From awkward starts to strong chemistry in ‘Stars on the Floor 2026’

The pressure and the competition on “Stars on The Floor” Season 2 are now over. Sugar Mercado and Hori7on Jeromy were named the Ultimate Dance Star Duo.

Prior to the final dance battle, we had the chance to get updates from the Dance Stars who shared their journey and experiences, especially in learning new techniques with their partners.

From hip-hop, jazz and contemporary to dancesport styles, and even breaking and dancehall, the Dance Stars reflected on the most challenging styles they had to learn from scratch.

For P-pop Dance Star 1st.One Joker, it was cha-cha-cha. “Kasi wala akong idea kung paano siya gawin, and then, ang nakaka-pressure pa doon, ‘yun ‘yung first episode namin sa ‘Stars on the Floor’ — nag-cha-cha-cha ako agad, kami ni Ate Jas (Jasmine Curtis-Smith).”

For KAIA Sophia, the hardest was the “hip-hop contemporary” routine. Even as an experienced, competitive dancer and a “World of Dance” contender, she still faced challenges upon joining “Stars On The Floor.”

She was used to Gen Z trends with simple routines and small steps. Sophia shared, “With contemporary, it requires raw emotion, connection with your partner, and floor work, and high jumps, extreme lifts. Of course, high stakes na ‘yon, and kailangan nating panindigan ‘yung choreography. So, out of my comfort zone talaga siya, space-wise and capability-wise. Super hirap, it was really a struggle.”

Hori7on Jeromy also found contemporary the most challenging, especially with technical fusion. Coming from an urban street dance background, he was used to sharp, grounded moves, while contemporary demanded fluid lines, flexibility and an emotional vulnerability.

“The transition from fast syncopation to sustained extensions felt like learning a completely different language with my body. It was physically punishing but incredibly rewarding,” he added.

Jasmine Curtis-Smith and 1st.One Joker bring a light, positive dynamic to ‘Stars on the Floor 2026,’ with Joker helping Jasmine see her strengths and areas to improve.

For the grand finale, some of the Dance Star Duos chose to stick to dance styles they had already mastered, while others introduced complex routines to give audiences a performance that they wouldn’t want to miss.

At the time of this interview, Jasmine Curtis-Smith shared that she had yet to master the dance style they wanted to showcase, which was contemporary.

“I’m hoping the way I execute contemporary for this final piece will be as good as all the other executions that I’ve done, if not better.”

Sticking to the routine that they had already mastered was something Chanty was looking forward to doing for the finale, giving them the edge in the competition.

“We’re planning to stick to something that we are confident of, but at the same time, incorporating something new and na parang hindi pa nakikita from Jao and Chanty.”

Paul Salas, on the other hand, shared that they were preparing both mastered styles and new routines.

“Actually, both. Kasi meron din kaming nag-stick sa mga kung saan kami nag-enjoy na style. Tapos, gusto pa rin naming may makitang bago ‘yung judges and ‘yung mga tao, so andoon kami sa risk na may bago pa rin na gagawin, lalo na kay Denise.”

Talking about doing the finale with a partner made this dance battle even more exciting. The duo built over time a partnership without tension, which became the foundation for Chanty and ALAMAT Jao. They engaged in smooth discussions to improve their performances throughout their rehearsals, developing chemistry that enhanced each style.

For Jao, “I think we’re like twins now. Because we vibe at the same wavelength. When physical exhaustion sets in, ang iniisip nalang namin is one down, a few more to go! We like to take it one step at a time.”

Chanty and ALAMAT Jao say their ‘Stars on the Floor 2026’ partnership clicks because they now ‘vibe at the same wavelength.’

When pressure rose and tension came in, the only way for Jasmine and 1st.One Joker was to slow things down and remind each other their capacity to dance.

From the very first episode, 1st.One Joker already felt that Jasmine would be his permanent partner, where he sensed they had already found common ground.

“Na-develop ‘yung vibe namin na positive and sobrang light lang ‘pag nagte-training.”

For her part, Jasmine shared that they paced themselves, explaining, “Ang maganda sa kanya is, as a partner, he reminds me din kung ano ‘yung strengths, ano ‘yung weaknesses ko, what we need to improve, sasamahan niya ako to do it.”

Keeping the mood light served as the motivation for Rocco Nacio and KAIA Sophia in building their dynamic duo. What started as standard work partners — very professional, very calculated — turned into a competitive collaboration over time.

“Ngayon, text messages or eye contact na lang, alam na namin kung pagod ‘yung isa o kung may choreography adjustment. Backstage, we play TikTok trends, review food vlogs and remind each other that we’re performing for the experience and the audience, and not just for the score sheet of the judges,” Sophia shared.

