Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
September Cheerdance
This month, I was invited to judge the following Cheerdance Competitions:
September 5 - 13th Milo Little Olympics
September 21 - Cebu City Alay Lakad
September 27 - SM City Cebu Super Moves
Thursday, September 25, 2008
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sol Eugenio - Dancer
I always mess up the steps, I always lag behind, the one who does not memorize all the moves and always makes mistakes. It is not that I am a bad dancer but it is just that I tend to innovate and create my own steps when I do not like the choreography. But that did not last long as later in high school I got the chance to create my own choreography. Of course I don’t mess up, and, I’m proud to say as my group always emerges as winners.
Yes, my dancing started from small beginnings, first was school dance contests, school presentations, then progressing barangay level contests where I pull off the winner’s trophy without any trouble. That early, I was still a teenager, I became a dance choreographer-dancer and (ehem) became known in that small sphere where I live in Caloocan. Well, shortly after, I had my break as a reliever of the Octoarts dancers. I was invited by one of my friends to fill in for one of their dancers who got sick.
Being a dancer ‘in-demand’, I decided to take my dancing to the next level. I mean, y’know learn something else… I realized, too, that I need to beef up as I am too lanky to be pro. So I studied further. I took ballet and jazz lessons at the Manila Metropolitan Theatre. I also studied Folk Dance and Contemporary ballet at the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. Still not content, I went on to hone my break-dancing skills with octo maneuvers. I went to one of their school camps where they hop from one school to another to teach break dancing.
From then on, I auditioned to different dance groups and eventually got the international dancerreputation. Wait up, it does not mean exactly as it sounds but figuratively means that I fill in for absentee dancers ‘across most’ dance groups that perform on TV. Believe me, I had the most airtime than most of the dancers – I dance with almost all the groups remember, and most of the time, somebody is absent! I have to learn all the dance steps at the backstage right before the show. Learning all the steps all at one is a challenge, but it also meant a larger margin for error, and of course, exposure. Besides from the fact that I fill in for most groups, I am always forced to ‘steal the show’ every time I’m left behind in the center stage. I recall there was this one time we were doing back up for Isabel Granada when my troop already went to another formation, so I have to do impromptu dancing to cover potential embarrassment. All my mates would say, “there goes Sol again, stealing the show” as it has happened many times.
Shortly later, I brought my dancing skills to Cebu when I applied as a summer dance teacher. I taught modern dance the whole summer of 1991 to kids. That stint however was short lived as I have to shift to ballroom dancing realizing that the dough was there. I was the first to open a ballroom dancing school in Cebu. I was not the only one who knows ballroom in the city, though I am the only one who know how to dance with those who have little or no experience in dancing. Technically and literally, I was Cebu’s first Dance Instructor, or I say I was forced to be one as all my clients bring me to their dances. Two years later in 1993, ballroom dancing became a hit that led to a surge in the number of dance instructors.
So, I moved base and went to Davao City where I continued to pursue my passion and eventually found my love. I wouldn’t tell about my love yet, I will tell the story of my passion first. I went on to teach ballroom dancing and again, became Davao City’s first ever DI.
Yes, I found my love in that city, the dance that captured my heart that I loved secretly for years. Meet my true dancing love, Argentine tango, the dance that captured my eyes from the moment I saw it on the movies and the television. And yes, secretly, I learned the steps by purchasing a step-by-step guide VHS tape. I secretly and passionately learned the art of Argentine tango, yearning that one day I will be able to share the dance floor with the people I saw on television.
Three years of Davao City dancing past then time to bring back my step to Cebu. In year 2000, dancesport is getting big abroad but there is no organization that brings dancers together. We (together with some friends) decided to found the Cebu City Dancesports Association. The creation of the association became elemental to the participation of the city in the international dancesport scene. Two dancesport couples, whom I have helped sponsor, were brought to Hong Kong and Singapore. They were the first Cebuano couple to compete internationally.
Plagued with controversies that was brought about by growing popularity of dancesports; I decided to lie low and later on realized that it is not for me. I have to pursue my love – Argentine tango. I searched for a partner and trained hard pursuing my dream of competing in the world tango competition. That was in 2001. Then came the Argentine Tango World Cup, it just seemed that it was destiny. I and my partner packed our dancing shoes and costumes headed to Hong Kong. It was euphoria, a dream realized to dance, brush elbows, and share light moments with the people I look up to, those whom I only see on the tapes where I learned the dance. I and my partner emerged as finalists in the first and only Argentine Tango World Cup ever held in Asia, it was simply exhilarating.
