SOP Audition Celebrity Dance Battle Website now up!

Dear readers,

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for supporting and visiting this blog. Since it began publication, it has garnered over a thousand visits. Once again, my deepest gratitude.

X-Play, the company behind Audition Celebrity Dance Battle, has opened the segment's official website. Hence, I would like to inform everyone that I will continue writing about Audition Celebrity Dance Battle at sop.clubaudition.com.ph.

Please visit the website for more future updates. You'll also find an extensive gallery of rehearsal and segment photos, fashion commentaries, poll and a whole lot more!

I hope to see you there!


Sincerely,

Audition <3 Me

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle - Week 2 (Live Blog)

This week, Ryza Cennon and Rainier Castillo will face Vaness del Moral and Dominic Roco on the dance floor. Who will win and who will get eliminated? Follow the battle. Watch the drama. Get real-time updates only here in S.O.P. Audition Celebrity Dance Battle Live Blog!

Rehearsal photos - Batch 2

JC and Yasmien learn to blend delicate salsa to Audition's upbeat, high-energy song.

Mark and Chynna complete their launch dance with much enthusiasm.

Ryza and Rainier go for speed as they try and trick eyes with their hands.

Could it be that the reason why these two were paired was because of their unwavering smile? They kept their good disposition despite the confusing steps.

Yasmien and JC watch their choreographer as they catch their breath, gracefully.

The boys hang out during break (I must have done something good, having all these hunks in the same room at the same time XD).

Vaness and Dominic keep up with Jon of Kids @Work. All sweaty, still gorgeous.

Ryza and Rainier bond together as they wait for others to fall in for the final practice.

Mark and Chynna polish their moves with the help of Mia of Air Dance.

Ryza helps Mark and Chynna review their moves for the launch.

Everyone else join in as they watch Ryza lead the practice.

Congrats sa lucky e-Gamers na nakakuha ng Audition Celebrity Dance Battle items!

Above: GM Lowe announces the winners at the S.O.P. Audition Dance Battle booth.

X-Play thanks all e-Gamers sa kanilang matyagang paghihintay, pagsuporta at panonood sa launch ng Audition Celebrity Dance Battle. Sa unang linggo ng programa, tatlo na agad ang nanalo ng pinakaaabangang mga special items!



Sa Cabal Online, Outer Invader Pet!

Winner: xQuisite

Server: Neptune Server



Sa RAN Online, +10 Armor Set with +30% RV!

In-Game Name: Gz-ba2ero

Server: Strife



Sa Audition Dance Battle, Angel Prince of Love Wings Set!

In-Game Name: darkzhyde



Abangan ang susunod pang mga voucher codes sa May 24, 31 at June 7! Wag magpahuli, manood na ng Audition Celebrity Dance Battle!

A chat with Ryza Cennon

After a rigorous rehearsal, I was able to catch up with Ryza. She was on her way out of GMA Network Center's dance studio then (it was a few minutes past 5pm), sweaty and tired and still as divine and sweet-looking as she always is.

We talked for a while about the segment launch last week and how she feels about her upcoming dance battle against Vaness and Dominic. Here's some parts of the conversation.


Me: How did you feel about the launch?

Ryza: Kabado. Lahat naman kami, basta launch, talagang kinakabahan. Syempre, first time na ilalabas kaya kailangang talagang maganda.Ginawa ko naman ang makakaya ko and although nagkaroon ako ng ilang lapses (lalo na nung sumabit ang scarf ko sa hat ko and na-distract ako), masaya pa rin ako kase nagawa ko naman ng maayos. Pinaghirapan ko talaga ang sayaw namin.

Me: Nanibago ka ba sa segment? Kakaiba kase ang Audition Celebrity Dance Battle, ito ang unang dance contest na based on an online game.

Ryza: Okay naman, pareho lang. (Smiles)

Me: Kumusta naman ang bago n'yong dance number? Mas mahirap ba yung ginawa n'yo for Sunday (May 24)?

Ryza: Kung sakin, okay lang. Di naman, enjoy lang. Pag di ka kase nag-e-enjoy, lagi mong iisipin ang next step, yun ang mas mahirap. Gusto ko naman ang ginagawa ko kaya natural lang.

Me: Ano naman ang nararamdaman mo ngayon? Pressured ka ba? Syempre sa Sunday, laban n'yo na ni Vaness; may judges and voting nang involved.

