RECLAIMING lost glory will have to wait another year.
For the second consecutive year, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe (SDT) failed to at least land in the Top 3 of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition and instead settled for fourth place at the packed Mall of Asia Arena last Sept. 22.
The group’s Rio carnival-inspired routine was not good enough in a field by the University of the Philippines Pep Squad, which equaled UST’s record eight cheerdance titles. Far Eastern University grabbed the second spot while the National University made history by entering the Top 4 for the first time.
Despite the debacle, SDT president Dan Dimaculangan commended the squad for what he described as its “best run” and for a performance “with the most energy.”
Dimaculangan said team, which included 16 rookies, had only two months to work on its routine.
“What we executed was a downgraded version of our original routine which involved more difficult stunts and required longer time to prepare,” he said. “Had we had more time, we could have perfected the routine and might have landed back in the Top 3.”
The SDT’s insufficient preparation seemed apparent at the outset when one dancer was seen falling from a formation in a performance witnessed by 19,509 spectators.
“I don’t want to promise anything [to the Thomasian community] as I don’t want them to expect, but I believe this is the stepping stone for us to be back at the top three next year,” he said.
Revised judging system
The panel of judges was composed of international cheerdance officials and coaches Jana Eftimiu, Julien Leblond, Huang Yu Chun, Manuel Malonzo, and Joe Jackson.
They ranked each pep squad based on dance technique (10-20 points), jumps/tumbling (10-15 points), tosses (10-15 points), lifts/stunts (10-15 points), pyramids (10-15 points), choreography/synchronization (six to 10 points), audibility/clarity (three to five points), and audience participation (three to five points), for a total of 100 points.