As for Sugar and Hori7on Jeromy, their partnership had evolved from polite coordination to complete, unspoken trust. “In the beginning, we were constantly verbalizing every count and adjustment. Now, we can feel each other’s weight placement and momentum shifts instantly.

“When exhaustion sets in, we motivate each other through humor and a shared playlist that keeps the energy high. We also have a rule: if one of us drops in energy, the other doubles theirs to pull them back up. It’s a true sister-brother bond now.”

Rocco Nacino and KAIA Sophia say their ‘Stars on the Floor 2026’ partnership has become so instinctive that texts and eye contact are enough during rehearsals.

Paul revealed that his partnership with CALISTA Denise had a very rocky start; initially, they lacked connection and neither wanted to be paired together.

“Noong una kasi medyo ilang talaga — walang ka-connect-connection at all. But ngayon nakita ko kung bakit bigla lang naming na-feel na kami ‘yung mag-partner,” he said.

“Siguro, nagkaroon lang kami ng respeto sa isa’t isa sa mga space namin.”

Denise, on the other hand, described her partner as resilient, noting how Paul always pushed through despite challenges. This helped them communicate better and build trust.

“Our bond became stronger, and we motivate each other by reminding ourselves why we started,” she said.

From being part of a Sunday habit to becoming influential in aspiring dancers, the Dance Star Duos shared their messages of encouragement.

Denise mentioned, “Keep believing in yourself, stay consistent and never stop dancing.”

For 1st.One Joker, “First, don’t be scared. Kung gusto mo, may paraan. Gawin mo lang lahat ng gusto mo. And lahat ng bagay pwedeng matutunan, basta maging humble lang tayo and mag-take tayo ng dance class or whatever we want to do. Include patience and let’s learn to help other people.”

As someone who did not begin with a dancing career but started young in the industry, Chanty shared that when you want to do something, you should go for it and not overthink. “Don’t overthink it. Just let your practice show your improvements, and enjoy it. Kasi ‘yun lang talaga ‘yung pinaka-important doon — that you love what you do.”

KAIA Sophia, who experienced the intensity of actual training and as the main dancer of the P-pop group KAIA encouraged aspiring dancers to sign up for classes, commit to basic training and ignore the digital pressure of being perfect immediately.

“For the young dreamers and aspiring Pinoy dancers: screen time is great, digital content creation is fun, but don’t be afraid to take up actual space on the dance floor. Art takes time, and your body is the ultimate medium. Just start, the floor is yours,” she said.

Paul Salas and CALISTA Denise say their ‘Stars on the Floor 2026’ teamup survived a rocky start through respect, communication and trust.

Embracing the discomfort of being a beginner is Hori7on Jeromy’s simple advice.

“Don’t just stick to what looks good on social media videos; learn the foundations, take classes in genres that intimidate you, and understand that every stumble is just data for your growth. The Philippine dance scene is incredibly rich, and the only limit is your willingness to fail in order to get better. Keep moving, keep sweating,” he said.

For Paul, learning the art of dancing is never too late. It’s never too late to learn different dance styles no matter what age you are. You can still learn breakdance, contemporary, hip-hop — something he learned upon joining “Stars on The Floor.”

“Kasi ako nung bata, first love ko ‘yan eh — pagsasayaw, dahil nga nasa family of dancers ako. Tatay ko, Universal Motion Dancers; tito ko, sila Tito Dong, Tito Art, Abstract,” he said.

“So nasa family na ako ng ganoon, medyo... iniwasan ko siya, tinakbuhan ko dahil akala ko hindi siya for me. Takot lang pala ako na parang makita ng mga tao ‘yung talagang pagmamahal ko sa sayaw.”

Jasmine, on the other hand, encourages anyone who wants to learn dancing to go for it, because aside from the skills, one can also gain a family and a community.

She said, “Go niyo na ‘yan kasi ako, hindi naman ako dancer, frustration ko lang talaga ‘to in life. But I believe that everything can be taught and learned, and everything with patience will become better and improve.”

Known for his acting craft, Rocco shared how one can learn dancing through failures and still persevere.

“Don’t hold back and keep failing to improve. Embrace failure because it is through failures we learn to pick ourselves up and find out what to improve and achieve our goals in the end,” he shared.

Win or lose, the duos already planned their celebrations and expressed gratitude to the production team, choreographers and viewers. Jasmine highlighted the pride in the cast’s resilience, while Sophia, Chanty and Jao look forward to celebrating with the crew. Paul dreams of a 24-hour cheat meal, 12 hours of sleep and a massive Filipino boodle fight with his team.