The Taft-based squad is a day away from their annual University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Streetdance Competition and have been preparing to reclaim what was originally theirs. The La Salle Dance Company (LSDC)-Street finished second place last year with an 85.75 grade, falling short from their expected back-to-back title finish as FEU Street Alliance clinched their first championship last UAAP Season 80.
With fresh faces and old faces ready to participate, company manager Erika Anastacio and member Patricia Serrano share their thoughts on what to expect from this year’s team and their preparations for a hopeful podium finish.
Key adjustments
There has been an advantage for LSDC-Street this year, and that is a longer preparation time for the competition. Anastacio states that everyone on the team maintains the same goal of winning. “We make sure that everyone has the same vision that we try to win, not just on the day itself, but in every training [and] rehearsal [that] we [have],” she affirms.
Anastacio is one of the graduating students and is on her last year of competing. However, she assures that not only the seniors of the team are working their way to success, citing that everyone on the team encourages everyone to do better.
Different mindset
Last year, LSDC-Street performed an emoji-themed routine. For this year, the team plans to surprise the onlookers as they reveal their theme this year during their performance. Although the team hinted that it will be fresh to the spectators’ eyes. According to Serrano, there is a more serious tone to their performance this year as compared to the playful theme last year. “This year, [we are] more serious, and we’ve added styles that we are trying out,” she adds.
The company manager furthers that the team’s mindset is to make everyone better, as it has been a culture for the team to be “team-centric” and not to just focus on the desired outcome from the competition. “Our mindset is centered on how to better ourselves. We don’t focus on our competitors,” she asserts.
Team mantra
The mantra of the team since they began training, according to Anastacio, is to “never settle”. She also believes they have given their all in preparing for this competition, and to value the lesson of learning together,“I think we are ready and we’ve exhausted all we can do. I always tell them to trust in the process…not underestimating the skill we tried to learn together for our upcoming performance.”
Catch the LSDC-Street maintain their level of excellence as they perform tomorrow, March 23, at 2 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