Exhilarating indeed, the greatest achievement I had as I reached the peak with my true love. At this point, I am still yearning for another world cup experience, only if they bring the competition back to Asia. Being the only couple in the country to compete, it is difficult to be sanctioned by the government to compete internationally so I just settled with the great memories I had. But I am not giving up hope; I still dance, passionately.
Yes, my dancing started from small beginnings, first was school dance contests, school presentations, then progressing barangay level contests where I pull off the winner’s trophy without any trouble. That early, I was still a teenager, I became a dance choreographer-dancer and (ehem) became known in that small sphere where I live in Caloocan. Well, shortly after, I had my break as a reliever of the Octoarts dancers. I was invited by one of my friends to fill in for one of their dancers who got sick.
Being a dancer ‘in-demand’, I decided to take my dancing to the next level. I mean, y’know learn something else… I realized, too, that I need to beef up as I am too lanky to be pro. So I studied further. I took ballet and jazz lessons at the Manila Metropolitan Theatre. I also studied Folk Dance and Contemporary ballet at the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. Still not content, I went on to hone my break-dancing skills with octo maneuvers. I went to one of their school camps where they hop from one school to another to teach break dancing.
From then on, I auditioned to different dance groups and eventually got the international dancerreputation. Wait up, it does not mean exactly as it sounds but figuratively means that I fill in for absentee dancers ‘across most’ dance groups that perform on TV. Believe me, I had the most airtime than most of the dancers – I dance with almost all the groups remember, and most of the time, somebody is absent! I have to learn all the dance steps at the backstage right before the show. Learning all the steps all at one is a challenge, but it also meant a larger margin for error, and of course, exposure. Besides from the fact that I fill in for most groups, I am always forced to ‘steal the show’ every time I’m left behind in the center stage. I recall there was this one time we were doing back up for Isabel Granada when my troop already went to another formation, so I have to do impromptu dancing to cover potential embarrassment. All my mates would say, “there goes Sol again, stealing the show” as it has happened many times.
Shortly later, I brought my dancing skills to Cebu when I applied as a summer dance teacher. I taught modern dance the whole summer of 1991 to kids. That stint however was short lived as I have to shift to ballroom dancing realizing that the dough was there. I was the first to open a ballroom dancing school in Cebu. I was not the only one who knows ballroom in the city, though I am the only one who know how to dance with those who have little or no experience in dancing. Technically and literally, I was Cebu’s first Dance Instructor, or I say I was forced to be one as all my clients bring me to their dances. Two years later in 1993, ballroom dancing became a hit that led to a surge in the number of dance instructors.
So, I moved base and went to Davao City where I continued to pursue my passion and eventually found my love. I wouldn’t tell about my love yet, I will tell the story of my passion first. I went on to teach ballroom dancing and again, became Davao City’s first ever DI.
Yes, I found my love in that city, the dance that captured my heart that I loved secretly for years. Meet my true dancing love, Argentine tango, the dance that captured my eyes from the moment I saw it on the movies and the television. And yes, secretly, I learned the steps by purchasing a step-by-step guide VHS tape. I secretly and passionately learned the art of Argentine tango, yearning that one day I will be able to share the dance floor with the people I saw on television.
Three years of Davao City dancing past then time to bring back my step to Cebu. In year 2000, dancesport is getting big abroad but there is no organization that brings dancers together. We (together with some friends) decided to found the Cebu City Dancesports Association. The creation of the association became elemental to the participation of the city in the international dancesport scene. Two dancesport couples, whom I have helped sponsor, were brought to Hong Kong and Singapore. They were the first Cebuano couple to compete internationally.
Plagued with controversies that was brought about by growing popularity of dancesports; I decided to lie low and later on realized that it is not for me. I have to pursue my love – Argentine tango. I searched for a partner and trained hard pursuing my dream of competing in the world tango competition. That was in 2001. Then came the Argentine Tango World Cup, it just seemed that it was destiny. I and my partner packed our dancing shoes and costumes headed to Hong Kong. It was euphoria, a dream realized to dance, brush elbows, and share light moments with the people I look up to, those whom I only see on the tapes where I learned the dance. I and my partner emerged as finalists in the first and only Argentine Tango World Cup ever held in Asia, it was simply exhilarating.
