Filipino dancesport duo working on helping the sport grow

MANILA, Philippines – International competitive dancers Judith Anne Melencio and Dave Alimagno have reinforced their partnership on the dance floor and are hoping to share their vast experience and knowledge to the grassroots level.

An accomplished dance athlete, the 33-year-old Melencio is confident that more Filipino competitive dancers will emerge in the years to come. She added that she and her 40-year-old partner Alimagno will do their best in terms of helping the sport grow in the country.

“We are teaching students in nearby provinces and different schools in Bulacan. We have seen a lot of potential student couples, and we're doing our best to develop them to excel," Melencio said, adding that Alimagno is also happy to continue their teaching in their own hometown of Bulacan.

“We are originally partners in the Standard Ballroom Discipline representing the Philippines in all places — internationally and locally. We just agreed to continue our teaching to help all aspiring student couples who want to strive in this sports particularly from Bulacan," she added.

Alimagno and Melencio have been partners in various national competitions in the Philippines for so long, winning various titles. 

Alimagno is a national competitor from the Philippines and Singapore, while Melencio is a certified dance athlete since her teenage years. Their partnership has been widely acknowledged in the Blackpool Dance Festival in the Rising Star Ballroom Competition.

The two are also recognized in the Amateur Ballroom Competition.

"We are very thankful to international dance organizers for acknowledging us," said Melencio, who is also the top amateur finalist in the National Dancesports Competition in the International Standard Category in Metro Manila and Singapore with Alimagno.

Melencio and Alimagno are also among the top coaches in the Philippines in the Ballroom Standard and International Latin categories.