Ryza: Sa ngayon, wala pa. Siguro sa Sunday kakabahan na ako. Ngayon kase, binubuo pa lang namin ang sayaw kaya enjoy lang, wala pang pressure.

Me: How will you describe your dance number?

Ryza: Yung sa amin, pabilisan eh. Kung yung kina Vaness, puro footworks, sa amin hands ang majority na ginagamit.

Me: Mukhang exciting ngang makita kayong magkatapatan sa Sunday. Sa palagay mo, sino ang magle-lead sa inyo sa Sunday?

Ryza: Wala, I don't have any idea pa. Syempre, kahit nagawa namin ng maganda ang sayaw namin, mga tao pa rin ang magde-decide kung sino ang susuportahan nila.

Me: Right. Fifty-fifty nga ang judges and text votes. Okay, last na po ito. Do you have any message for the viewers?

Ryza: Sa mga fans namin ni Rainier, sana suportahan nila kami. We'll do our best para di masayang ang suporta na ibibigay nila sa amin. Enjoy lang nila ang show.

Celebrity Scribbles

We asked our celebrity Audistas to answer a few questions for their profile. Read on to see their scribbles as we go one step closer to personal!

MARK HERRAS




YASMIEN KURDI

VANESS DEL MORAL
RYZA CENON

RAINIER CASTILLO
JC TIUSECO
DOMINIC ROCO
CHYNNA ORTALEZA

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle Launch Video

For those who missed the launch of Audition Celebrity Dance Battle, here's a copy of the segment. Enjoy!

www.pep.ph talks about Audition Celebrity Dance Battle

"Audition Celebrity Dance, the first TV dance contest based on the popular online dance game, is set to launch on May 17 on GMA-7's Sunday musical variety show S.O.P." intro ng isang article ng nabanggit na entertainment portal.

For the full article, visit http://www.pep.ph/guide/3910/Audition-Celebrity-Dance-Battle-to-premiere-on-May-17-at-SOP.

I can't wait to see their follow up article about Audition Celebrity Dance Battle. The segment was a success and a lot of readers, viewers, gamers and fans are looking forward to the actual dance battle.

Next Sunday, May 24, Ryza Cennon and her partner, Rainier Castillo, will officially open the battle as they contend with dance couple Vaness del Moral and Dominic Roco.

It's going to be exciting so stay tuned!

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle nasa SOP na!

"Ang number one online casual game, ang Audition Dance Battle, which has been challenging gamers for close to three years now, will literally come alive starting this Sunday, May 17, 2009 in S.O.P. Eight Kapuso stars will figure in a battle of the hottest and hippest dance moves--live!"

Yan ang intro ng article na pinublish ng www.igma.tv. Sa article, detalyadong isinalaysay kung paano ang naging paghahanda ng walong celebrities na kasali sa pinakabagong dance segment ng S.O.P. at kauna-unahang primetime segment ng isang online game sa national TV, ang Audition Celebrity Dance Battle.

Kung gusto n'yong mabasa ang detalye, pumunta lamang sa http://www.igma.tv/story/5713/Audition-Celebrity-Dance-Battle-nasa-SOP-na.

Get real time updates here through S.O.P. Live Blog!

Dance for a cause: GMA7 stars compete for charity in SOP’s Audition Celebrity Dance Battle

Featuring eight GMA Kapuso Stars, Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is set to launch on May 17 2009 on GMA 7’s top-rating Sunday musical variety show, S.O.P.


A first of its kind on Philippine TV history, Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is a spin-off from the popular online dance game, Audition Dance Battle. Published in the Philippines by X-Play Online Gaming Inc., (X-Play), which is the joint venture between IP e-Game Ventures Inc., (IP E-Games) and GMA New Media Inc. (GMA-NMI), Audition Celebrity Dance Battle brings to life the fun, high-energy and dance creativity of the game to home viewers.



Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is similar to one of the game’s dance modes, Couple Mode, where players compete with other players in pairs. They will also be performing popular Audition Dance Battle dance moves. The GMA Kapuso dance pairs to watch will be Mark Herras and Chynna Ortaleza, Rainier Castillo and Ryza Cenon, JC Tiuseco and Yasmien Kurdi, and Vaness Del Moral and Dominic Roco. The celebrity pairs will hit the dance floor on May 17, with the winning pair receiving P100,000 in the grand finals. The charity aspect of the competition, however, serves as additional motivation for the contestants to give their best in every single performance.






