UAAP: LSDC looks to bring Street Dance title back to Taft

After a two-year absence, the UAAP Street Dance competition will once again be a part of the league’s roster of second round competitions. Since winning the first two editions dating back to 2011, La Salle Dance Company (LSDC) – Street fell to second in the most recent edition in 2013.

UP, who won the crown that year, will look to become the second back-to-back champion in one of the UAAP’s newest events while two-time second runner-up Ateneo will look to win the crown for the first time.

“For the past UAAP street dance competitions, it has always been DLSU, UP, and Ateneo who have been placing in the top three ranks,” Paolo Zulueta, LSDC – Street Company Manager, mentions. He adds that despite the familiar faces among the top contenders, he believes that all the competing schools will step up this year. They will be going up against seven other UAAP schools, which include  NU, UST, FEU, UE, Adamson, Ateneo, and the defending champs UP.

As they aim to reclaim the title, LSDC has made preparations of their own to make it happen. Zulueta mentioned that they have been preparing for the UAAP Street Dance competition since January and have consulted with the Office of Sports and Development (OSD) and the Culture and Arts Office (CAO). “Usually when we compete, we train every day, sometimes we incorporate a certain diet program, and then we usually have viewings with specific people, namely the Culture and Arts Office Director Miss Jill, and also with our alumni to get feedback on how the routine looks like [and] how the routine is perceived and seen by the audience so we know what we need to improve on before the competition,” he said.

Coming into this competition, LSDC is hoping to bounce back from their third place finish. After all the time and effort they spent preparing for the competition, it all comes down to their execution of their routine and its impact on the audience. “I think we just have to do our best really. We just have to bring what we’ve prepared and let the audience see that this is really our comeback and that we’re bringing it [the title] back to Taft,” says Zulueta.

Given all the talent and competition joining this year, many questions arise. Will UP be able to pull it off once again and go back-to-back champs? Will we see other schools emerge? Or will the LSDC reclaim the title and bring it back to Taft Avenue? All will be answered on Sunday, February 8, at 4pm in the MOA Arena as eight schools compete for that elusive title and the distinction as the UAAP’s best dance crew for 2015.