MANILA – Iloilo City pair Mary Chelleen Faith Baylon and Jayson Gian Cala-or took home a silver medal in the 3rd Philippine Superstars Open Dance Championship held recently at the Dance Vision Arena in San Juan City.
Baylon and Cala-or, both standouts of the Iloilo City-based Matias Balbastro Dance Academy, captured the silver medal with their elegant performance in the Youth C category.
According to Baylon, it was unexpected for them to land a podium finish in the Philippine-wide competition after having just a limited time of preparation and being kilometer apart from her dance partner.
“It’s undoubtedly surreal to have our feet set on the second highest step of the podium,” Baylon said. “It etched in our minds that whatever life throws at you, you must be of strong will to deflect and make knowledge by only sieving the criticisms.”
“I didn’t expect in the least to be cascaded and drenched in sweet victories like this in the early stages,” she added. “We’re here moving. Hope you’ll move along to see us on the brink of another higher victory.”
Matias Balbastro, who served as the head coach of Baylon and Cala-or, also paid tribute to the perseverance of his dancers even if they fell short of a championship finish in the competition.
“I told them to always make the good or bad experiences be their motivation to be better. Because no one can tell them what they can’t and can achieve,” Balbastro told Panay News.
“I want them to just focus on the genuine people who support them emotionally and spiritually, and also to stay humble and keep going no matter what. I will always be here to support and believe in them,” he added.
MB Dance Academy, in their separate Facebook post, also lauded the achievement of Baylon and Cala-or as it has raised the Academy’s flag in the Philippine-wide dance competition.
“The hardest part of a journey are the teeniest steps taken in the beginning,” it said. “In the midst of criticism, pasts that bewildered new insights, and minds that tried twisting fates, they strive to relish successes.”/PN
