Manila, Philippines - “I think we got a higher score from the jury,” explains group leader Jayson Caro of Dancing is Fun’s surprise win over the veteran Cercado Sisters on TV5’s Talentadong Pinoy Make It Or Break It wild card edition last night.
“Our score in the showdown also helped a lot because 30 percent of the total score came from that round,” he adds. “We were really nervous after the Cercado Sisters performed. That’s why we worked doubly hard and gave everything in the second round.”
The six-member dance group from Catarman, Northern Samar, edged out the bemedalled World Championships of the Performing Arts vocal group by a slim advantage of .02. Dancing is Fun secured the third slot in the Talentadong Pinoy Battle of the Hall of Famers. Excel, Sor and Tasmania also participated in the special episode. The talent scouts were direk Joey Reyes, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Alice Dixson and Mr. Fu.
Jayson relates that he and fellow dancers Ma. Carizza Mananguite, Elmarie Ramilo, Christian Mananguite, RM Venus Galban and Miko Mora traveled all the way from Catarman for the show’s SM Fairview audition. With their passion for dancing, Dancing is Fun eventually passed the preliminary screening and won for six consecutive weeks. Dancing is Fun, however, made an exit first week of June when a new winner was proclaimed. They left Talentadong Pinoy with a total winnings of P300,000.
“We plan to make our future performance more exciting,” replies Jayson when asked about Dancing is Fun’s possible routine for the grand finals. “We will do new stunts. We do not only do ballroom dance. We also dance modern jazz and hip-hop. Me and my partner do contemporary jazz. (She) could also teach the kids new steps.”
Did they expect to be called back for the wild card edition?
“Yes, we did,” answers Jayson. “Based on what we had heard, we had a chance. But we had no idea which act would win since the Cercado Sisters and the other contestants performed well. It was difficult to predict the winner.”
Aside from the trophy, Dancing is Fun brought home P75,000. A portion of it will be used for the group’s next competition covering choreographer’s fee while some part goes to kids’ education. Jayson assures that the money is equally divided among themselves.
“It is never hard to work with them,” says Jayson. “The kids are interested to learn. They persevere to study new steps. And they do make an effort.”
The five Make It Or Break It finalists competed in two rounds: Individual Performance and Face-to-Face Showdown. The talent scouts and the jury graded each act and their combined scores determined the evening’s winner.
The Cercado Sisters topped the first round by receiving random scores of 100-99-100-94 from the celebrity scouts. Came second was Dancing is Fun with 98-98-88-95 score card. Sor and the Cercado Sisters gave a solid vocal performance in the showdown. Sor soared high with her rendition of the Christina Aguilera hit, Beautiful. The Cercado Sisters exuded stage control and confidence. Dancing is Fun, on the other hand, worked well on the dance floor and charmed everyone with the members’ gracefulness.
Although their scores were not disclosed, one could suspect that members of the jury scored Dancing is Fun a bit higher than the Cercado Sisters. It changed the course of the game. Talentadong Pinoy’s wild card edition was indeed a battle of the champions. Viewers have to give it to the Cercado Sisters who gave a world-class stamp on the show. The studio audience even rooted for them till the end. It was a great show as if one were watching a season finale. The Make It Or Break It episode was a preview of what the TV5 talent contest could offer in the grand finals. The special edition deserves a mention on Talentadong Pinoy book.