THEIR JIVE: Teresita Portugalete and Reynaldo Susbilla Jr. share their passion for dance
Portugalete
THE names of Teresita Portugalete and Reynaldo Susbilla Jr. are very famous in the dance sports world. After all, the pair comes out the champion in almost all dance competition they join. In last year alone, they became champions in both the regional and national dance sports events of the Philippine Association of School Universities and Colleges (PASUC) and the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA). Their recent win was the Banaag Festival. They were also regularly featured in Bongga! Before their big breaks, they kept on winning in every village dance sports tilt.
Get to know more about the pair in this interview.
The News Today (TNT): How did you get involved in dance sports and what was the first dance you learned?
Teresita Portugalete (TP): It was only in college that I got involved with ballroom dancing because Rey and I are close friends. He taught me. At first, I felt awkward but when I started dancing and felt so free with them, I got hooked. I realized that ballroom dancing is better than any dance. And you can earn from it (laughs).
Susbilla
My first dance sport was cha-cha.
Reynaldo Susbilla (RS): It was during my third year in high school. Before, I was one of the members of Tribu Bola-Bola. Our choreographer was involved in dance sports and he opened an audition for ballroom dancing. So I auditioned. I was the first regional champion in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet (WVRAA). My first dance sport was cha-cha because it is the most basic.
TNT: What's your favorite dance and dance steps?
TP: I like pasa doble because it's really different from different dances. It has a strong characteristic. Also, I noticed that when we dance pasa doble, we win.
You must make all dance steps as your favorite so that you will excel.
TNT: Do you also work as a dance instructor and choreographer? What's your occupation now?
TP: Yes. I'm now teaching Physical Education in the St. Therese Colleges.
RS: Yes. I'm a PE teacher for elementary in Filipino American School Town.
TNT: Who designs your costumes?
TP: My partner is my designer and costume maker. I'll just sleep a bit and when I wake up, I already have a costume. So far, the costumes he has designed for me span two meters already.
RS: Me. I could easily design costumes on-the-spot (laughs).
TNT: Any dream competition?
TP and RS: Of course, international dance competitions. And "You Can Dance" maybe next year.
TNT: What do you want to see in the Iloilo dance scene in the future?
TP: For dance steps to improve, especially dance sports. Although this is a recreational activity and it is expensive, it is still a good form of exercise. This is one area you can look cute all the time yet still focus on fitness.
RS: Just like the dances that you see in the movies. And the concept of "You Can Dance."
TNT: What's your beauty, health and fitness regimen?
TP: I usually put cream. We wear makeup everyday, so I have to take care of my face with cream and sunblock. As for fitness, I'm a gym instructress every summer.
Before, I'm not really particular with the food I'm eating. But after I was hospitalized for several weeks, I learned to eat vegetables.
RS: Exercise, being a PE teacher in PAST.
TNT: Do you ever experience accidents in dancing?
TP: Yes. I love lifting so much. I'm the one you always throw and who does the back dive. I was a cheerleader before getting into ballroom dancing. Anyway, there are times that I fell on my head, or my boobs go first or my butt. People can't appreciate you if you don't go through these things. You need to experience these accidents before you learn a lot.
TNT: What's your most unforgettable experience in dancing?
TP: When my strap got cut while dancing, so I had to hold it with my teeth. I continued dancing with my teeth holding the strap.
RS: Yes, that one (laughs). And one time, Teresita was dancing and could no longer see. Her eyes were wide awake but she could not see me, so I was like a dance instructor all throughout the dance, guiding her. It was due to fatigue because we lacked sleep after several tapings.
TP: I also remember during college. We would stay up for dance competitions. Still all made up and sleepy in the wee hours of the morning, we would ride on top of a jeepney filled with vegetables. Then, we would proceed to the school and doze off in the middle of the lectures (laughs).
TNT: What's common with you two? Why do you click?
TP: Almost everything is common. We’ve been partners for five years.
TNT: What dance best describes your pair?
TP: Jive. We jive all the time.