Last December, I decided to spend Christmas with my sisters in Dubai together with my then-boyfriend-now fiancé, Oliver. It's always a good time when I'm with my older sister Sunshine. She's been residing there for 11 years and started a brand digital consultancy agency and a multi-media content creation company together with her husband, which explains the photo below. My younger sister Czarina also just recently moved to Dubai for work so it was the perfect time to go visit again. This is what happens when you put 3 sisters who love to play dress up and a bro-in-law who loves doing videogr ..read more

  If a picture paints a thousand words, a video creates a million times more.  If you like this post, don't forget to   ..read more

Now you won't have any excuse, this workout is time-efficient and doesn't need any equipment except yourself! Just find a good spot to do these floor exercises (optional yoga mat if you need a bit more comfort) and you're on your way to a firm and flat stomach. Do each for 30 seconds. If you still have some more energy (yes you do!) add the single leg planks I did on this blog post to have a complete 5 minute workout. Enjoy guys and please don't forget to leave a comment below. x  If you like this post, don't forget to   ..read more

Boracay has always had a special place in my heart. A place where I've constantly come back to during term breaks back in college. In a country where you are spoilt for choice with all the stunning beaches that abound, Boracay still stands out with its white sand so fine it feels like baby powder on your toes. Being a beach baby, I couldn't have been happier when I was invited to judge the 6th Philippine Summer Ball in April 14 - 18, 2016. What better way to spend my summer than working at the beach and combining two of my favorite things in the world: DANCE and SEA. Luckily, my dance god ..read more

  Reposting this video as I have related so much to this on my own principles in teaching and judging.  This is a lecture at the BDF International Dance Congress in London by one of my teachers - Espen Salberg. This explains so much the guiding principle I use in my own teaching: 'Function over Form'. I am not against artistic interpretation and in fact enjoy unique choreography. I am amazed at creative minds that can come up with the most unusual combination of variations from BASIC STEPS. I believe there should be a good base of understanding the Latin Dances in order to create ama ..read more

Part of being a ballroom and latin dance teacher means I get to work in an area of this industry that is less appreciated but brings me so much fulfillment. The wedding dance is the ultimate expression of love. It is a new couple's first introduction to society, and their first dance is the beginning of a couple’s teamwork and dedication towards each other as they start their life journey together.   I enjoy helping couples take this exciting first step for three big reasons: I’m a hopeless romantic. I'm a romantic. I've probably watched Titanic and The Notebook a thousand times - and ye ..read more

  Core strength is very important to dancers in order to maintain proper posture and balance all throughout a performance. Here are 10 moves that I normally incorporate into my ab exercises to keep it interesting. Try them out!  Move #1: Modified V-Ups If you can, do it slowly and with control. Try not to jerk on your way up. Peel the spine off the floor one vertebra at a time. Move #2: Modified Hundreds Keep chest in and ribs shouldn't be popping out (keeping your chin to your chest may help if it gets difficult). Keep shoulders down. Move #3: Ab Rotation Hold Same as #2. Move ..read more

Dance - a sport? Whether dance should remain in the performing arts or be truly considered a sport has been the subject of debate for a lot of dancers and organizations for a while now. In my opinion and based on my experience, dance is an art form but it should definitely not be excluded from being considered a sport in international sports organizations. Dancers can be considered athletes too. When I was competing full time, I trained hard similar to other athletes in other sports. I talked about My Training with the Terminator in a previous post which showed my daily routine as a ..read more

Becoming an adjudicator / judge has been one of the pivotal moments in my career as a dancer. Having a peek at the other side of the dance floor, I've had my fair share of realizations. Now that I have started judging dancesport competitions in Asia, I have come to realize that there are certain aspects that we take for granted as competitors. Some of these might seem obvious, but I can still see a lot of competitors make these mistakes over and over again. Once you've trained and done hours of practice perfecting your timing, posture, footwork, characterization, choreography and presentatio ..read more

I'm sure some of us, at least once in our dance career, have encountered a dance partner who simply likes to nit-pick and teach their partner. Unless you're competing in the teacher-student category where your dance partner really is your teacher, then I suggest to limit your nit-picking and focus on what you can contribute to the partnership instead. Here are 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Teach Your Partner: 1. It means you already got your own steps perfect If you have found a lot of time to focus on your dance partner, that means less time to focus on your own dancing - which suggests you've ..read more