The changing face of dancing for TV

MANILA, Philippines — Years before YouTube made dancers of almost everyone, Georcelle Dapat-Sy was traveling all over the world to bring home DVDs of the best dance moves she could find. She reveled in dances that glorified the body’s ability to speak a language of its own.

The entertainment  industry rewarded her generously. At 14, she gave her all as part of the Adrenalin dance group, a constant presence in ABS-CBN’s defunct "The Sharon Cuneta Show." At 16,  when most girls dream of  crushes and outings with friends, and no one would trust them with a dance number of their own, Georcelle was choreographing production numbers.

Even back then, Georcelle – now  a mentor to choreogaphers of stars like Sarah Geronimo, Maja  Salvador, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Kathryn Bernardo, and others – was, and is   different. She has talent, dedication and drive. She worked with the best choreographers.  But she is humble enough to know when old systems do not work and she must change her ways to follow new trends.

“Times have changed,” she observes.  “People have become visual learners because of YouTube. That’s why they learn faster.”

So, she now includes the ‘show me’ teaching style. While this seems great at the outset, faster learning comes with a price. To Georcelle, the downside is retaining what you learned. As they say, "It’s easy come, easy go."

This is the last thing Georcelle wants for her students. So, she gives them leeway to craft their own moves, lets them fail, and picks them up each time they fall.

“I used to think that the best way to teach dancers is by dictating them about what to do,” she says.  “Now, I know that it’s leading from behind.”

Decades of dancing also taught Georcelle that her craft thrives on numbers and teamwork these days. The age of soloist dancers has given way to group numbers that can do the job of a solo performance. But there is still no substitute for originality.

“You should try everything, but stick to your style. Care to create something that’s timeless.”

The founder of the G-Force dance company is sharing this mindset, and many years worth of experience, through the G-Force Project, which trains aspiring dancers. This summer,  Georcelle’s studio at the penthouse of Il Terrazzo in Tomas Morato, Quezon City buzzes with more activity, as dance exercises and executions await summer workshoppers. To make it easier for anyone to pick their dance session, she came up with a Dance Your Dream app, which lets students choose classes and schedules.

Her students understand Georcelle when she says  there is more to dancing than meets the eye. “Our happy hormones multiply when we dance. The nice thing about G-Force is that it’s team-building. Kids learn how to work well with others.”

Geocelle thinks this kind of training is priceless in an age of selfies and a me-first culture that threatens to rob young people of the joy that comes from give and take. This spirit of giving back is what powers a grand dance concert G-Force is mounting in May, a month when the world sets aside a special day for moms. Georcelle is donating proceeds of the show to Make Your Nanay Proud, an organization that aims to gather those who love their moms and encourage them to do activities that would make them proud.

It is this spirit of sharing – time, talent and treasure – that has made Georcelle carve a niche in the competitive world of TV dancing. It is the same spirit that will let her and G-Force hurdle bigger challenges as a 10-year-old company devoted to making the body an instrument of artistry and grace.

WATCH: Sarah Geronimo and G-Force showdown YouTube/Viva Entertainment

G-Force: Dancing, dreaming at 10

Premier dance group-cum-dance company G-Force continues to dance and dream on its 10th year, now with its very own app, a self-help and semi-autobiographical book, and a big dance concert coming soon.

With the theme “Dance Your Dream,” G-Force launches its Summer Dance Workshop to share the knowledge and skill for first-rate dancing routine. Students, regardless of age, will experience intensive training worked out through fun dance exercises and executions. The workshop enrollees will perform in a highly entertaining concert for the grand finale at the Mall of Asia Arena in May.

The G-Force app makes it easier for aspiring students to choose classes and schedules; while the book, written by dance guru and G-Force creator and creative director herself, Teacher Georcelle Dapat Sy (T. G), is about “important learnings on and off stage.” It tells the success story of the famed dance choreographer anchored on the impact of G-Force as a team of dancers created through high-level artistry and professionalism.

“Over the years, you get to know what you want in life. I have become myself because I chose it to be. I want to promote and preserve quality dancing on TV and I believe that has been the impact of G-Force over the years. We hope to continue this tradition of excellence and fun through the art of beautiful and graceful body movements complementing whatever music at hand,” shares the highly respected T. G.

In 2005, G-Force started being part of the "ASAP" Sunday show on ABS-CBN, and was quickly known as a reliable troupe for engaging dance showcase on free TV. In 2007, T. G formalized the G-Force Project that now effectively serves as a training ground for dance aspirants.

G-Force performs in many places, as far as the United Arab Emirates, where it entertains Filipinos and foreign crowds. The G-Force’s dance school, “G-Force Dance Center,” is the home of celebrity choreographers and dance talents who are considered stars of the craft.

T.G and her expert dance choreographers urge those with dreams of achieving brilliance in the art of dancing to “dance their talk.”

“In embracing the art of dancing, you should try everything and then stick to your style. Care to create something that’s timeless,” T.G says.

“It’s heartfelt to dream, it’s wise to dance with it,” ends the dance guru.

WATCH: Georcelle Dapat-Sy and son rehearsing for G-Force 10th anniversary project