Charity component

The charity partner of Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is IP Foundation (IPF), a Corporate Social Responsibility organization whose goals are simple: 1) To save lives by providing affordable and accessible healthcare, and 2) To bridge the digital divide by setting up computer centers inside public schools.

The healthcare program of IP Foundation is administered in collaboration with Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics, Inc. (FVSC), which operates the largest chain of privately run vaccination clinics in the Philippines, with 30 clinics across 17 provinces nationwide.

Each celebrity pair will sponsor one FVSC clinic, with their partner clinic receiving fifty percent of the winning pair’s cash prize. The partner clinics in turn will have a corresponding beneficiary families or individuals in need of financial assistance, as the winning clinic will also share the cash prize with them.



The clinics’ representative beneficiaries all represent how having sufficient healthcare facilities in their area will benefit the different partner communities. These beneficiaries are from the same locality of the chosen Family Vaccine beneficiary branches: FVSC Pasay, FVSC Valenzuela, FVSC Caloocan, and FVSC Tala.






Model ‘kuya’



The contestants have already begun their strenuous training and practice. In between their hectic schedules they have set aside time to meet and get to know their partner beneficiaries. The pair of Mark Herras and Chynna Ortaleza is partnered with FVSC Pasay.

Located in Pasay General Hospital, FVSC Pasay’s partner beneficiary is the Mejorada family. The family’s inspiring story is centered on Jayjay, who is the eldest son out of the five children of a labandera and a part-time painter. Already accustomed to living in poverty and having to work since he was young in order to make extra money for his family, Jayjay used to deliver vegetables in the city’s wet market at 3AM, then would go straight to school.

Trials, however, never stopped Jayjay from being focused on his studies, as he is a consistent honor student. ”Gusto kong pagbutihin pag-aaral ko, para pag nakatapos n’ako at nakakuha ng magandang trabaho, matutupad ko na ang aking pangarap na maiahon sa hirap ang pamilya ko,” he says. If their celebrity partner wins, the cash to be donated to FVSC Pasay will contribute to improving the health condition of youths in Pasay, like him and his siblings, whom he tries to influence to lead healthy lifestyles. “Walang bisyo yang si Jayjay, kaya maganda siyang ehemplo para sa mga kapatid niya, at pati na rin sa mga iba pang kabataan sa lugar namin,” says his mom, Len.

As for the cash to be donated by FVSC Pasay if Mark and Chynna would win, the Mejorada family will use most of it to take care of Jayjay’s miscellaneous fees, since the public high school he is enrolled in has certain fees that their family simply cannot afford. Jayjay’s part-time job as a crew member in a fastfood chain has already ended, and it was the only way he was able to have money for school fees, projects, allowance, and still contribute to his family. “Sana manalo si Mark at Chynna, kasi malaking parte nung mado-donate sa amin, ay para sana maipagpatuloy ko pa rin yung pag-aaral ko. Tapos yung iba, para sa pang araw-araw na pangangailangan ng pamilya ko,” Jayjay says.

Chynna mingled with her charity family as when they visited rehearsals to meet their celebrity partners. "Ngayong nakita at na-meet ko kayo, mas na-inspire ako na lalo pang pagbutihin ang pagsayaw para makatulong naman ako sa inyo," she says.

Only a few months to live



The partner clinic of Rainier Castillo and Ryza Cenon is FVSC Valenzuela, located in Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital. Their beneficiary is the Acabado family, represented by Rosie, who is a nurse from the hospital where FVSC is located.

Ryza couldn’t help but get teary eyed as she Rosie showed her a photo of her husband, Rick, who lied in bed with no limbs. Aside from having his limbs amputated due to complications in diabetes, Rosie’s husband was also diagnosed with a kidney disease, and only have a few more months to live. “Sinabihan na kami ng mga duktor na maghanda, kasi hindi na daw talaga magtatagal asawa ko,” Rosie says sadly. Their son, Richard, shares how he did not understand his father’s illness when he was younger, “pero nung pinutulan na siya ng mga paa, dun ko na nalaman na malala na ang sakit ng papa ko. Kaming magkakapatid ang nagbubuhat sa kanya ngayon, dahil hindi na siya makagalaw,” he said.