Exhilarating indeed, the greatest achievement I had as I reached the peak with my true love. At this point, I am still yearning for another world cup experience, only if they bring the competition back to Asia. Being the only couple in the country to compete, it is difficult to be sanctioned by the government to compete internationally so I just settled with the great memories I had. But I am not giving up hope; I still dance, passionately.
Sol Eugenio - Director
It was when Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo commended me of a stage play "Hayok sa Laman" I created way back in high school. He kept on telling me that time how good the play was, how ‘realistic’ it was, and the fact that it was written by a mere high school student. I was the scriptwriter, the director and as well as one of the main actors. As far as I could recall, it was a city-wide inter-school competition on Mayor Malonzo’s campaign against illegal drugs. That was the time I knew someday I will be directing shows that are bigger and grander than that school play.
Though we did not win the contest, I felt so proud that time after hearing comments that we ‘had the best performance’ however we ‘could not win’ because what we depicted ‘was too realistic’ that it appeared to be too heavy to watch for high school students. I remembered one of my lead actresses crying real tears matched with fake blood and life size toy guns – some of the audience commented it did not appear to be played by public school students. I considered it as my break and as well as turning point in my directing career, although I have been directing small school plays since I entered high school, I never handled something big like that – it was a realization and at the same time a beginning of something bigger.
You might wonder how I came up with such ideas. Well, partly, they popped out from thin air, while some I gathered in my exposure with showbizness – I was already part of a television dance group that time. My exposure in television, afternoon shows, variety shows and the local cinema reinforced the already creative mind I have. I knew that the break I had in high school would let me survive in one of my life’s escapades.
A few years later, I decided to apply at Cora Doloroso Career Centre to teach dance in their newly-opened branch in Cebu. I was sent to Cebu City in December of 1990.
During that time, the career center were busy conducting seminars and personality development training when I came up of an idea of incorporating entertainment with learning and development. And it turned out well, the participant loved the entertainment. From then on, the entertainment became a regular activity in every seminar. Not only did the entertainment become regular but me too as a director on the entire center’s produced shows. One of the mall shows that I directed during that time was the concert of the Cebu 14K young singers. It also became instrumental to my directing career as it has given me more confidence in handling and directing large mall shows. That was way back in 1992.
A year later, I brought my directing career in one of Mindanao’s hubs, in Davao City. There, I ventured into producing my own shows. Those were the days when Davao City had their regular gala fashion shows in the city. Rene Salud brought all his models, and Randy Ortiz too, brought Manila celebrities – all of these wowed the Davao crowd. That was 1994, the year when Sol Eugenio Productions was born.
But before those gala shows, were the beauty pageants and several regional model searches that were participated by Mindanao’s elite models. In Davao City, I had my breakthroughs with those shows.
Recalling 1996. Everything was supposed to go well in Davao however the country was hit by crisis that even event organizers like me felt the crunch. I said I have to move somewhere else where the events circuit still earns, or, at least earns. So, I decided to pack my bags and leave Davao behind to head back to Cebu.
In 1998, I created Sol Eugenio Management and Promotions Agency. Starting SEMPA, I found my niche handling corporate events management and promotions.
In 2002, I became active with business organizations like Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Rotary Club of Banilad Metro.
In 2003, I started working as a volunteer in the yearly staging of Sinulog Festival. This gave me a chance to experience how to organize the country's biggest fiesta celebration.
After more than a couple of decades directing; from school shows to beauty pageants, concerts, dance shows, model searches, corporate events, body painting and fashion shows, of course, I continually direct – I still work hand in hand with my cousin's J Eugenio Concepts as their in-house events director since 1998.
Among the shows I created for JEC were the controversial Bloodbath Party (a vampire party series), Tango Valentino (an Argentine Tango show) & Latino Festival (a Latin Dance show).
Though we did not win the contest, I felt so proud that time after hearing comments that we ‘had the best performance’ however we ‘could not win’ because what we depicted ‘was too realistic’ that it appeared to be too heavy to watch for high school students. I remembered one of my lead actresses crying real tears matched with fake blood and life size toy guns – some of the audience commented it did not appear to be played by public school students. I considered it as my break and as well as turning point in my directing career, although I have been directing small school plays since I entered high school, I never handled something big like that – it was a realization and at the same time a beginning of something bigger.
