MANILA, Philippines — “In first place, VPeepz!”
We have just made history by winning first place in the Junior Division of the International Dance League (IDL) in Seoul. The competition has quickly become one of the most talked-about dance events on social media, especially because of its unique sports-like format — the first professional-style dance league of its kind.
Although we competed in the Community Division rather than the Pro League, our victory holds a special place in Philippine dance history: we are the first Filipino team to win the division.
For a moment, it felt like everything stopped. Cheers filled the stage as we celebrated with one another. We huddled, hugged, cried, screamed and laughed, overwhelmed by the realization that we had actually done it.
But for a student-athlete like me, the performance is only the part that people get to see. When I asked Coach Chips what he wished people could see behind the stage, his answer was: “Hardships and discipline.”
Those two words capture a part of dance that audiences rarely see.
They see the final choreography, but not the effort it takes to learn it. They see synchronized movements, but not the countless repetition to make sure every detail is clear. They see the confidence onstage, but not the exhaustion, pain and silent battles that may come before it.
Being a dancer means being willing to continue even when things do not go according to plan.
Choreographies change. Blockings have to be adjusted. New skills have to be learned. Mistakes happen. Sometimes, despite hours of practice, something still does not look right.
And sometimes, you fail. But failure is not the end of the routine — it becomes another reason to practice.
There is also school — the stacked assignments, examinations to study for, group projects and responsibilities that do not stop simply because there is a competition coming up. Balancing both worlds has never been easy.
With VPeepz, I learned that improvement can come from doing the same eight-count over and over until it finally feels right. It is in doing a step even after getting it wrong, listening to a teammate’s correction, trying our best to learn a new skill, or staying focused when fatigue starts to take over.
It is also in having people beside you who understand what you are going through.
My teammates and I have experienced the same long practices and difficult days. Together, we have learned that being part of a team is not only about performing together. It is about supporting one another when someone struggles and celebrating every small improvement along the way.
That shared determination eventually brought us to Seoul, South Korea, where UPeepz and VPeepz competed in the IDL Seoul Series Community Division.
The winning moment and the final routine are what the audience sees. What is invisible is what happens before the final performance — the synchronized movements, the precise formations, the energy that fills the stage. Every movement has to be sharp. Every formation has to be precise. Every dancer has to know exactly where to be and when to be there. For a few minutes, the exhaustion disappears behind the music and the lights.
Winning the Junior Division at the IDL is a moment I will always remember. But the victory means so much more because of everything that came before it.
When our team was announced in first place, tears fell down my cheeks as I thought about the long practices, the early mornings, and the losses we went through in the past. All the times we questioned ourselves suddenly felt the opposite. Everything led to this moment — the world finally calling us champions.
It was not simply about bringing home an award from South Korea. It was about seeing the result of the discipline and perseverance that we had built through every training session.
It is easy to associate success with medals, trophies and winning competitions, but being a student-athlete has changed the way I define it.
There is the student rushing from school to practice. There is the choreographer revising their work for the 10th time. There is the teammate encouraging someone else while dealing with their own struggles. And there is the person who gets tired, makes mistakes, falls short and still decides to come back the next day.
My coach’s answer reminded me of something important — that success is the story behind every dancer on stage that the audience may never know.
And that for me is what makes the victory special.