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The Club in the making "Dance is perhaps the oldest of the arts, reflecting man's age-old need to communicate joy or grief, by using the most immediate instrument at his disposal - his body." In any Filipino gathering, dancing tops the entertainment category. With Dubai's cosmopolitan environment, i.e. abundance of discos and pubs, who needs a Saturday - or shall we say a Thursday Night Fever, when one can dance the night away at any given time of the week. But partying, means money outlay, and this has been a restricting factor in the Filipinos' zest for the good life, as we are basically here to earn, and not to irrationally splurge our hard earned-money. However, the year 1995 marked a turning point in the Dubai-based Filipino expatriates' social calendar. It was in this year that Mrs Gladys Reyes, the diminutive yet highly dynamic newly appointed OWWA Welfare Officer in Dubai, looked not only after the needs of the Filipinos, but also provided them with a wholesome new entertainment ... in the form of ballroom dancing. The above historical event was narrated to better understand how the Dance Club was created, which was basically as an offshoot of the Dance Clinic. The Dance Clinic is to Basic Steps while the Dance Club is to Advance Steps or new dance variations. In retrospect, it was often emphasized then by Mrs Gladys Reyes, that those wishing to learn more advance steps or variations can do so, but not as part of the Dance Clinic Programme which was strictly for beginners. Consequently, it was suggested that a Dance Club be organized to cater for the advance students. A meeting was then set and an invitation was extended to the dance clinic graduates. Thus, on the 18th of September 1996, barely a month after the graduation of the second batch, that a historic dinner meeting was conducted. The venue, the Italian restaurant at Lord's Hotel and the following dance enthusiasts attended the organizational meeting of a soon to be formed Dance Club: Dick Orense; Lilian Romero; Johnny Rodriguez; Gil Romero; Betty Ogsila; Francis Leonidas; Carmela Soriano; Romeo Agregado; Milanie Neptuno; Ben Mero; Veronica Perona; Ramon de Ramos; Liberty Perona; Rolando Gutierrez; Adrian Rams Andrade; Galo Hernandez; and Patrick Masahud. Those who were not able to attend the session, but nevertheless signified their intention to join the Club were: Rene Bunao; Cris Fuentes; Raymond Abad; Lilian Vargas; Eden; Jeffrey Amparado; and Marife Mayor. The organizational meeting was presided by Dick Orense, and hereunder were the unanimous decisions that came about: Club's name "The Filipino Dance Club" Aim "To promote our social and physical wellbeing through the medium of dance." Membership agreed that graduates of the Dance Clinic will automatically become a member as long as the person is interested to join the Club. Bonafide members are those who are paying members and who are already adept in ballroom dancing or any other form of dance. Fees A specific amount was agreed upon. Other fees or payments will depend upon the nature and venue of the Club's functions. Frequency of Meeting / Venue It was set on a monthly basis, every 2nd Wednesday at 8 pm, with the venue yet to be finalised. Projects Plans were laid down for possible projects. (Note: One of the most successful projects of the Club is the Outreach Program, wherein the officers and members of the Club tour the other Emirates in association with the local Filipino Clubs and teach them the basics of tango, cha-cha, boogie and swing.) Election of Officers A yearly election of Club Officers will be conducted. (To date there have been three sets of officers, with Mr Romeo Agregado, being elected Chairman twice. An MBA degree holder and an Engineer by profession, Romy is a man who is skillful in organizing fundraising activities. Being an avid ballroom dancer, the Club, under Romy's direction, has taken on the stand of teaching quality dance variations.) One of the most significant contributions of the first elected officers to the Filipino community in Dubai was the introduction of the ballroom dancing as a social unifying spirit amongst the various Filipino groups. It was noted that in ballroom dancing, all Filipinos, regardless of discipline, sect, creed, club affinity, and even those with personal differences were able to come to terms. In the spirit of camaraderie they were able to forget personal grudges and elevate themselves to enjoy the aesthetic value of ballroom dancing. Similarly, the creation of another dance club in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi through the initiative, strong dedication, and concerted effort of the Filipino Dance Club of Dubai has succeeded in making ballroom dancing an effective tool to really reach out to our fellow OFWs and share with them the skills and many benefits of this art form. The growing membership of the FDC Dubai can perhaps be attributed to the fact that ballroom dancing is not only a social dance, but also a form of good exercise. This contributes not only to our physical, but as well as our mental wellbeing, thus making us healthy and happy in our outlook which results in our being effective and productive OFWs. As one of the founders of the Dance Clinic and the Dance Club, I am deeply touched by the tremendous response that we are getting from the Filipino community. There is no denying that volunteering one's services takes a lot of dedication, commitment and perseverance. But the spirit of sharing is a calling that is hard to resist especially when we succeed in providing a worthy recreation that result in forgetting the loneliness that more often than not looms in the background of an expatriate's life. It is from this very thought that we derive our strength, consolation as well as our inspiration. We may still be lacking in context and style as far as dancing is concerned. We may not reach the league of Easy Dancing or the likes. But one thing is for sure, when we see our graduates perform intricate steps on their graduation day - considering that most of them literally didn't know their left foot from their right - then our goals and missions are definitely fulfilled. For
as long as there are those who will give their time and effort
to share with others, then ballroom dancing will continue to grow.
And this is given credence by the steady growth of members - from
the original 24 to the current number of approximately 250 members. Activities *
Organizing special events, such as: Valentines party, Halloween
party, Summer beach party The
strength of the Filipino Dance Club-Dubai is based on a solid
foundation made up of the dedicated Dance Instructors and Instructresses
who have taken it upon themselves to share with others their time
and the skills that they acquired from the Club, without any remuneration. |
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