You might wonder how I came up with such ideas. Well, partly, they popped out from thin air, while some I gathered in my exposure with showbizness – I was already part of a television dance group that time. My exposure in television, afternoon shows, variety shows and the local cinema reinforced the already creative mind I have. I knew that the break I had in high school would let me survive in one of my life’s escapades.
A few years later, I decided to apply at Cora Doloroso Career Centre to teach dance in their newly-opened branch in Cebu. I was sent to Cebu City in December of 1990.
During that time, the career center were busy conducting seminars and personality development training when I came up of an idea of incorporating entertainment with learning and development. And it turned out well, the participant loved the entertainment. From then on, the entertainment became a regular activity in every seminar. Not only did the entertainment become regular but me too as a director on the entire center’s produced shows. One of the mall shows that I directed during that time was the concert of the Cebu 14K young singers. It also became instrumental to my directing career as it has given me more confidence in handling and directing large mall shows. That was way back in 1992.
A year later, I brought my directing career in one of Mindanao’s hubs, in Davao City. There, I ventured into producing my own shows. Those were the days when Davao City had their regular gala fashion shows in the city. Rene Salud brought all his models, and Randy Ortiz too, brought Manila celebrities – all of these wowed the Davao crowd. That was 1994, the year when Sol Eugenio Productions was born.
But before those gala shows, were the beauty pageants and several regional model searches that were participated by Mindanao’s elite models. In Davao City, I had my breakthroughs with those shows.
Recalling 1996. Everything was supposed to go well in Davao however the country was hit by crisis that even event organizers like me felt the crunch. I said I have to move somewhere else where the events circuit still earns, or, at least earns. So, I decided to pack my bags and leave Davao behind to head back to Cebu.
In 1998, I created Sol Eugenio Management and Promotions Agency. Starting SEMPA, I found my niche handling corporate events management and promotions.
In 2002, I became active with business organizations like Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Rotary Club of Banilad Metro.
In 2003, I started working as a volunteer in the yearly staging of Sinulog Festival. This gave me a chance to experience how to organize the country's biggest fiesta celebration.
After more than a couple of decades directing; from school shows to beauty pageants, concerts, dance shows, model searches, corporate events, body painting and fashion shows, of course, I continually direct – I still work hand in hand with my cousin's J Eugenio Concepts as their in-house events director since 1998.
Among the shows I created for JEC were the controversial Bloodbath Party (a vampire party series), Tango Valentino (an Argentine Tango show) & Latino Festival (a Latin Dance show).
Sol Eugenio - Diver
I knew that I love the ocean from the first time I boarded MV Don Juan to Bacolod City. I was rapt by the vastness of the ocean in front of me. The whole time I was on the boat with my grandma that summer sometime during my childhood, it was just all admiring of how beautiful the ocean is. It captured me.
That was the first time I was around such huge body of water because I was born on a mountainous part of Cainta and grew up in the mainland Luzon in San Fernando. I could not find the exact explanation why I love the water so much. I just knew that every time I’m around it or near it, it was kinda like having my dose of euphoria --- if I can call it that way.
I guess, since i was born under the sign of Pisces, maybe I was a fish in my past life (a mermaid maybe? hehehe). I can still recall the look of awe in my playmates’ eyes whenever I resurface from a supposedly deep end of a river with a handful of sand in my hand. I just feel comfortable underwater, may it be the sea, river, a lake or a waterfall. I just loved to dive and stay underwater; I secretly cherish the ecstasy that it brings, I don’t know how I do that though, but then again I do…really do…
Fishes too, I could remember how awed I was when my grandma brought me to one of the wet markets in Murcia. I was amazed by the variety of fish being sold in that market. It went on for three years; we travel back and forth from Manila to Bacolod until I was ten years old, each trip cherished to the fullest.
The ocean, the way I see it is a metaphor of my outlook in life, always restless, seeking adventure – just like water, never settling, and always flowing. That adventurous spirit brought me to the island of Cebu. “Wow! Cebu, island life, beaches everywhere!” I once told myself making plans of having some dose of thrill getting to such beautiful place. Then that was it! I spent half of my free time in the beaches of Mactan, basking under the sun, enjoying the water. Although I already had plans of diving, I did not have my first dive until five years later. During those times, it were only hopes that one day I will have enough money and time to afford a diving lesson in one of the dive schools.