There is still hope, at least even just to extend Rick’s life. “Pag manalo si Rainier at Ryza, yung mapupunta sa FVSC Valenzuela ay makakatulong sa mga nurse na tulad ko, at yung madodonate ng FVSC sa pamilya naman namin, para sa mga gastusin sa sakit ng asawa ko,” Rosie explained.

Single mother of three



For Vaness Del Moral and Dominic Roco, fifty percent of the grand prize they’ll receive if they win the competition will go to FVSC Caloocan, located in President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center.

The two bonded with their charity family from the same area, led by Olivia Gaddi. A single mother with 3 young kids, Olivia struggles to single-handedly provide for her family, whose main source of income is a small sari-sari store and making rags. She is, however, proud of how she has raised her children in spite of being a single parent. “Lahat po yan nasa top 10 ng klase nila,” she shares. Their closeness is also evident in how sweet Olivia’s kids are to her while chatting with Vaness and Dominic. If their team wins, Olivia believes that the money to be donated to FVSC Caloocan will benefit more moms, like her. “Basta kapag matutulungan yung clinic, matutulungan ang lahat ng pamilya sa lugar namin,” she says. According to her, the prize to be shared by FVSC to her family will be allotted to expenses for the coming school year and maintaining the sari-sari store business, which is their lifeline and source of livelihood. She also wants to start giving her children vitamins to supplement their nutritional needs.

Second chance in life



The team of Yasmien Kurdi and JC Tiuseco is partnered with FVSC Tala, located in Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Hospital and Sanitarium. Founded in 1940, the hospital is formerly known as Tala Leprosarium but was later renamed since it is no longer a leprosarium and only a few leper patients with mild cases remain.

The pair’s beneficiary is 44-year old nursing aide Mang Danny Lintag. He developed leprosy when he was 17, and after 6 months of extensive treatment, he was pronounced clinically well and safe to return to Pampanga in order to help his 9 siblings.

However, the severity of his former disease caused people from his hometown to reject him, and he eventually returned to Tala. As his P450 a month salary as Gratuity Nurse Aide is far from enough, he hopes that Yasmien and JC would win in order to help him start over, as well as help the hospital who healed him and gave him a second chance in life. “Yung madodonate naman sa FVSC Tala, makakatulong sa hospital na gumamot sa akin noong ako’y may sakit pa,” he says.

Full support

All the beneficiaries are excited with Audition Celebrity Dance Battle, and hopes that their respective celebrity partners would win. Criteria for judging will be divided according to judges’ vote, based on choreography, timing, impact, audience impact the other half from SMS or text votes.

“FVSC is thankful to be part of this project, and we truly appreciate the importance that SOP, GMA Network, and X-Play has given to us. With the donation, more people will be able to receive ” says Vina Reodica, Operations Manager, FVSC.

FVSC has a solid 3-year track record, having treated more than 50,000 patients per year and lowered the cost of rabies preventive treatment by more than 70%. FVSC has also sponsored over 35,000 anti-rabies injections and donated over 13 Million Pesos worth of anti-rabies vaccines.

Fans of the contestants can show their full support for their idols and their idol’s respective charity beneficiaries by voting for them through text. “We are excited for Audition Celebrity Dance Battle and happy that GMA-NMI and GMA Network are giving their full support for this,” said George Royeca, Vice-President for X-Play.

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.clubaudition.com.ph/ and http://www.sop.clubaudition.com/. Information about charity partner IP Foundation and FVSC are also available in http://www.ip-foundation.org/ and www.ipvg.com/fvsc

Rehearsal photos - Batch 1

Here are some of the photos we took during their first rehearsal. Venue: Studio 6, GMA Network Center, Q.C.

Ryza Cennon warms up for their afternoon rehearsal.

Vaness del Moral (far left), Rainier Castillo (second from left), Chynna Ortaleza (center), Dominic Roco (upper right), and Ryza Cennon (right) practice their intro moves.

Yasmien Kurdi learns how to execute her special moves for the Audition Celebrity Dance Battle. Yas and JC Tiuseco will compete with Dominic and Vaness during the first qualifying round.

Chynna mingles and chats with her charity family after the rehearsal. Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics brought the family over to the studio to meet their celebrity partners. "Ngayong nakita at na-meet ko kayo, mas na-inspire ako na lalo pang pagbutihin ang pagsayaw para makatulong naman ako sa inyo," said Chynna. Mark Herras was not able to attend the rehearsal due to shooting schedule conflict.

