Hailing from St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, Sularaya Dance Troupe will be representing the Philippines at the upcoming World of Dance Summit this July 17 to 21 in Los Angeles, California.
This comes after they topped the high school division of the World of Dance PH qualifiers on March 9 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
Joining them from the high school division are Terpsichore Street, ICA Dance Troupe, and LSGH Ace. Meanwhile, college-level performers Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs) and the FEU Dance Company will be representing the flag in the upcoming competition.
St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina’s Adhika, Miriam’s Sayawatha Dance Troupe, and The A-Team’s A-Kidz will be performing in the junior team division. Chikletz Family and Project Chaos will be leading the charge in the team division.
READ: These high schoolers are representing the PH at the World of Dance Summit
View this post on Instagram
Sularaya Dance Troupe and the other high school-level representatives will be grouped in the junior team division for the World of Dance Summit. On the other hand, the collegiate teams will be competing in the team division.
Several other local teams will be representing the Philippines in the earlier stages of the competition. However, the performances of Sularaya Dance Troupe and the aforementioned teams in the qualifier have earned them a spot straight into the World of Dance Summit’s championship round. Unlike others that must go through the opening and challenger gauntlets, they only have to compete once in the championship stage for a spot at the World of Dance Finals.
However, only 10 teams from the Junior Team Division and 10 teams from the Team Division will be allowed to advance.
Sularaya Dance Troupe was established in 2014 as St. Scholastica’s College, Manila’s official high school dance varsity. Since then, they have consistently placed in several dance competitions, including securing the second spot at the Dance Supremacy (DS 2024), third place at the Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA 2024), and first runner-up in the Dance Surge 2020.
Leading the team are coach Melvin ‘Vinz’ De Guzman and coach Vanessa “Vane” Samson-De Guzman, a dance couple with extensive experience and achievements, such as the champions in the 5v5 Nike Battle and the Borneo International Street Dance in Malaysia.
However, as the girls prepare for the global stage, much is still needed outside the dance floor. “We are a young and emerging dance troupe. We have limited clout and resources, which we need to enable the girls to participate in this global competition,” says Vinz. “We are only able to move forward with the school and the parents’ support, but much is yet to be done,” adds Vane.
“There are times when the girls feel disheartened, especially with the costs it will entail to pursue their dreams and to showcase Filipino talent abroad. Not all of them would have unlimited funds, and we have scholars to take care of as well,” team moderator Joyce Dianne Sabroso explains.
As the Sularaya Dance Troupe prepares to represent the Philippines at the World of Dance Summit, the team will be holding a fundraising concert entitled “Bon Voyage: Sularaya Hit The Stage” on July 4, 2025 at the St. Cecilia’s Hall of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila.
For ticket information, supporters may visit Sularaya Dance Troupe’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
