Arzen Rose Dulzura

Gela Atayde and Ken San Jose on turning “Time To Dance” into an advocacy

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

Gela Atayde sees dancing as not only a passion, but an advocacy. She cares about the local dance community and feels that it doesn’t get the recognition it truly deserves. &quot;It&#x27;s frustrating how parang hindi masaydong kinikilala ‘yung community. It&#x27;s very underrated,&quot; she said. The Philippines is known globally for its powerhouse singers, but Gela wants people to see that Pinoy dancers are just as world-class.  Thus, she finds so much fulfillment in hosting the dance survival reality show &quot;<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/timetodance">Time To Dance</a>,&quot; which is a platform that shines a spotlight on Filipino dancers and helps solidify their community.  What makes it even more meaningful is how it also highlights the dance contenders’ personal stories—their struggles, motivations, and passion. Some participants even see the show as their shot at redeeming their dance careers. Gela understands that viewers might react as to why “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/timetodance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Time To Dance</a>” also tackles the contestants&#x27; background. But for her, it’s not about adding drama or seeking sympathy—it’s about showing the real journey of a dancer. Most of the contenders have faced challenges, whether it’s family disapproval, financial limitations, or injuries, and these experiences are an important part of what makes their path unique.  &quot;Hindi sa nagpapaawa kami, but it&#x27;s real. It&#x27;s just the circumstances of these people, put them together, and mga nangangarap sila na dancers na my gustong patunayan,&quot; she explained in an episode of Kapamilya Chat. &quot;It&#x27;s super heartwarming.&quot;  Gela&#x27;s deep love and compassion for the dance community come from her roots in group-based dancing. She’s always seen dance as a collective effort rather than an individual spotlight, &quot;Hindi ako sanay na may isa lang na magsa-stand out. I think gano&#x27;n po ako as person, gusto ko na sabay-sabay tayong aangat.&quot; In fact, when she competed internationally with her crew &quot;Legit Status&quot; in the World Hip Hop Dance Championship, she made an effort to help those in her team who almost couldn’t join due to financial constraints.  &quot;That’s why every episode ng &#x27;Time To Dance&#x27; umiiyak ako kasi naa-attach talaga ako sa mga dance contenders kasi I see them as my teammates.&quot; She added, &quot;It&#x27;s just always been in me na gusto ko talagang makatulong in general.&quot;  &quot;Time To Dance&quot; judge Ken San Jose couldn’t agree more, vouching for his friend&#x27;s team-player mindset. Ken, a World of Dance Philippines alumnus, was more of a solo dancer for most of his career. But if there’s one person who made him realize that dance is also about teamwork, it’s Gela, especially when they’d perform together on &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/asap">ASAP</a>.&quot; In turn, Gela also learn a lot from Ken, particularly the more creative, expressive side of dancing that’s often felt more in solo performances than in group routines. &quot;The downside of competitive dancing is that we&#x27;re strict with lines, with this and that, kailangan may sundan,&quot; she explained. &quot;But Ken is more of like, &#x27;Do your thing. It&#x27;s really an art form.&#x27; Mas nacha-challenge ako kay Ken, and we have this conversations a lot.&quot;  She’s always been a fan of Ken’s talent and she used to watch his performances on YouTube. So in a way, she’s been following his journey as a dancer. &quot;I&#x27;ve always had so much respect for him and I feel like he wasn&#x27;t just given enough opportunities to be out there para mas makilala siya, so parang this is such a  good way for him to finally be known and make a comeback,&quot; Gela expressed, adding that she’s beyond proud of him. They only officially met last year, but they gelled right away, thanks to their shared love for dancing.  And while Gela and Ken have their differences in technique, style, and overall approach—Gela being more of a group performer and Ken used to dancing solo—they both agree that, at the end of the day, the dance community shares one goal, which is to give their best on stage and pursue their passion. Meanwhile, Ken couldn’t be more grateful to be part of the &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/timetodance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Time To Dance</a>&quot; council, which mentors and assesses the contenders. He owns up to the pressure, especially since he’s working alongside industry veterans like Vimi Rivera, who’s recognized globally for his skills. Ken didn’t expect to be selected as a judge at all, considering he’s still young and sometimes even younger than some of the contestants. But he’s embracing the role and making the most of the experience, &quot;I really feel like the show has helped me grow in a lot of ways in learning how to be a leader to other.” When asked if they’re still open to joining competitions, Ken responded with excitement, saying he’s totally up for it since he hasn’t had much experience in group contests. Gela, on the other hand, has already competed with her crew, so she wants to explore other things now, like hosting and acting. But that doesn’t mean she’s completely closing the door.  Having experienced both wins and losses in their careers, Gela and Ken offered some advice for those who struggle with defeat, emphasizing that the journey matters more than the result. As Ken put it, &quot;Of course, lahat tayo, we want to win. We want to get that gold or first place, pero I think in order to get something talaga, you need to find the joy in the process, the joy in the growth.&quot;  Meanwhile, Gela’s best advice is to never set expectations too high to avoid disappointment. &quot;Every competition you join is just another step to your growth, that&#x27;s the mindset. You do it because you love what you&#x27;re doing and you want to be able to inspire because you inspire yourself.&quot; For her, just being able to express yourself and give your all on stage is already a huge win. When asked about the debate between TikTok dancers and &quot;real&quot; dancers, Gela took a moment to carefully analyze the thought before sharing her perspective. She understands why the comparison exists, especially since competitive dancers go through years of rigorous training.  She explained that professional dancers go through structured lessons on techniques and fundamentals, whereas TikTok dancing leans more toward aesthetics and trends. Ken echoed this sentiment, &quot;There&#x27;s so much technicalities that comes with learning the actual art of dance, so I think that&#x27;s what would really separate a &#x27;real&#x27; dancer versus a TikTok dancer. I&#x27;m not saying they&#x27;re not dancers pero there&#x27;s a difference between a dancer who actually trains with the technicalities and the art form.&quot; That said, Gela also acknowledged how TikTok has evolved, especially now that more trained dancers are creating choreography as content. And for her, it’s actually a positive thing, &quot;It&#x27;s nice to see that dance is also evolving because of that. Ang dami na rin tao sa TikTok who want to learn how to dance.&quot; Catch &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/timetodance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Time To Dance</a>,&quot; every Saturday, at 8:30 pm, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online, and A2Z.

Gela and Ken talk about uplifting the Filipino dance community through "Time To Dance."

Gela and Ken talk about uplifting the Filipino dance community through "Time To Dance."