Baila! blows out its first candle

There was a recent surge of energy in Ayala Alabang when a tremendous gathering of performers fired up the stage at the De La Salle Zobel’s Lina Theatre. Over 70 pairs of eager feet darted on and off the stage during the two-hour spectacle, which marked almost a year of great fun and tireless hard work at the neighborhood’s Baila! Universal Dance & Fitness Studio. "Baila! Goes Hollywood," made possible through the partnerships of Philstar.com, Ayala Land’s Westgrove Heights, Asia Speedy, Avon Cosmetics, and De La Salle Zobel, presented a stunning array of dances inspired by popular movie themes such as Die Another Day, Mambo Kings and Charlie’s Angels. The show highlighted a colorful array of traditional and contemporary schools of dance, from ballet and jazz to bellydancing, street jazz, cardio, striptease, and nia (which is being offered for the first time in the Philippines and only at Baila!) Looking at the size and diversity of classes represented in the show, it’s interesting to find out where all these students went to sharpen their kicks, pirouettes, turns and hip shimmies. Baila! occupies a modest, well-designed corner on the second floor of the Southgate building in Madrigal Business Park, right outside Ayala Alabang’s residential area. Opened on October 17, 2003, it currently trains about 220 students aged 5 to 65 under the guidance of 11 veteran instructors from Adrenaline, Whiplash, Powerdance, Hotlegs, and other professional dance groups.

Members of the team that conceptualized and established Baila! are just as diverse in their backgrounds as the classes in the studio’s list of offerings. Corporate secretary Jackie Verano and director Junoy Verano are lawyers, one of whom was initially trained in chemical engineering. Another is a college accounting professor presently pursuing a law degree. The group also includes a travel agency vice president, a professional choreographer, and a mother of three. The other persons behind Baila! are Tina Hilado-Cabuñag, president; Jennie Verano, VP for marketing; and Lala Dinglasan, VP for operations. What tied this assorted bunch together was their love for dance and the benefits of a life touched by dance. Only half of them teach a class themselves (Lala Dinglasan, bellydancing; Jennie Verano, Decades and Jackie Verano, Nia), but they all enjoy a good booty-shaking as much as the next person. Close to a year ago – over pizza and chit chat – the partners decided to share this passion for dance beyond their circle of friends. And that is how Baila! was born. Baila! president Tina Hilado-Cabuñag asserts that it is through dance that people find self-expression, relaxation, strength and self-confidence – "tools that can come in handy in life, not only on the dance floor."