the Smart Jump In Dance-Off 3, simply check outwww.smart.com/danceoff.