Teary-eyed Ryza asks for the public's support, not for her team but for the family that needs her help. For the full story of Ryza's charity family, read the feature article to be posted at the Press Release section of this blog.

Vaness and Dominic shares a short but memorable time with their team's charity family.

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle to premier on May 17 in SOP

Eight GMA Kapuso Stars, four family beneficiaries, one exciting primetime TV show segment

May 6, 2009 Makati City – Preparations for Audition Celebrity Dance Battle, the first primetime segment based on an online game to air in Philippine national television, approaches. GMA Kapuso Stars who were chosen to participate in the dance battle have already begun their strenuous training and practice. The list of participants includes the Bad Boy of the Dance Floor, Mark Herras; Starstruck Ultimate Female Survivor, Ryza Cenon; first Pinoy Sole Survivor, JC Tiuseco; actress Chynna Ortaleza, and a lot more.

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is the newest dance showdown segment by X-Play Online Gaming Inc. (X-Play), the joint venture between IP e-Game Ventures Inc. (e-Games) and GMA New Media Inc. (GMA-NMI). The segment is scheduled to launch on May 10 in GMA-7’s Sunday noontime show, SOP, with the first leg of the dance battle airing on May 17. It will run for four weeks until June 7.

“We are excited for the Audition Celebrity Dance Battle and happy that GMA-NMI and GMA Network are giving their full support for Audition Dance Battle. This is the first time an online game has hit a primetime show on national television. Right now, SOP is the biggest celebrity weekend concert party on TV and Audition Dance Battle will be part of it for four whole weeks. We are truly grateful for this opportunity,” says George Royeca, VP for X-Play.

Audition Dance Battle is a downloadable multiplayer online casual rhythm game produced by T3 Entertainment and published in the Philippines by X-Play. “Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is actually similar to one of the game’s dance modes, Couple Mode, where players compete with other players in pairs. They will also be performing popular Audition Dance Battle dance moves. I’m sure all Audition players out there will be thrilled to see their favorite game come to life, and on the leading noontime show, SOP!” furthers Jason Tomas, Audition Dance Battle Product Manager.

The grand winner will receive Php100,000, fifty percent of which will go to X-Play’s charity partner, IP Foundation. The healthcare program of IP Foundation is administered in collaboration with Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics (FVSC), which operates the largest chain of privately run vaccination clinics in the Philippines, with 30 clinics across 17 provinces nationwide. Each celebrity pair will sponsor one FVSC clinic.

Scores will be based on the judges’ vote, 50% and via SMS or text voting, 50%.

For more information, visit http://www.clubaudition.com.ph/.

About Audition Celebrity Dance Battle

About the segment

Audition Celebrity Dance Battle is the newest initiative by X-Play Online Games (X-Play), a joint venture between IP e-Game Ventures Inc. (e-Games) and GMA New Media Inc. (GMA-NMI), to bring the leading online casual game, Audition Dance Battle, mainstream.

The segment, scheduled to air in GMA-7’s top-rating Sunday noontime show, S.O.P., from May 17 to 31, 2009, includes eight young Kapuso stars. The following TV sensations will compete in pairs for the ultimate prize: Mark Herras at Chynna Ortaleza; Yasmien Kurdi at JC Tiuseco; Ryza Cenon at Rainier Castillo; at Vaness del Moral at Dominic Roco.


Mechanics

Every week, two randomly selected pairs will battle it out in Couple Mode, a dance mode in Audition Dance Battle, using some of the game’s popular moves. In the final week, the winning pairs will compete for the Ultimate Celebrity Audista title. The champion gets Php100,000.


Winner selection

Scores will be based on the judges’ vote (50%) and via SMS or text voting (50%). Voting period and SMS codes will be announced during the show. Viewers who participated in the selection of winners will also get a chance to win special items and merchandise.

Criteria for judging:
25% - Choreography
15% - Timing
10% - Audience impact
50% - Txt Votes


Charity

The celebrity champions will win Php100,000 and half of it will go to X-Play’s charity partner, IP Foundation. The healthcare program of IP Foundation is managed by its subsidiary, Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics (FVSC), which runs the biggest chain of private vaccination clinics in the country. It currently has 30 clinics in 17 provinces nationwide. Every celebrity pair is set to sponsor one FVSC clinic.