The seventh season of ABC-5's Shall We Dance: The
Celebrity Dance Challenge kicks off this Sunday, January 27, at 9 p.m. The
first batch features not only three but five celebrities who will be vying for
a slot in the finals.
Shall We Dance
(SWD) gives a second chance to former challengers who weren't able to make it to the
finals during their first stint in the show. These are funnyman Long Mejia,
actress Assunta de Rossi, boxer-turned-comedian Onyok Velasco and sexy star
Angelica Jones. SWD's very own Dominic Ochoa, Lucy Torres-Gomez's co-host ever
since the show started, completes the line up for the first batch as he finally
agreed to be a contestant in the dance challenge.
Dominic was asked time and again to dance in the show but he
would agree only during TV specials. But this time, Dominic is up for a bigger
challenge. "Nung nalaman kong si Long ang makakalaban, sabi ko sige okay lang.
Mukha naman si Long ang unang matatanggal," he quips.
Dom, together with partner Michelle Valdez, has been doing
rigorous rehearsals because according to him the last thing he wants the judges
and the audience to see is a half-baked performance. "Gusto kong ma-surprise
ang mga judges sa sayaw namin kaya nag-practice talaga kami nang husto," he
added.
Long, who first competed in the show's season 2, said he is
more than ready to compete this time. When asked who he thinks is his toughest
competitor, the comedian answered in jest, "Kung nandito lang si John Travolta,
siya talaga ang toughest competitor ko." Long admitted later on that he is
actually nervous but will definitely try his best because he doesn't like to disappoint his
partner Raine Trinidad.
Onyok is also back in SWD, and with a vengeance. This time,
he says, he is more determined to win. He and dance partner Olivia Cui will
incorporate more liftings in their routines to showcase Onyok's strong arms,
and more intricate footwork in the arrangements.
Angelica Jones says that she has moved on from her controversy with the reality dance program. She once accused Shall We Dance of being unfair because she didn't get the song she wanted for her Jive number. All she wants now, she says, is to redeem herself and prove that she can really dance well.
Assunta was just happy to be able to dance again in SWD. She
and her partner Rodel Espinosa will try to impress the judges and the audience
with their salsa routine.
Unlike last season, SWD has added a new twist in the dance competition.
Whenever there will be a non-elimination episode, the pair who gets the lowest
score will have to prepare two dance routines for the next competition. Also,
the three resident judges Ednah Ledesma, Audie Gemora and Regine Tolentino will
be stricter and harder to please this season.
And so the dance battle begins this Sunday night at 9 p.m. as Philippine TV's original dance competition of the stars, Shall We Dance: The Celebrity Dance Challenge, premieres its newest season on ABC-5.