‘It’s good to dance for the Sto. Niño’

Eight-year-old Pia Nueva proved that size doesn’t matter in reaping victory.

The smallest and youngest dancer of this year’s grand champion Tribu Lingganay, Nueva’s smile and quirky personality stood out in their performance in the Free Interpretation (FI) category of the Sinulog Grand Parade.

“It’s really fun, and I look forward to dancing for Sinulog again next year,” a smiling Nueva told Cebu Daily News, after their repeat performance during the awarding in the Cebu City Sports Center last Monday.

The grade 2 student was one of the dancers of Tribu Lingganay of Alang-alang, Leyte, a first-timer and the Free Interpretation grand prize winner.

“My mother encouraged me to join. She said that it’s good to dance for the Sto. Niño,” she said.

Nueva was accompanied by her mother Mea in coming to Cebu.

She said that travelling to Cebu, which she considers a “big city,” made her excited.

When asked what her unforgettable experience is in joining Sinulog, Nueva said that she was surprised because many people came to watch them in the Cebu City Sports Center.

The huge crowd made her nervous before they danced, she said.

Nueva said they started practicing since November and would stay up late at night to master the choreography.

“It was tiring, but fun at the same time, because my playtime is extended during practices,” she said.

The smooth, fluid choreography of the group was key to their first-prize win, though newcomers in Cebu’s Sinulog Grand Parade.

The group’s 400 dancers portrayed a community rising from a flash flood.

The theme on the environment and the “fresh” moves impressed the judges, said Nestor Jardin, chairman of the panel of judges in the Free Interpretation category.