And then that time came when all my dreams all fell into place, a week before Christmas of 1995 in the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Davao, I took my PADI Open Water and Advance Course. After a few months, I then took my PADI Rescue Diver Course and PADI Dive Master Course with dive shop apprenticeship at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort when I went back to Cebu. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete the dive master training due to my busy schedule.
In 2004, I finally became a certified PADI Dive Master at Plantation Bay Resort in Mactan Island.
I always find joy in sharing the beauty of the ocean. In many of my dives, I bring friends and other dive enthusiasts to my best kept secrets here in my home base and as well as the country's dive treasures. Having to work as a diveguide, I enjoyed the opportunity of sharing the beauty of the underwater and as well as building friendships to cherish. After all, the ocean is for everyone... there is no reason for me to keep others from enjoying its marvels.
For more than a decade of diving, I have been to almost all the top diving destination in the country, most especially to the holy grail of Philippine diving - the Tubbataha Reefs in 2006.
But my greatest diving accomplishment was to dive Palau in Micronesia. I swam with huge sharks, dived with manta rays and raced with dolphins in what was considered the ‘Mt. Everest’ of divers. Diving Palau in summer of 2005 was a very rewarding experience and a boost to my diving, however, it did not surpass the stoked feeling the first time I was immersed to the ocean on that first boat ride. I haven’t resurfaced yet from that beautiful moment I am feeling every time I am engulfed by water.
That was the first time I was around such huge body of water because I was born on a mountainous part of Cainta and grew up in the mainland Luzon in San Fernando. I could not find the exact explanation why I love the water so much. I just knew that every time I’m around it or near it, it was kinda like having my dose of euphoria --- if I can call it that way.
I guess, since i was born under the sign of Pisces, maybe I was a fish in my past life (a mermaid maybe? hehehe). I can still recall the look of awe in my playmates’ eyes whenever I resurface from a supposedly deep end of a river with a handful of sand in my hand. I just feel comfortable underwater, may it be the sea, river, a lake or a waterfall. I just loved to dive and stay underwater; I secretly cherish the ecstasy that it brings, I don’t know how I do that though, but then again I do…really do…
Fishes too, I could remember how awed I was when my grandma brought me to one of the wet markets in Murcia. I was amazed by the variety of fish being sold in that market. It went on for three years; we travel back and forth from Manila to Bacolod until I was ten years old, each trip cherished to the fullest.
The ocean, the way I see it is a metaphor of my outlook in life, always restless, seeking adventure – just like water, never settling, and always flowing. That adventurous spirit brought me to the island of Cebu. “Wow! Cebu, island life, beaches everywhere!” I once told myself making plans of having some dose of thrill getting to such beautiful place. Then that was it! I spent half of my free time in the beaches of Mactan, basking under the sun, enjoying the water. Although I already had plans of diving, I did not have my first dive until five years later. During those times, it were only hopes that one day I will have enough money and time to afford a diving lesson in one of the dive schools.
And then that time came when all my dreams all fell into place, a week before Christmas of 1995 in the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Davao, I took my PADI Open Water and Advance Course. After a few months, I then took my PADI Rescue Diver Course and PADI Dive Master Course with dive shop apprenticeship at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort when I went back to Cebu. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete the dive master training due to my busy schedule.
In 2004, I finally became a certified PADI Dive Master at Plantation Bay Resort in Mactan Island.
I always find joy in sharing the beauty of the ocean. In many of my dives, I bring friends and other dive enthusiasts to my best kept secrets here in my home base and as well as the country's dive treasures. Having to work as a diveguide, I enjoyed the opportunity of sharing the beauty of the underwater and as well as building friendships to cherish. After all, the ocean is for everyone... there is no reason for me to keep others from enjoying its marvels.
For more than a decade of diving, I have been to almost all the top diving destination in the country, most especially to the holy grail of Philippine diving - the Tubbataha Reefs in 2006.
But my greatest diving accomplishment was to dive Palau in Micronesia. I swam with huge sharks, dived with manta rays and raced with dolphins in what was considered the ‘Mt. Everest’ of divers. Diving Palau in summer of 2005 was a very rewarding experience and a boost to my diving, however, it did not surpass the stoked feeling the first time I was immersed to the ocean on that first boat ride. I haven’t resurfaced yet from that beautiful moment I am feeling every time I am engulfed by water.
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