PERENNIAL collegiate cheer dance champions Salinggawi Dance Troupe improved on its miserable fourth-place finish in 2009, but failed to reclaim the title in this year’s UAAP Samsung Cheerdance Competition.
UST settled for third place behind eventual champion University of the Philippines and the Far Eastern University, which claimed second place, during the competition held at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum last September 12.
But choreographer Ryan Silva said the group had modest goals anyway.
“To be back in the top three, that’s already a big -achievement for us,” he said. “Of course [we are] glad. That was actually one of our goals coming in this year’s competition.”
Garnering a total score of 407.5 with their White Tiger theme, the dance troupe wowed the crowd of 20,000 with their superb performance on the dance floor. Wearing their black and white-striped costume, Salinggawi came out like ferocious felines ready to tear away on their prey. Their fierce moves and crouching tiger depictions won them a cash prize of P140,000.
“It’s the Year of the Tiger that’s why we thought of doing the character. And eventually, it evolved to the white tiger animal to do away with the usual image,” said Silva.
Despite failing to regain the championship title for the fourth year in counting, the eight-time champion dance troupe stood tall.
“Even though this is the result, everyone accepted it wholeheartedly. We are happy with our performance, we poured out our best and we have shared what we do best,” said Salinggawi president Mara Gesmundo.
“Thank you to the Thomasian community for all the support that you have given us. We really felt that you are behind us no matter what will happen,” said Gesmundo.
“All of our sacrifices paid off knowing that you [Thomasians] are proud of us once again,” she added.
With 20 seniors and only four rookies this year, Salinggawi brought back the “propeller” stunt, this time featuring a double-bladed one positioned side-by-side. They also formed the traditional letters of the university. Also included in the exhibition are seven-man pyramid stunts, synchronized air flips, high tosses, floor tumbling, harmonized cartwheels, and back springs.
For the finale, they came crouching out of a box to surprise the crowd with their Tiger masks, their eyes aglow with the 400 growls of UST. One tiger held a fan, its cloth dyed red and yellow, a remnant from last year’s performance, that symbolized the tongues of fire seen in the Quadricentennial logo.
Still, the UP Pep Squad took the title with 440.9 points while the samurai theme of the FEU Cheering Squad scored 421.4 points for second-place honors.
“Maybe, with the technicalities, most especially with the gymnastic skills and the pyramids, the level was really raised,” Silva said. “How they built those pyramids, transitions and stuff like that, maybe in that portion, we really need to excel more to get along with the trend of cheerdance.”
He added: “Of course we cannot remove the image of the Salinggawi as a dance troupe that’s why we maintain those dance techniques.” Frauleine Michelle S. Villanueva
