following the enthusiastic participation of 65 aspiring couples in 9 events on July 15 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. While most of the competing couples came from Metro Manila, a huge number were experienced and new competitors from Cebu, Bacolod, and even Isabela. The couples brought in their own hooters to add to the already excited crowd of ballroom enthusiasts from Metro Manila and outlying provinces and cities. (A regular sports fan was heard saying that the event sounded like a basketball game between Ateneo and La Salle, which in fact were currently slugging it out at the Ultra).

Belinda Adora and new partner Michael Mendoza topped the Amateur Latin event, as Edgar Borromeo and Ana Dulce Yango retained their ranking in the Amateur Standard category. (Check out the list)

From the very start of the competition, as organizers tried to contain the audience within the upper and lower boxes of the stadium, the most daring and enthusiastic spectators somehow managed to slip through to position themselves right at the edge of the dance floor. They somehow reverted back to their reserve when Dutch adjudicator Ratna de Rijk invited them for a group dance lesson on the Mambo.

Right after the final round of the events, and before the announcement of winners, Finnish adjudicators and World Professional Latin Champions since 1997 Jukka Haapalainen and Sirpa Suutari surprised everyone, including the organizers, with an exquisite performance of the Tango Valiente (their interpretation of a haunting music), a Chachacha, a Lambada (which they lovingly dedicated to Salsa queen Becky Garcia) and a Jive.

Everyone was ecstatically high as the world champions showed off their winning form and shared a few new sequences which we expect to see on the local dance floor soon as DIs try out the moves they observed.